House of straw

There are some interesting possibilities on the alternative edge of the green building movement, including the use of non-traditional materials, like bamboo. Or even a return to very old traditional materials, like straw. Yes, there are people out there today who build houses out of straw. According to enthusiasts, the advantages of straw bale construction include insulation, use of natural materials, and sturdiness -- these structures are very resistant to fire, earthquake, and even the huffing and the puffing of the big bad wolf.

Here are a few links for those who want to learn more.

• This realistic introduction to the topic considers both strengths and weaknesses, especially the danger of moisture.
• The Australian Straw Bale Building Association site has a lot of good info.
• This overview of green building is skeptical about the benefits of straw bale construction.
• This collection of straw bale links has many that are out of date, but many that are still quite good.

On the scene at the Green Building Conference

[Here's a first-person report from HCN's Kate Fazzini.]


Wow, I am really busy. Sorry for the late blog entry. I thought this was supposed to be the "big easy"?!

I'm down in New Orleans for the National Association of Home Builders Green Building Conference, the 10th year for the show. It's hot, the weather's great and I'm learning a lot -– a LOT -– about green building. The highlight of my day yesterday was a tour of several storm-damaged areas, some that saw homes marinating in more than eight feet of water for days after Hurricane Katrina. Toni Wendel, owner of Olde World Builders in New Orleans, served as my spitfire guide. Wendel is in the process of rebuilding two homes under recently adopted Crescent City Green guidelines. I'll be writing about her and several others in the next issue of Home Channel News.

But for now, some of the most striking images from our trip around the city yesterday were the homes in need of repair. To say houses are in "various states" of rebuilding is a vast understatement. Homes, shiny and new and remodeled, sit next to homes in the middle of complete demolition and rebuilding. And those both sit next to homes that look as though they haven't been visited since the storm, except by vandals –- and some haven't been.

There is definitely a deep rebuilding movement here, and a long way to go. The main thing, though, is the builders here love their city and are working overtime to make the rebuilding effort happen. I've included some photos of our trip and hope to have more up here before the end of the conference.

News from the Green Building Conference

The NAHB's Green Building Conference is going on in New Orleans, and HCN has a reporter at the event. Associate editor Kate Fazzini's report (free registration required) covered an educational session on how remodelers can best “sell green” to consumers who might be overwhelmed with information. She also reported on a tour of a number of green homes recently built or remodeled in the New Orleans area.

We'll hear more from Kate once we get some technical problems cleared up.

Elsewhere on the Web, check out blog posts by Smart HomeOwner magazine's Tony Napolitano, who is also at the show. He writes about the large amount of work still needed to restore New Orleans, and he has some interesting thoughts on how building professionals have to do a better job of making themselves sources of green info for customers.

Also at the show, the National Association of Home Builders gave Mountain Ranch LLC its "Mixed Use Development of the Year" award in recognition of the green aspects of its new Del Sur community in San Diego, Calif.

Castle tilts toward windmills

A riverside hotel just north of New York City, Castle on the Hudson, has announced that it will be getting 100 percent of its energy from wind power. The hotel is being supplied with electricity by Juice Energy, which is touting the deal as a way to "deliver electricity at a lower cost with more predictability," that is, without "wild market swings," according to a statement by Juice. As oil prices continue to rise, will more businesses look for solutions like this one?

New green cleaner has no VOCs

For Life Products released its new Rejuvenate Refresher cleaner at last week's National Hardware Show. The company's environmentally friendly floor cleaner is water based and has no volatile organic compounds.

Tim-Br Mart names green buyer

Canadian LBM co-op Tim-Br Mart has named its regional buyer for building materials, Phil Temple, as its new "green buyer." According to a company press release, Temple will start by looking at energy efficient products and those with low VOCs. He will also serve as a resource specialist on LEED issues.

Temple will augment the company's current green product line-up. The Calgary, Alberta-based buying group launched its "EnerGrade" initiative last year.

Green gypsum board maker opening plant in New York

Serious Materials, maker of EcoRock gypsum board, plans to open a plant in Lysander, N.Y., a town near Syracuse. The plant will cover 240,000 square feet and employ over 100 people. EcoRock requires no heat to dry, saving a lot of energy in its use.

Green home renovation in New Orleans

An L.A. Times blogger at the NAHB's National Green Building Conference profiles a renovated home that was almost unsalvageable after the flooding there.

Eco Options profiled

Sustainable Industries has posted a long feature on Home Depot's Eco Options program.

New eco-friendly air conditioner debuts

Haier America today announced its new Paragon air conditioner. It's so new, the company has not yet had a chance to update its new site. According to the company:

Haier’s new Paragon has the highest energy efficiency rating (EER) of any room air conditioner available on the market, with 12 EER. Unlike typical air conditioners, the Paragon contains an advanced coolant with zero ozone depletion potential, making it an earth friendly appliance all around. With an Ultraviolet Light Air Purifier, the Paragon also treats the air before you breathe it, removing impurities and allergens so you can breathe easier while enjoying its cooling comfort. The Ultraviolet Light Air Purifier is great for the entire family, but will be especially appreciated by those with asthma or allergies.

New "woven bamboo" for flooring announced

EcoTimber of San Rafael, Calif., has just announced a new "Woven-Bamboo" product for flooring. According to the company,

This new flooring product is significantly harder and more stable than most tropical hardwoods and can be used in residential and commercial applications. This is the newest form of bamboo flooring from sustainably-harvested, rapidly-renewable, timber bamboo. Grown without pesticides, herbicides or chemical fertilizers, this woven bamboo can be sanded and refinished just like hardwood.

Wall Street: No large public home builder is "fully green"

Investment firm Calvert just released a report ranking the leading top home builders on the extent to which they have “fully embraced the emerging market of sustainable building design and construction.” Here's the ranking, from most green to least:

1. K.B. Home, Los Angeles
2. D.R. Horton, Fort Worth, Texas (tied for second)
2. Pulte, Bloomfield Hills, Mich. (tied for second)
4. Centex, Dallas
5. Lennar, Miami
6. Ryland, Calabasas, Calif.
7. Beazer, Atlanta
8. Meritage, Scottsdale, Ariz.
9. Toll Brothers, Horsham, Pa.
10. K. Hovnanian, Red Bank, N.J.
11. MDC Holdings, Denver
12. Standard Pacific, Irvine, Calif.
13. NVR Inc., Reston, Va.

The report's fairly pessimistic conclusion ...

“Our survey of the 13 largest publicly traded U.S. homebuilders finds that, while every major homebuilder has incorporated some environmental and efficiency programs and products into some of their new homes, none has fully embraced the emerging market of sustainable building design and construction.”

Ecobuild America offers green building event May 19-22

Ecobuild America hosts two events annually for architecture, engineering, and construction professionals. The upcoming event in Anaheim, Calif., runs May 19 to 22, and covers these topics:

• Building Performance & Engineering
  
• Energy Efficiency/Renewable Energy
  
• Facilities Management and Intelligent Buildings
  
• Government - Federal, State & Municipal
  
• Green Construction and Homebuilding
  
• Green Globes, LEED and Other Ratings Systems
  
• Green Mechanical/Electrical Systems and Operations
  
• Information Technology, BIM and Interoperability
  
• Infrastructure, Civil/Site/Land Development
  
• Power, Process, Plant and Utilities
  
• Practice Management, Business Development and Marketing
  
• Project Management and Cost Control (Estimating/Scheduling/Budgeting)
  
• Specifications and Contract Documents
  
• Sustainable Design

Thanks to Emlen Media for the details above, from a press release I got recently.

Northwestern Lumber Association launches green Web pages

The Northwestern Lumber Association has launched a new green section of its Web site on Sustainable Building. As of today, it features:

• An article on what "green building" means.
  
• A PDF article analyzing different green building construction programs and standards.
  
• An op/ed piece on grade stamps for certified lumber.
  
• and more.

Lots of good reading here -- check it out!

How to fit a camel through a needle's eye

One ongoing green real estate development in Montana is designed for the extremely wealthy. The development is called Ameya, and it features a zero-carbon footprint (with carbon offsets bought with replantings), electricity from wind and geothermal sources, green construction, and amenities like a nature center and a children's farm.

Ameya was recently the subject of a critical article in Salon, an online magazine (you may have to watch an ad before reading the article). Seems some people in the nearby community question how eco-friendly it is to buy a huge house as your third or fourth home that you use a private jet to get to. Not to mention that the development is buying two big tracts of public land that might be better left wild.

So is Ameya a way for the upper class to do their part for the environment? Or is it all just a big "greenwash"?

New LED bulb to be unveiled

Renaissance Lighting is debuting a new LED-based "downlight" at LightFair International 2008 in Las Vegas at the end of May. The product, for use in recessed lighting applications, will not only save energy but also reduce carbon dioxode emissions and mercury, according to the company.

MTV puts Real World show into green environment

This season's Real World, the grandaddy of all reality shows, puts this year's young cute things into an eco-friendly house, and offers environmentally friendly advice along the way. The computer is bike-powered, for example, and the light fixtures are recycled. You can create an avatar and get green tips as you explore the house virtually. And you can also watch video walkthroughs of the actual real world location.

Using sun and wind in green house design

Danny Forster, a TV show host and architect, has a video walkthrough of his first solo design -- a green house. Interestingly, it lacks a traditional HVAC system.

Use germs to clean stained concrete

For Life Products has introduced a new eco-friendly concrete cleaner that uses microbes and enzymes to clean oil and other stains from garages, driveways, and so on. The company's low-VOC Rejuvenate Stain Stealer is good for cleaning up environmentally hazardous materials and spiffying up stained floors.

Sprinkler system uses water "intelligently"

Cyber-Rain's eponymous sprinkler control system has just gotten certified under SWAT -- that is, Smart Water Application Technologies, a standard issued by the Center for Irrigation Technology.

This means that in many communities, you can get a rebate if you install the system -- a rebate which may even pay for the product and installation, according to the company.

The Cyber-Rain system lets you tailor your water use based on weather and seasonal conditions. It works wirelessly through your personal computer, using information from the Internet.