The DIY Spirit lives on

Reusing parts, making do with materials on hand, and can-do ingenuity -- surely these are the hallmarks of the true green home improvement spirit! In that vein, please enjoy this link to a blog devoted to fixing it yourself: There, I Fixed It.

Weatherization report tells how retailers use tax credits to drive sales

Here's a special report by the staff of Home Channel News on energizing sales at retail by making the most of the weatherization incentives in the recent stimulus package.

For many Americans, the new tax incen tives provi de the perfect justification they need to replace drafty windows and doors; add insulation to the attic; or install a new, energy-efficient water heater. These incentives are targeted to the retrofit market, providing remodelers — and their suppliers — some much-needed revenues.

Full disclosure: I'm the managing editor of Home Channel News.

Green wood-like product extends reach

Lifetime Lumber makes a wood-like building product out of 65% recycled material, including fly ash. The composite boards can be used to score LEED certification points and are very fire resistant.

Anyway, the company just announced that it has reached an agreement with distributor Duraforce to offer the product in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.

Survey: 41% of retailers say sustainability is "key"

Prenova and Chain Store Age magazine have teamed up to produce a free report on sustainability and energy issues for retailers. You have to register with some basic data before you can download the PDF, but it's worth it. Here are a couple excerpts:

Without question, sustainability is a serious concern for retailers, regardless of the sales volume of the chain or the number of stores. In the survey, the largest percentage of retailers, 41.2%, said that sustainability is a “key component” of their strategy, and 38.6% said that sustainability is “important but not one of our top priorities.” Only 3% said “sustainability isn’t something we worry about.”

Why are the smaller-sized retailers slower to formalize their strategies? Is it simply that larger retailers have more resources to dedicate to the initiatives? Of those surveyed, only 13.9% of respondents — generally the larger-sized retailers — say that their sustainability strategies fall under the responsibility of an “energy management department,” whereas the majority of smaller retailers seem to parcel out the responsibilities to disparate groups, including facilities management, construction and finance.

Full disclosure: I'm the managing editor at Chain Store Age.

Eco-news is good news at PCBC

Okay, sure, the housing market is still in the slumping doldrums (despite a little recent good news), and so the mood at PCBC, the West Coast builders show, may have been "gloomy" and "somber," but there were still some silver linings -- or should I say, green linings!

There was an interesting insulation product made partly of castor oil. (Hat tip to the Green Building Elements blog for that link, but note that the writer of the post could not resist snarking at the SFI booth.)

There were "Cool Products" that included recycled slate tiles, an energy efficient ventilation fan system, and a more-affordable rooftop solar power system.

There were "Smart Solutions" such as a wastewater system that filters water from the laundry, kitchen and shower and then reuses it for drip irrigation.

And in a report from HCN's Brae Canlen, with whom I work, Brae mentioned green-themed educational sessions as well as new products from Toto and GE. Toto's offerings included water-saving faucets and showerheads, including a motion-detecting faucet that used a turbine for energy, and needs no battery or connection to a power grid. GE's new Hybrid Electric Water Heater (pictured at the show above in a photo by Brae) uses half the energy of a standard heater by absorbing heat from the air and transferring it to water.

Green flood of weatherization stimulus cash begins

News reports from all over say that federal stimulus funds for home weatherization are now really starting to flow to municipalities. Check out these articles from across the country:

• Maryland: $1.4 Million in stimulus funds will expand weatherization program
• New York: Federal Stimulus Funds for Weatherizing Arrive in Long Island
• Nevada: County to Receive Federal Stimulus Funds for Weatherization Assistance Program
• Michigan: Stimulus weatherization plan comes with pros, cons
• Maryland again: Baltimore City fetches nearly $16M in stimulus cash for weatherization projects
• South Carolina: Stimulus Funds to Go to Weatherization in Spartanburg and Cherokee Co.
• South Dakota: SD gets $9M in stimulus funds to weatherize homes
• North Carolina: Update on Greensboro's green projects and use of federal stimulus funds

Which begs the question: How are retailers taking advantage of this opportunity? Some are participating in teen job training programs. Some are just plain hiring. Some are selling more exterior doors. And some are stocking new products.

How about you? Comment here or e-mail me at malterio@lf.com.

Energy on a hot solar roof

From Inhabitat, there's news of a new solar panel product built into roofing shingles.

Flexible rooftop solar panels - called building-integrated photovoltaics, or BIPVs - could replace today's boxy solar panels ... The flexible solar shingles would be less expensive to install than current panels and made to last 25 years.

Web site offers green tax incentive info

Check out the Tax Incentives Assistance Project, a Web site put out by a partnership of non-profits. The top news item includes a link to informational fliers in PDF format -- the site urges businesses to put their own logos on the fliers and hand them out.

A novel use for old beverage bottles

Catch A Mouse is a humane mouse trap that you use to catch rodents in a recycled drink bottle. Here's a video, complete with Benny-Hill-style soundtrack.

12-step program for LEED success

Hi! My name is Michael, and I'm a LEED-aholic.

If you are too, check out Environmental Building Strategies' blog series, "12 Steps to a Successful LEED Project." The first few steps include "Delegate or Hire a LEED Manager," "Evaluate compliance and strategies," and "Write down your Sustainability Goals." The series starts with this post.

RCC joins USGBC

Royal Concrete Concepts, of West Palm Beach, Fla., has joined the U.S. Green Building Council, making it one of more than 15,000 affiliate-members. According to RCC,

RCC building products are designed and engineered to help project teams achieve LEED points, from both energy and environmental standpoints. In the educational sector, RCC's sustainable, economical and versatile method of construction can be applied to individual classrooms, additions or entire school complexes. The modular buildings are constructed at Royal Concrete's facilities and then assembled on site - complete with plumbing, wiring and interior design. Compared to traditional methods, fewer trucks are required to travel on site, site construction is minimized, safety is increased, and waste byproducts are reduced, saving time, money and the environment. The facilities are also energy-efficient and hurricane-resistant, making for more economical, safer learning environments.

But note that the choice of concrete as a greener option than other building materials is not at all certain.

Research firm seeks retailers to participate in poll

RSR is a research company polling retailers about attitudes toward green issues. You can click here to participate in the poll. And if you want polling data right now, check out the similar survey conducted by Home Channel News earlier this year. Of course, I'm the managing editor of Home Channel News.

Whirlpool touts EcoKitchen

Whirlpool is packaging many of its energy efficient and eco-friendly products into one Eco-Kitchen line. According to a company press release:

“There are definitely some kitchen appliances which are more ‘green’ than others,” said Tomas Diaz, Whirlpool brand marketing director. “We created the Eco Kitchen to help families minimize their energy and water consumption, offering consumers some simple ways to help the environment.”

The Eco Kitchen, which includes the Resource Saver refrigerator, Resource Saver dishwasher, Velos SpeedCook oven and Energy Save range, is the brand’s most energy-efficient kitchen ever, said Whirlpool.
You can read the Money Pit's take on it as well.

Certified lumber product gains record high strength rating

LP Building Products has gained a record high strength rating for its LP SolidStart Laminated Strand Lumber product. According to an LP press release, the product has earned a 1.75E grade from APA – The Engineered Wood Association.

The engineered wood product, based on wood-strand technology, is created through a steam-injection press that cures adhesives for a strong bond and straight board with little swelling. As a result, the lumber product can be made in longer pieces than traditional lumber for faster installation and fewer callbacks, according to the company.

LP says that its environmentally efficient manufacturing process and the use of SFI-certified wood in LP SolidStart LSL gives builders points toward certification with some green building programs, including NAHB Model Green Home Building Guidelines, Green Point Rated, Built Green Built Better and Earth Craft House. The company did not mention the more rigorous LEED certification, which generally requires a more strict certification that than afforded by the SFI program.

According to Melissa Warren, product manager for LP's Engineered Wood Product business

The strength of LP SolidStart LSL means that builders can use this one product throughout the home, including garage door headers and floor beams, to reduce build-up time as well as provide longer spans and greater design flexibility.

Panasonic releases four new green vent fans

Panasonic's building products division has launched four new vent fans in its WhisperGreen line. These models are energy efficient and feature multiple speeds; one version features a motion detector so that, according to a press release, "The motion sensor activates when someone enters the room to provide maximum airflow when the bathroom is in use. When the occupant leaves the room the fan automatically returns to the pre-set low speed. This autonomous feature makes it ideal for people with disabilities and assisted living environments such as nursing homes and retirement communities."

Ore. development aims at highest LEED rating

Independence Station, a 57,000-square-foot mixed use building that will include residential units and businesses in the town of Independence, Ore., is planning to use solar power, vegetable oil, and rainwater to achieve the highest LEED rating anywhere, becoming the "world's greenest building." From a press release: "The current record holder, a Canadian project, has a score of 63 out of a possible 69 points. At its completion next year, Independence Station will likely earn between 64 and 66 points."

Developers say the now-40 percent-complete project will meet this goal with several tactics:

• a unique 120 kilowatt installation of photovoltaic panels
• a biodiesel-fueled cogeneration and thermal storage system, including a retired tug-boat engine
• radiant floor heating and cooling, solar water heating, an ice-based cooling storage system, and a water-based ground source heat pump
• day lighting design and extensive use of LEDs
• stored winter rainwater to supply 100 percent of the building’s needs for laundry, toilet flushing and irrigation of the both the green roof and planned 40-foot interior vertical “urban garden”

Evidently the problem has met with delays, but the developer claims the project is now on course to completion.

Pros and cons of greener waste systems

As an alternative to traditional septic tanks, new alternative septic systems offer green advantages:

Alternative systems add a step to the filtration process with materials like sand, peat moss, sponges, or textiles; aerobic treatment units, which use compressed air to break down organic matter; and other technologies that result in cleaner discharge, or effluent, being dispersed on the drain field. The result is less pollution leaching into the groundwater.

But they can be mixed blessings.

The problem is that these new systems are often quirky, demanding frequent inspections and maintenance to avoid leaching effluence into groundwater, which is typically the source of drinking water in these rural areas.

Here's a good article that offers many more details.

New green blog

Consultant Mark Johnson is launching a new green blog this week. Green Design Guide is focused, according to a press release,

on residential design, sustainable building products, online design tools for going green and tips on how to qualify for the latest national green certification programs. The blog will cater to a variety of design professionals, from the designers of custom and spec homes to the designers of home remodeling and addition projects. Material covered will offer something for everyone.

I'll be reading more going forward. The only downside -- Mark's business is called "Markitect," a term similar to one Scott Adams is mocking this week in his Dilbert comic.

The saddest picture story ever told

Offered without comment, seeing as I just got my 401K statement.


The Crisis of Credit Visualized from Jonathan Jarvis on Vimeo.

Cave for sale

In this economy -- and by the way, news stories with the phrase "in this economy" now outnumber news stories that lack it -- more and more people are being forced out of their homes. Even if you live in a three-bedroom cave that was once a concert venue.

But if you are in the market and looking for a unique green home in Festus, Mo., note that, per the listing,

Geothermal and passive solar keep the home comfortable year-round without a furnace or air conditioning. In spite of the vast size of the home, our energy costs here run about the same as they did in our 800 square-foot starter home. The home naturally stays a little cooler than the average above-ground home, but we found that we acclimated quickly and easily.

If I were in Missouri, I'd ask them to show me.