According to KB Home, homebuyers in Las Vegas, and other select KB Home markets, are able to choose a ZeroHouse 2.0 that may eliminate their monthly electricity charges entirely. These net-zero homes are estimated to save a homeowner $2,400 annually on energy utility costs in Las Vegas when compared to a typical existing home.

“When the temperature hits triple digits here in Las Vegas, as it often can, many homeowners see their monthly bills reach well into the triple digits too,” said Rob McGibney, executive vice president of KB Home’s Las Vegas division. “That’s why KB Home has focused on building energy-efficient homes and why our homebuyers can now select a ZeroHouse 2.0 that is estimated to lower their energy utility costs to nearly zero. This home represents the latest evolution of our Built to Order experience that puts the homebuyer in greater control of their monthly electricity costs, while letting them personalize a new home that suits their lifestyle, budget and taste.”

The higher efficiency of the ZeroHouse 2.0 is the result of a whole-home approach, from the inside out, that begins with increased insulation, upgraded HVAC systems and dual-pane, low-e windows and ends with solar panels on the roof. The new model home also showcases new technologies, including energy monitoring systems and automated home controls.

KB Home’s ENERGY STAR qualified home designs, as well as ZeroHouse 2.0 efficiency options, are available at select communities throughout the Las Vegas area. To learn more, and locate a community near you, visit kbhome.com or call 888-KB-HOMES.

Source: BUSINESS WIRE

Chairman, Sustainable Development Commission

February 2010

2011 marked Sustainable Industries’ sixth annual competition where more than 100 entries were received and evaluated. The requirements to make the top ten list are environmental performance, scalability/market impact, innovativeness, design aesthetic, plus value and compatibility with LEED.

The top ten were:

1. Adura Wireless Lighting Contols
2. Breathe Living Wall
3. Greensulate
4. HydroRight Dual Flush Converter
5. Indow Windows
6. Juice Bar
7. Mobile Solar Power Systems
8. Modlet
9. SageGlass
10. SmartSlope Living Retaining Wall

Adura Wireless Lighting Controls is designed by Adura Technologies and is a secure wireless lighting control that lowers electricity use and costs.

Breathe Living Wall by DIRTT

Breathe Living Wall is a product from DIRTT and is a simple wall system that incorporates living plants into its design.

Greensulate is green insulation produced by Ecovative Design. This is a grown structural material which thrives on waste products & plastic bi-products.

HydroRight Dual Flush Converter was invented by MSJI Inc. It is a converter system used to change standard, in-stalled toilets into having dual flush capabilities. There is a quick flush for liquid and paper waste which uses 70 percent less water than a standard flush. The dual side is the full flush for solid waste.

Indow Windows from Indow Windows are thermal window inserts that act as double-paned windows do, limiting hot/cold air transfer, but are much more cost efficient.

The next two on the top ten list are questionable as building products but are definitely innovative, green materials.

They are Juice Bar by Green Garage Associates and Mobile Solar Power Systems by Pure Power Distribution. Juice Bar is an electric vehicle charging station and Mobile Solar Power Systems are mobile solar generators for job sites.

Modlet designed by ThinkEco is an outlet that automatically turns appliances off when you are not using them, allowing you to monitor and manage your power consumption more thoroughly.

SageGlass by Sage Electrochomics

SageGlass from Sage Electrochromics is electronically tintable glass to reduce glare and the use of shades/blinds but allowing natural light into a space.

SmartSlope Living Retaining Wall is Furbish Company’s awarded product. It is similar to the Breathe Living Wall only for use on site not interior spaces.

SmartSlope Living Retaining Wall by Furbish Company

With all of the great green advances being made in the design industries it is exciting to revisit last year’s list and to learn what products were deemed the best building products of 2011. It is also exciting to see what will come forth to claim the title this year.

Resources: Furbish Company, SAGE Electrochromics, ThinkEco Inc., Pure Power Distribution, Green Garage Associates, Indow Windows, MJSI Inc., Ecovative Design, DIRTT, Adura Technologies, Green Building Elements, and Sustainable Industries

The company provides the construction industry with a way to reuse materials that might have otherwise been destined for a landfill. Contractors can also transform extra project items into revenue. The site currently has thousands of listings for everything from dump-trucks and ceiling fans to screwdrivers and safety cones.

General contractors and architects have also been able to apply LEED points to projects through the reuse of materials on the site.

Construction waste surpasses 136 tons per year according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Kurt Fisher, founder of ZamRay, said, “We’re providing a way for companies to connect and find a home for excess materials that might otherwise go into a dumpster. We’re a fledgling company, with a bright idea that is beginning to take off.”

Source: BUSINESS WIRE

This looks like a timely and engaging book to read. Here is the information we have at this point: 

NEW FROM TED BOOKS:

Living Architecture:

How Synthetic Biology Can Remake Our Cities and Reshape Our Lives

By Rachel Armstrong

 RELEASE DATE: Tuesday February 7^th, 2012

ABOUT THE BOOK

What will the city of the future look like? More like an ever-changing and vibrant garden than a static set of buildings and blocks, says British architect Rachel Armstrong.

Armstrong re-imagines the world’s extensive urban areas in Living Architecture and argues that in order to achieve sustainable development of the built environment—and help countries like Japan recover from natural disasters—we need to start building architecture that grows itself.  In Living Architecture, Armstrong sets the scene for fundamentally different ways of making structures and materials, suggesting that we can ‘grow’ more ecologically compatible buildings by using life-like technologies. The result is a new kind of architectural practice where cities behave more like an ecosystems than machines.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rachel Armstrong is the co-director of AVATAR (Advanced Virtual and Technological Architectural Research) specializing in Architecture and Synthetic Biology at the School of Architecture & Construction, University of Greenwich, London.  She is also a Senior TED Fellow and a Visiting Researching Assistant at the Center for Fundamental Living Technology, Department of Physics and Chemistry, University of Southern Denmark. Readers can view Armstrong’s TED Talk on self-repairing architecture HERE.

TED Books is an imprint of short nonfiction works designed for digital distribution. Shorter than traditional books, these books run fewer than 20,000 words each – “long enough to explain a powerful idea, but short enough to be read in a single sitting.”

TED Books are available via Amazon.com, Apple’s iBookstore, Barnes and Noble online and are compatible with Kindle, Nook and iBook platforms.  They can be purchased for US$2.99 each. Additionally, membership to TED Live comes with a free one-year subscription to TED Books—allowing the texts to be delivered directly as they are published. Find this book Tuesday plus others at TED.

The tag line - How Synthetic Biology Can Remake Our Cities and Reshape Our Lives – has sparked my curiosity and imagination.

PHOTO: TED Books

Kyocera in Japan

Good news for solar electricity users in Japan wanting a battery backup storage unit.

Kyocera plans to start selling a system that pairs solar panels with lithium-ion batteries for the residential market in Japan starting this summer.

The system will include Kyocera’s solar energy equipment, including solar panels, inverter and software to monitor and manage energy use, with lithium-ion storage and inverter from Nichicon Corp. The battery storage, at 7.1 kilowatt hours and weighing about 200 kilograms, will feature lithium-ion cells from Samsung.

Kyocera said it has developed hardware and software to control the charge and discharge of solar electricity and manage that supply and demand for both feeding the solar electricity into the home or the grid.

As reported on Renewable Energy World, Kyocera and Nichicon say they are rolling out this new system in Japan because of demand for residential backup power supply following the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster nearly a year ago.

The idea of pairing solar panels with energy storage helps homeowners wanting to use solar in times when the sun isn’t shining. In addition, the battery pack can provide backup power should there be a power outage.

The downside to this storage option: lithium-ion batteries are expensive.

Could the idea take off sooner in Japan? It’s unclear, though of course Kyocera and other Japanese companies think there is enough market interest to launch products. Japan historically has been ahead of many countries in adopting solar and other clean energy technologies, so it could very well be a test bed for solar-cum-storage pairing.

Photo: Kyocera

 “This is a significant milestone for Semprius and the entire PV industry,” said Scott Burroughs, vice president of Technology at Semprius. “For the first time, we have been able to convert more than one-third of the sun’s energy into usable electricity. This demonstrates how concentrated PV can leverage rapidly increasing efficiencies to continue driving down the cost of solar generated electricity.”

Semprius delivers an HCPV module design using a proprietary micro-transfer printing process. This process enables the company to fabricate the world’s smallest solar cell – approximately the size of a pencil point – to create solar modules with unmatched efficiency and performance.

“This is the culmination of our emphasis on bringing smart design to solar,” said Joe Carr, chief executive officer of Semprius. “We looked carefully at each component of our module – cell, optics, enclosure and the manufacturing process – to develop a competitive solution that embodies high-efficiency, performance and reliability. Important to our customers is the fact that the module chosen for this third-party evaluation is part of the normal production distribution that will be commercially available later this year.”

After developing its module with the support of the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory, North Carolina-based Semprius is now ramping up global deployment of demonstration systems while completing construction of a pilot plant in Henderson, North Carolina. Commercial production at the plant will begin during the second half of 2012.

To view a social media version of this release, visit here.

Source: BUSINESS WIRE

Photo: Semprius

PODhouse in the snow

Call it the new-age tent. The PODhouse, a prefabricated micro home, looks remarkably inviting and can offer an ideal place to settle for a night or weekend.

The Swiss design firm, ROB GmbH, has designed the structure. The acronym stands for Robust Outdoor Brands. The same firm created the portable kitchen unit Cuebe, as it develops more in the way of low-impact housing solutions.

As for the PODhouse, the prototypes have been in development since 2003 and have since been optimized, tested and improved to create this final product now available for purchase.

The PODhouse is made using FSC-certified wood (Forest Stewardship Council) and can withstand the elements, while minimizing impacts on the surrounding environment. Units are durable, have good insulation for the floors and walls, and feature double-glazed windows and doors. Prices start at an appealing $61 a night.

PODhouse interior looks quite inviting

Those wishing to try out a PODhouse in the wintery environment need only travel to the PODhotel in Flims, Switzerland.  Here several PODhouses – set against a Swiss Alps background – are available to rent as 2-bed or 3-bed units.

The PODhouse is available in two different models for purchase and is delivered fully assembled and ready for use. Prices for a simple PODhouse excluding a solar panel start at $10, 830.

Photos: ROB GmbH

DIY Network stairs

Half-Hour Series Premieres February 11 at 10:30 PM, Featuring With TV and Film Star Turned Restoration “House-Aholic” Bronson Pinchot

From Beverly Hills to small-town Harford, Pa., Bronson Pinchot lets viewers in on his little known secret. When he’s not in front of the camera in Hollywood, he’s pursuing his passion for restoring old homes in his middle-of-nowhere USA getaway. Premiering Saturday, Feb. 11 at 10:30 p.m. ET, the actor best known as Balki on the family sitcom “Perfect Strangers” and in films such as “Beverly Hills Cop” and “Risky Business,” shares his addiction for hands-on home restoration and proves how a neglected house can be transformed into a historical masterpiece.

“I am excited to encourage viewers to make a place for the old in their homes alongside the new, not with just an antique chair or a vase, but with antique floors, walls, ceilings, indoor and outdoor lighting, upholstery, and in one episode, even the kitchen sink,” said Pinchot. “Timeworn materials bring instant warmth, interest and likeability to any space. Cozying up to the imperfect survivors of another era is inventive for a room, rewarding for the soul and a kind thing to do for the environment.”

After purchasing a half dozen period homes in rural Harford, including a tiny, historic post office that still operates, Pinchot has formed a 15-acre dream restoration colony. While adjusting to the slow pace of country life, Pinchot sleeps in the loft of his Greek revival home so that he can eat, live and breathe historic restoration. Throughout the series, Pinchot renovates three eye-catching properties, including a dramatic transformation of the colossal “Decker House,” pieced together from scraps of salvaged wood. From assembling different pieces of rescued materials in a process he likes to call “Frankensteining” to attaching sticky notes to himself to remember his punch list, Pinchot brings restoration to a whole new level with his signature quirkiness and dramatic flair.

Pinchot gets help from his sidekick and surrogate son, Mikey, and his no-nonsense carpenter, CJ.

DIY Network, from the makers of HGTV and Food Network, is the go-to destination for rip-up, knock-out home improvement television. DIY Network’s programs and experts answer the most sought-after questions and offer creative projects for do-it-yourself enthusiasts.

Source: BUSINESS WIRE

Photo: Charles & Hudson, DIY Network