Old is the New Green–Video House Tour

Transcript

Matt: [at front of old Victorian house] Hi, I'm Matt Grocoff, the green renovation expert for Old House Web and host of greenovation.tv and this is my house.  So when my wife Kelly and I first bought this 110 year old folk Victorian house, it was a dream come true: it had lead paint, asbestos siding, zero insulation and even an old gas powered lawn mower out in the shed.  What more can anybody ask for.

Matt: [in living room] So on move in day we brought two things with us:  a crowbar to rip up all the old carpet and a box of compact fluorescent light bulbs.  We replaced every light socket in this house with compact fluorescents and then we added motion sensors to every light switch in the house.  We leave a room, if we forget to turn it off, it turns it off for us.

Matt: [in bathroom] So at the start of our renovation project, this was the only bathroom in the house.  It was fantastic.  It had pink Formica tiles, an old flush toilet that flushed 5 gallons every time.  This is a Caroma Dual Flush Toilet which only uses .8 gallons every flush and unlike our old toilet never clogs.  But not only have we made it look great, but we've made it way more energy efficient.

This is a 1-minute a gallon showerhead.  This is going to use a gallon and a half a minute less than an ordinary showerhead.  This will literally save thousands of gallons over its lifetime.

Matt: [backyard drilling for geothermal] I can't tell you how many times I've heard people say "I thought you couldn't put geothermal into a historic house."  Well this house proves that wrong.  We were able to put three 150-foot bore holes vertically into the back yard on a very small piece of property.  Not only do we have a heating and cooling system that uses half the energy of our neighbors, we have a house that's a whole lot more comfortable. 

Matt: [in living room] We're out to prove that old houses can be the Greenest houses. In fact, with all the renovations we've done so far, we've made this house ultra efficient and we've got a ways to go.  We're going to take this house all the way to Net Zero.  Meaning it's going to produce more energy than it uses.

Matt: [at the computer] So you eco geeks, get ready to get geeked out because this is our WattVision Google Power Meter.  And this will tell us how much energy we're consuming at any given moment.  If everyone knew how much energy they were using, they would probably use a lot less.  [I'm coming to get you, I got you, I got you] Before we get the solar panels up on the roof, you can see we've got a lot of work to do.

Matt: [pointing to house exterior] We've got to paint the house, restore these old windows, then top it off with some really energy efficient storm windows.  My daughter Jane will probably still be alive when this house turns 200 years old.  So restoring America's old homes is not just about preserving history, it's about protecting our future.   So for Old House Web, this is Matt Grocoff reminding you that, "The Green Revolution Begins at Home"

Thank You for stopping by-Share and Comment below. If additional information in needed or you have a question let me know. Together we can make a difference and create a future that will benefit everyone. Build a Green StLouis Green Building Tips and Resources via: Scotty- St Louis Renewable Energy Green Blog
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Happy Mothers Day

To all the Moms on Mothers day.  I am working to create a pollution free World with: Solar and Sustainable Buildings, so your kids can live a healthy life!

We can build a Green StLouis!

Build a Green StLouis Scotty

Net Zero Container Home Solar and Wind Energy

5 Container Layout for open concept living areas. Net Zero Energy use from 4k Wind Turbine and Solar Panels System. Passive Solar Roof Overhang Design that doubles as support for solar panels and blocks summertime sun rays.

This CAD design was originally made for a client who was interested in a container home design. After the costs to buy, renovate, and build a container home outweighed the cost of a larger and roomier Post Frame Building design they decided that maybe a container home wasn't the best fit for them and their growing family.

The Clients also requested a Rock Climbing Wall incorporated into the Home Design- ie Must Have. This was also the reason behind the design of the Container on its end sticking up above the remain home. With a few windows the container can also be used for a Natural Air Movement Home Ventilation Feature as well as house the Wind Turbine. This meets my design goals of a building feature that has 2 or more benefits is always a worthwhile addition!

There are no interior plans for this design. If you would like an interior design let me know and I'll work one up.  The usable interior floor plan space is 20- 40 feet wide (wooden truss system) x up to 40 feet long with up to 16 feet tall ceilings.   This allows plenty of space that could incorporate a variety of designs.
#BuildGreenScotty

5 Container Open Floor Plan Net Zero Green Home Design by Scotty

20 and 40foot Shipping  Storage Containers for Sale in St. Louis

$2,400.00 Wind and water tight containers. Great for storage.

2015 Spring Shipping Container Special: 20ft $1,700, 40ft containers $2,100 each with discount. If you order more than 5 containers we can give more discount.

If you need delivery please let us know your zip code for delivery options.

Thank You for stopping by-Share and Comment below. If additional information in needed or you have a question let me know. Together we can make a difference and create a future that will benefit everyone. Build a Green StLouis Green Building Tips and Resources via: Scotty- St Louis Renewable Energy Green Blog

StLouis Home Example Solar Lease Benefits

 Benefits

• System Qualifies for Rebate = $XXX
• Solar System Design and Installation Included
• Immediate Savings
• Insurance and System Warranty Included
• No / Minimal Up Front Cost
• Maintenance Included
• Guarantee: Never Pay More For Solar Energy
• Environmental Stewardship, Clean Renewable Energy

   Solar System Information Environmental Impact

System Size 6.615 kW Carbon Offsets 13,000 lbs./Year
Number of Solar Panels 27
Equivalent Miles Not Driven 16,641 Miles/Year Est.

Year 1 Production 8,269 kWh
Lifetime Carbon Offsets 260,000 lbs.
Est. 20 Year Production 157,000 kWh
Lifetime Gas Offset 332,000 gallons

Payment / Savings Calculator Estimated Solar Offset
Standard Lease Prepaid Lease w/ Buyout

Installation Cost...........................$0 with Deposit $0
Lease Prepayment........................$0 Lease with Deposit $1,654
Annual Payment (Years 1‐5).......$662 with Deposit $0
Annual Savings.............................$744 with Deposit $744
Estimated Buyout Price (Year 6)..$2,000 with Deposit $700

Total 10 Year Savings $2,000 with Deposit $6,300

Total 15 Year Savings $4,300 with Deposit $11,900

SOLAR LEASE PROPOSAL :........Example
PREPARED FOR:.............................Your Address St. Louis, MO 63___

Date:....................................................The Day I Went Green
SolarPower:.........................................85%
Utility Power:......................................15%

Total- 20 Year Savings:...................... $7,600 with Deposit $18,400

Frequently Asked Question

What if I move? You can simply assign your solar lease to your the homeowner. If you’d prefer however, you are able to buyout the lease and
move the equipment to your new home.

What if the system doesn’t work? We are confident that it will, we track over 50 of our installed systems over the past several years, and
those systems have averaged 6% more annual production than expected production. In the event that the system doesn’t produce as
expected, your lease payment will be reduced so that you will never pay more for solar energy than you would otherwise for utility energy.

Will hail damage the panels? The solar panels are rated for a 1” hailstone flying at 55 MPH perpendicular to the face of the solar panel…the
solar panels are designed to withstand large hail impacts.

What about maintenance? There is minimal/no maintenance required for these solar systems since there are no moving parts. Maintenance
for a Leased System is included in the lease.

Disclaimer: The information contained herein regarding incentive values,
tax credits, and other financial information is subject to change without
notice. XXXXXXXXXXX. does not have accountants or attorneys on
staff and is not authorized to give tax or legal advice. The sole
responsibility to verify all information contained herein lies with the
client.



Thank you for stopping by St Louis Renewable Energy. Feel free to comment in the section below or contact Scotty for more information.

New Reports Chart Path-Net Zero-Energy Efficient Commercial Buildings

high levels of energy efficiency are the first, largest and most important step on the way to net-zero

New Reports Chart Path to Zero-Net-Energy Commercial Buildings
Press Release Washington, D.C. (February 23, 2011)

– Two new reports from the Zero Energy Commercial Buildings Consortium (CBC) on achieving net-zero-energy use in commercial buildings say “high levels of energy efficiency are the first, largest and most important step on the way to net-zero.”

Leading national organizations such as the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA), American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc. (ASHRAE), American Institute of Architects (AIA), the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES), the Association of State Energy Research and Technology Transfer Institutions (ASERTTI), the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) and many other commercial building stakeholders worked together over the last year to develop the reports, which highlight the need for new approaches in technology research and deployment, holistic building design and financing as critical elements to further advance energy efficiency in the commercial buildings sector.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) commissioned the reports from the CBC, an industry consortium led by the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO), the Alliance to Save Energy (Alliance) and other leading national organizations to identify barriers and make recommendations to industry stakeholders for achieving net-zero-energy commercial buildings over the next two to three decades.

There are many definitions of net-zero-energy buildings, but typically they are highly energy efficient buildings that use no more energy than they can produce on site on an annual basis.

The Next Generation Technologies: Barriers and Industry Recommendations for Commercial Buildings and the Analysis of Cost and; Non-Cost Barriers and Policy Solutions for Commercial Buildings focus on innovative technologies and practices and market-oriented strategies, respectively. (Free copies of the full reports can be downloaded from the CBC website.)

The CBC reports are quite timely, following closely on President Obama’s February 3 announcement about the new Better Buildings Initiative, which is aimed at improving energy efficiency in commercial buildings by 20 percent over the next 10 years by stimulating private investment in building energy efficiency, generating new jobs in construction and facilities operation and saving commercial building owners and tenants nearly $40 billion yearly on utility bills.

“While many details remain to be settled, the Better Buildings Initiative is a very exciting development for the commercial buildings sector, and the CBC fully supports its goals and looks forward to working with CBC members and industry stakeholders to contribute to these efforts,” according to NASEO Executive Director David Terry. “The President’s initiative targets many of the same barriers examined by CBC members over the last year, which are summarized in the two major reports just released by the CBC.”

David Hewitt, lead author of one of the CBC reports and executive director of the New Buildings Institute, noted that “National initiatives such as the BBI can build on and complement important new initiatives by states and utilities, such as California’s Zero Net Energy Action Plan. The job ahead is big enough that everyone’s efforts are needed, and they need to be coordinated – that’s exactly why we created the CBC.”

Additional recommendations in the two reports include:

• Create and sustain market demand for energy efficiency retrofits and new construction through innovative approaches to financing and valuation of energy efficiency improvements. 

• Emphasize voluntary programs, such as President Obama’s Better Buildings Challenge, to catalyze change in corporate culture through strong leadership and commitment to energy efficiency. 

• Enhance and extend building energy codes and standards to cover all energy end uses, emphasize building and systems commissioning and long-term performance.


• Promote wide-scale use of integrated design and whole-building approaches to achieve more aggressive and dramatic energy reductions. 

• Refine modeling and decision-making tools to fully support new financing, codes, design and benchmarking approaches. 

• Develop and build consensus around national workforce standards and increase training efforts for the professional and technical workforce on energy-efficient building design, auditing, retrofitting, commissioning and operations.

“The long-term road to net-zero begins with what we can do today,” notes Alliance Senior Vice President Jeff Harris. “This includes broad application of today’s best energy efficiency technology and sustained energy management practices in the existing stock of commercial buildings. We also need to design new commercial buildings to be ‘net-zero-ready,’ so that it’s easier to continually improve their energy performance as new and even better technologies are introduced over the next 30-50 years – the expected lifetime of today’s new buildings.”

Article from: News You Can Use for February 24, 2011

Scotts Contracting can assist you in making your Building a Net-Zero - Energy Efficient Property.  Click Here to email for additional Information