ROI: Real or Imagined?

Many people, particularly salesman, like to talk about ROI (return on investment) when discussing "green" home improvements. ROI is a compelling consideration for homeowners wishing to get more value for their dollar. Buyer beware, however, for often the actual savings from energy efficient improvements fall short of their projections.

Solar, on-demand water heaters, windows and high-efficiency furnaces all fall in this category for Californians. The one true area of home improvement that will pay off - insulation!

An often low cost home improvement, insulation done professionally, has a greater propencity for reducing utility costs than many of "Green's" iconic home renovations. So the next time someone tries to sell you a home improvement based on ROI, start the interrogation!

Who's going to do the dishes?

I was talking to someone the other day about my kitchen remodel and the topic of dishwashers came up. A traditionalist, he mentioned that dishwashers are less water efficient than washing by hand.

It seems counter-intuitive that by buying another appliance you could be saving energy, but it's true! So, if you're planning to remodel your kitchen or finally taking this step toward automation, rest assured that this is one machine that is truly guilt free.

Recent dishwashers are incredibly energy efficient and use less water and less hot water (therefore less gas) to wash those pots and pans than washing by hand. Studies vary, but the average result is around 6 times more efficient.

There are some ways to model perfect dishwashing behavior though:

1. Run your dishwasher at night, during off-peak energy hours
2. Let your dishwasher air dry the dishes, rather than heat dry them.
3. Keep your dishwasher decalcified, by running a rinse with distilled vinegar through it periodically.
4. Replace your old dishwashers without the Energy Star labels.

I, for one, am looking forward to my new dishwasher. I'm tired of those dishpan hands!

Wall to wall or not at all?

What's healthier? Carpet or wood flooring? It's a classic debate. But when considering indoor air quality concerns, we can look to science for some simple answers.

Both carpet and wood flooring products can come filled with toxins, depending on what your installing. With a little research, however, products can be found to minimize this. But what about the long run?

Carpet: when new, carpet acts as an air filter, drawing dust out of the air and capturing it in it's fibers. However, this only lasts for a limited time, until the fibers get filled and the " filter" gets clogged.

Flooring: non-fibrous flooring doesn't have filtering capabilities like carpet, but if swept and cleaned regularly in a well insulated home is the better choice for clean air.

I like a combination. A sustainable bamboo floor with some natural fiber, washable area rugs offer the best of both. Remember when you used to see people beat the dust out of their rugs on the porch?

Welcome Tribune Readers!

Hello Everyone!

It's been quite awhile since my last postings, I've been really busy lately helping people offline to "green" their homes and attending some amazing sustainable events and seminars. The technology in green building is changing so rapidly that it can often be a challenge to absorb it all. Even for someone as obsessed with this stuff as I am. Anyway, please take a look at my past posts, subscribe to my blog, and stay on the lookout! I've got a ton of posts topics ready to write and will be posting 2-3 times per week. With the help of my daughter, I'm hoping to begin some video blogging soon as well.

Thanks for visiting and be sure to leave me your comments!

Ever green,

The Green Guy

How to Handle that H2O?

So much to do, so little time! Sorry readers for not getting back to you sooner. I've been incredibly swamped of late.

A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to chat with SF Mayor Gavin Newsom about the future of green efforts in the city. The answer? It's in the water.

San Francisco will be taking a renewed look at their water conservation programs in the coming year as our historical statewide drought cycle continues. They will continue to offer incentives to home owners to replace inefficient toilets, shower heads and faucet fixtures. Also, look out for opportunities to replace your traditional water heaters with tankless, on-demand varieties.

Unfortunately, SF doesn't have the same opportunities with regard to water reclamation. This Green Guy sees a huge future in reclamation practices, for both professional and DIY systems. Demand for water will soon compare to oil's as drought cycles and population booms collide.

If you live in a single family home, think about how you could use water that you've collected when it rains, whether to wash your car or water your lawn. Nature intended for the water to be put to use, why let it be runoff?

How much "green" do I need to go Green?

I'm frequently asked by clients if remodeling "Green" is more expensive. The answer is an astounding NO!

Competition in the burgeoning market of green construction is booming, bringing prices down for a wide variety of sustainable materials. At the same time, standard, non-sustainable materials are rising in price due to the decrease in their availability.

Labor prices for green building are complimenting this trend in materials as well. Green building specialists, who have been previously able to ask higher prices for their expertise, are no finding that they must be more competitive. As more contractors enter the green building marketplace, homeowners can expect Green building to become as competitively priced as traditional building practices.

Eventually, thanks to changes in federal, state and local public policies, Green building will become the new standard building practice and the need to ask, "Is Green building more expensive?" will become moot.

Bicycle Garage Built for 2

I've been thinking a lot lately about DIY weekend projects that will have substantial impact for green minded people. (I've had a lot of time to think, since its been a while since my last blog, sorry!)

My favorite is the bicycle garage. If you live in a suburban neighborhood like I do, chances are you have a modest house with a garage or driveway designed to accommodate your oil-addicted vehicles. For those of you who have given up your four-wheeled oil albatross, hats off! Most of us have bicycles, left forlorn in far recesses of our garage, hidden behind holiday decorations and yard equipment. Sadly, for many of us, retiring our cars may not yet be possible.

However, we can reduce our natural tendencies to jump in the car for local driving. The Danish use bicycles this way very effectively. For local trips to the market and around town, they jump on their bicycles, reserving a trip in the car for longer commutes.

I propose that if you want to do a weekend home improvement that will reap big Green rewards and reduce your carbon footprint in a big way, build a bicycle garage.

It doesn't have to be big. A lean-to style shed attached to the side of your garage to house 2 bicycles can be built in a weekend for less than $200. Even less, if you recycle the materials from an old deck or a fence (Always recommended).

The benefits of making your bicycles more accessible:

• Less dependency on fossil fuels & a lower carbon footprint
• Increased excercise (the good cardio-vascular kind)
• Improved community engagement - riding bicycles allows people to be more connected with their surroundings
• Fuel savings

The Bicycle Garage Built for 2 is a home improvement with exponential environmental benefits. Its also a project that you can feel good about having built as well as a project that will make you feel better as you begin to ride. Green building is often holistic, involving responsible building practices as well as lifestyle changes.

Good luck and thanks for staying sustainable!

p.s. If you'd like some ideas for how to make your own bicycle garage, send me a comment and I'd be happy to chat with you about it.