Sustainable Design Update

Zombie Proof House? Is this worth more than net zero energy?

Seriously?!

I was just on the phone with my mortgage company. Rudy, the outstanding customer service rep, told me about people calling for appraisals on Zombie Proof Homes.

We are refinancing our net zero energy home and having a tough time getting the bank or the appraisers to accept the new approaches now approved by the Appraisal Institute to value sustainable properties.  Traditionally they’d rely only on comparable value of nearby homes.  Well . . . . there are roughly five true net zero retrofits in the country.  Where are the comps?

Sandia Labs and the Appraisal Institute now advocate that the better approach for renewable energy homes is the income capitalization approach.  Surely our elimination of utility bills for life plus the addition of a contract for approximately $20,000 in solar renewable energy credits over 20 years has value.  Considering that our home was consuming $2,800 per year prior to our energy retrofit and solar addition, over 25 years we have eliminated between $151,104.75 (assuming a drop in recent average energy inflation of 5.5%) to  $189,494.12 (assuming projected 7% energy inflation).

So somewhere between $0.00 and $210,000 ($190k + $20k for SRECs) is the amount someone would pay for the privilege of comfort, savings and energy security.

Do zombie proof houses provide the same risk to value ratio?  Maybe I should build a zombie proof net zero home.

Matt is honored as a 2012 Michigan Green Leader by the Detroit Free Press.  His home is the oldest in America to achieve net zero energy.  Come join the conversation on Matt’s fan page, Facebook page, Google+and Twitter

via Jetson Green; posted by Matt Grocoff

Switch Lighting, creator of the only LED that uses liquid cooling technology, is on the cusp of a breakout year in 2012. The Switch bulb creates the same warm color of an incandescent, yet it’s made with reclaimable or recyclable materials using the Cradle to Cradle methodology. Inside the bulb is a liquid thermal cooling solution that helps cool the LEDs from all sides, producing more light from less LEDs. In fact, a Switch bulb lasts about 25 times longer and uses 80% less energy than an incandescent.

Read the full story at Jetson Green

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via Jetson Green; posted by Matt Grocoff

In the very near future, expect to be able to control devices, appliances, and lights in your home with the help of Google. That’s the information coming out of Google’s developer conference, Google I/O, where Android@Home was first announced. With the right app, an Android-powered smart device, and an intelligent LED replacement bulb from Lighting Science Group, a savvy homeowner could geek out a home without much effort.

read more

by Matthew Grocoff, Esq. LEED

One exciting new entrant into the LED market is the Panasonic “Filament” LED.  It’s designed to look like a traditional filament light bulb but uses only a tiny, tiny fraction of the energy.  It won the 2011 Good Design Gold Award at this year’s Good Design Award show hosted by the Japan Institute of Design Promotion.

It’s a traditional screw in bulb, uses only 4.4 watts (almost 80% less than it’s incandescent counterpart), and it has a soft, warm glow (for you lighting geeks . . . that’s a 2700 kelvin light temperature).

I think I’ll soon have to write an obituary for the CFL.  As my good friend Michael Klement says “CFL’s are the 8-track tape of the lighting world.”

Read my full story at Old House Web

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by Matthew Grocoff, Esq. LEED Green Associate

In December 2011, Lowes will begin carrying a new Electron Stimulated Luminescence (ESL) R30 light bulb by Vu1 Corporation. The flood light is expected to retail for $14.98.

ESL sounds like a cool alternative to the CFL, and it’s a bit cheaper than comparable LEDs . . . but  don’t confuse price with cost.  I think the new generations of LEDs have already got this bulb beat in energy savings and life cycle cost.

Like LEDs the ESL bulb is mercury free and dimmable.

Here’s the specs: 600 lumens (same as typical indoor 60 watt flood) and 2800 Kelvin (warm color temp).  But here’s where it diverges from the new LEDs (so far Philips Ambient LEDs from Home Depot are my favorites, but Sylvania is right on their tail):

Watts:  ESL = 19.5 w vs. LED = only 12 w

Lifespan: ESL = only 11,000 hours vs LED = 25,000

So, for a bit higher purchase price the LED will use 7 watts less and last more than 10 years longer.  My money is on the LEDs to win this race.

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www.MattGrocoff.com

by Matthew Grocoff, Esq. LEED

Read the name of this blog again.  This is what Sustainable Design is all about.  Nest Labs, founded by former Apple wizards from the iPod and iPhone design team, announced today the launch of a thermostat that “learns,” making it simpler than ever to program schedules and, even better, save energy.

Nest has Auto-Away sensors.  It knows when you’re not home and adjusts the thermostat for you.  You can access and adjust the thermostat from a laptop, smartphone, or tablet.

I’m curious how this might work with a geothermal system and avoid pitfalls of using higher energy stages and auxiliary heating to bring up temps when you return.  Nevertheless, Cool School just got a new quarterback.  With a few hundred million thermostats out there, this baby is going to find a few dates to the prom.

I’ve posted a video on my Google Plus page – check it out.   Google+

http://www.nest.com/

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www.MattGrocoff.com