Harris Interactive surveyed 3,171 adults during the week of Valentines, February 14 – February 21, and asked them all sort of questions about energy, energy efficiency, and power sources. I found some surprising information in the results — i.e., 56% of Americans have never heard the term “smart grid.” Perhaps even more astonishing, only 11% of American have conducted a home energy evaluation or home energy audit.
Perhaps you’ve seen renderings of the Hudson Passive Project among trees in the middle of a scenic green field. The project was designed by New York-based Dennis Wedlick Architect LLC, and it just so happens that construction is all complete. Certification paperwork is all in order, and this is officially the first certified Passive House in the state of New York. It’s also one of the highest performing homes in the country.
Pythagoras Solar makes a revolutionary solar-powered window – literally an insulated window with integrated photovoltaics – that has the ability to turn buildings into massive power producers. The company has been testing a pilot project on the south-facing windows of the 56th floor of Willis Tower, formerly known as Sears Tower. If the pilot goes well, Willis Tower could end up with a surface area of up to two megawatts of solar.
This new home embodies one of the most interesting developments in prefab to hit the West Coast in several years. The Sunlight Residence, a 2,560 square-foot home listed for sale at $850,000, is a prototype by Proto Homes constructed in a hybrid-prefab system with all sorts of smart, green, and stylish elements. It’s completely wired — each new home comes with an iPad to control the lights, music, cameras, alarm, temperature, and fireplace — and quite green, too.
After cork bark is plugged by the wine industry, it can be fashioned into a durable, high-density slab called Suberra by the folks at the Eco Supply Center in Richmond, Virginia. They compress post-industrial recycled cork grain with a polyurethane binder to create 1-1/4″ composite slabs that are 25-1/2″ wide by 36-1/2″ long.
Project Profiles
