SanJoseGreenHome.com

So you’ve heard about it, with the passing of PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) , many homeowners, municipalities and home performance contractors had great expectations of easy and accessible financing for energy efficiency and renewable energy installations.  However, something happened…  Call it a glitch but PACE, as of today, is still not available.  There is a solution though.  Keep reading… 

An innovative tool for financing, PACE provided a solution to declining home values in much of the nation by offering financing that the homeowner repaid as a tax assessment rather than a mortgage lien.  PACE Programs were active or soon to be implemented in California and 22 other states.  

However, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) that regulates Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, declared that the PACE programs presented “significant safety and soundness concerns” to the housing finance industry on July 6, 2010.  This declaration closed the door on PACE funding.  Even though legislation and lawsuits are still pending against the FHFA, no funding is expected to be available before the end of the year from any PACE program.  Talk about taking the wind out of one’s sails. 

Although PACE funding is now unavailable homeowners still have many options. There are many (more…)

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So do green homes cost more? When comparing construction costs of green homes there seem to be all sorts of figures floating around.  Some builders say it does not cost much more to build sustainably, and some say it could cost anywhere from 5-20% more to build a truly green home.  Much of those added costs however, can be recouped via numerous rebates and long term operational costs as in the case of this newly build home in Menlo Park.  Come with me on a tour and meet Bill Lacs from Lacs Design and Construction and see this newly constructed property that boasts many elements of sustainable design and technology.  Perhaps you will be surprised why this home owner decided to spend a “few” extra bucks at the end…

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Imagine you’ve hit it big or you’ve finally saved up enough towards a decent down payment towards purchasing your own home and you have one major requirement – you want it to be a truly sustainable place to live, a green home so to speak. 

What’s important for you about the green home?  What matters?  How will you decide?  These are reasonable questions, aren’t they?

I find there are three types of eco friendly house buyers out there and I’m dying out of curiosity to find out where do YOU find yourself in this equation.  Below are three different mindsets, please read through them and let me know which one you relate to most.  There’s a survey at the end of this post and if you could answer the questions we will all be very curious to find out about the dominating trend in our area.  Now it is more than likely you will be a mix a all three personalities but please pick one that you feel would stand out for you.  Let’s have some fun!

1.     Economizers.  This is the class that is concerned with the idea of saving money by wise use of resources.  This category also entails land lords who are counting on a life-cycle cost analysis and the value of various earth friendly features that can boost their cash flow.  For economizers the mighty cash is the king and all the rest of the ecological issues is less important.   

2.    Idealists.  This is your typical Organicsons household.  They take environmentally conscious living very passionately and believe that (more…)

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These days it’s easy to feel that worldly worries have sucked the winds from under our sails.  Everything from the economy imposed stress at work (or no work) to the most meaningless shows on TV produced to numb our minds can feel like eroding our soul and spontaneous joy.  And while it’s true that there could be a thousand reasons to feel disempowered there are two big ones to keep you going: You are not alone and this will change.  Remember this all day long, you are not alone going through this and everything is impermanent and will eventually change for the better.

A good friend e-mailed this video yesterday and I would like to return his kindness by sharing it with you.  It will require some open mindedness and an ability to read fast.  The rules are from the Book ‘If Life Is A Game, These Are The Rules‘ By Author Cherie Carter-Scott.   I’ve also listed them in text below the video. Enjoy and stay empowered.

The 10 Rules For Being Human

Rule One – You will receive a body. Whether you love it or hate it, it’s yours for life, so accept it. What counts is what’s inside.

Rule Two – You will be presented with lessons. Life is a constant learning experience, which every day provides (more…)

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OK you tech geeks out there who like to build your own stuff, you must have considered building your own or shopping for used solar panels by now…. Why buy used solar panels?  If you are trying to save money on your residential solar electricity project, used solar panels may be a good investment.  Not only can they keep your initial cost low, but you will also be decreasing the waste at your local landfill by recycling.  But not all used solar panels can be effectively reused, so here are some tips to keep in mind before you buy. 

What to look for when buying used solar panels 

The ideal used solar panel can look almost new.  The glass will be clear, dry and intact with no cracks or holes.  The frame will be square and sturdy, and the solar cell connections will be securely soldered.  Older panels will typically be larger and heavier than the newer models that output the same amount of electricity.  But if the used panels are in good shape, the lower price will offset any size or weight disadvantage. 

Check the electrical output from used solar panels 

Don’t rely on the electrical output printed on the factory label.  Instead, use a multimeter and check the panel in direct sunlight to find out what its real output is.  The capacity for solar panels that have spent their lifespan in direct sunlight tends to degrade over the years.  But the decrease in output may not be significant.  A panel that is rated at 22 watts might only produce 18 watts after 20 years in the sun.  But if the price is right and the capacity is enough for your project, it could still be a good deal. 

Where to find used solar panels 

The best source of used solar panels will be one that is close enough that you can visit in person to inspect the panels for damage and electrical output (dig through Craigslist).  Also, try (more…)

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Don’t try to tackle all the issues, pick the closest to your heart, where you’re most likely to make a decent impact.  Most importantly – be brave, don’t be politically correct, have courage,  be the change you want others to be.  Mean what you say and don’t be mean when you say it.  

Don’t fall in the extremes as those who do that are very vulnerable… do it from the heart.  When it gets tough, remember the others, do it for them, don’t expect rewards, don’t ask for recognition.  This is the way of a true eco warrior.  

Stevie Wonder sang… “If you believe in things you don’t understand then you suffer.”  He’s awesome.  Get educated, see what’s really happening in the world, study the science yourself, go visit places!  Visit places in Asia, you’ll see much less subtle ways how humanity is wreaking havoc on the planet.  We’re all connected. 

The biggest challenge facing the planet is overpopulation and all the demands on the resources that this brings with it.  Every new life will create a footprint.  When you have kids, don’t be selfish by having many.  Strive to live (more…)

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This was fun.  A beautiful day on a roof of an Eichler home in San Jose (off Meridian and Curtner).  I met up with my friend Jarom Ferriante and learned a few cool things about solar panels and foam roofs.  This is a home of a crafty clay artist – Harriet, who’s art is shortly featured in the video as well.  Hope you enjoy!

Jarom can be found on: www.dura-foam.com
More of Harriet’s art is featured on her website: www.AcrylicAndClay.com

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Did we even need to drill the Deepwater Horizon oil well to begin with?  Actually, no. There are over 100 million homes in the U.S. Most of them use energy inefficiently because they’re not well insulated, sealed and set up.  The energy contained in the biggest oil spill in U.S. history is equal to the energy that just 75,000 homes waste in a single year.

Seventy-five thousand homes represent less than 0.1 percent of all single-family homes in the U.S. or the number of homes in a single mid-sized U.S. city, like Providence, R.I., or Chattanooga, Tenn. Doing energy retrofits to make those homes efficient would save the equivalent of the entire Gulf Oil Spill every year on a permanent basis.

Comparing the Costs

No one really knows how much it’ll end up costing to clean up the disaster created by the Gulf Oil Spill. And when a final number is calculated, years from now, there’s no way that it’ll take into account the true extent of the environmental damage that the oil spill has created. But even in the preliminary estimates made before the oil has finished flowing, the cost is expected to exceed $40 billion.

How does that compare to doing 75,000 home energy retrofits? (more…)

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First off, a few burning questions… Have high upfront costs derailed your renewable energy or energy efficiency projects? Would receiving positive cash flow from day one make your clean energy project more attractive? Are you worried that it may be difficult to recoup your investment in clean energy if you sell your property?

To resolve these issues and accelerate the implementation of energy upgrades to commercial and residential property, cities and counties across the nation are offering PACE, a new financing model for clean energy projects.

To learn more about how PACE works and how it can benefit businesses and homeowners, I recently spoke with Dennis Tsu, who manages Business Development for Commercial PACE with Renewable Funding. Based in Oakland, Renewable Funding is the leader in the turnkey administration of PACE programs.

What is PACE?

William Dinkel: Could you please provide a brief summary of PACE programs for our readers?

Dennis Tsu: First off, PACE is an acronym for Property Assessed Clean Energy. The basic concept is to allow residential and commercial property owners to borrow money from their local governments to use for making energy efficiency or alternative energy improvements to their properties, and then to pay that money back through a (more…)

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These are the tips that keep coming up from a few solar pros in the community.  They can be common sense but tend to be overlooked by most folks who are pondering installing a solar panel system:

1. You can save money by learning about solar energy yourself

Now that solar panel parts are readily available for purchase on the internet, it really is possible to save money by building your own solar panels.  Build a few to power small battery powered electronics equipment like your laptop and cell phone.  Use those project to learn about how solar energy works, and to find out if you enjoy the process enough to tackle building them on a larger scale.  If you find you enjoy building solar panels, design a system for larger scale solar energy applications. 

2. Solar energy systems are scalable 

Many people think that in order to use solar power in their homes that they have to build and install a complete solar electric system that will supply all of the electricity that they now use.  But that’s simply not true.  You can start off by using smaller solar panels to power outdoor lighting or to light the inside of your garage.  Or you can install a small grid-tied solar panel system to offset part of the electricity that your family uses on a daily basis to cut your energy costs and reduce your carbon footprint.  Later you can add more solar panels and eventually generate enough solar electricity to be energy independent or even sell electricity back to your local utility company. 

3. Do an energy audit before you (more…)

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