Q&A with Eric Corey Freed in the New York Times

I was interviewed in the New York Times to discuss my top things everyone should do to green their home. Rather than talk about adding solar panels, I thought it best to choose things everyone (including renters) can do to save money and our environment at the same time.

Five Beginners’ Steps to a Greener Home:
FULL STORY HERE

www.nytimes.com/2009/03/12/garden/12greenhome.html

New study shows Green Building doesn't cost more.

The following is from blog.inhabitconsulting.com/2008/12/new-study-exposes-green-building-costs.html

New Study Exposes Green Building Costs & Benefits

Recently a study was published by
Good Energies
a global energy efficiency and renewable energy investment company, that analyzed nearly 150 green-built buildings in 10 different countries to try to get a handle on the truth about the additional costs and benefits of building green. There were some surprising conclusions.

Among them:

On average, the "public" perceives the additional costs to build green at about 17%.
In reality, the median additional costs for building green proved to be less than 2%.
Over half of the buildings studied had a green building payback period of less than five years from energy and water savings alone (a five year payback is a 20% return on investment.)
Up front infrastructure development costs in "conservation developments" can be reduced by 25%, or approximately $10,000 per home.

Ecotopia

One of my favorite books, Ecotopia, is being reissued by the publisher this month and the New York Times has a nice story about the book.

The story starts with the Pacific Northwest having seceded from the United States to form its' own country named, Ecotopia. Washington, Oregon and Northern California make up the new country and base their economy on sustainable principles. The rest of the remaining US is thrust into a recession driven by partisan politics and old models of industry and energy.

Sound timely? Yes, except that it was written in 1974.

I had the prescient author, Ernest Callenbach, give a talk to a packed house at The Commonwealth Club in May 2005. He is the most charming and delightful man and lives just across the bay in Berkeley.

While you're reading it, be sure to also read the follow up prequel he wrote, entitled, Ecotopia Emerging. In many ways, I like it so much better than the first book.

NASA Scientist Warns Congress about Warming (again...)

Dr. James E. Hansen is the chief climatologist at NASA and one of the leading experts on Global Warming and the Climate Crisis.

He testified to Congress twenty years ago (June 23, 1988) on the dangers of global warming. This week, he returned to testify again and shared his thoughts on the differences between those two briefings.

An excerpt:

"There are striking similarities between then and now, but one big difference...

The difference is that now we have used up all slack in the schedule for actions needed to defuse the global warming time bomb."

He goes on to write of an ominous foreshadowing for the past 20 years:

"My testimony two decades ago was greeted with skepticism. But while skepticism is the lifeblood of science, it can confuse the public...
The evidence was strong enough that I could say it was time to "stop waffling." I was sure that time would bring the scientific community to a similar consensus, as it has."

And then he proposes a clear plan, something no government official seems able or willing to do:

"The steps needed to halt carbon dioxide growth... Phase out of coal use... Solution of the climate problem requires that we move to carbon-free energy promptly."

Hansen also talks about why things have barely progressed in 20 years of threats:

"Special interests have blocked transition to our renewable energy future. Instead of moving heavily into renewable energies, fossil companies choose to spread doubt about global warming, as tobacco companies discredited the smoking-cancer link. Methods are sophisticated, including disguised funding to shape school textbook discussions.

CEOs of fossil energy companies know what they are doing... In my opinion, these CEOs should be tried for high crimes against humanity and nature."

I love that part!

read the FULL STORY here.

Bay Area designers have long had green outlook

Last month, I sat on a panel for the Luxury Marketing Council to discuss the issues of sustainability in the luxury market. The packed audience consisted of high end real estate agents, bankers, jewelers, and the like. I always love exposing these ideas to groups who do not normally come into contact with green that often.

They usually become incredibly excited at these ideas, a testament to the logic and need for sustainability.

On the panel with me was Mike Freed, owner of Passport Resorts the company that developed various Eco Resorts: such as Post Ranch Inn and Cavallo Point .


BTW, The Post Ranch Inn was designed by a mentor of mine, and fellow organic architect, Mickey Muennig .

Zahid Sardar, Architecture critic for the San Francisco Chronicle, wrote an article today about the success of Passports resorts as luxurious architecture.

Also on the panel with Mike and myself were:
* Kimberley Gardiner
Marketing manager for Lexus Hybrid

* Helge Hellberg
Marketing director of Marin Organic
(who, by the way, charmed everyone with his enthusiasm and personality!)


Full Story via SFGate.com

NYT: The Greener Side of Recession

In the New York Times is this item as to whether the environment suffers during hard ecomonic times.

An excerpt:

The environment is actually hurt in hard economic times. Companies will reduce their investments into research and development and green programs...

The Greener Side of Recession

My interview with CalFinder

CalFinder is a site where you can find contractors to help you with a building project. They interviewed me to talk about the perceptions of green building and what is waiting for us in the future.

An excerpt:

The act of renovating your building is expensive, whether you’re green or not. Being green doesn’t cost you any more, in fact it’s an opportunity to save money.

via CalFinder

2008: Year of the Green?!

The Seattle Times has a great little story today postulating that 2008 will be the year for green. Actually, I thought 2007 was a great leap ahead, so I'm excited to see widespread acceptance of sustainability this coming year...

via Seattle Times

The true costs of green building

From our friends at TriplePundit comes this story about the true costs of green building.

Cost the biggest misconception have about green building, and the one I seem to be fighting to change in peoples minds the most. I have said for years now there is no discernable difference in cost. In fact, we only encounter three items with any cost increase:
* solar panels: but have a 5-10 year payback.
* FSC Certified Wood costs 20% more than the bad wood, and with no return on its investment (other than being the right thing to do.
* Graywater systems: water is still so subsidized that the return on investment is LONG, but that will change as the future wars on water begin.

from Triple Pundit:
Well, according to WBSBD those tangible, financial costs may be over-stated by as much as 300%! That should be more than enough to get most construction projects thinking a little harder about engaging in at least some basic green practices.

The full report is available here. The bottom line suggest that the 17% premium originally suggested for "green" projects is really more like 5%.

How to Make the Green Movement Less White

Van Jones, the head of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, and one of the most powerful speakers I know, has a wonderful article on how to get more diversity into the environmental movement..

Writing for ColorLines, Van Jones says, "In response to mounting ecological crises, the United States is going through its most important economic transformation since the New Deal. Unfortunately, the vital process of change along more eco-friendly lines is moving ahead with practically zero participation from people of color."

Greenwashing Article in Natural Home

I recently wrote an article on greenwashing for Natural Home and it is on newsstands this month.

The printed version has a handy cut out card you can carry in your wallet to know what questions to ask when looking at products. A great list of certifications is also included.

Eight Ways to Implement Green Principles into Your Practice

Kitchen & Bath Business Magazine interviewed me for this article on how to add green to your design business.. These are the same tips I suggest to all of the architects, engineers and designers we consult with to help them green their firms.

I welcome your suggestions and additions to this list...

Ontario turns out the lights on inefficient bulbs

This is a sign of the times. If the people will not do something good voluntarily, force it on them. I have to say I agree.

Ontario will ban the sale of inefficient incandescent light bulbs by 2012, a move that follows in the footsteps of Australia, the province said Wednesday.

The government estimates that replacing the 87 million incandescent bulbs in use across Ontario with more efficient bulbs would save six million megawatt hours every year — enough to power 600,000 homes.

This is the exact kind of intervention needed to overcome the economic stranglehold most corporations have over our society. Imagine if local governments banned other things for the good of their people:
* plastic bags
* VOC paint
* toxic household cleaners

or thinking bigger:
* chain stores (ie: Wal-Mart)
* non-hybrid or biodiesel cars

Imagine the possibilities!

FULL STORY

Environmental Leadership

The Power of Green
By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN
What does America need to regain its global stature?
Environmental leadership.

We will need to find a way to reknit America at home, reconnect America abroad and restore America to its natural place in the global order — as the beacon of progress, hope and inspiration. I have an idea how. It’s called “green.”

After World War II, Eisenhower responded to the threat of Communism with massive spending on an interstate highway system to tie America together, in large part so that we could better move weapons. That highway system, though, helped to enshrine America’s car culture, to get America addicted to cheap fossil fuels, particularly oil. Many in the world followed our model.

Friedman calls for a similar vision, placing the US as a new type of role model.

FULL STORY

April column at GreenBuildings.com

My latest column is online at GreenerBuildings.

Q: If I want to get involved in Green Building, where is a good place to start? What business opportunities are there? Where can I do the most good?

A: I cannot tell you how many versions of this question I receive. The popularity of the question indicates a growing desire by people to get involved in something larger than themselves. It is also a sign of real changes being made...

Read the full article here

I get to mention the great work of some friends: Energy Innovations, Sustainable Capital, Valencia Green Financial, Green Key Real Estate and New Resource Bank, among others.

COST BARRIERS: Rent your own solar panels

In our projects, there are now only three items where cost is still a barrier to greening the building:

1. Specifying FSC Certified Wood.
This important Certification (demonstrating wood to be sustainably harvested, still adds a 20% upcharge to the cost of your wood framing. This is a tough sell to most clients, but we try to do it anyway. TIP: save money in one area, say removing the need for air conditioning, and divert that money towards the purchase of FSC Certified Wood instead.

2. Carbon Neutrality.
Innovative Carbon Trading programs now exist for both your car and your home, such as the TerraPass and DriveNeutral. While these are great ways to make yourself Carbon Neutral, they represent a small, but additional, cost that is a tough sell for many.

AND 3. Solar Panels.
While everyone seems to understand the obvious benefits and uses of Solar Panels, the cost can often be prohibitive. Even with the great State Incentives that exist for solar, and an average payback of 5-7 years, the $20,000 average up front cost is too much.

But now, a rental program called REnU is removing this barrier to entry. Delaware-based Citizenre, a renewable energy development group, will rent solar panels to US residents on a per-kilowatt basis on a one, five, or twenty-five year contract. With a tiny $500 deposit, paid back at the end of the contract WITH interest, homeowners can easily and inexpensively make the switch from local utilities to solar power. What’s more, Citizenre acquires all necessary permits for residential installation, making the process simple. I have not tried it yet, but I have already begun the process.

The skinny on solar energy costs

The costs and innovative uses of solar energy are examined in this clip from "The Power of the Sun," narrated by John Cleese.

Watch the Video Here

The Age of Corporate Environmentalism
Surprise —big business has learned that it’s pretty easy being green.

Investing in green building provides benefits
Austin Business Journal - March 3, 2006
by Deborah Fuller

Some variable commercial real estate construction and build-out costs can't be controlled. In the wake of higher energy prices due to the 2005 hurricanes, construction costs have risen.

A company's work environment is an investment, and increasingly, organizations are evaluating what it takes to make that investment environmentally sustainable.

FULL STORY

Cost effectiveness of green buildings

ONE MAJOR reason green buildings are not easily accepted by many people is the widespread misconception that they cost more to build than conventional construction. ... like labor, materials and energy use.
Even with tight budgets, many green building features can be incorporated with...
FULL STORY

Making a calculated improvement

The 2005 "Cost vs. Value" report analyzing various home improvement projects has just been published by Remodeling magazine and the National Association of Realtors, and San Francisco is one of the markets featured. Because of the skyrocketing cost of homes in the Bay Area, all 18 of the projects more than paid for themselves on resale -- and that was true for no other city analyzed, including New York.

Below, San Francisco averages for some common projects:

-- Add a "midrange master suite" (24 by16 feet over a crawl space, with walk-in closet, whirlpool tub in ceramic tile platform, separate 3-by-4 ceramic tile shower): $91,241 cost, $103,959 resale value (114 percent).

-- Add a deck (16 by 20 feet with pressure-treated southern yellow pine, concrete footings, built-in bench and planter): $13,385 cost, $21,355 value (160 percent).

-- Do a "midrange bath remodel" (5 by 7 feet, replacing all fixtures, ceramic tile floor, vinyl wallpaper): $13,695 cost, $23,107 resale value. At 169 percent, this was the top-paying project in San Francisco; an "upscale bathroom remodel" (expanded space with window added and top-of-the-line fixtures and design elements) recouped 142 percent of cost.

-- Remodel the kitchen, minor (reface existing cabinets, replace oven, cooktop, laminate countertops, floor): $17,399 cost, $26,564 value (153 percent).

-- Remodel the kitchen, midrange (cabinets, island, all appliances, floors, lighting): $51,699 cost, $76,079 value (147 percent).

-- Remodel the kitchen, upscale (top-of-the-line cabinets, countertops, appliances and lighting, with cork flooring): $92,909 cost, $109,488 value (118 percent).

The projects with the least return in San Francisco market, according to the report: an upscale master suite addition (106 percent) and a family-room addition (107 percent).

It pays to remodel your home!

Survey Predicts 100% Increase in
Green Design Practices by Architects
by 2010

Autodesk, Inc. announced the results of its 1st annual Autodesk Green Index, a study commissioned to evaluate the use of green design elements and practices by architects. The study indicated that the rate of adoption of green building elements is accelerating, with the use of high-efficiency HVAC systems leading the way, followed by the increasing use of design software to predict and evaluate HVAC operating costs, solar lighting, and retention basins for storm water run off. The study queried practicing architects on their expected use of 16 green design practices and elements from five years ago, the previous 12 months and the expected use of these practices five years from now.

FULL STORY HERE
OR HERE

The full survey is available at Autodesk

LEEDing Us Astray?
Top green-building system is in desperate need of repair

We're concerned that LEED has become expensive, slow, confusing, and unwieldy, a death march for applicants administered by a soviet-style bureaucracy that makes green building more difficult than it needs to be. The result:

* mediocre "green" buildings where certification, not environmental responsibility, is the primary goal;
* a few super-high-level eco-structures built by ultra-motivated (and wealthy) owners that stand like the Taj Mahal as beacons of impossibility;
* an explosion of LEED-accredited architects and engineers chasing lots of money but designing few buildings; and
* a discouraged cadre of professionals who want to build green, but can't afford to certify their buildings.

Article
Full Essay

GREEN BUILDING DOES NOT COST MORE
A recently released report by the cost-management firm Davis Langdon, entitled "Costing Green: A Comprehensive Cost Database and Budgeting Methodology" (PDF) concludes that meeting green building standards costs the same, or only slightly more, than conventional building practices.

READ THE ARTICLE HERE
DOWNLOAD THE REPORT (PDF)

New Study Finds Building Green Doesn't Cost More

A new report by Davis Langdon Adamson, a construction services firm,
comparing costs for green building projects to costs for conventional
buildings found no statistically significant cost difference between the
two. Assessing cost data for libraries, academic buildings and
laboratories, the report compared construction costs per square foot for
45 projects seeking Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
certification and 93 projects not pursuing LEED certification, and found
that any premium associated with building green was very minimal
compared to other factors affecting building cost. The report also
provides a methodology that allows construction teams to manage green
building construction costs effectively. "We hope to enable teams to get
past the question of whether to [build] green, and go straight to
working on how," write the report's authors.

COMPLETE REPORT (276 KB, PDF)