January 12th, 2011

Forgotten about green building during the economic swoon of the last two years? Rising energy costs and static incomes make it more important than ever as consumers look for added value and long-term energy savings.

Check out these top green residential projects from across the U.S., which demonstrate that green living is no longer just for the wealthy few.

1 – Postgreen’s 100K House in South Philly sets the mark for in-city affordability

Postgreen, a sustainable building and design company, wanted to address a demographic that was not being served in Philadelphia: Urban dwellers who want to live in a green property, but do not want to move to the suburbs or spend the money, typically $500,000 and up, for most builder’s green creations.

So the team set out to build its inaugural projects, the $100K and $120K infill homes in the sleekest, greenest, low-waste designs they could muster, while resisting the “bells and whistles” that drive prices up. They wanted the 100K home to come in at a building cost under $100 per square foot, so they had to work extra hard at efficiencies in all aspects of construction. The result: Two two-story loft homes with two bedrooms each priced at between $200,000 and $250,000, both on commute-free city lots, walking distance to subway and bus stops.

[Read more →]

May 4th, 2010

What’s the best way to cut the cost of treating wastewater? How about using the treatment byproducts as fuel? That was the creative solution implemented at the Budd Inlet Treatment Plant by the LOTT (Lacy, Olympia, Tumwater and Thurston County) Alliance in Washington State late last year. The renewable energy system, combined with an aeration blower retrofit currently underway, is expected to save LOTT more than $228,000 a year in utility costs.

The cogeneration system, expected to save nearly $180,000 a year in utility costs, enables the cogeneration plant to provide all of the heating required at the site as a “district heating” plant, eliminating the need to burn off excess digester gas and greatly reducing the emissions of the site. The blower retrofit, scheduled for completion in August, 2010, is expected to save more than $48,000 in utility costs for the LOTT Alliance.

[Read more →]

August 28th, 2009

By Ashley Phillips
Green Right Now

The U.S. Green Building Council, started 16 years ago, has 20,200 members and more than 50,000 LEED registered and certified projects around the world (80 percent are in the US).

And the group plans to get even bigger as it turns its attention to college campuses and enlists the help of students.

The USGBC is helping universities across the country to establish sustainability courses and USGBC student organizations, and of course, to build green. The Washington-based NGO estimates that there will be 4,300 LEED projects registered (underway) and certified (completed) on college campuses at the end of 2009.

[Read more →]

August 4th, 2009

By Barbara Kessler
Green Right Now

While people scurry to devise new green components for homes, Don Blalock is in the enviable position of launching one that he’s been nursing along for the last six years.

His Aeonian brick will build houses that are significantly more energy efficient than conventional homes; help them qualify for LEED platinum certification and withstand hurricane force winds up to 240 mph. They’ll also resist heat, mold, mildew and termites, says Blalock whose goal is to build “the most structurally sound house that’s livable that will last for a very long time.”

[Read more →]

June 22nd, 2009

By Diane Porter
Green Right Now

There’s a shiny green report card out in Warren County, Kentucky this month.

The county’s school district won the Alliance to Save Energy’s 2009 Andromeda Award for its programs, which include $4 million in energy savings over the last five years, a 28 percent energy use reduction, a daily curriculum that focuses on energy efficiency and Energy Star ratings on four buildings. But the star of their show undoubtedly is the new Richardsville Elementary, a Warren County School on target to become the nation’s first net zero energy public school when it opens in fall of 2010 (see photo above).

[Read more →]

April 7th, 2009

From Green Right Now Reports

The Empire State Building is getting a $500 million energy efficiency retrofit that is expected to reduce the iconic skyscraper’s energy consumption by up to 38 percent.

The project, already underway, is intended to become a model for analyzing and retrofitting existing structures for environmental sustainability. The makeover is a collaboration among a group of world-class environmental consulting, non-profit, design and construction partners, including Clinton Climate Initiative, Rocky Mountain Institute, Johnson Controls Inc. and Jones Lang LaSalle.

Building systems work is slated to be completed by the end of 2010, with final completion of tenant spaces by the end of 2013. Work that is scheduled to be completed within 18 months will result in more than 50 percent of the projected energy savings.

[Read more →]