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 I'm starting a new project assisting my mother and sister in building a new house. I plan on documenting all phases of the construction so stay tuned. As it sits now, the home will have solar powered hot water radiant floor heating, foam insulation, all non-VOC paint and glues, BTU (Bryan Texas Utilities) green program subsidized solar panels, bamboo flooring, double pane windows, all energy-star appliances and electronics, and all other cost effective materials and techniques.
The home is being custom built by Finer Homes in the new 50+ community of Briar Meadows subdivision in Bryan.
Stay tuned for pretty quick updates as move-in is currently scheduled for August 15th, 2010.
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Found a new site today for solar. Home Star Solar is directly marketing to the BTU customer. If you have any interest at all in adding solar to your home, this is a site worth looking at. They provide design, installation and financing. Going green is getting easier and more affordable.
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During my excursions on the web today, I ran across the Database of State Initiatives for Renewables & Efficiency. Whew! Glad the acronym DSIRE works.
DSIRE is a comprehensive source of information on state, local, utility, and federal incentives and policies that promote renewable energy and energy efficiency. Established in 1995 and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, DSIRE is an ongoing project of the N.C. Solar Center and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council.
There's a lot of great information - from performing your own energy audit to lists of the programs of which a homeowner or business can take advantage. It's certainly worth a look see.
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I was out and about on the inter-webs and ran across  a site called "The Daily Green" {http://www.thedailygreen.com}. What attracted my attention was a house made of straw... Not what you'd think of when recalling the story of the 3 lil pigs.
Straw has some wonderful properties. When sandwiched between layers of plaster, straw blocks noise, is an excellent insulator, and is extremely cost effective. Because of the thermal mass of the 3 foot thick straw walls, the interior seldom goes below 60 or exceeds 78. This is another construction method to add to the "Earth-Ship" category. |
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Going Green
