I spent some time in the home improvement stores this weekend and noticed a newer bulb from Philips designed to replace the standard flood light.  The BR30 LED bulb is Energy Star compliant, delivers 730 lumens, and only uses 13-watts of energy.  Plus, it’s mercury free, lasts about 25,000 hours, and has a standard warm color of 2700 Kelvin.  While the price is hovering at $40 at Home Depot right now, I expect that to slowly drop.  Plus, the bulb is an easy install, so now’s a good time to test one out.

[+] More about LED light bulbs from Philips.

Credits: Philips Lighting. 

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The Live Screen will make its debut at Wanted Design in New York City this weekend. It was designed by Danielle Trofe and relies on a hydropic, self-watering configuration to create a stylish and sustainably maintained vertical garden for home interiors. The water is circulated with an aquatic air pump that pushes water through what will likely be 80% recycled food-safe plastic when the product is produced.  More info in the video:

[+] More about The Live Screen by Danielle Trofe Design.

Credits: Danielle Trofe; noticed at Urban Gardens.

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This is BeachHaus I in the White Rock area of British Columbia.  The home (like the neighbor, BeachHaus II) is on the market, should you have an interest in a luxe, modern, prefabricated home with incredible views.  BeachHaus — located at 15611 Columbia Avenue — is waiting for LEED certification from the CAGBC and has three bedrooms, two full bathrooms, two half bathrooms, a two-car garage, and about 2,085 square feet.

BeachHaus is listed for sale at $1,350,000, which includes a clean design by noted architectural firm Pb Elemental, a factory-built structure of four modules by Method Homes, and the full project development by InHaus Development.

To keep energy in check, BeachHaus has dual-pane low-E windows, Control4 home automation, an air-to-water heat exchange system, energy monitoring, soy-based spray foam insulation, an automatic skylight, Bosch appliances, and ultra-efficient laundry with steam dry, etc.

For water conservation, the green prefab includes an integrated rainwater harvesting system, dual-flush Toto toilets, and xeriscape low-maintenance landscaping.  Other green products and materials include FSC-certified wenge cabinetry, carbonized bamboo hardwoods, an open bamboo staircase, and a HEPA-filtered HRV, etc.

To see more of BeachHaus I, check out this video on YouTube.

[+] More about BeachHaus I Prefab by InHaus Development.

Credits courtesy: Pb Elemental.

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The stage was set for rowdy debate of the tensions between mechanical and passive green building techniques at the recent Congress of the New Urbansim.  Steve Mouzon, designer and author of The Original Green, Bill Browning of Terrapin Bright Green, Ann Daigle of the Princes Foundation, and Daniel Sloan of McGuire Woods, moderated by Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, a founder of CNU, principal of DPZ and Dean of the University of Miami School of Architecture.

The dialogue began with inquiring on the premise of, will we be able to invent ourselves out of problems without causing more?  For example the fluorescent bulb replacing the incandescent created a toxic waste problem with mercury, while helping our energy efficiency problem.

Steve Mouzon outlined a fundamental issue with additive rating systems such as LEED, in that it creates a mentality that more is better while teams are adding systems to gain points.  Instead shouldn’t we be rewarded for frugality?  We should in fact work to condition people better to live in various climates more than conditioning our buildings all to 72 degrees.  Mouzon also added there needs to be a stronger emphasis on preservation and re-use.  Why use material with recycled content when you can re-use materials?

Ann Diagle put some of Mouzon’s examples into action discussing projects supported by the Princes Foundation which implemented a full array of passive strategies.  Currently one of the Princes Foundation’s is working on the “Natural House” [PDF] with a goal to reach for zero carbon living.

Bill Browning brought the conversation to a larger and commercial scale describing lauded green building projects such as the Bank of America tower in NYC or NREL’s new headquarters in Colorado, the most energy efficient office building to date.  Given the scale, use, and demand of these projects, mechanical solutions were required.  However, as the cost of energy continues to rise, how would skyscraper operations be effected with reliance on elevators and no operable windows?  Newer projects are now including mixed-mode capability to rely on passive solutions part of the year.

Daniel Sloan focused back on the residential scale and argued that in order to maintain the quality of life the market demands, mechanical strategies will continue to be needed.  He pointed out that we also need to be moving towards regenerate buildings to help repair what we have done to the world already.

So what’s the answer to this debate?

Both! The panel agreed that one should maximize passive strategies before implementing mechanical ones.  Focus on orientation, site, and envelope before thinking about systems.  Prioritize passive strategies such as natural ventilation, day lighting, natural materials, and increased insulation.  However, to put an end to the debate we settled on something everything agrees with; there is a bit of a timeline to deal with the problems we are facing.

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News of this 96-square-foot micro cabin was first published at Tiny House Listings a few months back, though you may start seeing it on sites all over the web.  The tiny house was conceived and built in Finland by Robin Falck with a footprint purposely small enough to not need permits.  Falck enlisted the help of architects to vet the technical aspects and built the tiny house in two weeks for about $10,500 (just the materials).  That includes views, a 50-square-foot loft, kitchen, bathroom, and a living room.

[+] More about Robin Falck’s build of Nido Micro Cabin.

Credits: Robin Falck. 

This home by North Carolina-based Chandler Design-Build was named Project of the Year in the Small Volume Single Family category of the 2012 National Green Building Awards.  Certified to both Energy Star and the National Green Building Standard, Paar Residence was built with a panelized, double-stud wall system and “serves as a showcase for a cutting-edge, air-to-water heat pump combined with a radiant heat and water heater application,” according to the NAHB.  Plus, it’s a good example of “mainstream green,” said NAHB, with a traditional look that’s widely appealing.

[+] More about the Paar Residence from NAHBGreen.

Credits: Chandler Design-Build Inc.

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It turns out lighter gypsum wallboard sells well.  In July 2010, USG Corporation tested the market for Sheetrock UltraLight panels, which are anywhere from 15-24 pounds lighter per panel depending on the size, and they outsold heavier product, according to NYSE Magazine.  Since then, the panels have rolled out to several Home Depot stores and a 40% lighter joint compound was introduced in January this year.

In terms of green attributes, the non-combustible core is made with recycled content and the face and back paper is 100% recycled.  In addition, the panels qualify as a low-VOC emitting material (i.e., compliant with CA 01350).

But really UltraLight was designed to make it easier to install gypsum.  The panels are harder, up to 30% lighter, and easier to score and snap than standard gypsum, according to USG.  The product has at least 16 reviews at Home Depot and many of the comments reflect that the panels feel light and score easily.

[+] More about Sheetrock Brand UltraLight Panels.

Credits: USG Corporation. 

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Clayton Homes, maker of the popular i-House, is the largest producer of homes in the country and accounted for 7% of homes constructed in 2011, according to the annual report of parent Berkshire Hathaway.  They have a large residential footprint, and their efforts to educate home purchasers can go a long way.  So it’s great to learn of their recent announcement of a new home energy label along the lines of what we’ve discussed previously with other builders.

The following Home Energy Guide has been rolled out across the country to every new home the company has on display.

Clayton’s home energy label is modeled after the DOE’s Builders Challenge label, yet it’s different in some respects.  The company took feedback and found that homeowners want four things in a label: (1) a visual scale, (2) energy saving features, (3) projected monthly costs, and (4) projected savings compared to a home without the energy saving features.

Each home will display a specific and unique label in the interior that can help home purchasers understand (and compare with other homes) the energy impact of their home under certain assumptions like utility rates, occupant behavior, and climate patterns.

Credits: Clayton Homes.

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This is the first and only UL-listed, 120-volt, plug-and-play solar kit in the world, according to SpinRay Energy.  The DeckPower120 comes with one, 240-watt solar panel and can be hung on a deck or elsewhere outdoors using a simple mount bracket.  The system allows for up to 1,300 watts of AC power with five solar panels and should qualify for available federal (and sometimes state) tax credits.

Upon installation and plugging into a standard 120-volt outlet (with a continuous use cover), the DeckPower120 starts producing energy for your home.

Of course, safety is a critical point of discussion when it comes to these DIY-type systems.  SpinRay Energy’s DeckPower120 has UL-listed solar monocrystalline panels and microinverters.  If there’s a loss of power from the utility, the inverter will immediately cease any backfeeding for the safety of line workers.

The DeckPower120 solar appliance is currently sold on Amazon.com for $1,099 and the reviews have been positive from what I’ve seen so far. What do you think?

[+] More about solar products by SpinRay Energy.

Credits: SpinRay Energy; noticed at CNET.