I’m catching up on some reading and noticed a great article in the October issue of Dwell by @DianaBudds.  In “Counter Arguments,” Dwell shares its findings from putting seven eco-friendly surfaces to test with stains, spills, cleaver chops, and falling objects.  We’ve mentioned most of these surfaces previously, but some of Dwell‘s findings are summarized below in case you’re thinking about an upgrade or purchase.

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You’re shutting off water, raking leaves, and probably don’t have the slightest concern for irrigation control. But, keep in mind for Spring 2012, the EPA recently announced that irrigation controllers will be the first outdoor product eligible for the WaterSense label. To date, WaterSense has been available for showerheads, toilets, urinals, sink faucets, and entire homes.

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Colorado has millions of acres of pines throughout its forests that have been killed by an infestation of beetles. New Town Builders, a residential homebuilder in Denver, Colorado, has begun using salvaged wood from these trees for the structural framing of homes it is constructing. The company was approached about building a single demonstration home using wood from lodgepole pine trees which had been killed by the mountain pine beetle. New Town found that the wood was discolored but structurally sound and has now begun using the “blue wood” for all of their framing.

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Earlier this week, the Shelton Group released its seventh annual Energy Pulse report, which has 450 pages of analysis, charts, graphs, and crosstabs based on the survey of 1,502 Americans.  I haven’t seen the $5,000 report but would like to share some takeaways from a release and executive summary.  Particularly, of the respondents, 42% had installed high-efficiency windows, 39% had installed extra insulation, 37% had installed higher efficiency HVAC systems, and 24% had installed a higher efficiency water heater.

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• Builder goes small.
• Bigger houses, smaller energy bills.
• Considering energy costs in loan underwriting.
• When fiberglass batts underperform (more to the story).
• County mulls tax credit for green homes.
• Study: white roofs are not a silver bullet.
• More and more green homes.

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