Larry Bijou is known as an industry leader developer who creates green buildings. His building, the Garden Street Lofts has been certified as the first “gold” standard residential building in New Jersey by The U.S. Green Building Council (GBC),

Here's why the Loft won the gold standard:

• Its floors are made with bamboo. Bamboo is easier to find than wood.
• The sheetrock is made from 99 percent recyclable materials
• Old cotton and denim jeans make up its insulation

The Lofts has some apartments that sell upwards of two million dollars.

Going green may not be as difficult as it seems given the materials that Larry Bijou used. And it certainly makes room for more "green" (dollars) given the price that those apartments are selling for.

Amazing isn't it?

Problem: Heating water for use in shower, dishwasher and washing machine
 
Solution: Three slim solar panels on a rooftop

Result: Over 25% of savings in water heating bills

Wow! Huge and LONG-TERM energy savings AND becoming a "go green" crusader, all with one simple solution. And all Bill Banack from Massachusetts wanted to do was save money to reduce his electricity bills.

Solar panels installations are growing across the US, especially as states like Hawaii are mandating installations of solar water heaters in most newer homes.
 
Of course, if you are living in a cold-weather place like Illinois or New York, your solar panel water heating plan will need a back-up plan for those days when the sun doesn't shine or when the days are especially cloudy. Experts recommend two tanks to handle such days or when you need especially hot water to get rid of the snowy day chills.

And guess what? All these installations will cost even less right now due to the various federal and state incentives that are available. Check out state and federal incentives by visiting dsireusa.org.

So get them solar panels installed and begin reducing your water heating bills. GO GREEN, GO SOLAR!!!

Ready? Set? Go!!!

Enter the ENERGY STAR National Building Competition launched by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The contest winner will be the one who can showcase a building with the most reduction of energy on a percentage basis. Participants will work with EPA's ENERGY STAR program to "work off the waste", meaning create improvements in energy usage.

Obviously, contest participants will gain national recognition and all participants will be known as environmental leaders.

How will it work? It's simple.

ENERGY STAR partners may nominate one or more facilities that they own or manage across the US. The EPA will select a dozen of these facilities and will work with them to "work off the waste" and identify the most efficient building of all.

Make a note of the following important dates for the contest.

So, get started now. Click here for eligibility requirements. Good Luck!!!
 

"Small is the new big" says Architect Marianne Cusato who designed a "Green", four bedroom, three bath home with a real efficient layout as seen below. There doesn't appear to be a whole lot of wasted space in the small 1771 square foot home.
 
The house has a high-efficiency HVAC system of course and the usage of low-maintenance materials, such as fiber-cement siding, walls that are well-insulated walls and windows that are energy efficient.

Now not all of us can be designers like Marianne Cusato but simple small changes like a high-efficiency HVAC or high-efficiency windows will go a LONG way in saving you money AND helping us all save the environment.

The display of this new "small economy" home will really showcase the need for small, efficient spaces. We are finding that more and more clients (builders) are thinking "green" which is great because we are more than happy to recommend energy-saver options to our clients.
 

New Green Economy Home Featured at the International Builder's Show in Las Vegas

LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. LEED is a Green Building Rating System which was developed in 1998 by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) to create standards for "green" or environmentally friendly construction.

When you see the LEED acronym after someone's name or when you read announcements about so and so achieving LEED status, it means that that individual or organization passed an accreditation exam given by the Green Building Certification Institute.
 
LEED standards:

• Establish a "common" definition and measurement for green construction practices
• Recognize leadership in the construction industry for green construction practices
• Educate and create awareness of the benefits of green construction

LEED certification focuses on six major areas:

• Sustainable locations
• Water efficiency
• Energy and atmosphere preservation
• Green Materials and resources
• Environmental quality (indoor)
• Innovation and green design processes

When you see a LEED certified building, you know that the building is more efficient than a conventional building and is designed based on the standards established by LEED. Due to the usage of environmental friendly materials, a LEED workspace/building/home provides a healthier environment for workers which leads to enhanced productivity and better comfort for employees.

But like any other certification, a LEED project is more costly during the initial design and construction phase. That's because either more qualified and trained LEED resources are required which cost more money than non-LEED certified individuals or more upfront time is spent on planning a more environment friendly space.

Pike Research, a market research and consulting firm which provides analysis of global clean technology markets, released  a new report at the end of 2009 which forecasts an upheaval of the electrical grid to bring it up to 21st century standards which may result in a whopping $200 billion in global spend through 2015.

Pike Research's analysis showed that utility companies will focus on spending their capital budgets on grid infrastructure upgrades which include transmission upgrades, automation, and other.
 
The report entitled “Smart Grid Technologies”, analyzes the global market opportunity for Smart Grid technologies and applications and a copy of their executive summary is available on their website for your reading pleasure.

It's not so surprising to learn about these findings by Pike Research because if you are in this industry, you'd know that automation and innovation of the grid infrastructure is long overdue. We are all talking about sustainable energy and creating more demand for it and yet, the foundation remains weak.

Given the anticipated spend in this field, your company will make a lot of money if you specialize in providing services and products to support the next generation of grid infrastructure.

So you want a green home but don’t quite know how to go about doing so? Well, here are some small tips on making your home “green”.

• First and foremost use eco-friendly cement which is high on fly ash.
• Use drip irrigation instead of sprinkler irrigation.
• Create driveways that allow seepage of rainwater.
• Opt for SFC certified wood
• Go for solar heaters as that will allow you to reduce bills in electricity consumption.
• Opt for roofs which are light in color. They do not undergo thermal expansion and last longer.
• Opt for double paned windows which have low emission and will allow you to reduce noise. These windows will also help more insulation.
• For flooring you can opt for bamboo or cork. Natural linoleum is also a good option.
• Avoid plastic furniture at all costs.
• Check the ducting and ensure it is leak proof as surveys have shown faulty ducts is a primary reason for energy loss.

Keep in mind that the initial construction phase is when the green planning needs to be implemented where possible. Implement some or all of these measures to create an eco-friendly house. 

The rising energy cost has made it extremely important to make use of renewable energy systems. Here is a look at some renewable energy systems that can work for residential customers:

Solar Panels – Installed on the roof of a home or in backyard these panels can help reduce cost by as much as 50 %. Buyers have the flexibility to store electricity produced in batteries or sell it back to the utility company..

Wind Turbines – This is yet another effective mechanism which can reduce your bills by 15% or more. All kind of turbines are eligible for tax credits and incentives. However you need to check out the wind conditions and location of your house to find if a turbine could be fitted there.

Solar Hot Water System – If you are looking for radiant heat in your house then this is the perfect choice. It can save about 60% of water heating costs per year. There are tax incentives associated with this renewal energy system.

Geothermal Heating & Cooling Systems – These types of systems reduce heating and cooling costs by about 50% and are a perfect option for any homes looking for utilization of alternative energy.

Hydrogen Gas Fuel Cells – In this option, Hydrogen is extracted from the gas line and is utilized to power hydrogen fuel cells to create electricity.
 
Micro Hydro Energy Systems – This uses a steady supply of water to generate electricity and is a great option for people who stay near water

Biomass Combustion Boilers – In this option, biomass like wood chips and other wood waste is used to create steam and then it is transformed to electricity with help of generator.

A renewal energy consultant can help you identify renewal energy options that can fit your budget and be viable for the location of your home. (We can help with this consultation too….just letting you know in case you missed that from our bio – )