13% of home energy is used by home appliances. Help your home owners by offering the best products to meet their needs and budget, while still providing energy saving solutions. Former Editor-In-Chief of Appliance Magazine, Lisa Bonnema provides an insider’s view of products and what features to take into consideration when looking for energy savings, certification point allocation, and a look into the future of refrigerators, dishwashers, clothes washers, and cooking appliances (do you know which one of these is the single biggest power user?).

(Duration: 35 minutes)

For the webinar, please click HERE.

- Jayme M. Carleton, Second Nature

Making Sustainability Second Nature™

http://jaymecarleton.com

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Polluting while cleaning?

Every time you do a load of laundry you are using energy and water, sending detergent residue into rivers and oceans, and wearing down the fabric of your clothing. Did you know that? Even though you are just trying to keep clean, you are making your environmental footprint more polluted.

One of the best ways to reduce your environmental footprint is with an energy and water efficient washer and dryer set. The best models cut energy and water consumption by about a third or more, according to Energy Star, the U.S. EPA and Department of Energy’s joint rating program. Washers and dryers that don’t meet Energy Star standards can cost you $70 to $135 annually in utility costs. I bet that money could be better spent elsewhere – say planting a tree in your yard, donating it to your local nature conservation, or  you are probably thinking that $135 could buy a lot of beer (in recycled bottles of course)!

The good news is that the most eco-friendly technology is also the best for your clothes. Say hello to front-loaders and advanced top-loaders that gently tumble or flip clothes through small streams of water (10 to 20 gallons) vs agitator models (30 gallons). High-efficiency washers also spin clothes at two to three times the speed of conventional models. More revolutions per minute = more water extraction = less dryer time, less fabric damage and less energy use.

What’s the scoop with Energy Star?

Energy Star-rated washers all meet Federal efficiency requirements, but still vary in their energy and water use. Look for two specific ratings: Modified Energy Factor (MEF) and Water Factor (WF), which are measurements of how efficiently the machine works. You want the highest MEF and the lowest WF you can afford.

The Energy Star program focuses equally on saving money, so any qualified appliance should slash your utility bills. The model’s yellow EnergyGuide label provides a quick cost analysis compared to similar models.

Energy Star does not rate dryers, but you’re likely still better off with an advanced machine that shuts off automatically when clothes are dry. Newer dryers sense moisture in the clothing, rather than measuring the temperature of the exhaust air to gauge dryness. The feature conserves energy, and prolongs the life of your clothes.

Do you have bad laundry habits?

Naturally, actual environmental impact and cost savings comes down to personal use. Some tips to get the best eco-performance from your new washer and dryer:

• Wash in cold. According to Energy Star, heating water uses up 90 percent of the energy required to operate a washing machine. Even switching from hot to warm may slash energy use by half.
• Fill ‘er up. Machines use about the same amount of energy for every load, so go as big as you can.
• Choose better suds. Conventional laundry detergents may still contain low levels of phosphates, not to mention bleaches and perfumes, which pollute waterways and harm aquatic life. (Jayme Tip: Phosphate-free, unscented and biodegradable is your best option)
• Dry out quick. Try to dry similar fabrics together. Towels and sheets, for example, absorb different amounts of water – there’s no need to cook your pillow cases while your bath towels finish drying.
• Consider air-drying your laundry on an outdoor/indoor rack. Energy use = zero. (Jayme Tip: Air dry cloth baby diapers. It saves energy and the baby diapers dry in about 25 minutes)

Can you recycle old machines?

Yes. Most major appliance retailers will haul away the old washers and dryers for recycling when they deliver the new ones. If you’re just looking to get rid of old appliances, not buy any news ones, some stores will pick them up for a fee.

- Jayme M. Carleton, Second Nature

http://jaymecarleton.com

Making Sustainability Second Nature™

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Article from Corporate Accountability International and thegreenmomreview.com

In the first three months of 2010 alone, the House of Representatives spent $190,000 taxpayer dollars on bottled water. Some quick math tells me that Congress is spending about $760,000 of our tax dollars a year on bottled water.

That’s a lot of money—money that could pay teachers’ salaries—so that our elected officials can sip on a product that’s both unnecessary AND bad for the planet.

Bottled water is not safer or healthier than tap water, and often comes from the tap anyway. It’s up to a staggering 1,900 times more expensive than tap water, and the energy needed to produce the plastic is enough to fuel nearly 3 million cars for a year. Additionally, nearly SIXTY BILLION plastic bottles are discarded as litter each year, ending up in landfills, lakes, streams and in gargantuan garbage whirlpools found in both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.More than 36,000 people are asking Congress to set an example for this nation and go bottled water-free. It makes absolutely no sense to waste taxpayer dollars on bottled water while these same elected officials are proposing massive cuts in government spending.

Many state and city governments have already phased out their bottled water purchases in this era of environmental and fiscal crises. The Congress of the United States should do the same.

The head of DC Water, the city’s water provider, has even offered to give members of Congress their own free reusable water bottle!

Let Washington know that you agree by signing this petition. It will take no more than 15 seconds and the more people who speak up, the more likely we will no longer have to fund an environmentally unfriendly and just plain stupid practice.

Take Action: Change.org

- Jayme M. Carleton, Second Nature

Making Sustainability Second Nature™

http://jaymecarleton.com

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Please click “here” for the article.

- Jayme Carleton, Second Nature

http://jaymecarleton.com

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Multi-Spray Showerhead

From my perspective, I don’t find this new Department of Energy ruling out of line. We as homeowners and builders must protect our natural resources. By reducing the amount of water flow and usage on items such as shower heads, toilets and faucets we have a low cost, easy way to keep our environment’s resources intact.

- Jayme Carleton, Second Nature

http://jaymecarleton.com

…

What’s Happening from Environmental Building News

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has issued a draft interpretive ruling on the definition of “showerhead” as used in the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA). Sidestepping public comment procedures, DOE has defined “showerhead” in a way that makes multi-spray systems illegal. The new ruling states that all of the fixtures used in a multi-spray system must, combined, use no more than 2.5 gallons of water per minute.

EPCA, first passed in 1975 and updated several times since then, limits water use by showerheads to 2.5 gallons per minute (gpm; 9.5 lpm) at 80 psi. The law does not, however, specify what a “showerhead” includes, so manufacturers have been able to sell shower systems with multiple heads, each of which conforms to the 2.5 gpm limit. These multi-spray systems can include body sprayers and other fixtures, and sometimes use upwards of 20 gpm (76 lpm). Marketed as a high-end product, with high prices to match, these systems are not installed frequently.

DOE’s ruling came as a surprise to plumbing manufacturers and conservationists alike, since it lacked the public comment process required for substantive rule changes. But DOE considers the ruling an interpretation of an existing law, and thus “exempt from the notice and comment requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act,” in its wording.

A letter to DOE from a coalition of industry groups noted: “A change of this magnitude should not be exempt from the notice and comment requirements of the Administrative Procedures Act as DOE has asserted.” It also argues that the ruling would affect hand-held showers and other fixtures “used in hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and other therapeutic and medical facilities.” Marsha Mazz, the Technical Assistance Coordinator for the U.S. Access Board, disagrees with the assertion that the ruling could adversely affect the showerheads used by the elderly and disabled. “We don’t see it as a disability issue at all,” she said.

Conservation-minded observers worry that the lack of a public comment period will allow manufacturers to find loopholes in the language of the ruling, leading to increased water use. “This is a substantive change and working out all the definitions and conditions to make sure the language is watertight will take a lot of effort from a lot of folks,” said water expert John Koeller, P.E.

– Peter Yost and Allyson Wendt

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Green Pet Roof

If you are like me, you always have your eye out for the next excellent DIY project. This green dog house caught my eye because it looks fairly simple to do and would really make a statement.

Hope you enjoy!

- Jayme Carleton, Second Nature

http://jaymecarleton.com

…

Posted by ReadyMade
Written by Sonia Zjawinski, Photography by Scott Little

When Los Angeles-based landscape architect Stephanie Rubin decided to experiment with green roofs, she wanted to start on a small scale. But, she explains, “It’s really not sustainable to create a display that has no practical application.” She came up with a model that could serve as both an example of her work and a resting spot for her pup. That led to the launch of Sustainable Pet Design, a collection of bird- and doghouses made with eco-friendly woods and materials and topped off with lush green roofs. Since it wouldn’t be sustainable to toss out your old doghouse for one of Rubin’s models, here’s how to give your pup’s pad a green makeover.

Click HERE for step by step directions.

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What are Dual Flush Retrofit Kits?

Dual flush toilets save thousands of gallons of water a year and reduce your water bills. Up until recently you had to spend upwards of three hundred dollars for a new dual flush toilet. Now several companies offer dual flush toilet conversion kits that are easy to install and achieve the same results as buying an new toilet. They work on almost any low flush 1.6 gallon toilet and turn it into a dual flush toilet.

Why Dual Flush?

Dual flush toilets have been common in water scarce regions around the world for decades. In Australia most toilets are dual flush. They feature two buttons, or two lever positions, one for solids and one for liquids.

Since we use the bathroom more often for “liquids” so to say, we don’t need to flush all 1.6 gallons from a low flush toilet down the drain. Instead we can get by for small flushes with just half of that.

Imagine saving almost one gallon for those kinds of flushes and you can see how quickly a dual flush conversion kit can pay for itself.

How Hard Is It To Convert Your Toilet To Dual Flush?

It takes someone with basic handyman skills about twenty minutes to convert a regular low flush , 1.6 gallon toilet to dual flush. It involves removing the bolts that hold the tank onto the bowl, disconnecting the water line and taking the tank off. See below for complete details.

How Much Water Will a Dual Flush Retrofit Kit Save?

The best part is that a dual flush conversion kit will pay for itself in about two months at most city’s water rates. Say for example you have a family of five and each person flushes for “liquids” about four times a day. That is twenty flushes wasting .8 gallons if you are not using a dual flush toilet.

Once you install the retrofit kit the same twenty flushes will use 16 gallons less water. At sixteen gallons a day, more than many families around the world use a week, you can expect to save almost six thousand gallons of water a year.

Depending on were you live that six thousand gallons can cost you from sixty dollars to three hundred dollars. There are not many green products that are so simple and inexpensive and yet pay you back so fast.

The Coming Water Crisis

It’s front page news in many parts of the United States: “Water Shortage”. Perhaps because of global warming or just population growth, water supplies around the country are being forced to require water rationing and increase rates for residential and commercial customers to curb demand. It will only get worse in the coming decade so now might be a good time to start making your home more water efficient with products like a dual flush toilet.

Installing The Dual Flush Kit

First you turn off the water supply to the toilet at the small valve down near the floor. For most toilets you will need adjustable pliers and a number 2 Phillips or flat head screwdriver (depending on your toilet). Flush the toilet and sponge out any water that remains. Unscrew water hose at the connection where it meets the tank. Next unscrew the wing nuts that hold the tank to the bowl. You may need your screwdriver to hold the screw heads inside the tank while you undo the wing nuts underneath the tank. Now the bowl should lift off easliy. Carry it to your work bench and lie it on its side. Now you can unscrew the plastic nut on the part where the water leaves the tank and flows into the bowl. Most toilets have a large rubber piece that seals it to the bowl. Pull this off and unscrew the plastic nut that holds the flapper assembly or old toilet valve assembly in place.

Place the flush assembly part of new dual flush retrofit kit assembly in the tank and make sure all the new rubber washers are in place as per the instructions. Screw it down snug but don’t overdo it. Do the same with the valve part, which will connect to the water hose. Replace the old toilet flush handle with the one supplied. Now you can place the bowl back on the toilet connect the small water line and you should be ready to turn on the water supply and fill the tank. Just make sure you have the large rubber washer in place between the tank and bowl.

Now all you have to do is educate the family on when to lift up and when to push down to flush.

You can find more water saving ideas at Savegreenly.com

- Jayme Mattson

http://jaymemattson.com

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After all these months of looking for the perfect toilet, I think I have found it! I will be adding this to my dream house plumbing fixture list. Check it out!!!

Gizmodo recently featured a combo sink/toilet. Combining a sink with a toilet in the interest of the environment isn’t a new idea, but remember the disastrous results from last time?

W+W by Roca is a new sink+toilet combo that could fit in any contemporary bathroom, and it’s a real product.

The premise is simple if you haven’t heard it before: The “grey water” from sink-based activities like hand washing is captured, filtered (for bacteria and odor) and stored within the toilet cistern. Whenever you flush the toilet, this gently used water (that need not be completely pure) washes your worst offenses away.

If there’s not enough grey water to go around, no worries. The toilet is also connected to the main water line.

However, in W+W’s case, all this eco style comes with a price. This toilet+sink runs over $4000 in the UK. For that much, one can plant a lot equally nice-looking trees or convince themselves to eat less fiber.

- Jayme Mattson

http://jaymemattson.com

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Home Is Where the Health Is
by Robin Rogers LEED AP, GACP
April 1, 2010

Beneath the veneer of many newly crafted homes and crusty old dwellings, hidden dangers often lurk, undetected, in the folds of our daily lives, including icky biological stuff such as mold and dust mites and scary chemicals like invisible radon gas, volatile organic compounds and formaldehyde. Homeowners Bryan and Tricia Smith uncovered such villains after a remodeling project in their former Yakima, Wash., home. It prompted a voyage of discovery into the world of materials, systems and diet — and the creation of a new home built “green” from the ground up.

Health Triggers

Six million households live with physical housing problems, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Issues include allergens such as paint fumes, dust mites, mold and formaldehyde. These offenders can trigger asthma attacks, respiratory illnesses or allergies in the 23 million asthma sufferers in America, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In addition, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports that indoor air can be more-seriously polluted than outdoor air. Considering that most Americans spend 90 percent of their time indoors — and 60 percent of that time in homes — the risks to health may be greater indoors than outdoors. Children are particularly susceptible to housing‐related illnesses.

The Smith family of Selah, Wash., experienced these issues firsthand. After remodeling an older home, asthma and related problems emerged in their younger children. The issues motivated the parents, Tricia and Bryan, to conduct research. “It was like a snowball effect that seemed overwhelming at times,” Tricia Smith says. They discovered that a toxin-free home environment could help eliminate the triggers to respiratory problems. The prime causal suspects were various chemicals used in the remodel, especially the coating used to refurbish an old bathtub.

Consultations with a physician reinforced their resolve to create a healthier environment and amend their dietary routines using naturopathic principles as a guide. Bryan Smith admits that he was skeptical at first, but what he thought was anecdotal evidence produced marked improvements as they made diet and environment changes. “We started with a goal to provide a safe environment where the kids could thrive,” Bryan Smith says, “but hadn’t labeled it ’green’ yet.”

The Convergence

The Smiths tapped into a convergence of shared interests. Their builder and the local home-builders association were on a similar trajectory towards sustainable building.

Carly Faul, executive officer of the Central Washington Home Builders Association and head of the local green home building program, points out that it was only recently that research started revealing building material problems. This became more pronounced as homes were built tighter for less air infiltration. “Our builders wanted a way to address the problems and provide solutions,” she says. “So about four years ago, we began adapting the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Green Home Building Guidelines to our locale, with a formal program launched in 2008. The program addresses all aspects of building homes.”

As part of the program development, the central Washington green home building program offered training for area builders, subcontractors and suppliers, at the end of which an exam was required for certification into the national Green Advantage for Residential program.

Builder Steve Weise, of Steve Weise Co. Inc. had built environmentally friendly homes for years. He jumped on board early and attended the training to become certified. When the Smiths found Weise, they were attracted to his sustainability commitment. He not only helped the homeowners through the process of creating a sustainable home but also helped other builders and suppliers understand green building.

Building a Healthy Home

Working with the Steve Weise Co., the Smiths focused on indoor air quality, but they also wanted the project to achieve overall sustainability in its site development, energy and water use. Weise was a true advocate for their needs as he kept an eye on the end goal of building a healthier home while maneuvering through the competing interests of quality versus budget choices.

Sustainability consultant Brenda Nunes, of the Sustainability Foundation, played a key role in guiding materials selection. As the developer of a Built Green 5-Star level home in Roslyn, Wash., Nunes understood the challenges and opportunities as they related to green trends, choices and budgets.

Sustainable Materials

Products selected conformed to ultra-low levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including no-VOC paint, non-toxic floor finishes, and zero carpeting. These choices contribute to a safer, healthier, virtually odorless home. According to the EPA, VOCs are responsible for a new home “smell” and can trigger many adverse health symptoms, including asthma and cancer, so the Smiths wanted to eliminate odors.

The builder utilizes local craftspeople wherever possible, such as for the custom-designed and crafted wrought iron railing, which is reflected in the cork flooring.

Another common health trigger is urea-formaldehyde, a carcinogen typically found in the glues that hold together pressed wood products and fiberglass insulation. Weise installed alternatives such as formaldehyde-free insulation, plywood, cabinetry, subflooring and roof sheathing.

Locally available sustainable and health-focused materials such as salvaged wood flooring were also used. These hard surfaces don’t harbor dust, dirt and mites the way carpeting does, and they are finished with low-VOC coatings. They are easily cleaned with the central vacuum system and soap-and-water solutions.

Other durable materials that are easy to maintain without toxic chemicals were included such as recycled-content tile, concrete countertops, 50-year siding and 50-year roofing. The cork flooring upstairs is made from the harvested bark of cork oak trees that naturally renews every nine years — without killing the tree.

Energy Efficiency

To accommodate the extreme temperature fluctuations in the Yakima area, the home has a tight, well-insulated building envelope to keep it cooler in summer and warmer in winter. The foundation is insulated concrete forms (ICF) made with reinforced concrete sandwiched between two layers of expanded styrene foam insulation. Designed to qualify as an ENERGY STAR home, the house includes ENERGY STAR-rated appliances and lighting fixtures that are low voltage or compact fluorescents. A duct system performance test ensured that any air leaks were detected and fixed. A solar collector heats the water for both domestic uses and the floor heating system.

Heating and Ventilation

A radiant floor heating system — first used by the Romans — can operate at a lower ambient temperature that is perceived as warmer because it’s located where people inhabit spaces. Because a radiant floor heating system has no ducts, dust is not blown around the house as it is with many forced-air systems. A whole-house heat recovery ventilation (HRV) and the high-quality electronic filtering systems use separate blowers to move incoming fresh and outgoing stale air without mixing the airstreams, which improves indoor air while maintaining energy efficiency.

Water

With annual area rainfall of approximately eight inches, drought-tolerant landscaping was used. Although still young, it features plants adapted to low precipitation. Pervious pavers in the driveway allow stormwater to infiltrate directly into the soil. Conserving water indoors is achieved with dual-flush toilets and low-flow showerheads and faucets.

The Dénouement

With a focus on healthy products and overall sustainability, the Healthy Home will certify to the Northwest ENERGY STAR Homes program for energy efficiency and qualifies for the EPA’s Indoor AirPLUS program for indoor air quality.

Perhaps the most-rewarding aspect of the project is that by implementing new Healthy Home principles, as well as a diet of appropriate foods and probiotics, the Smith kids are now medication-free and living in a healthy environment. “We have peace of mind that all of the materials we used to build our home are safe,” Tricia Smith says. “That peace of mind has translated into a higher quality of life.”

When building this type of toxin-free environment, Steve Weise says he found three basic practices to be most important in constructing a “healthy” home.

First, instead of OSB (oriented strand board), he installed plywood, which comprises a large percentage of the materials chain and so has a major impact on potential exposure to toxins. Even though plywood contains glues that can off-gas, the five-layer composition requires less than OSB; plus, the exterior-grade plywood Weise uses is considered safe, containing phenol-formaldehyde rather than its toxic cousin urea-formaldehyde. This was also part of the bigger picture of paying attention to the “guts” of the house and how products fit together to reduce or eliminate off-gassing from everything that was installed.

Second, Weise focused on educating all subcontractors to create an awareness of health for the family that would eventually inhabit the home. He says that personalizing the issue helped the team stay on target to create an environment that does not contain or bring in particulates and other offenders.

Finally, he made sure that the fresh air ventilation system, along with an HRV (heat recovery ventilator), would eliminate any toxins that might find their way into the structure. He brought in the HVAC contractor early so that they could work together for optimizing the system that Weise believes is integral to maintaining a healthier home. For more information, visit www.steveweisecompany.com.

Robin Rogers, LEED AP, GACP, is an architectural designer currently designing a sustainable community with builder Steve Weise near Yakima, Wash. She runs Solaripedia, a website devoted to designing and building sustainably. For more information on the Smith’s home, click here.

- Jayme Mattson

http://jaymemattson.com

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Time To Turn The Faucet Off

Green Lifestyles Magazine recently published a quick blurb on ways to save water. Granted, I’m not sure I agree with all of the tips so I would like to provide fair warning…

• Shower instead of taking a bath. And limit your shower times.
• Shower together. This can be a fun way to save water. But then again, it can be a fun way to waste water, too.
• Don’t wait for the water to get warm to shower. Just jump in. Be tough! The cold water will certainly wake you up. Try switching back and forth between hot and cold. It is actually good for you. Check out Hot and Cold Hydrotherapy.

• Repair dripping faucets and leaky toilets. This might mean replacing a washer in a faucet or a simple adjustment in a toilet.
• Avoid flushing the toilet unnecessarily. If it’s number one, save flushing for number two. Some people think this is just too gross. Those people aren’t going to like our next tip:
• Pee in the shower. There, we said it. And we bet there are plenty of guys who won’t admit it, but do it every morning. If you’re one of those guys, urinate with a clean eco conscience.
• Replace your shower head with an ultra-low flow unit. Check out the WaterPik’s EcoFlow Shower Head review by Jeffrey Davis. You can also get one of those shower heads that allow you to shut off the water at the unit so you don’t need to adjust the water temperature.
• Don’t let water run unnecessarily. If you tend to leave the water running while you’re brushing your teeth, washing your face, or shaving, you could benefit from the Instant Off Water Saver.
• Install instant water heaters wherever you can. If you leave the water running to get it hot, instant water heaters will save you a lot of time and money. Considering the fact that the water heater is a significant portion of most people’s electric and/or gas bill, installing multiple units could prove to be a sound investment.
• Do not use a garbage disposal. Grow some food and compost instead.

- Jayme Mattson

http://jaymemattson.com

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