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Entries from April 1, 2008 - May 1, 2008
Harness solar + wind power for < $150
In past journal entries I've referred to solar hot water as a low-hanging fruit in alternative energy appliances. If that metaphor is true, then there is a lower cost solar device which is like the fruit falling in your lap -- although it will take some work to enjoy it's benefits. Without repeating what I've already said about the clothsline, let me add that indoor electric/gas clothes dryers account for up to 10% of residential energy use. What kind of energy savings could be realized if large numbers of people re-adopted the ancient practice of hanging their clothes outside to dry? How would you like to save 5 -10% on your electric bill every month? With Atlanta's temperate climate it's possible if you're willing to burn a little personal energy.
Just in time for drying season, Breezecatcher is offering my readers a discount on their excellent umbrella rotary clothes dryers. Enjoy 5% off and free shipping by entering BS5000 in the coupon code at check out.
Their hand-made dryers are designed to rotate easily in a light breeze, no matter how unevenly the load is distributed.
Here's more about the dryers from their site:
The Breezecatcher clothes dryer is an ecologically friendly product...and can help you control and reduce your home energy bill. Why not take advantage of the free solar and wind energy available in your back yard, help reduce the dependence on oil and gas, lead the way and feel better by doing your bit to reduce carbon emissions and help prevent climate change and improve the environment for the next generations to follow?
'Nuff said! Go here to order yours today!
3 Comments
PrintIntroducing Green Nest Realty Services
At New Urban Realty we've always been on board with sustainable, eco-friendly, green building. Beyond that, we try to model authentic green lifestyle and business practices. Now our goal is to be the greenest real estate service provider in Atlanta.
So we're changing our name.
We are now Green Nest Realty Services. Although New Urbanism is a very green concept, we've found the term has never really resonated. It's kind of like the phrase "show me the money." Cameron Crowe, the director of Jerry Maguire, has said that he thought the phrase that would catch on with the public after seeing his movie was "the Quan." It was Rod Tidwell's grammatical invention, a word he used for defining the desirable combination of community + ability + love + coin + respect. Instead, it was "show me the money" that became popular. Quan is a high-level, 10,000 foot word -- like "new urbanism." Everybody can appreciate good urban planning and neighborhood design, but it comes down to where people live -- their personal nest.
So we think Green Nest Realty Services describes what we do better. It conveys our focus on working with green buyers and sellers and our ability to provide excellent greenovation services. And it speaks of our goal to be Atlanta's greenest real estate company.
It's a good name, I think, but we've got a problem. It's the logo. I'm usually pretty good at coming up with stuff like logos and slogans and such, but I must admit I'm drawing a blank so far. And I've been wracking my brain for a couple of weeks. EcoBroker has that nest thing going on with their logo so the lazy thing would be to drop a little cartoon home in a nest and call it a day. But I'm just not feeling it.
So in the spirit of Web 2.0, where transparency and collaboration and business flow together, I'm asking for your help. Got any good ideas for a logo? Share it with me? Please? It's very Quan if you think about it. As a matter-of-fact, send me your ideas for the logo for Green Nest Realty Services, and if we choose your design, I'll show you the money. 100 bucks. Is that worth your time to help a brother out?
Be my Ambassador of Quan...
Burke Sisco
This one was submitted by Chad Ferris today. Chad is an excellent IT Guy [check out Curioxity.com] and has helped me out on some of my site design.
Thanks, Chad!
A truly revolutionary dome home
By now you know that the structure featured in the video is not a landed UFO, but a unique type of dome ecohome. I confess a fascination with dome homes since the geodesic experiments of the 60's and 70's. Dome homes were touted as green buildings years before it was du jour. Some of the green features of domes that have always intrigued me include:
- The dome is one of the strongest and most efficient structures you can build.
- Domes enclose the most amount of area with the least amount of materials. Less material [concrete, lumber, man hrs., labor, etc.] = money saved.
- Domes allow for more efficient and natural airflow throughout the structure making them more energy efficient. Domes don't have the "dead zones" prevalent in many rectangular structures.
- Domes have one third less surface area than box-like structures. The amount of surface area exposed to the elements has a much greater impact on energy efficiency than insulation values.
- Domes have historically been the only structures remaining intact after the total destruction of forces like hurricanes and even nuclear explosions.
- If building a "natural" home is your goal, then the dome is the shape that most closely emulates structures found in nature.
- Dome homes frequently boast 30% - 50% energy efficiency over traditionally built structures.
- Dome homes are frequently system-built so there is less waste in construction.
Domespace Homes manufactures a home that provides all of these features inherent in a dome with one significant addition: they can be built to rotate. The Domespace rotation allows the homeowner to better manage passive solar energy by slowly turning the entire home towards the sun for heat, or away to cool it down. The rotation of the home is imperceptible from inside the home and can be operated with the touch of a remote control. The structure can be equipped with solar panels and programmed for automatic rotation to track the course of the sun.
In addition, Domespace Homes is an ENERGY STAR Partner building new homes that qualify as ENERGY STAR because they provide greater energy efficiency, comfort and durability for home buyers.
Solaleya, the U.S. Distributor of Domespace Homes, offers turn-key solutions from single family domes and multi-dome communities to large scale projects like restaurants and churches.
So -- understanding my affinity for the dome and energy-efficiency -- it won't surprise you that I'm representing Solaleya in the metro Atlanta area. Call me at 404.421.9968 or email me if you want to own one of these revolutionary dome homes.
Burke Sisco
A New EcoHome on Edgewood Avenue
My client broke ground April 1st on 546 Edgewood Avenue. Christened LEEDing Edge, this home is on track to be one of Atlanta's first LEED for Homes Platinum Certified residences. Look for the location on the map below at the corner of Howell St. and Edgewood Avenue. Click on the property and home for sale icons for more information on this ground-breaking home.
View Larger Map
Burke Sisco
For more mapping fun, check out the Walk Score map for this property. The score of 83 is defined as "Very Walkable." You can see from the map that there are lots of stores, restaurants, coffee shops, bars, businesses, etc. within walking distance. I got out and walked around the neighborhood yesterday and found several very cool destinations like the Thumb's Up Diner and Java-ology Coffee House within a casual stroll of the address. Alternative transportation is included in the mix with a MARTA bus stop and PATH bike lane out the future front door and the King Memorial MARTA Station only 1/2 mile away.
The nearby destination with the most symbolic significance is the Martin Luther King Jr. birthplace which is not more than 500 paces away. As gas prices approach $4 a gallon, the future resident of 546 Edgewood Ave., if willing to walk, could declare some measure of freedom from rising gas prices.
Burke Sisco
Creating off-the-grid, energy-efficient housing in “greenfield” suburbs and rural enclaves will still require each adult in the family to commute to separate daily needs in separate automobiles, canceling out many of the energy gains. Over the last 30 years, the number of miles Americans drive has grown three times faster than the population and almost twice as fast vehicle registrations. Spread-out development-sprawl is the main reason for that. Research suggests that people who move into compact, walk-able neighborhoods are making as big a contribution to fighting global warming as those who buy hybrid vehicles but remain tied to car-dependent lifestyles. We need to make living in more dense configurations appealing.
Ben Brown, Hard-Truth Challenges Behind Florida’s Homes Turning Green and Sustainable
Burke Sisco
If you scroll east two or three blocks on the map, you'll see a broad red band I've drawn on the map. That's the future BeltLine right-of-way. According to the Google Maps distance measurement feature, it's exactly 1251.14 feet away from LEEDing Edge.
