ecohome guy

I told you recently of my increased involvement with RainCatchers rainwater harvesting specialists. As we addressed water-efficiency issues in several of our cutting edge ecohomes, it became increasingly obvious that the RainCatchers team was unmatched in delivering excellent solutions in rainwater harvesting to the Atlanta market.

One of my contributions to RainCatchers has been the creation of a new blog. The cistern is intended to be a virtual counterpart to the real thing, offering an online collection of rainwater harvesting content of all kinds. I hope you'll take time to visit and bookmark the site. Stewardship of water is becoming one of the defining issues of our day and will be as integral to best practices in the ecohomes of tomorrow as energy- and location-efficiency.

The RainCatcher solution is a four point system learned from over 30 years of practice in Germany. There, 74% of residential dwellings have rainwater harvesting systems installed and 100% of new construction is required to incorporate it. I see us moving in that direction, where one key component of sustainability for every home will be to harvest water and reuse it several times through rainwater and graywater strategies.

When I was invited to give this speech, I was asked if I could give a simple short talk that was "direct, naked, taut, honest, passionate, lean, shivering, startling, and graceful." No pressure there.

Let's begin with the startling part. Class of 2009: you are going to have to figure out what it means to be a human being on earth at a time when every living system is declining, and the rate of decline is accelerating. Kind of a mind-boggling situation... but not one peer-reviewed paper published in the last thirty years can refute that statement. Basically, civilization needs a new operating system, you are the programmers, and we need it within a few decades.

This planet came with a set of instructions, but we seem to have misplaced them. Important rules like don't poison the water, soil, or air, don't let the earth get overcrowded, and don't touch the thermostat have been broken. Buckminster Fuller said that spaceship earth was so ingeniously designed that no one has a clue that we are on one, flying through the universe at a million miles per hour, with no need for seatbelts, lots of room in coach, and really good food-but all that is changing.

There is invisible writing on the back of the diploma you will receive, and in case you didn't bring lemon juice to decode it, I can tell you what it says: You are Brilliant, and the Earth is Hiring. The earth couldn't afford to send recruiters or limos to your school. It sent you rain, sunsets, ripe cherries, night blooming jasmine, and that unbelievably cute person you are dating. Take the hint.

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We all learned about the hydrological cycle in high school. The hydro-illogical cycle is the principle we should be the most concerned about with our current situation in Georgia. Da Nile Denial ain't just a river running through Egypt, as they say.

Now that the drought is officially "over" our tendency will be to lapse back into apathy and pre-conservation practices. If so, we will once again be caught unaware and unprepared for the next drought. To break this cycle requires that we have a plan and that we be proactive now, while the lake is full.

81, 85, and 89 Weatherby in Reynoldstown are three of the greenest homes you'll find in Atlanta.  They're not just pleasing to the earth, either.  As you can see, they're also pleasing to the eye.

All three homes represent a dramatic intersection of modern design and environmental consciousness. The builder has done a spectacular job of presenting the properties online here, so I won't duplicate his efforts. A couple of interesting factoids, though: They represent some of the first residential new construction in Atlanta to incorporate living green roofs and solar hot water.

The big bonus is that these homes are now being offered at unbelievably low prices:

• 81 Weatherby, residential detached:  $449,000 [FMLS #3904657]
  
• 85 + 89 Weatherby, residential attached:  $399,000 each. [FMLS #3905292; #3905284]
  

And with projected energy savings of 50-75%, these homes aren't just residential eye candy being sold at ridiculously discounted prices. They represent a lifestyle of maximum value and minimal environmental impact.

Please don't hesitate to contact me for a showing of these properties. They won't last long at these prices.

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work. ~ Ecclesiastes 4.9

When it comes to green real estate, what's better than an EcoBroker? Two EcoBrokers, of course! Jennifer Spivey and I are were certified as Georgia's 2nd and 3rd EcoBrokers. We're just not sure who was 2nd and who was 3rd.

Doesn't matter because we are now a team.

I am proud to call Jennifer business partner because she hasn't just tacked on a trendy designation to the end of her name. She is a LEED AP [she beat me to that by a long shot] and Georgia's only certified EcoBroker trainer. She's passionate, authentic, and educated. Bright green, baby!

What's interesting is that while she has her license with powerhouse Keller Williams Peachtree Battle, I remain with boutique brokerage EcoSpace, LLC. Regardless, if you're in the market for green real estate services then you can get two agents for the price of one. The market seems to be endorsing the arrangement. We just co-listed three of the greenest properties in Atlanta last week! I'll tell you all about them in my next post.

Geothermal is a no-brainer with the new tax credits, costing on average only 15% more than a traditional HVAC system while delivering 50% greater efficiency.

Atlanta's first LEED renovation, Lake Claire LEED, just got a geothermal system.

Will you be the first in your neighborhood?

Some folks believe rainwater harvesting to be a new invention born as a response to the recent US droughts.

Actually rainwater harvesting has been around for thousands of years. One source dates the practice back to 2600 BC where rainwater harvesting tanks were being used in India. Their example can make us all rich in the world's most precious natural resource.

Today's rainwater harvesting practices are more sophisticated technologically, but the basic principles remain the same. Modern filtration and sanitization allow for whole house potable use, including drinking and bathing. Such a system can yield water that is purer than local municipal water.

A home in Atlanta with 2,000 square feet of roof-catching capability can collect approximately 55,000 gallons of rainwater annually. This could be enough to supply a two-person household with all their water needs, assuming they have low-flow water fixtures installed and practice reasonable conservation.

So solve the water problem yourself. OK?