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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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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“Cash for Appliances” is a program that will basically pay you to get a brand new energy efficient appliance.  Sounds too good to be true?  Well, there is a catch- you have to share the $26 mil with other Californians! Oh, and you only have until May 23^rd to get your share. 

The California Cash for Appliances program is a three step process: 

1. Buy a new appliance by 5/23/10.  That’s right, only a few days left!
2. Recycle the old appliance with a certified recycler or with a platinum partner.
3. Obtain a signed recycling form, fill out the rebate form, and mail it in! Be sure to do so no more than 30 days from the date of purchase. 

Retailers are pushing the EnergyStar products in their marketing, and on their sales floor to people who have no clue what EnergyStar means. Most importantly, it also gives us (more…)

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Many of us have had a relationship with the stock market of some sorts at one time or another.  Maybe you had more luck but when I bought into the hype in 2001 and lost a chunk in one week, my enthusiasm evaporated like the morning’s dew.  Then I came across a statement by Scott Case from EnergySavvy that read: “Home Energy Retrofits are 3.5X More Valuable Than Microsoft Stock: The 5-Year Payback on Home Energy Retrofit vs. Buying Microsoft Stock.”  Hmmm… given the previously disappointing outcome with the stock market, this sounded like an interesting proposition so I asked him to elaborate for us all here:   

“To illustrate the impact of doing a home energy retrofit as an investment, here’s a simplified example. Let’s say 5 years ago, a homeowner in Philadelphia named Julie was deciding between buying $10,000 of Microsoft stock as an investment or spending that same amount of money on a home energy retrofit to reduce her utility bills. What would have been the better 5-year investment?

The Microsoft stock worth $10,000 in May 2005 would have turned into just over $12,100 five years later (a return of 21% over 5 years), including the increase in stock price and the dividends paid out over the course of the 5 years. But it turns out that (more…)

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A small bungalow front yard is reborn as a shady woodland oasis of natives centered by a naturalistic fountain accented with metal sculpture.  As you’ll read on, you’ll notice from the photo tour that this new garden shows that sustainable landscaping can be accomplished through DIY talent and on a shoe-string budget when working closely with a professional landscape designer.

The home owners of this Craftsman style home in College Park area of San Jose already prided themselves living a green and sustainable life style.  But there was still some unfinished business – their water thirsty lawn.  So they decided to say goodbye to their front lawn and concrete hardscape and figure out a way to design a new, water wise yard on a budget.  They were receptive to many sustainable suggestions including: turf rebate programs, lawn removal, water-wise irrigation, flagstone installation, planting natives and storm water management.

Fact is, if you have the time, patience and willing to learn, you can do a lot on your own.  Here is what I mean… Size of the lawn was 900 square feet.  For about $5 a square foot, I designed the plans and coached my clients through their installation.  They did the install themselves but I helped them locate materials and assisted them in receiving an $800 water rebate by removing their lawn.  Total cost?  (more…)

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Unawareness can be costly… Please, someone tell her the facts before she flushes!

Did you know most home owners are not aware that their green upgrades can affect their insurance?  Sadly, most insurance agents are also in the dark.  That is why you should be pro-active and take the savings opportunities into your own hands. 

Truth is, in some ways, homes are like auto drivers – the safer the property the better insurance rate one should get.  Energy efficiency improvements will save you on your energy bills, so why not take an extra step and save on your insurance? 

Here are top 5 ways to save real dough: 

PLUMBING, HVAC, ELECTRICAL:  As homes age, they require maintenance, and at some point plumbing, HVAC, and Electrical will have to be updated. The newer infrastructure is often safer, healthier, and more energy efficient. Not only is this greener for your life, but greener in your pocket. Be sure to tell your agent about home infrastructure updates because it will give you a better rate on your policy. 

SOLAR POWER/ENERGY STAR HOMES:  Often I get asked how and where to buy solar system insurance. I tell people that buying insurance specifically for your home solar system is like buying an auto insurance policy, and then buying a second insurance policy for your tires. It doesn’t make sense! Add the solar system to your home owner’s insurance policy because (more…)

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Credit: Texture from ~diAnNa~, Inspired by this pre-made background by ~vallendesterstock

So Mary, how does it grow?  With wisely planted trees and shrubs, and many sunny days without rain in a row.  It’s called water-wise gardening my friends. 

Did you know an average Bay Area home uses almost 80% of its total potable water for simply watering the lawn and plants?  What would you say if you found out you can have a glorious looking landscape by spilling a drop instead of a bucket to water it?  Just imagine the water savings and your water bill at the end of the month.  In fact, read on and I’ll tell you where you can get a $1000 rebate for going water-wise! 

Don’t be afraid, “sustainable” landscaping doesn’t mean rocks and once a year blooming cactus. By understanding our climate zone, soil type, sun and shade conditions, and the water requirements of your site, you can have lush and beautiful garden if you practice some fundamental principles of water conservation. 

Why Landscape to Conserve Water? 

Drought is a part of the natural weather cycle of the West. Even though we have been able to import water from other areas, our population is rapidly outgrowing existing water supplies. In the years ahead, water conservation and water-wise landscaping will need to become a part of every westerner’s lifestyle. 

Use water conserving plants: The key is to choose plants that are (more…)

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In a market where hardly anyone is building green in San Jose, this newly constructed house in Milpitas area stands as a monument of energy efficiency and inspiration.  

It is about 35% more energy efficient than a standard home and prides itself on green elements like engineered lumber, radiant barrier roof, solar water heater, energy star furnace, extra thick insulation, excellent indoor air quality and much more.  

Come with us on a video tour and discover for yourself what makes this property truly unique.

This beauty is a five year project by Green Earth Construction, a Milpitas based and family run company.  Sylvia Leung and her husband had a vision to go green 15 years ago and are finally able to marvel at the fruits of their labor.  In addition to what you’ve seen on the video, keep in mind that the home is wired for solar and if one decided to invest into solar panels, one’s utility bills for the most part of the year could be virtually zero.  Now that’s a good number, isn’t it? 

Building green normally commands higher costs so perhaps the most pleasant detail about this home is that when considering a dollar per square foot basis, the home is priced comparably to a 25 year old home.  If you like more details, you can find all the info under Featured Listings on http://GreenHomeParter.com.  Feel free to contact me directly with any questions. 

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Have you heard about the many rebates, incentives and tax credits available for you now or in the near future?  It’s been all over the media, and you might have heard about it from the President himself – Energy Efficiency in our homes is critical for a sustainable, healthy and fruitful future. In fact he called it “sexy.”  Way to go Mr. President! 

According to a memo by the President’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board,

 “There are 100 million homes in America, and energy-saving measures like insulation, caulking, and heating and cooling system upgrades can reduce household energy consumption by 10 percent to 40 percent.” One little problem… Who’s really going to cough up all this hard earned cash these days to make their homes more “green”? 

Now, it’s safe to say that there are plenty of DIY projects for homeowner to get started on, i.e. programmable thermostats, smart power strips, CFL lighting, low-flow shower heads and faucets etc. but, to attack more than these items and gain greater energy reductions typically requires professional services; and it’s not cheap to retrofit a home. 

For example, some of the services that are typical of a home retrofit would require (more…)

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