beausoleil

Can green = cash?

We are very fortunate to be currently working with a developer on a new five bedroom, four bath home on prime real estate on the Peninsula not far from Stanford University.  While we try to encourage all of our clients to make green choices for environmental and health reasons, in this case, the decisions need to make sense on the bottom line from day 1. 

Contractors, real estate agents, material suppliers, green point raters, designers, green homeowners, we need your help!

Over the next few weeks, we would like to analyze the project using Build It Green's rating program for new homes and try to find areas where green features can be added with little or no additional costs.  We would love input from you in the building profession as to what has worked for you in the past, or where you are seeing good deals now in this competitive economy.  Designers and homeowners who have incorporated green features in past projects, where have you seen the most bang for your buck, either in initial savings or in operating costs?  What features have given you the most pleasure over the long term?

We'd like to hear from you real estate folks as to whether buyers in the Bay Area would pay a premium if they knew that the home was Green Point Rated with points in community, energy, indoor air quality/health, resources and water.  Has real local research been done?  How would you quantify the potential financial differences between traditional vs. green construction?

Especially given the current economy where real estate sales are sluggish and prices reduced, it is all the more important to build efficiently and to price a project properly.  We know green building is important environmentally, but can it also make sense economically, even in the short term?

Please feel free to leave your comments.  We are hoping our blog will bring an open dialogue and become a resource for all.

Here are a few links to published articles/research on the topic.  The first two require payment, but the website gives basic information about their research.  If anyone has purchased these in the past, perhaps you can share your thoughts with us.

The Green Home Consumer: Driving Demand for Green Homes by McGraw Hill Construction 11/08

Shelton Group - Energy Pulse 2009

Residential Green Building Report - A Market Engagement Framework for Developers and Builders, a thesis project from the University of Michigan, 2007.

One year solar anniversary! 616 dollars saved!

After one year of solar generation and data collection, the good news, particularly interesting to you San Franciscans worried about the effects of fog, is that solar does indeed work year round, even in our peculiar climate.

Below is a graph of kilowatt hours generated each month of the year, starting in November 2009 through October 2009.  As can be expected, the lowest month of generation is January with 260.59 kwh (not surprising given the short days of winter), the highest month April, with 500.84.  In most places on our hemisphere, this number would go up higher as the days lengthen in June, but our fog came a little early this year.

For those of you interested in the bottom line, I have to start by apologizing for an earlier omission to our monthly costs.  PG&E has been billing us monthly for the costs of energy distribution and other fees, but not our actual energy use, which accumulates every month until the true up period one year later (some months are positive, others negative).  We just paid our true up bill of $196.91, so I owe you a year's accounting.

I am comparing the total costs of pre-solar 2008 and solar 2009, including all payments to PG&E and  to Solar City for our monthly lease expense of approximately $30 per month.  The comparison is by cost only, and does not compare usage (which to our chagrin, even with our efforts to turn off more lights and replace lightbulbs, has increased by about 300kwh for the year).  The cost comparison also does not reflect the increase in PG&E rates for electricity, which are impossible to account for this year as PG&E has just switched to a time of day metering.  

Total savings for the year are $616.38 with almost 6,000 pounds of C0² offset!

San Francisco Green Business Awards

The award ceremony for the new green certified businesses in San Francisco took place last week in, appropriately, the Green Room at the War Memorial building across from City Hall.  Beausoleil was recognized as one of 60 newly certified businesses in the last year.  This brings the total to 160 green businesses in a city of over 10,000 total. 

We are very proud of our award, seen above, printed with eco friendly soy based inks, using recycled pallets and glass from a hotel demolition for the frame, put together by ecoimprints, another fabulous San Francisco Green Business.

We encourage you business owners out there to check out the green business program in San Francisco  or the larger Bay Area.  Their process was incredibly helpful in finding new ways to save money and further green our business practices.  Besides the immediate environmental benefits, this could prove to be an even more important step in these difficult financial times to set your business apart from the competition!

Christine is now a Green Point Rater!

I just wanted to let you know that I passed my three exams (one written, one plan check, one field exam) with flying colors.  I am now qualified and available to give green consulting and official ratings to new single or multi-family homes.  Many municipalities in California are adding Green Point Rated requirements to new or substantially remodeled residential projects, and Build It Green's programs, which allow for both entry level and extreme green makeovers, allow for all projects to fit under the same rating guidelines.

Congratulations so far to the Bay Area municipalities listed below (and many more found statewide on Build It Green's website) who have already adopted the standards:

Alameda County
Albany
Brisbane
Hayward
Los Altos
Los Altos Hills
Mill Valley
Novato
Palo Alto
Pleasanton
San Mateo County
San Rafael
Tiburon

And congratulations to many others who have programs in the works, or are using the ratings as suggestions to improve energy use, durability, air quality, etc. in the construction in their areas.  It is exciting to see the progress in residential construction over the past few years!

Green Point Rated

I just spent most of last week at Build It Green's training for Green Point Raters.  If you don't know about this program yet, you soon will!  Many municipalities in California are adopting their standards and rating system for new homes and major remodels.  Not to be confused with LEED, which rates commercial buildings as well as new residences, Build It Green's program is purely for the residential construction industry, both single and multi-family.  While there is a lot of overlap with LEED for Homes, they provide a lower threshold or entry point for new residences, as well as an existing home rating system that includes partial remodels and additions.

The program seems very straightforward with many cities adopting a standard of 50 required points for certification. These points are allocated among the five categories of Community, Energy, Indoor Air Quality/Health, Resources and Water. A minimum of 30 points must be garnered in the energy category by surpassing state Title 24 requirements by 15%, which is relatively easy to achieve, and which will save money and CO2 from day one.

The guidelines are flexible, giving the homeowner, contractor or developer many options to achieve the required points.  The result is a better product, a home that is good for the family and better for the Earth.  According to recent studies in Seattle where the green rating is part of the MLS advertisement, it is also good for the pocketbook, as Green Rated homes in that area have been documented to sell for 5-10% more and 24% faster, even in today's depressed market.

Rating a home may add a few thousand dollars to the construction cost, but the site verification process helps ensure that the green features are indeed installed, and the testing ensures that HVAC is properly sized, the insulation and ductwork are all properly installed and sealed, avoiding the energy losses typical even in many new homes.

One paper test, one plan check test and one field inspection test were required as part of our training last week.  I'll let you know when the results come in!

San Francisco Green Business Program

The San Francisco Green Business Program has recently launched their new website where environmentally savvy shoppers can be directed to companies that not only offer green products and services, but whose business have also been certified as meeting green practice goals.  From local bars to environmental consultants, from architects to office supplies, from chocolates to dentists, you can find a growing number of firms that have shown their commitment to the environment by going through the program.

Beausoleil was certified as a green business a few months ago and we have been waiting for the new website to proudly announce our certification. Our link can be found under services/architects and engineers/Beausoleil Architects or you can click here: Beausoleil

We had a wonderful experience through the certification process, where the staff not only reviewed our practices, from recycling, purchasing, and marketing, to energy and water use, but also offered concrete simple suggestions to further improve our processes and save money.  The water audit, provided free by the SFPUC (San Francisco Public Utility Commission) as part of the process showed that our toilets had slow leaks and our landscape irrigation was set for a few minutes longer than necessary.  They adjusted our toilets on the spot and gave us free low flow showerheads and sink aerators.  We've seen our water bill cut by 1/3 since their visit. On the electrical side, though we were already more than compliant with our recently installed solar system, they also suggested a plug load controller by Wattstopper that had outlets tied to a motion sensor.  Our computer monitors, printers and task lighting are now connected, ensuring that there is no power wasted through staff forgetfulness or vampire loads. We've also found new local sources for our office supply products that are competitive with the national brands and offer excellent service. 

We'd like to encourage you and your business to explore the Green Certification process, for our planet and for your bottom line!

Save money on your remodeling

I was sent an interesting post by our Title 24 consultant today.  Mark Madison of Energy Code Works is the guy who checks our designs for compliance with the state of California's requirements for energy use in buildings.  There are new tax credits available for remodeling for energy efficiency.  See Mark's blog for full description of credits.

10 things from the GreenV Sustainable Center grand opening

The Greenv Sustainable Center  of South San Francisco just opened for business under its new name and new sponsorship, and I took the opportunity to visit their grand opening event last Saturday. Points of interest:

1. The GreenV Sustainable Center of South San Francisco is a mixed-use green marketplace. Housed under one roof are alternative vehicles, sustainable building components, green retail, education, and events for the public and private sectors to access. They are a dynamic community resource for local governments, green businesses, and the public to utilize. The Sustainable Center is a networking junction for people to co-op their skills and marketing to advance the growth of the new green market.

2. The Center is located just off of El Camino Real and across from the South San Francisco Recycling Center. It’s a short walk from Bart. For more info contact: Evan Herceg, Green Building Exchange, 1 Chestnut Avenue, South San Francisco, CA 94080. Tel. (650) 588-1113, eherceg@greenbuildingexchange.com

3. The ‘GreenV’ in the Center’s name is from its major sponsor. GreenV is the manufacturer of the Apex-Block, an environmentally correct and sustainable advanced ICF (insulated concrete form) wall system. Unlike many similar products, Apex-Blocks are made of cement and recycled polystyrene foam. They are formed into large 51 pound homogeneous recyclable blocks (think fewer, larger parts to put together) with interlocking surfaces and networked inner cavities for filling with reinforced concrete. They form a load-bearing, shear resistive grid and can even be used for retaining walls. The blocks can be sawn, routed out for electrical installations, fastened to, and plastered inside and out.

4. Apex-Block details:
Fire Resistant: Tested to 4 hours at 2000 degrees F, the Apex-Block system does not burn or develop smoke. Unlike steel, it does not soften or bend in extreme heat.
Energy Efficient: Apex-Blocks are impervious to continuous frost and cold cycles. With a lab tested thermal value of R-52, buildings constructed with Apex-Blocks use up to 50% less energy to heat, and up to 60% less energy to cool (compared to traditional wood framed structures).
Healthy Environment: The Apex-Block does not absorb or retain moisture, instead - sheds it. The ability to keep dry makes it resistant to mold and mildew. Apex-Blocks will not rot, even in the wettest of environments, and provides optimal vapor release by allowing the building to breathe.
Infestation Resistant:Apex-Blocks are made from materials that are inhospitable to insects and rodents. For more info, contact Rick Rios, GreenV, rrios@verdevinc.com, (650) 588-1113

5. Keynote speaker David Gottfried was quite inspirational, talking not only about his involvement in founding the USGBC and the World Green Building Council, but about his struggle to ‘green’ his own personal life.  It’s not ultimately about buildings and technology, but about our life as human animals on the planet. Read David’s book “Greed to Green”.

6. David was the founder and the first staff president of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The USGBC has been quoted as the leading global green building organization, having the greatest impact on climate change. In 1998 Gottfried invented and incubated the World Green Building Council, now with established and emerging green building councils in approximately 50 countries. Collectively, the world's green building councils have likely done more for climate change reduction than any organization. USGBC is considered the fastest growing non-profit in the world, now with almost 20,000 organizational members and 80 U.S. chapters.

7. One of the Center’s main functions is to host classes. They have a year-long commitment to working with the Solar Living Institute to house their classes on solar and renewable energy, alternative fuels and vehicles, gardening and permaculture, and so on. (707) 472-2450.

8. Fluid Stone finishes made from minerals, recycled aggregates and flexible, low VOC acrylic binders, were interesting.  Can be used on walls, floors, roof decks, driveways, decorative surfaces. Contact: (619) 491-0671 .

9. I also liked Liberty Valley Doors, Inc., (707) 795-8040. They have a line of beautiful doors made from recycled ‘rediscovered’ wood.

10. Freebies you missed if you didn’t make it to the party: 1.5 GPM Evolve ‘Gecko’ shower head; compact fluorescent lamp; California Poppy seeds; Green Zebra savings coupon book.

Green Home Guide Posting

We are pleased to announce that we have been selected as the Green Professional of the Week by the USGBC's Green Home Guide website.  Check out their site Green Home Guide to see our technical responses to questions regarding wind energy analysis, options for environmentally friendly entry doors as well as residential solar installation options and costing.  They seem to be a great source of practical technical information from professionals in the design and construction fields.  Let us know what you think.

Water, water, down the drain

Turn on the shower and wait, wait, wait while fresh cold water goes down the drain until the hot water finally arrives.  Another waste of an increasingly precious resource.

It is often said that fresh water will be the oil of the 21st century, increasingly sought after by competing claimants, harder to obtain, and expensive. That annoying waste while waiting for hot water may account for as much as 10% of your home’s indoor water use.

Ever wonder how big hotels provide instant hot water? It turns out that most hotels continuously circulate hot water through a piping loop which connects to all of the plumbing fixtures and then returns to the water heater, so hot water is always close at hand.  A few years ago, as houses got larger, and as our wealth enabled us to layout houses for comfort more than efficiency, homes started to be equipped with these systems also. Unfortunately, though they save water, they waste quite a bit of energy.  First there’s the electric pump used to push the water around, then there is the constant heat loss as hot water flows through cooler spaces, so that the water heater has to cycle on more often. Piping insulation is mandatory on these systems, of course, but the bottom line is still a system that wastes energy or wastes water.

Another solution, increasingly in use for the last few years, is ‘demand’, also known as tankless or instant water heaters.  Instead of the conventional tank that heats fifty gallons of water at a time and stores it for later use, these heaters only operate when a fixture tap is opened and the water starts to flow.  They just heat the water being used immediately, doing so very quickly and reasonably efficiently. Ideally, they are installed close to the fixtures, so there is very little water waste, and they sometimes only serve a few fixtures.  A typical house might have two or three of them, especially if the bathrooms are far flung. Both gas and electric versions are available. The down side of these units is their cost – both for the heaters themselves and for the large gas or electric services they need, and also for the high temperature flues the gas versions need. For a thorough discussion of the subject see the online consumer information.

But what can the vast majority of us do, who have conventional water heaters and an existing piping system, fully concealed within the walls and ceilings of our homes? Some ingenious person figured out a very simple, efficient approach that is both water and energy efficient.  This system, called an open loop, connects the existing cold and hot water supply lines at the most remote fixture from the water heater to create an artificial loop system.  The only new components are a small electric pump, a pushbutton, a thermostatic sensor, and an electric valve.

Here’s how it works: A few seconds before you need hot water (maybe you have entered the bathroom to shower and are about to disrobe) you push a button by the sink. The button activates the pump, which is generally hidden in the base cabinet under the sink, and which is connected to the hot and cold water lines which serve the sink. Water from the hot water pipe is pumped into the cold water line, where it returns to the hot water tank, reversing the usual flow direction. When hot water arrives, the thermostat shuts off the pump.  Now you have hot water at the sink, without having spilled a drop and having used the pump for just a minute.  In most bathrooms the branch pipe which serves the shower is only a few feet from the main pipe that now has hot water, so the shower will get hot almost immediately.

Depending on the layout of your house, one pump station at the fixture furthest from the water heater may be sufficient, or you might need two or more if the piping system runs off in all directions. In any case, very little water is wasted and the pump is only running a few minutes per day.

A couple of manufactures make pump and control systems designed for this purpose. The product line which looks the most interesting to me is the ACT,Inc. Metlund “D’MAND” .  All of the components of the system are included and it looks easy to install. There are three pump sizes available and three control system choices: a push button, a motion sensor (the pump would start anytime motion was sensed – possibly not the best idea) and for those who are technology addicts, a remote control. The most difficult part of most installations, one imagines, is getting a power source to the location where you want to locate the pump. List price of the basic unit is $339.50. We plan to order one of these and will let you know how our installation goes.

Another manufacturer to look into is Chilipepper . Their unit has a bigger pump than the D'MAND systems, which presumably translates into quicker hot water, but also reportedly makes for a much noiser unit.  It is also cheaper, at $179.99, but to me silence is golden.  Laing Inc.also makes good circulation pumps but they don't seem to have a unified system.

Please let us know if you have any experiences with these systems - we would love to share the information.