Jetson Green

The New American Home at IBS 2012

Preston — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:46:44 +0000

This is The New American Home — a project built every year in conjunction with the NAHB’s International Builders’ Show — in Orlando, Florida. The 4,000 square-foot home collected eight green building certifications, including LEED Platinum and NAHB Emerald, and is expected to consume 52% less energy than a standard home of similar size. Plus, a 4.0 kW solar array provides about 18% of annual energy needs.

For the record, TNAH received or qualified for NAHB Emerald, LEED-H Platinum, Energy Star, Indoor airPlus, Florida Green Building Coalition Platinum, Florida Yards and Neighborhoods Designation, Florida Water Star Gold, and the DOE’s Builders Challenge.

In many respects, TNAH was built for energy efficiency. The blower door test measured 0.35 air changes per hour at a negative pressure of 50 Pascals — solidly in Passive House territory for this one measurement. To minimize air leakage, spray foam was used on the underside of the roof deck and around penetrations and framing.

Elsewise, TNAH has heavily insulated ICF exterior walls, low-e coated and argon-filled windows, an Energy Star roof covering, an 18 SEER air-source heat pump system, sealed ductwork, a solar hot water system, Energy Star appliances, and LED and CFL lighting.

TNAH is completely geeked out with an energy management system to shift energy usage to off-peak periods, full home automation and control by smartphone or tablet, motorized exterior solar screens and interior privacy shades, a home security system with mobile control, and a central vacuum system that vents debris to the outside.

The New American Home was designed by Architecture by Phil Kean, LLC and built by Phil Kean Designs, Inc. At 4,181 square feet, it’s one of the smallest TNAH projects in many years and could very well be the greenest. The home has six bedrooms, four and a half bathrooms, a gallery and bar, a lanai and pool, and a three-car garage.

[+] More photos of the construction and final home from the IBS 2012 Flickr set.

Credits: James F. Wilson; Timberlake Cabinetry (exterior yard photo only).

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Reclaimed Art with Old Doors and Lath

Preston — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 06:54:13 +0000

Reader Randall Otulakowski walks around town in Toronto scavenging for gems thrown away by others in the community. He then takes that stuff to his 747 square-foot home and forms it into furniture and art — like the lath pieces here. Randall told me in an email he’s been getting good feedback on his reclaimed art made with hollow core doors and a lath patchwork. I think the feedback is right on; these are rich and full of statement.

If you like what Randall’s making, check out 747 Square Feet.

Credits: Randall Otulakowski.

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WaterSense Bath Rehab on HouseLogic

Preston — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:00:55 +0000

Today, part three in a water-wise bathroom project that I’m blogging is live on HouseLogic. If you’re just catching up, I have an old 1958 bathroom that I’m remodeling while incorporating new WaterSense fixtures. The whole process is shared and documented in partnership with HouseLogic; plus, with each article each week, HouseLogic is offering commenters a chance to win $100 (check their rules).

In part three, I talk about installing the toilet, vanity, sink, and lighting fixture, and I also share some tips for shopping online for new materials. Needless to say, I had a rough patch of shopping and paid a little more for it in the end. But the bathroom is coming along nicely. Follow the entire series here:

[+] Article 1: Water-Wise Bathroom Redo on HouseLogic.
[+] Article 2: Water-Wise Bath with a Tight Footprint
[+] Article 3: Water-Wise Bath with Install Tips (new $100 contest)

Disclosure: this water-saving bath remodel has been paid for in part by HouseLogic; however, all opinions are my own and all products have been selected on my own.

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Energy Data at the Click of a Green Button

William — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:30:28 +0000

The Green Button initiative, which gives customers access to their energy consumption data, is gathering steam as three California utilities announced in January they are offering the standardized energy use data to more than 10 million customers. The initial announcement by San Diego Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison, and Pacific Gas & Electric was followed by Glendale Power and Water, and Pepco Holdings, Inc., which said it will provide the streamlined data by summer of 2012 as it continues to deploy smart meters in its service area.

Green Button is a voluntary program that launched in September 2011 by the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy.

The Office believes easy access to data, and data that is available in standardized formats, will spur the private sector to develop applications and devices that empower consumers to monitor and control their usage — a radical change from the status quo where most consumers receive an aggregated bill for monthly usage weeks later. United States Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra imagines possible innovations that range from allowing remotely controlled air conditioners to smart phone apps that make customized conservation recommendations based on individual use patterns.

The Green Button initiative was inspired in part by the success of the Blue Button initiative, a Veteran’s Administration effort to allow vet’s direct access to their health records.

There are some early signs that Green Button-based programs have the potential to make a deep impact. In a recent three month contest among SDG&E customers called Biggest Energy Saver, one San Diego woman was able to conserve 46.5% of her typical usage. The contest centered around a social gaming program that made use of participant’s energy use data. Standardized and accessible data available via the Green Button could make more of these programs possible.

Along with the promise of innovation, however, comes privacy concerns.

Consumers may not want third party developers to have access to their energy use. PG&E, one of the pioneering utilities to adopt the Green Button standard, takes the position that consumers will decide which applications and companies have access to their energy usage data. PG&E will not give third parties access to the data. Instead, the utility now requires consumers to download their usage file and then upload it to an application or company.

Credit: Green Button, the proposed logo.

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Cheaper LED Lights, Green Success, Greenwashing Domino, + Easy Being Green

Preston — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 06:45:54 +0000

It’s too easy being green.
Understanding energy-efficient lighting.
Backcountry retreat has eco-friendly design.
New custom homes trend toward energy efficiency.
Florida company finds success with green building.
Philips to cut LED prices soon.
Greenwashing dominos.

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for updates, article summaries, newsworthy links, and other site news. Also, check out the latest green jobs in our list.

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Ideabox Now Offers a Tiny House Minibox

Preston — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:30:52 +0000

Oregon-based Ideabox has been on the prefab scene doing their thing in the Pacific Northwest for a long time now. I’ve mentioned several of their homes and look forward to sharing a few newsworthy articles here in the next couple months. As a preview, I thought I’d share a new design of the company — the Minibox. It’s a 200 square-foot tiny house with a kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom/living area. It’ll have IKEA cabinets and fixtures, energy-efficient appliances, and Energy Star windows. More soon …

[+] Visit Ideabox for Hip Green MiniBox prefabs.

Credits: Ideabox.

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Xero Flor Green Roofs Get Cradle to Cradle

Preston — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 06:53:17 +0000

Xero Flor is a lightweight green roof and system originally developed in Germany. A version was first supplied to Ford’s Dearborn Truck Plant by Xero Flor America LLC, the exclusive manufacturer and distributor here in the states, and now the company’s announcing Cradle to Cradle Silver for the technology.

The company’s pre-vegetated green roof mats install above a custom base for a green roof that’s “naturally resistant to weed encroachment, wind uplift, and surface erosion,” according to Xero Flor America.

The mats are supplied by regional farms and used with recycled-content products to help purchasers reap LEED credits if desired.

Xero Flor has been used in private homes across the country, including in California, Connecticut, Delaware, Minnesota, Montana, North Carolina, Utah, and Washington, to name a few locations.

[+] More about lightweight Xero Flor green roofs.

Credits: Xero Flor America LLC.

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Rubble Floor: Materials You Can Reuse

Preston — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 07:43:50 +0000

I’m fascinated by the work of Netherlands-based Dave Hakkens in a recent project called “Rubble Floor.” Interested in reusing old building materials as new building materials — and inspired by terrazzo floors — Hakkens conducted several tests on materials such as roof tiles, bricks, nails and screws, and glass. He used concrete as the binder and crushed old materials into pigments and fillers. In the end, Hakkens found it’s entirely possible to make new materials with the old.

[+] More about Rubble Floor by Dave Hakkens.

Credits: Dave Hakkens.

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Traditional Style NZE Homes in Maryland

William — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:30:47 +0000

Traditional home styles plus a net-zero building standard is a winning combination in the Homes at North Pointe development in Frederick, Maryland.

North Pointe was a dormant development whose design pattern was set when developer NEXUS EnergyHomes, Inc., adopted the project. Nexus took the existing set of plans for the project adjacent to Frederick’s historic district and proceeded to “energize” them, according to Mike Murphy, president of Nexus’ construction division, in order to achieve NAHB’s Emerald certification and reach the net-zero goal.

One benefit of geothermal heat pumps is that no noisy a/c compressors disrupt your backyard conversations.

The result is bringing buyers to the 54-home community despite the slow housing market. Two homes are completed, six are nearing completion, and 17 more lots are under contract waiting to break ground. At this pace, Murphy expects to be sold-out in the 4th quarter of 2012.

Murphy is not surprised by the demand considering the homes are being sold at comparable prices to code-built new construction homes in the area. A 2,750 square-foot home in the community recently sold at $335,000, or about $121 per square foot (see current listings at North Pointe).

He said, “Our homes are selling at about a 7-8% premium over homes in the area, but this is more than made up [in the buyer’s mind] by the lack of utility bills, the available tax credits, very clean indoor air, and other intangibles.”

Strategies for reaching net-zero and Emerald certification at North Pointe include ground source geothermal heat pumps, photovoltaic panels, SIPs walls supplemented by spray foam insulation, and super-tight air sealing. A whole-house monitoring system, called NexusVision™, tracks energy production and consumption, and can show this information to the homeowner via the web or smartphone and tablet applications.

While Nexus EnergyHomes only started building homes in 2011, for three years the company had been working with the Research Center at the National Association of Homes Builders to refine its strategy and process. And that effort is paying off.

Murphy said, “Of the approximately 70 NAHB Emerald Homes nationwide, three currently are in Maryland. When this project is completed, all 59 homes at North Pointe will be certified.”

“It’ll be the Emerald City,” he said.

Building on the early signs of success at North Pointe, Nexus EnergyHomes has several projects launching in 2012. These developments in western Maryland and South Carolina and a custom townhome project in Philadelphia. The company also plans to build custom homes for clients with their own land.

Contemporary interior styling complements the traditional exterior designs.

[+] More about these net-zero energy Homes at North Pointe.

Credits: Nexus EnergyHomes.

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January Month in Review [Outline]

Preston — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 06:58:45 +0000

Here’s an outline of our coverage from January. In terms of our new articles, the most shared one on Facebook was about liquid-cooling LEDs by Switch Lighting, while the most shared one on Twitter was a green product interview with architect Michelle Kaufmann. As always, we’re interested in learning about inventive green homes and new green products around the USA. If you have news for JetsonGreen.com, send us a tip.

Innovative Prefab and Home Projects:

Technology & Products Innovation:

Know-How & Other Green News:

Happy New Year, It’s 2012! [2011 Roundup]
Ten Green Building Trends for 2012 [Earth Advantage]
Five Green Home Trends for 2012 [Buildipedia]
Interview: What’s the One Green Product …
The Environmental Value of Building Reuse
Solar Decathlon Takes Talents to Orange County
Book: Sustainability in America’s Cities
Book: Urban Ecological Design
Week in Review Archives

My Water-Wise Bathroom Redo on HouseLogic:

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