The Green Hotel Guy

Practice - Compressed Earth Block Questions and Answers

2010-11-05T08:00:00.002-04:00

I have been thinking and reading a lot about "Earth Architecture" this week. There are a lot of different building techniques that involve the ground beneath our feet (adobe, rammed earth, compressed earth block, cob, etc.) and I would love to personally touch on all of them at some point, but for now here is an article from Green Building Elements on Compressed Earth Blocks (CEB). They do a pretty good job of explaining just what they are and the benefits of this building technique.

For those interested in learning more about compressed earth blocks (CEBs) this is an excellent informational site of Instituto Tierra y Cal, a non-profit organization that envisions a global resurgence of healthful and sustainable rural communities.. Below is a summary and frequently asked questions. CEBs are environmentally friendly, soundproof and bug proof.

“CEB construction is an earth-friendly building technology that is superior to concrete and wood construction in terms of its health benefits, affordability, durability, and energy efficiency. CEB technology is a contemporary improvement of ancient earth building methods. Stabilized CEBs are made of clay, sand and a small percentage of lime and/or cement that is compressed by machine. The benefits of CEB, especially in low-income and marginalized communities, are many. Suitable soil is abundant and blocks can be compressed using manually operated or powered presses at a low cost. The health, comfort and durability of CEB buildings are superior to that of concrete block or fired brick constructed structures, the predominant building materials and methods in rural areas of the global south. Because of their thermal mass, CEB homes naturally provide some passive heating and cooling, providing increased comfort for it’s inhabitants. This appropriate technology is also environmentally friendly and transferable to large and small-scale applications. Reliance on forest resources is largely eliminated and energy consumption in the production of blocks is many times less than that required for fired brick and concrete.”

Earth block FAQ

Q: What are Compressed Earth Blocks?

A: Soil! Or rather, soil which has some clay content, ideally, 12% – 25% clay. Soil with higher clay content can be mixed with sand or sandier soil to get a successful mix. The soil is frequently obtained from the ground at the building site. Roughly 65% of the soil on the planet can be used to make CEBs – and it can be found in many locations.

Q: How are Compressed Earth Blocks made?
A: Production of CEBs can be achieved manually or mechanized. The basic procedure is:

The soil (the “qualified” soil with some clay content) is broken up and larger granules of soil, sand and gravel are removed by sifting through 1/4″ to 3/8″ inch wire screen.This dry, screened soil and sand ( if necessary) are then mixed well, adding 4% – 10% lime and/or cement to the mix if you are making stabilized blocks (CSEB). The mixing can be done by hand with shovels and rakes or by larger machinery, adding just enough moisture to the mix to achieve a 10% – 12% moisture content. The soil is compressed and molded into uniform blocks in a hand-operated press or a mechanized hydraulic press, stacked, covered and cured for 1 month.

Q: What is the difference between stabilized and unstabilized earth blocks?

A: A CEB is stabilized by adding a small amount of lime and/or cement to the soil with some clay content. The lime, with the small amount of moisture, chemically combines with the clay, essentially turning back into limestone, locking in the sand and gravel to form a CSEB which is water resistant. CSEBs are more expensive than CEBs because of the cost of the stabilizer. Unstablized CEBs are typically protected by roof overhangs and by coating the outside of the structure with a lime plaster.

Q: Why would you want to build with Earth Blocks rather than concrete?

A: First: COST. CEBs are significantly less expensive than concrete because the materials are locally available (thus eliminating or greatly reducing both material and transportation costs). It is cheaper to stabilize CEBs with a small amount of lime and/or cement or to protect unstabilized CEBs with lime and/or clay plasters than to build with concrete blocks or wood.

Q: Are there other advantages to Earth Block homes?

A: A CEB building is not only healthy for the individual, but also for the planet. Soil, a CEBs primary ingredient, is a renewable, non-toxic natural resource. Requiring less transportation of materials, CEBs have a lower embodied energy than conventional building materials. It takes many times more energy to make concrete than it does to make comparable amounts of CEBs. Cement is made under extremely high heat and the pollution from manufacture of cement is a major contributor to global warming. Using wood for buildings or to fire bricks contributes to deforestation, which is a significant problem in much of the developing world. In addition to being good for the environment, energy savings are immediate because the thermal mass properties of CEBs results in lower heating and cooling requirements.

Q: How long does it take to build an Earth Block home?

A: It depends on the actual size, but a small home requires 5,000 CEBs and the hand-operated press can produce 100 CEBs per hour or about 800 CEBs per day, with a work crew of seven people. Therefore, with one hand press it would be possible to produce the CEBs for a house in a week. The actual construction time will depend on the size and experience of the crew, but efficiency can be maximized by training in the use of construction systems such as story poles and thin slurry.

Q: Are these structures strong?

A: Yes, both stabilized and unstabilized CEBs are appropriate for buildings and meet U.S. building code standards for compression and modulus of rupture tests. The durability of a CEB building will allow it to last for centuries! Ancient earthen structures still stand today in many parts of the world. The expected life span of a wood frame building is just 70 years. CEBs have proven to be waterproof, fireproof, bug proof and bulletproof, and with bamboo or rebar reinforcement, these structures can be built to resist earthquake damage in seismic zones. CEBs) are an incredible building material.

This useful information has been provided by Instituto Tierra y Cal, A.C., a non-profit organization that envisions a global resurgence of healthful and sustainable rural communities.

Its mission: “to improve quality of life in low-income and marginalized rural communities by providing training and ongoing technical assistance in support of community-driven use and development of compressed earth block construction and other appropriate sustainable building and environmental technologies.”

Newsweek - Is High-Speed Rail Worth the Investment?

2010-11-04T08:02:00.001-04:00

In a recent Newsweek article (link) author Robert Samuelson argues that high-speed rail simply is not worth the cost. He argues that the city-to-city links would only serve a small subset of the population because of the U.S.'s predominantly suburban society.

It is a well thought out argument and is certainly worth a read. Personally, I am a big supporter of rail transportation, but I do agree that it currently only services a small portion of society and unless we find a way to broaden its appeal and/or usefulness it does not make much sense (a one-way ticket on the high(er)-speed Acela Express from D.C. to NYC tomorrow would cost me between $135-$327).

As I have pointed out before however, rail used to be better in this country and we, or General Motors and friends, messed it up somewhere along the way.

Practice - Rammed Earth

2010-11-03T08:31:00.001-04:00

Products - New Thermally Broken rSTUD Lumber

2010-11-02T08:00:00.001-04:00

New Thermally Broken rSTUD Lumber:

Colorado-based Ec Manufacturing started making structural insulated panels (SIPs) about a year and a half ago. The company was studying 2009 building code and thinking about how to innovate their products, when someone decided the building industry could use a thermally broken lumber material. That led to the creation of rSTUD.

rSTUD is made with laminated veneer lumber and a polyurethane foam bound by a patent-pending structure pack process. The company says the insulated lumber has an R-value of 21.

Ec Manufacturing is testing the new product and in talks with companies about manufacturing and distributing. Pricing is expected to be about $0.87 per linear foot and should become available in the first quarter next year.

With Passive House and what seems to be a growing interest in insulated, airtight structures, I thought it would be great to hear from readers on the potential advantages and disadvantages, if any, to a product like rSTUD. Open up below, if you have a thought.

[+] More info on Insulated Lumber from rSTUD.

Credits: rSTUD.

Lookotels Green Prefab Hotel Startup

2010-11-01T23:53:00.004-04:00

Lookotels Green Prefab Hotel Startup:

Spanish Lookotels is on a mission to build a new kind of hotel for modern consumers seeking quality at a low cost. Each energy-efficient hotel will be prefabricated with up to 100 rooms and Lookotels has financing with plans to build 10 hotels in the next five years throughout Spain and Europe. The company told us in an email that they're also looking for partners in the U.S.

Each room will have a sofa bed, TV, desk, chair, telephone, bathroom, automatic controls, wifi, and heating and cooling, according to Springwise.

Rooms will be about 100 square feet, so they're not large by any means. In order to keep costs down, the design will be low-maintenance and up to more than 40% more efficient than a typical hotel. Hotels will be well insulated, controlled with smart technology, and lighted with energy efficient systems.

Lookotels reminds me a lot of citizenM, although perhaps the former is going after an even more affordable market. CitizenM works well near airports, while Lookotels has also received some interest in the airport hotel market.

All things considered, the Lookotels concept presents a refreshing vision for the next generation of hotels. I would stay in one, wouldn't you?

Credits: Lookotels.

Old New(s) - Passive Solar

2010-10-29T08:00:00.018-04:00

A New York Times article published in September of this year stirred considerable interest (see the chart below) in an often overlooked construction philosophy known as the passive house concept.

Google Trends chart reflecting search activity for the term "passive house" in the last 12 months. The letter B shows when the latest NYT article was published

According to the Passive House Institute U.S.:

A Passive House is a very well-insulated, virtually air-tight building that is primarily heated by passive solar gain and by internal gains from people, electrical equipment, etc. Energy losses are minimized. Any remaining heat demand is provided by an extremely small source. Avoidance of heat gain through shading and window orientation also helps to limit any cooling load, which is similarly minimized. An energy recovery ventilator provides a constant, balanced fresh air supply. The result is an impressive system that not only saves up to 90% of space heating costs, but also provides a uniquely terrific indoor air quality.

It is a remarkably simple concept that, as the article points out, builds upon the concept of passive solar design, by integrating it into a hyper insulated and meticulously designed structure.

Now this is not the first time that the NYT has reported on the passive house concept, and I highly doubt that it will be the last. Such "clever" ideas and concepts seem to rise and fall, as the above chart also points out, with the fickle public sentiment. They capture our imagination for a while, and then they disappear again, only to be rediscovered in 10, 20, or 100 years. I don't mean to say that these technologies or ideas will disappear completely, but that public interest simply wanes. It is the sad nature of the beast.

So I got to thinking. Why? Why do we forget? Why do we let these wonderful ideas be forgotten? The principle of passive solar design has been around for millennia. The Greeks laid out the ancient city of Priene in a south facing grid so that all homes could have access to the sun. The Romans built their bath house with large south facing windows to capture its light and more importantly its heat. They even went as far as providing their citizens with "sun rights" in the Justinian code. We have gone through phases in U.S. of using passive solar design, from the early "salt box" style houses in New England to the passive solar boom of the 70's brought on by peak oil.... But, somehow, we keep forgetting.

My post the other day reminded me of something I have often thought about, the past was not such a backwards time. There were a lot of people doing a lot of really "clever" things. Unfortunately, we, collectively, have forgotten much of it. We have fallen backwards because of supposedly cheaper alternatives, such as cheap oil, but its a false sense of progress. I don't want to forget and I certainly don't want to go backwards. So, I am going to make a commitment to remember. And not just to remember, but to seek out the knowledge of the past. To learn from, remember, and move forward. I am grateful to the Passive House Institute for their desire to build on the past. I aspire to do the same.

Historic losses: DC to Annapolis by rail

2010-10-28T10:35:00.004-04:00

Depressing. 100 years ago I could take a train from Annapolis to D.C. Now, I can fight traffic, take a $45 taxi to New Carrollton, or ,if I am lucky, I can catch a limited schedule commuter bus, but only during weekdays. Don't worry. In another 100 years we might have a train again.

From Greater Greater Washington:

Historic losses: DC to Annapolis by rail:

by Malcolm Kenton

Have you ever wondered why the H Street/Benning Road NE corridor is wider, flatter and straighter than most surrounding streets? The answer lies in a little-known chapter of mid-Atlantic railroad history that may also point a way towards a better transportation future for our region.

The Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis Electric Railway (WB&A) provided passenger and freight service on an electrified route between its namesake cities from 1908 to 1935. The line provided a third rail route between Washington and Baltimore, complementing (and competing with) the Pennsylvania Railroad (which is now Amtrak's Northeast Corridor) and the Baltimore and Ohio (B&O, now the MARC Camden Line).

Long-gone WB&A station at the "starburst" intersection in Northeast DC.
Image from rockcreek on Flickr.

The WB&A entered Washington from Seat Pleasant, MD, via Benning Road NE, which was widened and graded to accommodate the trains. It originally terminated at its own station (misnamed "White House Station") at the "starburst" intersection of Bladensburg, H & 15th Streets and Maryland and Florida Avenues. Hechinger Mall on Benning Rd. NE in Carver/Langston was built on the site of the WB&A's rail yard and maintenance shop.

15th Street NW in the early 1900s. Image from Wikipedia.

Eventually, the line was extended west on H Street all the way to 15th Street NW at the Treasury building, sharing infrastructure with Capital Transit streetcars. At one point, the current site of the Greyhound/Peter Pan bus depot in NoMa was also a WB&A station.

The WB&A also offered direct train service from Baltimore to Annapolis, and riders from DC could disembark at Naval Academy Junction, near Odenton, and connect to Annapolis-bound trains (which also connected with the Pennsylvania at Odenton, and with the B&O at Annapolis Junction, the station for which is now called Savage).

Despite that a trip from downtown DC to Baltimore took an hour and 20 minutes on the WB&A, versus 50 minutes on the B&O, the WB&A remained popular for its cleanliness, lower fares, half-hourly service and better downtown terminal locations than the other two railroads. Imagine being able to hop on an electrified train in the heart of downtown DC and ride directly into the heart of downtown Baltimore.

The former WB&A right-of-way northeast from Seat Pleasant is mostly intact. It roughly paralleled what is now Martin Luther King Jr. Highway through Glenadren. Electric Avenue and Railroad Avenue in Glenn Dale are named for the former rail line over which they were paved, as is WB&A Road in Severn, near BWI Airport. Parts have been retained as a bike trail, with plans to extend the trail along the entire right-of-way from Lanham to Odenton.

The federally-funded construction of Defense Highway (U.S. 50) in the early 1950s, combined with improved service on the competing railroads, doomed WB&A's service to DC, though the Baltimore-Annapolis section continued passenger service up to 1950, and freight service into the 1970s, as the Baltimore & Annapolis Railway (B&A). This right-of-way is now used by Maryland MTA light-rail trains as far south as Glen Burnie, and exists as a bike trail from there to Arnold, across the Severn River from Annapolis.

Today, by contrast, downtown-to-downtown service between the capital city and Charm City is offered only at weekday rush hours, while faster, more frequent daily Amtrak trains serve Penn Station, a fair hike from Baltimore's downtown core (though now connected to it by light rail). If you want to take a train from either city to Annapolis, you're out of luck.

A southbound light rail train, using the B&A right-of-way, passes B&A's former Linthicum Heights, MD station (Wikimedia Commons)

From Baltimore, you can take light rail as far as Glen Burnie, then change for the number 14 bus, running on a roughly half-hourly schedule, with hour-and-a-half headways on Sundays.

But Washington's only connection to the Maryland capital's walkable downtown, universities and state government buildings — aside from changing at Baltimore or BWI Airport — are rush hour-only Maryland MTA commuter buses 922 & 950, and two daily Greyhound round-trips (one direct, one via Baltimore) that continue to Ocean City.

The Odenton-Annapolis WB&A line, which passed through the middle of what is now Westfield Mall on its way into Annapolis, is mostly lost. Restoring light rail service along either this right-of-way, or the old B&A south of Glen Burnie, would be less expensive than building a new one, but is likely to encounter significant NIMBY opposition.

Other options are to put rail in the median of U.S. 50 (not so conducive to walkability, but less likely to face the ire of NIMBYs), or to extend the Blue Line east from Largo, paralleling Central Avenue and Riva Road or Solomons Island Road. Via this alignment, the rail distance from Metro Center to Annapolis is only 5 miles greater than the rail distance from Metro Center to Dulles Airport via the Orange and Silver Lines.

The Maryland DOT should seek federal assistance to study options for rail service roughly paralleling heavily-congested U.S. 50, which would better connect the Annapolis area with the job centers on the Washington-Baltimore corridor. Some form of rail transit serving these communities would be a wise investment in a future where rising travel demand and more expensive gasoline will lead people along this corridor to seek a better travel alternative — and the walkable communities that would come with it.

Cross-posted at the National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP) Blog. Special thanks to Ken B. for his research assistance.

13 comments

MARC shares more information including on-time issues (Oct 8, 2010)
Halethorpe getting a MARC station replacement (May 13, 2010)
Dulles needs an express rail line (Oct 9, 2009)
Washington's rails, part 3: Maryland's wish list (Sep 3, 2009)
Washington's rails, part 1: The network (Sep 1, 2009)

Designing for Humanities Needs

2010-10-28T09:08:00.004-04:00

This is an interesting article which looks at the relationship between humanity's basic needs and the built environment. I stumbled across this after a lunch time conversation with one of my best friends where we spoke about our mutual desire to "fix" Africa. (Yes I know it is kind of an audacious if not egotistical goal and that it is kind of a big place and there are kind of thousands if not millions of people looking out for its well being right now, but humor us.)

We spoke about what would be needed to set many of the troubled cities of Africa, or any troubled city for that matter, back on the right track. I mentally scoured my cerebral database and its entries from readings of countless articles, utopian proposals, and just common sense, but before we got too far down that road. One of us, I'll say him in an attempt to be modest, asked the question, well, what do people really need? Kind of like in Plato's Republic where they first begin designing the ideal city, but then realize that people will want luxuries and change course, we wanted to focus on the first proposed city. What is it that people really need? My friend cited Maslow and then we proceeded to debate the merits of his proposed needs and how they related to building or designing the built environment. This approach is exactly what this article, posted on the Professional Development Institute blog at Rutgers, does a nice job of delving into. It is important to remember that before we start fixing or designing we need to understand what we are designing for.

PDI Advisor: Principles of human needs placemaking

World's First Certified Living Buildings

2010-10-28T00:12:00.002-04:00

World's First Certified Living Buildings: "

Earlier this year, we took a look at four projects racing to meet the requirements of the Living Building Challenge. Now, the International Living Building Institute has completed third-party certification audits and announced the world's first Living Buildings. The Omega Center for Sustainable Living (NY) and Tyson Living Learning Center (MO) both earned full certification, while Eco-Sense (BC) earned Petal Recognition for meeting four of six petals.

Omega Center for Sustainable Living in Rhinebeck, NY:

Tyson Living Learning Center in Eureka, MO:

Eco-Sense Residence in Victoria, British Columbia:

The Living Building Challenge is more progressive than most any green building certification around. Program requirements must be met and proven during one year of operation.

Specifically, a Living Building must generate all energy through clean, renewable sources; capture and treat all water through ecologically sound techniques; incorporate non-toxic, local materials; and operate efficiently with maximum beauty.

[+] See all Living Building Certified Projects.

Credits: © 2009 Joe Angeles, WUSTL Photographer (Tyson); 2009 Farshid Assassi, Courtesy of BNIM Architects (Omega); 2008 Ann + Gord Baird (Eco-Sense).

Transit Tracking and Information Systems

2010-10-27T09:04:00.000-04:00

I have been trying to put together a proposal for the local municipality which would allow residents to both access transit information from the their home computers and mobile devices and provide transit information at bus stops and popular public places such as the local shopping mall. There are several companies out there that provide these types of services and I can get into the specifics of my idea later, but for now I thought this clip over at Streetfilms showed a unique approach being taken in Portland using opensource software, hardware and even open data to develop a "transit appliance" for sharing data.

The Solution for Helmet Hair

2010-10-26T07:09:00.002-04:00

A little bit crazy, but this is a pretty cool idea.

The Solution for Helmet Hair: "
Two industrial design students at Lund University noticed that despite a new law requiring bike helmets in Sweden, many people refused to wear them. They've invented a stylish cowl that inflates on impact just like an airbag.

read more
"

Driver-less Cars - A Debate from the New York Times

2010-10-26T01:31:00.000-04:00

The idea of automated or driver-less cars is something I would like to talk more about in the future. It makes sense, and not just for the elderly as discussed in the NYT article. In the U.S. we allow just about anyone, regardless of their mental or emotional state, to wield several thousand pounds of high speed heavy metal. Now I love the thrill of the occasional country drive just as much as anyone, shifting and swerving like some french rally car driver, but I would glady give it up for safety and the chance to sleep during my next roadtrip. The technology exists for the most part. However as you can see below it is both cost, and aesthetically, prohibitive at present. Give it time.

The Aging Driver: A NYT Debate:
Prompted by Google's latest invention - the car that drives itself, the NYT sought four different perspectives on how to approach the onslaught of aging baby boomers behind the wheel: An M.I.T. scientist, Rand economist, Yale doctor, and an AARP V.P.

read more

Hotel in Copenhagen Named World's Greenest

2010-10-26T00:11:00.002-04:00

Hotel in Copenhagen Named World's Greenest: "The Crowne Plaza Copenhagen Towers has been named the greenest one in the world by the travel and tourist organization Skaal International, reported the Danish news agency Ritzau on Monday. By Yu Jingjing"

Modern Motel 6 Takes LEED Certification

2010-08-03T16:53:00.001-04:00

Article from Green Building Blog

Modern Motel 6 Takes LEED Certification: "

This is the first economy hotel in the nation to obtain LEED certification, according to a recent press release by Accor North America. Located in Northlake near Texas Motor Speedway, the Motel 6 combines European style rooms, modern detailing, and eco-friendly elements while still remaining economic and approachable. The green hotel opened in October 2009 and features some of the following green elements:

Thermal solar water heating;
Reflective cool roof;
Low-E tinted glass windows;
Low-energy LED and CFL lighting;
High-efficiency packed terminal AC;
Flooring with 80% pre-consumer recycled content;
Native landscaping with low-water landscaping;
Low-flow 1.1 gallon pressurized toilets;
Water-efficient sinks and showers; and
FSC-certified wood for construction.

The property was designed also to minimize exposure to the hot summer sun from the west. As a result of all green measures, the hotel is estimated to use about 20% less energy than a comparable hotel.
Motel 6 Northlake-Speedway was designed by BOKA Powell in Dallas and is located at 13601 Raceway Drive in Northlake.

Credit: Accor North America, Inc.

Green Means Stay: LEED Silver Hopeful InterContinental Hotel Opens In Times Square

2010-08-03T07:53:00.001-04:00

Green Means Stay: LEED Silver Hopeful InterContinental Hotel Opens In Times Square: "

It’s getting harder not to notice the signs that New York City’s real estate market is returning to robust health. For people looking for rental apartments or condos in NYC, of course, New York City real estate is like a heroine in a Russian novel — never more beautiful than when it’s ailing. A strong real estate market means higher rents and fewer concessions on rentals; it means condos actually going for the prices at which they’re listed; it means loud real estate dudes turning otherwise peaceful bars into Jagerbomb free-fire zones. But while the exact size and shape of New York City’s real estate comeback is still coming into focus, it’s worth mentioning that it’s a little late to the party relative to what is currently the surging-est sector in New York City residential properties — NYC hotels have been booming for months, and Crain’s reports that hotel room occupancy rates are at 93% in July despite the opening of 37 new hotels over the last 18 months. (Room rates, like rental prices and condo ask prices, sunk significantly over the past two years, and are recovering gradually) Another 21 hotels are due to open in New York City in the next two years. In some ways, Monday’s opening of the InterContinental Hotel Times Square is just another part of this bigger trend. In another, more specific, way, though it’s bigger and better news — the InterContinental, whcih we first covered during its construction, is on track to become the greenest hotel in New York City, and could become a very welcome trendsetter in a mighty healthy building sector.

The hotel boom is good news for Manhattan’s economy, of course — someone has to buy those I (Heart) New York t-shirts, and it’s not going to be dyspeptic green building bloggers — but it is not necessarily be good news for the city’s sustainability. Hotels are spectacularly wasteful both because humans are humans — and might be more inclined to crank the AC while on vacation than at home, for instance — and because the industry’s practices are hilariously inefficient. (The Urban Green Council recommended some changes to such practices as leaving lights on in unoccupied rooms) But there’s no reason why hotels have to be massive carbon-sucks, and while the InterContinental has all the (admittedly wasteful) things luxury hotels have — a new Todd English restaurant is the tip of a big, expensive iceberg — it also offers a suite of green design elements that’s pretty eye-opening. These include not one but two green roofs — pandering to gbNYC, sure, but always nice — as well as low-VOC finishes, low-flow plumbing, recycling and off-site composting. And of course the points that LEED hands out for location near mass transit are pretty well sewed up — even the most out-of-it tourist could figure out how to get to the subway at Times Square from the InterContinental’s location at 44th and 8th Avenue.

While the InterContinental isn’t necessarily an extraordinary looking building — it’s a Big Glassy Rectangle, if you were wondering — the presence of a trendsetting green building in a prime location is worth applauding, especially with the scales recently seeming to tip in the direction of identikit mega-developments. Those of us who already live in New York City won’t have much use for the InterContinental, unless we need directions en route to Sake Bar Hagi or something, but it’s sustainability — and the easily projected possible impact of that on a booming hotel marketplace — makes it a welcome addition to our skyline all the same.

Lush Edible Living Wall in Los Angeles

2010-08-03T07:51:00.002-04:00

Lush Edible Living Wall in Los Angeles: "

Tournesol Siteworks makes a modular living wall system that was installed at Pizzeria Mozza on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles. GreenScaped Buildings installed the green wall with 100% recycled polypropylene plastic modules, a Uni-Strut frame, and Netafim in-line drip irrigation. The result is a lush and massive wall -- now about 120 square feet on the east facing wall -- that protrudes roughly 15 inches from the surface. It grows lettuce, peppermint, celery, parsley, sage, and other edible plants.

[+] Get more information on this Edible Living Wall installation.
Credits: Tournesol Siteworks.

Farming in the City

2010-04-22T10:54:00.002-04:00

Vertical farming is an idea oft touted by urbanists as a way of introducing greenery and agriculture into the built environment. In theory, the concept is great, and it certainly adds a green touch to sometimes gray and drab cityscapes. However, the actual food-producing capabilities of such initiatives has yet, to my knowledge, to produce, no pun intended, the kind of results that could help tip cities toward a more self sustaining food production economy. Nevertheless, the post below from EcoGeek highlights a new vertical farming structure that shows some promise. Definitely a step in the right direction.

Vertical Farming That Does Work: "

Although we've been sceptical about the financial viability of vertical farming schemes, that doesn't mean we are opposed to bringing more greenery into urban areas in any way, and systems that merge vegetation with buildings can be both beneficial and beautiful. We are definitely fans of green roofs.

Parabienta is a wall garden panel system that provides a growth medium to support plants and allow them to grow along vertical surfaces. Vegetated vertical panels help to reduce solar gain on walls, much the same as green roofs help reduce the heat island effect and lower temperatures on roofs. As an added benefit, Parabienta panels have also been shown to help buffer noise, particularly desirable in an urban environment. It might not grow tomatoes, but it will add some welcome green to an urban context.

Parabienta was originally developed by the Shimizu Corporation in Japan. But, while they appear to have used it on projects themselves, the company's website has only a single brief mention of the material. Although it has been around for a few years now, it doesn't appear to be readily available as a product for project use, though it was reported that the company was hoping to grow sales of the system (at a cost of about $80 per square foot, including installation and irrigation) to a few million dollars per year.

via: Transmaterial

Dubai Green Tourism programme breaks new ground.

2010-01-27T08:40:00.001-05:00

Dubai Green Tourism programme breaks new ground.: "The DTCM had launched the first-ever Dubai Green Tourism Award in June 2009 as part its commitment towards sustainable tourism and incorporate best environmental practices in the tourism sector"

List of Green Vendors at the New York Hotel Show by Green Lodging News

2009-11-13T09:51:00.001-05:00

Green Lodging News posted a pretty good summary of "Green" vendors that were showing off their products and services at the Hotel Show in New York this past week.

As always, take green claims with a grain of salt until they've been properly vetted, but it's a pretty extensive list, everything from pillow renovation machines to guest room control systems, so there are bound to be some gems in there.

‘Green’ Vendors Had Strong Presence at This Year’s IH/M&RS: "NEW YORK—The total number of exhibitors may have been less than previous years due to the economy and other factors but the number of vendors offering green products and services was stronger than ever at this year’s International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show (IH/M&RS). The event was held November 8 to 10 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City. Visitors to the show found exhibitors featuring amenity bottles that biodegrade much faster than traditional plastic bottles; dispensers that eliminate amenity bottles altogether; a nonprofit that matches up hotels with other nonprofits to help eliminate food, toiletry and paper waste; water filtration systems; fabric made with eucalyptus fiber; water-saving showerheads; “green” garment bags; pillows made with fibers from recycled plastic soda bottles; and towels that promise up to 42 percent in energy savings."

"Road Trains" are Being Proposed in Europe to Curb Fuel Consumption

2009-11-11T23:12:00.007-05:00

EcoGeek.org commented on a recent BBC story which takes drafting to a whole new level. The basic idea is to use an advanced system to manage grouping cars behind a lead professional driver. Once cars fall into line behind the lead driver they will essentially become "train cars" under the control of the lead driver; allowing the other drivers in the train to go completeley hands-free. Sounds a bit complicated to pull of and they are actually considering charging for the service, but I'd definitely be interested.

Europe Testing "Road Trains" to Cut Fuel Use

Written by Megan Treacy

Have you ever been driving in rush hour and wished you could just zone out and read a book during your trip instead of stressing about the traffic? Well, the EU is testing a way to make that possible while cutting fuel consumption at the same time. The idea is that eight vehicles would travel as one "train," linked by wireless sensors. It's believed that the system, called Safe Road Trains for the Environment (SARTRE), could cut fuel use by 20 percent for cars traveling in the trains.Each road train would be controlled by a lead vehicle driven by a professional driver. All other drivers in the train would be passengers able to take their hands off the wheel and enjoy the ride. Sensors would collect and send information to the lead vehicle about what was happening around each of the cars. Cars, buses and trucks would all be able to join a train and could leave at any time.

The SARTRE project will be conducted for three years on test tracks in the UK, Spain and Sweden and eventually on public roads in Spain. Some specifics will have to be sorted out like how exactly vehicles will join and leave the trains, how the trains will signal to other cars that they're traveling as one and how to ensure a safe organization of vehicles (e.g. not allowing cars to be sandwiched by large trucks).
Ultimately researchers see the road trains being a paid service for drivers.
via BBC

The Green Tax Guide

2009-11-06T08:00:00.001-05:00

One area of savings for green projects that can't be overlooked is taxes. Normally, yes, we hate taxes, but in this instance they can actually work to your benefit. I know, crazy right?

There are all kinds of resources out there that list green tax incentives and rebates etc. One good source is the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiencies. There are several others and at a future time I'll expound on them a little more. For now I wanted to mention "The Green Tax Guide" which was recently brought to my attention. I am a little hesitant to endorse it, mainly because it's not free ($29.99 special pricing right now), but it comes highly regarded and seems quite comprehensive; listing tax credits for everything from renewable energy to insulation.

It's definitely worth considering and for how much it could save you in the end a $30 investment is not so bad.

Greener Parking - EPA's Porous Pavement

2009-11-05T11:12:00.004-05:00

Parking lots are not exactly known for their cleanliness and most parking lots are one solid impenetrable sheet of asphalt so whatever is on them is just swept off with the rain and goes straight into the storm water system.

Porous or permeable paving techniques (such as pavers) have been used for sometime to help reduce rainwater runoff and the strain on our rivers and lakes. This article in Scientific American discusses how the Environmental Protection Agency is testing all kinds of porous pavement options that could filter the runoff from parking lots and direct it to rain gardens where a lot of the impurities could be removed by proper plantings. It's not exactly rocket science. It's pretty simple and logical stuff, but it does make a difference.

Green Golf

2009-11-05T11:03:00.004-05:00

Dan Washburn over at GOOD recently posted an article about environmentally friendly golf operations. It talks about the history of golf courses and a move back toward natural groundskeeping coupled with less/no pesticides. It's a must read if you have a golf operation and a interesting read for the rest of you.

Bio Inspired Small Wind Turbine

2009-11-02T19:30:00.007-05:00

This is an interesting concept that was reported at Jetson Green. Not sure if this bumblebee inspired concept will get off the ground, but it is definitely a creative spin on the traditional wind turbine.

The Wind Energy Industry is expected to grow 25% in 2009, which is pretty remarkable considering how spectacular the rest of the economy is doing.

Maybe attaching bumblebee wings to the top of your building is not the best investment right now, but wind credits can be purchased from energy suppliers in deregulated states. I'm purchasing 100% wind energy for my apartment and it actually came in 1/10 of a cent cheaper than traditional power which usually comes from coal-fired plants. Not a windfall savings, but it makes it difference, and for a hotel that could be a big selling point.

Text of the Article...

Earlier this week, Green Wavelength LLC, a bio-inspired clean energy startup, unveiled their 19-foot, prototype, small wind turbine to crowds at The Perfect Pitch 2009 entrepreneur conference. Called XBee, the turbine – unlike any that you’ve probably ever seen – was designed with inspiration from the movement of bumblebees, hummingbirds, and dragonflies.

Unfortunately, the controller for the XBee overheated and stopped working properly. As a result, Green Wavelength will go back to the drawing board for additional development and testing.

Nevertheless, the company might be on to something in terms of finding a new wind turbine design with greater efficiencies. We’ll have to wait and see. If they can pull it off, Green Wavelength intends to produce 1-10 kW small wind turbines for home and small business uses. And that would be quite incredible, really.

[+] Green Wavelength LLC.

Photo credits: Green Wavelength.

EPA WaterSense 101 Webinar

2009-10-26T21:35:00.003-04:00

The EPA is not only concerned about energy usage. They also have a water conservation program known as WaterSense.

Not too many people are familiar with WaterSense, but it is a free program and on Wednesday, October 28th from 3-4pm EST they will be hosting a free webinar to help familiarize people and potential partner organizations with the program.