If you haven't noticed, the big news today is Microsoft Hohm, a free online beta application that's rumored to launch sometime next week. Microsoft Hohm will be a web-based service that takes information about your energy use -- not just electricity -- and examines it to provide recommendations to save money and energy. Here's what you can do:
Last week, Willamette Week Online published an article called "Futurehaus," which we linked to in our Saturday Week in Review. The article describes an Oregon Passive House project in the works by Root Design Build. The house is referred to as the Shift House, which, awkwardly enough, is not to be confused with the other Shift Home that we covered recently. But that's not to take anything away from it. With construction set to begin next month, upon completion in September, it'll be one of only a few certified Passive Houses in the United States.
I noticed BuildingGreen added these exterior venetian blinds to the GreenSpec Directory recently. Hella exterior blinds are distributed in the U.S. through Savannah Trims and available in slat sizes of 2", 3.1", and 4". The blinds are aluminum, have lateral tension, and can be controlled manually or electrically. They're slick looking and come in a variety of heights, widths, and colors.
At the beginning of the year, when we wrote that energy efficiency would come into greater focus, we didn't know the World Business Council for Sustainable Development ("WBCSD") was going to say "energy efficiency is fast becoming one of the defining issues of our time." But this is the message in a new report published by the WBCSD. They invested four years and $15 million in what's being called the most rigorous study on energy efficiency in buildings ever conducted. According to the report, energy use in buildings can be cut by 60% by 2050, but action is necessary soon. Let's take a closer look ...
The Shelton Group just published results of a January 2009 telephone survey of 500 people, and the basic idea is this: Consumers are more interested in saving money than they are in saving the planet. When asked why they would consider buying energy-efficient products, 71% said they would do it to save money, 55% to save the environment, and 49% to protect the quality of life for future generations. With the economy as it is, the results aren't surprising, but in prior years, consumers actually said they were primarily interested in saving the environment.
Depending on the method of construction, green building consultant Mark LaLiberte tells us there are a few common green building mistakes to watch out for -- errors he's seeing more and more as builders move forward with greener practices. Read through this list and then tell us what you think ... are you seeing any other common mistakes with green construction?
Just recently, we mentioned Copeland Casati in regards to the launch of Green Cabin Kits, but I thought it was high time to take a look at her SIPs home under construction near Appomattox in Central Virginia. The home is actually a prototype of the Casa Ti house kit designed by architect David Day. Designed to be off-grid, net-zero energy, and modern, the home has 1200 square feet of space with three bedrooms.
Google is testing a prototype product that they've dubbed the PowerMeter, which is designed to convey electricity use information to electricity users. PowerMeter is premised on the famous phrase by Lord Kelvin: "If you cannot measure it, you cannot improve it." Accordingly, the PowerMeter takes energy consumption information from your smart meter and gives it to you in real time using the iGoogle gadget. It's a dead simple concept -- certainly the most low hanging of low hanging fruit. An absolute no-brainer that's important and more crucial than ever.
As the world descends upon Las Vegas for IBS 2009, undoubtedly, many will be walking through a stylish and posh idea house designed for the show. The New American Home is a running tradition and every year brings another one. I guess you could say it's a real life exhibition of the latest and greatest trends in home design. This year, as mentioned by BusinessWeek earlier, the trends include indoor/outdoor living, basement inclusion, the home office, wireless technology, less ostentation, and having a green badge of honor. The New American Home 2009 is claimed to be net-zero energy (based on the combined efforts of super efficiency and on-site power generation), and is definitely technologically advanced. Let's look further ...
Over a year ago, we took a moment to discuss the Truro Residence, which was designed by Zero Energy Design. Back then, though, the home was confined to renderings, while now, it's fully constructed and inhabited. It is, as you will quickly note, a 6,200 square foot second home that acts a lot smaller that it actually is. The client wanted something to accommodate a large and fluctuating number of family members for weekends and holidays. As a result, ZED split the home into a “living bar” and “sleeping bar.” It’s an interesting idea that creates impressive results.
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