Archive for June, 2009

Using seven recycled shipping containers, architect Bernard Morin and wife Joyce Labelle built this contemporary residence in St. Adele, Quebec.  The home is the first of many to come for their new company, Maison Idekit, which will help homeowners turn containers into architecturally unique, and inexpensive, homes.  The company has two more residential projects set to break ground in the next couple months using a total of twelve container modules.

IDEKIT’s first home is 3,000 square feet with four-bedrooms.  It cost about $175,000 (R1.5m) to build and turns container design on its head.  Rather than feature the exposed containers on the exterior, the containers are exposed on the inside — you can even see serial numbers, dents, and corrugated detail in several places throughout the home.  On the outside, the home has five inches of insulation that is topped by brown wood siding.

Photo credits: Maison IDEKIT.

Source : Jetson Green

Keep it Green

Greencon

Hey Will,

Got got my elect bill!

June last year – consumed 4139 KWH at a cost of R51c each = R2110.89  (at 55c = R2276.45)

This June consumed 2316 KWH at a cost of 55c each = R1273.80

That’s a saving of R1002.65

My solar geyser has now been in for 12 months – saving on electricity is R4300 or 36%

With electricity going up by 30% + my savings will increase  to around R5500 next year.

Very happy with a 3.5 year pay back.

Cheers

Dave Myers

Cell: (censored)

It’s true that structures that incorporate “green” design elements are inherently inventive, since they often utilize state-of-the-art technologies in order to have minimum impact on the environment. However, there are some buildings that go above and beyond even green conventions in order to meet Gold- or even Platinum-level LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) building certification standards. From a water facility with a 30,000-square-foot green roof to a nonprofit center with a 42-gallon water tank that stores rainwater for reuse, these eight award-winning architectural superstars are truly green trailblazers.

Gish Family Apartments in San Jose, California

This 35-unit energy-efficient housing complex is LEED Gold-certified for homes and new construction. Built on an urban brownfield (a vacant property that may require additional cleanup due to possible contamination by hazardous substances) and located near public transportation, the complex obtained 20% of its materials from within 500 miles of the structure, and 90% of the construction waste was later recycled. The building has a rooftop photovoltaic array—which harvests photons from the sun to convert into electricity—that offsets 30% of the energy costs. The apartment complex also uses 62% less potable water due to the installation of minimal-flow sinks, showers and toilets. Photo courtesy of Bernard Andre Photography and First Community Housing

The Animal Foundation’s Dog Adoption Park in Las Vegas, Nevada

Rather than adhere to the standard layout, a large room filled with individual dog kennels, The Animal Foundation opted for this adoption park filled with 22 identical “bungalows” that each house 10 to 12 dogs. Built according to LEED Platinum requirements, this complex uses the region’s ample wind and sun resources to its benefit; mounted solar panels provide shade while generating 25% of the daily required energy, and outside air is cooled by indirect evaporative coolers before being circulated throughout the rooms. The park uses a “living machine” to treat waste water that is then reused on site, thus reducing water needs by 50%. Overall, the animal shelter uses 81% less energy than comparable structures. Photo courtesy of Tate Snyder Kimsey
Western Center for Archaeology & Paleontology in Hemet, California

Designated as the first Platinum LEED museum in the United States, this building is connected to the virtually identical Center for Water Education via a pedestrian walkway. The 70,000-square-foot twin-building complex is located on the Diamond Lake Reservoir, and fossils found during the reservoir’s creation are housed within the Western Center. The buildings utilize photovoltaic panels, which provide almost 50% of the structures’ energy needs, and heat-blocking glass, to keep out the arid region’s intense sun while allowing in natural light to minimize use of electric lights. Outdoors, a drip-irrigation system uses reclaimed water to nourish native and drought-tolerant plants. Photo courtesy of James Horecka, AIA, Architect
Heifer International in Little Rock, Arkansas

The headquarters for this nonprofit, which is dedicated to ending world hunger, is located on 22 acres of land that was once 60% covered by paving (which was crushed and reused during the construction process). The brownfield—and former railroad switching yard—now has restored wetlands partly surrounding this green structure. The building uses 55% less energy than a conventional one, and a five-story-tall, 42,000-gallon water tank collects rainwater used for toilets and cooling systems. The steel, timber and aluminum used were all locally sourced, and recycled denim is used for the insulation. Photo courtesy of Heifer International

Philip Merrill Environmental Center in Annapolis, Maryland

For environmental advocacy group the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, it was important that its headquarters be as eco-friendly as its causes. This structure uses 90% less water than a conventional office building by utilizing composting toilets and capturing rainwater to reuse. Geothermal walls keep the interior warm in the winter and cool in the summer, solar panels heat water used indoors, and a “total energy management system” monitors energy usage and daylight levels and alerts employees when windows are open—all contributing to the center’s designation as the first building to ever receive a LEED Platinum rating.Photo courtesy of Andreas Kollegger via Flickr.com
Pocono Environmental Education Center in Dingmans Ferry, Pennsylvania

The goal for this building was to create a hands-on classroom experience that promotes the group’s mission to raise environmental awareness. To that end, many of the structure’s elements were intended to be teaching tools. For instance, tires found in the surrounding rivers and park grounds were recycled and used to build the structure’s north wall, showcasing how items can be reused for new purposes. Located within a native forest, the site for this center was chosen because the area had already been cleared by a previous owner and construction would have no adverse effect on local ecosystems.Photo courtesy of Bohlin Cywinski Jackson and Pocono Environmental Education Center

The Molecular Foundry in Berkeley, California

This nanotechnology research laboratory had major hurdles to overcome to achieve a LEED Gold rating, since it housed areas such as wet and dry labs, sterile cleanrooms and a server room, which traditionally demand a large amount of energy. Once completed, the structure ended up using 28% less energy than required by the extremely stringent California building efficiency standard. Almost all wood used was sustainably harvested, and 85% of construction waste was recycled. Photo courtesy of Roy Kaltschmidt

Whitney Water Purification Facility in New Haven, Connecticut

This 360-foot-long steel building, which was designed to look like an inverted water droplet, provides water to southern Connecticut and includes an educational center. The 30,000-square-foot green roof contains 900 pounds of grass clippings and 7,000 perennial flowers—making it the largest green roof in the state. No natural habitats were affected by its construction, and the surrounding wetlands, which are home to migrating birds, were actually enlarged during the construction process. Photo courtesy of Chris McVoy and Steven Holl Architects

Source: Womans Day On-line

Keep it Green

Greencon

It is no longer enough to just conserve energy. More and more corporations, government agencies and entire cities are making large, long-term commitments to ensure that the power they do use comes from renewable sources. To recognize these trendsetters, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency publishes a quarterly list of the top American users of green power: organizations that generate their own renewable energy, buy it from suppliers, or purchase offset credits to compensate for their traditional energy use. To put things in perspective, the average U.S. home consumes about 10,656 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity a year. That means number 25 on the list buys enough green energy to power more than 14,000 homes.

The most direct method to make energy consumption more sustainable is for a user to generate its own power by, for example, installing solar panels or by burning waste gas. A major do-it-yourself project, however, might not fall within the expertise of, say, a clothing retailer, so some entities hire outside operators to do it for them.

A second path is to purchase power directly from alternative energy producers, such as a nearby wind farm. The third and most common route is buying credits to offset the amount of conventional energy an organization is using. The bulk of these trades is orchestrated by brokers such as 3Degrees and Sterling Planet, which make a commission. For example, buyers can request 300 million kWh of wind power from Texas. Once energy enters the grid, it cannot be isolated, so even the biggest buyers aren’t literally powering their air conditioners with breeze-buffeted turbines. But offsets are like certified environmental karma: what comes around in the end is cleaner power production.

1. Intel
Santa Clara, CA | Information Technology
1,301 million green kWh, 46% of total power used
Buying the most renewable energy in the country is actually an honor Intel could do without, according to Will Swope, vice president of Intel’s corporate sustainability group. The company’s massive purchase is not just to stay ahead of the curve, he says, but “to give confidence to people who are creating sustainable energy.” Meaning that with increased green power supply, costs will go down for everyone—Intel included. The computer chipmaker buys the eco-sound electricity through offset credits, which pay for greener energy to enter the grid even though Intel can’t isolate it for use directly. The credits can be expensive, but Swope notes that shareholders have been behind the program. “Economics have shown,” he says, “that companies that maintain a more sustainable footprint have done better—even in economic meltdown—than those that don’t.”

2. PepsiCo
Purchase, NY | Food & Beverage
1,145 million green kWh, 100% of total power used
The conglomerate, which is separate from the Pepsi bottling groups, made a splash when its headquarters went all green with its power buys in early 2007. PepsiCo drinks in $39 billion in net revenues through brands from Aquafina to Quaker Oats; it has turned to renewable power brokers to purchase offset credits.

3. Kohl’s Department Stores
Menomonee Falls, WI | Retail
601 million green kWh, 50% of total power used
This chain is already the biggest solar electricity host in the U.S. To soak up rays on 60 (and counting) store and corporate rooftops, the retailer has partnered with Sun-Edison, which owns and maintains the solar panels and sells the electricity to Kohl’s. The largest setup is the roof of a distribution center in San Bernardino, Calif., where 6,208 panels can crank out a full megawatt of power.

4. Dell
Round Rock, TX | Information Technology
554 million green kWh, 158% of total power used
In August 2008 managers declared Dell’s headquarters “carbon-neutral” after buying energy credits, increasing efficiency and reducing emissions. As a result, the company reported saving $3 million, disproving skeptical claims that running on green technology is bad for staying in the black. To compensate for overseas operations, Dell buys more U.S. offset credits than it needs at home; hence the 158 percent figure.

5. Whole Foods Market
Austin, TX | Retail
527 million green kWh, 100% of total power used
Since December 2005 Whole Foods Market has entirely offset conventional power consumption at its stores nationwide. At that time, its buy was the biggest renewable energy purchase ever in North America. Employees at the regional or store level determine what kinds of energy to purchase (or generate) for the most locally sound decisions.

6. Pepsi Bottling Group
Somers, NY| Food & Beverage
470 million green kWh, 100% of total power used
As the largest bottler and distributor of Pepsi products, the group jumped headlong into running fully on green energy just months after PepsiCo did (#2 above). The group, which sells more than 1.7 billion cases of drinks annually, offsets all its U.S. power use through credits.

7. Johnson & Johnson
New Brunswick, NJ | Health Care
435 million green kWh, 38% of total power used
Johnson & Johnson began setting sustainability goals in 1990. These days, to meet more than a third of its U.S. power consumption, the company plays the full trifecta: on-site generation, energy purchases and offset credits. It generates power from landfill gas and solar panels, purchases both wind and hydropower directly, and buys offset credits for biomass and wind power.

8. U.S. Air Force
Various bases | Government
426 million green kWh, 5% of total power used
The air force’s program started with Edwards Air Force Base in California about 10 years ago. Engineers there “were doing renewable energy before there were renewable goals,” says Jim Snook, renewable energy program manager. Since then, bases around the country have started finding ways to buy and generate renewable energy “simply because it was the right thing to do,” Snook says. About 50 bases are onboard, he estimates, and about half of those are doing on-site generation. Wind turbines at F. E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming can sweep up about 3.3 megawatts of power, and just outside of Las Vegas at Nellis Air Force Base, solar panels can produce 30 million kWh a year, which the air force asserts is the largest solar energy installation in the Western Hemisphere.

9. Cisco Systems
San Jose, CA | Information Technology
401 million green kWh, 46% of total power used
By switching nearly half its operations to renewable energy, Cisco has eliminated the carbon emissions equal to those of more than 31 million gallons of burned gasoline. That is the equivalent of removing 335,000 car trips (at 30 miles per gallon) between New York City and Los Angeles.

10. City of Houston
Texas| Government
350 million green kWh, 27% of total power used
Look out Chicago, Houston might be on its way to stealing the Windy City moniker—and not because of the politicians or the climate. The city’s government is now running on 27 percent fixed-rate wind power. Although that is less than a third of its total demand, Houston’s sizable purchase makes it the largest city or state buyer in the country.

Source: Scientific American Online

Keep it Green

Greencon

Warren Buffett and Bill Gates are first and second on a list of 100 wealthy individuals who have made hefty investments in clean technology or environmental causes. The Times of London news organization, which examined dossiers of the world’s richest people, says the 100 tycoons on its Green List are together worth $375 billion.

According to the Times, Buffett, who runs the Berkshire Hathaway investment firm, has poured $230 million into BYD, a Hong Kong company that makes batteries for electric cars. He also holds a major stake in MidAmerican Energy, a large wind energy utility. Gates has invested in several renewable fuels companies, including Pacific Ethanol and Sapphire Energy; the latter intends to produce gasoline from algae.

Americans hold 35 of the 100 spots. Another 17 are from China, 10 are British and seven are German. The top 10 individuals are listed here; the rest can be found at www.timesonline.co.uk/richlist.

1. Warren Buffett (U.S.; car batteries, wind)
2. Bill Gates (U.S.; biofuels)
3. Ingvar Kamprad (Sweden; waste-to-energy, geothermal)
4. Marcel Brenninkmeijer (the Netherlands; wind, hydro, solar)
5. Mukesh Ambani (India; biofuel crops)
6. Michael Bloomberg (U.S.; efficient cities)
7. Michael Otto (Germany; green products)
8. Paul Allen (U.S.; biodiesel, geothermal)
9. Donald Bren (U.S.; environmental science)
10. Sergey Brin (U.S.; electric cars, renewable energy)

Note: This article was originally printed with the title, “Top 100 Eco-Barons.”

Keep it Green

Greencon

If we are ever going to have a chance at combating climate change, this is a sample of the scale that will be neccesssary to achieve that outcome.

Source: Scientific American On-Line

Keep it Green

Greencon

1. WORLD HEADQUARTERS FOR THE INTERNATIONAL FUND FOR ANIMAL WELFARE–YARMOUTH PORT, MASS.

Building green can often mean breaking the bank. But the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) was able to build their world headquarters in Cape Cod for about $220 per square foot. Resting on what used to be a brownfield site, the new building restored green space to the area and filled it with native plants. In order to cut down on operating costs, Boston-based designLAB Architects situated the nonprofit’s buildings so as to increase ventilation and natural daylight. The organization’s 200 employees helped to design the workspace plans to improve efficiency while also cutting down on square footage per person by about half.

2. THE TERRY THOMAS–SEATTLE, WASH.

When surveyed about what they hoped to get in a new office space, workers of the architecture firm that was one of the building’s first tenants asked for more natural light, improved ventilation and better open spaces. So the Weber Thompson firm in Seattle set out to bring all of these wishes to fruition, along with assuring that the building would stay in good financial standing to attract future rentals. (The total project cost came out to about $9.7 million.) The building also sits along a new streetcar line and includes showers for workers who opt to bike to work.

3. SYNERGY AT DOCKSIDE GREEN–VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA

Residents of Synergy, the first of a four-phase development project in Victoria, British Columbia, live in a carbon-neutral building. They water their rooftop veggie gardens and flush their toilets with rainwater and can control rolling canopies to cut down on unwanted solar heat. An on-site heat and power plant hooks up with hydropower to supply electricity to the building, and it buys renewable offset credits to make up for the rest of the power. Vancouver-based Busby Perkins+Will Architects selected quick-to-regrow materials, including bamboo and cork, to finish off interiors.

7. GREAT RIVER ENERGY HQ–MAPLE GROVE, MINN.

It might be fitting for a nonprofit energy cooperative to be hyperconscious of its power consumption. With its new building, Great River Energy (GRE) became the most electrically energy-efficient building in Minnesota. GRE aims to be a model for its consumers to reduce energy use. The structure, whose total project cost came in at about $57 million, sits at the end of a main road in suburban Maple Grove and uses sunlight—from atria—to light work spaces for most all of its 425 workers. A nearby urban wind turbine helps in the headquarters’s 75 percent decrease in fossil fuel use.

9. CHARTWELL SCHOOL–SEASIDE, CALIF.

10. CHARLES W. HOSTLER STUDENT CENTER–BEIRUT, LEBANON