green building: Wine tasting in Oregon's Willamette Valley
- 08/30/13 01:27 AM
Wine tasting in Oregon's Willamette Valley On my recent wine tasting trip to Oregon’s Willamette Valley the first winery visited was a major hit. The Solena Estate a producer of Pinot Noir from their estate vineyards as well as Pinot Gris, Merlot, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Late Harvest Riesling from select sites throughout Oregon and Washington. Tasted a flight of Pinot Noirs which were all very good, what was as important to me was the wine making process. The estate fruit is a grown using principles of biodynamic agriculture. In addition the estate utilizes solar power, of which they generate … (7 comments)
green building: 10 Year Anniversary 10x10x10 Green Building Slam 2012
- 09/05/12 10:44 AM
10 Year Anniversary 10x10x10 Green Building Slam 2012 Mark your calendars, Saturday September 15, 2012, as this is going to be the most extraordinary 10x10x10 Green Building Slam ever! WHAT IS IT? The tenth annual Northwest EcoBuilding Guild’s 10x10x10 Green Building Slam: Ten great presentations about ten Cutting Edge Green Building Projects around the greater Seattle area. In addition to the Slam, there will be great food by Bluacre (drink tickets available at the door); a raffle and silent auction for some fantastic “Adventure Get-Aways”; a ring toss for some great wine; and a chance to meet some of our area’s … (1 comments)
green building: Join award winner Green Builder Martha Rose at Shoreline’s NW SolarFest
- 07/26/12 02:01 AM
Join award winner Green Builder Martha Rose at Shoreline’s 9th annual NW SolarFest. Martha will be showcasing her latest high performance homes “City Cabins” at Indian Wall and Columbia Station. Learn first-hand what goes into to making and designing of these next generation houses.
9th Annual NW SolarFest: Renewable Energy & Sustainable Living Fair Saturday July 28th, 2012 Shoreline Community College New Hours: 10am-6pm (exhibits) The premier renewable energy and sustainable living event in the state, Shoreline Solar Project sponsors and/or produces: – Energy Wise Holiday Lighting contest – Solar powered model car races – North King County Green Business … (4 comments)
green building: The Green Ninga
- 07/17/12 02:14 AM
This week’s video is an entry into the Green Screen Climate Fix Flicks. It’s an animation of a superhero called the Green Ninja, and it’s been named the Grand Prize Winner in the first round of the Green Screen Fix Flicks competition. In “Green Ninja: Footprint Renovation”, a man’s large carbon footprint has made his feet swell to enormous size and the Green Ninja swoops in to save the day and the Earth! While a man sleeps, his feet grow to a gigantic size due to the large carbon footprint of his home. Fortunately, a visit by the Green Ninja … (0 comments)
green building: Has residential solar power gone mainstream?
- 06/08/12 02:25 AM
Has residential solar energy crossed the chasm into an “early adopters” marketplace? Or is solar equipment only popular with solar equipment enthusiast? There’s strong evidence that supports the benefits of solar power, but has adding solar equipment to your residence gained enough popularity to get over the financial outlays of adding a system to your house? Will increased market penetration of solar equipment or rising energy cost make residential solar-systems more feasible? It could be argued that spending the same money on residential energy efficiencies will give you a better ROI on your investment like adding more insulation, higher quality … (12 comments)
When the topic of sustainability and energy efficiency regarding construction and renovations are mentioned we quickly think about increased R-value in insulation, windows, doors, and higher efficient heating and cooling equipment. These individual systems, integrated properly, will help save you money on monthly utility cost, energy efficiency while living more comfortably. The building materials used to create an energy efficient structure are perhaps just as important, from a sustainability stand point, as reducing the energy demand and increasing the livability/workability of the finished house or building. Using the right building materials can greatly … (2 comments)
green building: The True Benefits Of Buying A Green Home in Bothell
- 11/21/11 01:51 AM
The True Benefits Of Buying A Green Home in Bothell While many people cringe at the thought of the cost of setting up an environmentally efficient home, when you examine the true cost of a Bothell green home you'll see that it is much cheaper than it first seems. Especially, when factoring in the monthly savings on your utility cost that will carry forward for years. Energy savings Of course you will save money on your energy bills. That is a given. The amount saved will be determined by the type of upgrades you do on your home. If you install solar panels, … (0 comments)
green building: Green New Home Appraisals: 3 steps to insuring your value
- 08/04/11 07:53 AM
To make sure your new home is given credited for the energy-efficient materials, equipment and building techniques takes a bit of planning prior to the appraisal. Many of the true benefits of green home building can’t have a economic value placed on them. Water and energy efficiency features and indoor air quality are just a few of the intangibles of green construction that are hard to value. To be successful in the appraisal process you need to be proactive, instead of waiting for the appraiser to complete their appraisal and then ask for additional information because the value … (3 comments)
Architects, builders, contractors and homeowners are faced with countless options for home heating systems. Listed below are some of the current trends and equipment and installation considerations: •· Types of systems •· First cost comparison •· Operating cost •· Carbon emissions •· Paybacks At one time we were only concerned with a reliable heating source. Today we want energy efficiency and are concerned about carbon emissions. Seattle home builder Martha Rose chooses to go with high-efficiency electric mini-splits for her new homes, City Cabins, in part because the Pacific Northwest electricity is made with hydro-power which produces smaller … (0 comments)
What would be future green benchmarks for green homes? •· Would they be energy-independent and fossil fuel free? •· Built beyond LEED standards? •· Or would they be regenerative producing more energy than they consume? Homeowners Paul Holland and Linda Yates believe that all the above should be incorporated into new green homes. Holland and Yates are hoping to inspire other to build smarter, they're new home design includes built-in performance monitoring on all systems. The couple is hoping to share the results as an open-source project. Another approach … (0 comments)
It's not what you say you believe in, it's what you do that counts. Many companies both large and small are starting to feel the pressure to develop some type of sustainability plan. Whether it's a county requiring all new building become LEED Certified or social pressures to remember to have reusable shopping bags in the backseat of your car. Many companies are choosing to get ahead of the curve by incorporating sustainability issues into their strategic business plans. Toyota Corporation started its Production Environment Committee in 1963, and now includes environment thinking … (2 comments)
Builder/developer Martha Rose has been building at the rigorous 5-Star level of the Master Builder's Built Green program since inception in 2005. Rose is a builder that embraces sustainability, in constant pursuit of new products and technologies to raise the bar on home performance. Fish Singer Place, the newest enclave of homes being built by Martha Rose Construction (MRC) are being designed and built to surpass the energy efficiencies of their last community of homes which had an E-Scale rating of 33, indicating that the home is approximately 67% more energy efficient than a typical code built new … (2 comments)
Headwinds in Homebuilding The recent economic slump, particularly in the home building market, has provided builders, developers and entrepreneurs an opportunity to rethink their approach to doing business. During the construction boom of the mid 2000s mistakes were simply covered up by volume. The slowdown, or breath, has paved the way for the brave to retool their approach to business, not by choice by necessity. Business plans and proposals are being developed to include strategies aimed at creating a competitive advantage or a way to differentiate your company from the rest of the pack. Transparency has become a watch … (0 comments)
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