March 28th, 2009
When we last sat down to look at the points for Lake Claire LEED on the LEED for Homes worksheet we added them up and it looked like we should get at least LEED Gold which is very good! However, we reviewed a couple of areas with the homeowners last week and it looks like Platinum is a possibility. The house was going to be very efficient so there was not much more that we could do there, so we looked to the landscaping. Since we are looking to use native plants, rain harvesting, and smart planting we should get enough points in Site Development to push us into the Platinum point range.
Towards the end of the project, we will post the complete point sheet so we can see how we managed the project to be more sustainable.
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March 18th, 2009
Ha…just made you say underwear! Seriously, though, the workers started pulling off the wood siding a couple of weeks ago and this is what they found:
Nothing! No insulation! This was one drafty old home. Colder than a well diggers butt without his…well, his insulated underwear. And the home must have been leaky, too. Perhaps the indoor breezes were considered a feature in the pre-air conditioned days of the 1920’s.
That’s going to change.
The wood is going to be stripped of it’s nasty ol’ lead paint, reprimed and replaced. But before that happens Icynene foam insulation is going to be sprayed in. This stuff will expand into every nook and cranny making this new old home super insulated.
The owners are going to enjoy some benefits for their troubles, too. Aside from the reduced utility bills, they qualify for up to 30%-of-cost tax rebates under the new stimulus program for installation of green insulation.
Go green and save green…Makes me all warm inside just thinking about it…
~ Burke
Tags: Atlanta, energy efficient, GA, Icynene, insulation, stimulus
Posted in Incentives and Stimulus Package, Lake Claire Leed team, Rebates | 2 Comments »
March 17th, 2009
Lake Clair LEED was eligible for rebates from GA Power since it is a Home Performance with Energy Star Project. I started to add up the rebates and they qualified for ALL that were available.
Here is a list of the rebates that they will get:
|
Home Assessment Rebates
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Rebates Up To:
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50% Reimbursement of assessment fees
|
$200
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Home Improvement Rebates
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Rebates Up To:
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Thermostat conversion
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$100
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Installation of R-6 or greater insulation blanket
on Electric Water heater Only |
$50
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Attic insulation improvements
(in conjunction with air sealing) |
$200
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Wall insulation improvements (conditioned space exterior walls)
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$550
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Insulate floor & foundation wall to R-5 (foam) /R-13 in basement wall cavities (fiberglass acceptable)
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$450
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Improve air sealing
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$250
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Improve duct sealing
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$100
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Potential Total Rebates
|
$1,900
|
Tags: GA Power rebates, Home Performance with Energy Star, Rebates
Posted in Incentives and Stimulus Package, Rebates | No Comments »
March 16th, 2009
As you can see from the picture below, the geothermal went in last month. Contractors brought in a well-digging truck and drilled a 400 foot deep well.
You can see the workers feeding the pipe into the ground. This pipe forms an 800 foot loop. Water will be pumped through this pipe loop using the natural properties of the earth to transfer heat to or from the home, depending on the season. It’s like their front yard is acting as a giant battery to store energy in the form of heat.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), geothermal heat pumps are the most energy-efficient, environmentally clean, and cost-effective systems for temperature control. Using a geothermal system is equal to planting 24 trees per year to off-set your carbon footprint. True, they cost twice as much as a conventional HVAC system, but they last two times longer and can cut your power and gas usage by 50%. One vendor is currently offering a $2000 rebate that can be combined with the $2000 Federal and $2000 State rebates for significant savings.
This isn’t the only green technology the owners will be implementing. They are also planning on rainwater reclamation and solar hot water. In fact, they have decided to go for LEED Renovation. Although LEED residential is starting to pop-up around Atlanta, we don’t know of a LEED Renovation, so this will be another ground-breaking project. There are so many things that can be done to make an old home healthier and more energy efficient. Much of them have to do with taking the building back to its original form.
So a dramatic rebirth for this solid old home! More info to come, so stay tuned…
~ Burke
Posted in Incentives and Stimulus Package, Lake Claire Leed team, Rebates | 1 Comment »
March 16th, 2009
I’m so proud of my clients [who have also become my friends]. They signed the contract last month to begin greenovation of the circa 1920 home they purchased last year. This was possibly the last 90 year old, one-owner home left in Atlanta. These folks are deep green with some very clear ecological and environmental goals for their new old house. They want to preserve the home as much as possible, but make it more liveable, greener and more energy-efficient in the process. To do this within their budget means making some sacrifices favoring substance over surface-style. For example, they’ve opted for preservation of the original siding versus ripping it all off, sending it to the landfill, and slapping up hardi-plank. They will embrace the beauty of old cracked plaster walls so they can spend more on geothermal which will allow them to heat and cool the space between those walls more efficiently and economically by tapping into the natural principles of the earth beneath them. They’re focusing on the soul of the home rather than the skin-deep beauty of trendy high-end finishes. Great care will be taken to preserve the old clawfoot bathtub and pedestal sink, possibly over-looking a little wear on the porcelain finish so more money can be invested in a gray water system that responsibly re-uses the water that will flow through those fixtures.
To do this requires an embracement of the wabi-sabi aesthetic. I’ll let you read the link to begin to grasp this incredibly simple but profound mindset. Or better yet, read the whole book, The Wabi-Sabi House by Robyn Griggs Lawrence. At it’s most essential, wabi-sabi is the Japanese art of finding beauty in imperfection and profundity in nature. It celebrates the humble and elevates the ordinary. It’s one of those east-meets-west things so it’s difficult to articulate in western terms.
Wabi-sabi is more than a way to redecorate or remodel your house, though. It is a lifestyle and is certain to become a cornerstone of the green movement. It is the antithesis of the ostentatious, excessive, conspicuous consumption that has lead us to this point, peering into the abyss of financial and spiritual ruin. It is a logical reaction.
So I applaud my friends. Like Indy with the grail, they have chosen wisely. I look forward to telling their story in the months to come.
~ Burke
Posted in Lake Claire Leed team | No Comments »
March 15th, 2009
Thanks to our great clients and visionary green real estate agent we are able to complete the first green renovation certified as LEED and EarthCraft in the Lake Claire neighborhood.
I am Matt Hoots of the Hoots Group- the green contractor on the project and will be posting updates on the green product that we are using.
Burke Sisco is the Ecobroker and green real estate advocate that introduced us to our sustainable clients and he will be posting updates as to the progress of the job.
We will introduce the other guests bloggers as the come on board.
Tags: Burke Sisco, green renovation, Lake Claire Leed, LEED renovation, The Hoots Group
Posted in Lake Claire Leed team | No Comments »
