I spent some time in the home improvement stores this weekend and noticed a newer bulb from Philips designed to replace the standard flood light.  The BR30 LED bulb is Energy Star compliant, delivers 730 lumens, and only uses 13-watts of energy.  Plus, it’s mercury free, lasts about 25,000 hours, and has a standard warm color of 2700 Kelvin.  While the price is hovering at $40 at Home Depot right now, I expect that to slowly drop.  Plus, the bulb is an easy install, so now’s a good time to test one out.

[+] More about LED light bulbs from Philips.

Credits: Philips Lighting. 

Related Articles on JetsonGreen.com:

1. Philips Unveils Edison Light Bulb Killer
2. Philips: “Stock Up Now!” On Edison Bulbs
3. Bright New TrueWhite LED by Cree

After a question from a member regarding a contractor he added to the list
that didn't appear, I went back and did some checking... turns out there
were several buried by the "spam" filter that I have now approved for the
website - I apologize to anyone whose submission was flagged
inappropriately.

• Goodbye, Watts.  Hello, Lumens!
• The latest bright idea for home lighting.
• Savings are as easy as changing a light bulb.
• Green features in a wheelchair-friendly footprint.
• DOE released new efficiency rules for washers.
• The prefab behind the IKEA house myth.
• Subsidies spur home solar power.

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for updates, article summaries, newsworthy links, and other site news. Also, check out the latest green jobs in our list.

Related Articles on JetsonGreen.com:

1. Upfront Cost of Installing Solar at Home
2. Low-Cost Solar Thermal by Sunnovations
3. Five Easy Solar Options for the Home

Hi rehabbers!

I've updated listings for two recommended tradesmen on our list at
[link].

Listings updated this month:
Brian Smith (wood windows & wall surfaces)
Atlas Masonry

You can add information to the contractor list by logging in at
[link] or by emailing me the info at Kelli.Grif...@gmail.com.

Kaufman Construction's KC Handyman service is $55/hr. I worked for
Kaufman, and represented KC Handyman at the BNI group I was in. I
consistently got the most referrals week after week, and the guys got
rave reviews on their work.

981-9708

Tom Bos

On Feb 24, 2:00 pm, Steve Wilke-Shapiro <swilkeshap...@gmail.com>

My mother-in-law had a washer overflow accident at her rental property and
is looking for someone who can do repairs to the floor (and any associated
subfloor repairs. The scope will probably include:
- Demo of existing laminate flooring
- Assessment/repair of subfloor
- Assessment/repair of base trim

The Live Screen will make its debut at Wanted Design in New York City this weekend. It was designed by Danielle Trofe and relies on a hydropic, self-watering configuration to create a stylish and sustainably maintained vertical garden for home interiors. The water is circulated with an aquatic air pump that pushes water through what will likely be 80% recycled food-safe plastic when the product is produced.  More info in the video:

[+] More about The Live Screen by Danielle Trofe Design.

Credits: Danielle Trofe; noticed at Urban Gardens.

Related Articles on JetsonGreen.com:

1. Fyto Wall Lively Vertical Garden Walls
2. Urbio Vertical Garden for Urban Dwellers
3. Grow Food in a Vertical Home Minigarden

This is BeachHaus I in the White Rock area of British Columbia.  The home (like the neighbor, BeachHaus II) is on the market, should you have an interest in a luxe, modern, prefabricated home with incredible views.  BeachHaus — located at 15611 Columbia Avenue — is waiting for LEED certification from the CAGBC and has three bedrooms, two full bathrooms, two half bathrooms, a two-car garage, and about 2,085 square feet.

BeachHaus is listed for sale at $1,350,000, which includes a clean design by noted architectural firm Pb Elemental, a factory-built structure of four modules by Method Homes, and the full project development by InHaus Development.

To keep energy in check, BeachHaus has dual-pane low-E windows, Control4 home automation, an air-to-water heat exchange system, energy monitoring, soy-based spray foam insulation, an automatic skylight, Bosch appliances, and ultra-efficient laundry with steam dry, etc.

For water conservation, the green prefab includes an integrated rainwater harvesting system, dual-flush Toto toilets, and xeriscape low-maintenance landscaping.  Other green products and materials include FSC-certified wenge cabinetry, carbonized bamboo hardwoods, an open bamboo staircase, and a HEPA-filtered HRV, etc.

To see more of BeachHaus I, check out this video on YouTube.

[+] More about BeachHaus I Prefab by InHaus Development.

Credits courtesy: Pb Elemental.

Related Articles on JetsonGreen.com:

1. Work Begins on New LEED Platinum Prefab
2. Method Unveils Two Prefab Home Designs
3. m2 Green Prefab from Method Homes

Hello!
It's December! That happened fast.
Don't forget about our meeting this Saturday with our host, Victor, at
2945 Rutland in Des Moines.
9:30-11am.
Hope to see you there!
Kelli Griffis

We used Ducts in a Row a few months ago -- very thorough. Fair price. And
courteous independent owner
Ductsinarow.com
Jen James
515/250-7196
Chiminey Cricket (515) 280-6731
---------- Original Message ----------
To: RenovateDSM <renovatedsm@googlegroups.com>
Can anyone recommend a good company to clean the airducts in my house

The 1890 annexation of the Victorian suburbs ringing DM triggered street
renaming and numbering.
Jen James
515/250-7196
Not built out, it has gone through numerous phases as it started out as a
"garden" suburb where people built big Victorians on numerous lots or even
full blocks and basically had small farms, then in the craftsman era it

Not built out, it has gone through numerous phases as it started out as a
"garden" suburb where people built big Victorians on numerous lots or even
full blocks and basically had small farms, then in the craftsman era it
become more built up as those lots were filled in. Not exactly sure when
the city annexed the area, think it was about the same time the city

The stage was set for rowdy debate of the tensions between mechanical and passive green building techniques at the recent Congress of the New Urbansim.  Steve Mouzon, designer and author of The Original Green, Bill Browning of Terrapin Bright Green, Ann Daigle of the Princes Foundation, and Daniel Sloan of McGuire Woods, moderated by Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, a founder of CNU, principal of DPZ and Dean of the University of Miami School of Architecture.

The dialogue began with inquiring on the premise of, will we be able to invent ourselves out of problems without causing more?  For example the fluorescent bulb replacing the incandescent created a toxic waste problem with mercury, while helping our energy efficiency problem.

Steve Mouzon outlined a fundamental issue with additive rating systems such as LEED, in that it creates a mentality that more is better while teams are adding systems to gain points.  Instead shouldn’t we be rewarded for frugality?  We should in fact work to condition people better to live in various climates more than conditioning our buildings all to 72 degrees.  Mouzon also added there needs to be a stronger emphasis on preservation and re-use.  Why use material with recycled content when you can re-use materials?

Ann Diagle put some of Mouzon’s examples into action discussing projects supported by the Princes Foundation which implemented a full array of passive strategies.  Currently one of the Princes Foundation’s is working on the “Natural House” [PDF] with a goal to reach for zero carbon living.

Bill Browning brought the conversation to a larger and commercial scale describing lauded green building projects such as the Bank of America tower in NYC or NREL’s new headquarters in Colorado, the most energy efficient office building to date.  Given the scale, use, and demand of these projects, mechanical solutions were required.  However, as the cost of energy continues to rise, how would skyscraper operations be effected with reliance on elevators and no operable windows?  Newer projects are now including mixed-mode capability to rely on passive solutions part of the year.

Daniel Sloan focused back on the residential scale and argued that in order to maintain the quality of life the market demands, mechanical strategies will continue to be needed.  He pointed out that we also need to be moving towards regenerate buildings to help repair what we have done to the world already.

So what’s the answer to this debate?

Both! The panel agreed that one should maximize passive strategies before implementing mechanical ones.  Focus on orientation, site, and envelope before thinking about systems.  Prioritize passive strategies such as natural ventilation, day lighting, natural materials, and increased insulation.  However, to put an end to the debate we settled on something everything agrees with; there is a bit of a timeline to deal with the problems we are facing.

Related Articles on JetsonGreen.com:

1. Affordable Passive House in Whistler
2. Eight Reasons for Passive House Growth
3. The First Passive House in New York

Chiminey Cricket (515) 280-6731
---------- Original Message ----------
To: RenovateDSM <renovatedsm@googlegroups.com>
Can anyone recommend a good company to clean the airducts in my house and/or inspect my fireplace?

News of this 96-square-foot micro cabin was first published at Tiny House Listings a few months back, though you may start seeing it on sites all over the web.  The tiny house was conceived and built in Finland by Robin Falck with a footprint purposely small enough to not need permits.  Falck enlisted the help of architects to vet the technical aspects and built the tiny house in two weeks for about $10,500 (just the materials).  That includes views, a 50-square-foot loft, kitchen, bathroom, and a living room.

[+] More about Robin Falck’s build of Nido Micro Cabin.

Credits: Robin Falck. 

The fall schedule for the Belvedere preservation school is online now (via
Bob Yapp). Some of our members have attended workshops there and found
them very engaging and useful. Please let us know if you go, and what you
learned! Someday I'll make it down there for the window restoration
class...

This home by North Carolina-based Chandler Design-Build was named Project of the Year in the Small Volume Single Family category of the 2012 National Green Building Awards.  Certified to both Energy Star and the National Green Building Standard, Paar Residence was built with a panelized, double-stud wall system and “serves as a showcase for a cutting-edge, air-to-water heat pump combined with a radiant heat and water heater application,” according to the NAHB.  Plus, it’s a good example of “mainstream green,” said NAHB, with a traditional look that’s widely appealing.

[+] More about the Paar Residence from NAHBGreen.

Credits: Chandler Design-Build Inc.

Related Articles on JetsonGreen.com:

1. Prairie Style Remodel Earns Green Award
2. Craftsman Style Home Gets a Gold Award
3. Ellis Residence Has a Lush Green Roof

It turns out lighter gypsum wallboard sells well.  In July 2010, USG Corporation tested the market for Sheetrock UltraLight panels, which are anywhere from 15-24 pounds lighter per panel depending on the size, and they outsold heavier product, according to NYSE Magazine.  Since then, the panels have rolled out to several Home Depot stores and a 40% lighter joint compound was introduced in January this year.

In terms of green attributes, the non-combustible core is made with recycled content and the face and back paper is 100% recycled.  In addition, the panels qualify as a low-VOC emitting material (i.e., compliant with CA 01350).

But really UltraLight was designed to make it easier to install gypsum.  The panels are harder, up to 30% lighter, and easier to score and snap than standard gypsum, according to USG.  The product has at least 16 reviews at Home Depot and many of the comments reflect that the panels feel light and score easily.

[+] More about Sheetrock Brand UltraLight Panels.

Credits: USG Corporation. 

Related Articles on JetsonGreen.com:

1. How to Install a WaterSense Toilet
2. Home Depot Creates Products List for LEED
3. Easy Plug-In Solar from Clarian Power

As you recover from the holidays, don't forget to attend the first Des
Moines Rehabbers Club meeting of the new year! Doug Bown hosts at 1311 4th
St. This 1910s era house has classic craftsman style details.
*When*: January 7, 2012
*Time*: 9:30 to 11:00 am
*Where*: 1311 4th Street, Des Moines, IA
Extra Incentive: I have four VIP Pass tickets to the Iowa Home Show on

Thanks for the tips, everyone!
To: renovatedsm@googlegroups.com
Sent: Monday, March 19, 2012 1:30 PM
If, and when you purchase a new heater; check ahead with whoever is your utility company.  They may have  rebates available for water heaters at a certain energy efficiency level or above models, like with furnaces, dishwashers, clothes dryers etc.