Very modern look, very modern technology!
Austin residents may soon get their first look at the ZeroHouse, a high-tech solution to the energy crisis that offers off-grid self-sufficiency for homeowners. Plans for the prototype include water conservation technology, a sizable composting unit, and two large solar energy panels; these features are intended to produce all the energy and water needed by residents within the house. Designed by Austin architects Scott Specht and Louise Harpman, the ZeroHouse requires no outside power or water supply and is designed to sit on four stainless-steel pillars; thus, it requires a minimal environmental footprint and is prefabricated for easy construction.
Specht and Harpman are seeking an investor to finance the building of the prototype, which is expected to cost between $300,000 and $350,000. The ZeroHouse will provide 650 square feet of interior living space and covered exterior decking that adds 250 more square feet outside; the architects are looking for someone to finance and live in the home, which they hope to construct in the Austin area. The prototype plans are optimized to provide the maximum amount of livable space for residents, and incorporates highly energy-efficient appliances and electronics in order to use the smallest amount of resources possible, making this home an environmentally sound choice for consumers.
The ZeroHouse is the latest addition to the class of net-zero houses, which boast that they are completely self-sustaining and have a net energy cost of zero, since they produce as much energy as they require. The ZeroHouse produces power through two sizable solar panels and collects and filters rainwater for household use; waste processing and disposal is accomplished by the automated composting system located under the house. This allows it to function off-grid, or without accessing the local electric company’s supply; in practice, these houses are generally hooked up to the local system and are compensated for the energy they supply to companies like AustinEnergy.
Austin is a leader in the green technology industrial market; this makes it a logical choice for Specht and Harpman’s project. City leaders have agreed to require that all new residential construction must be net-zero capable beginning in 2015; while this will not always be immediately possible due to differences in ground cover and lot placement, the goal is expected to spur even more green construction in Austin. The ZeroHouse is not for everyone; its high cost of construction and avant-garde styling may not suit all buyers. The lessons learned and the techniques used in its construction, however, are expected to carry over into traditional home building practices and reduce overall energy costs in Austin over the long run.
When you are shopping for your home, you need to do everything you can to assure the best results for your investment. One crucial area in your new home search that should never be overlooked is your home inspector. The home inspector should be a valued and treasured member of your home buying team. Just like your real estate agent, the home inspector will provide you with the best knowledge available regarding your choice.
Before contracts are signed, and a home is purchased the home inspector will review the house and clearly identify any issues big or small that can cause trouble down the road. This arms you with knowledge at the bargaining table. If you find that you are going to repair part of the roof after you move in, you can negotiate that into the purchase of the home. This also allows you to know if your investment is worth what the appraiser anticipates it to be at.
Most agents have an inspector they will contract with, however you are not limited to their inspector. You can take the time needed to find someone who can and will contract with you to inspect your home, or home choices. You need to be assured your home inspector is looking out for you, so selecting your own will empower this for both you and the inspector. This avoids any potential surprises or undesirable replacements after move in.
Working with your home inspector is an essential aspect of buying your new home. They help in defining the home’s quality, and assuring you are getting the best deal in the end. Prior to signing your contract, make sure that each person on your home buying team, including your home inspector, has had the opportunity to review the documents. This will help to make your new home a wonderful experience.
Austin Water Utility Inspector has cleared the way for environmental housing builders to offer a new option to home owners. It is an environmentally friend toilet, one that both saves on drinking water and helps farmers and gardeners develop some of the best fertilizer available. This amazing option is the composting toilet.
This is the only composting toilet that I was aware of... until now.
This design uses the alchemy brought by bacteria to transform the human waste into the rich resource rich soil. Some who specialize in this field are referring to it as humanure. This particular design and approval is hailed as the common sense environmental alternative. This mode of waste disposal uses saw dust to flush the waste instead of water. This step saves on or extends the drinking water quality liquid available for washing and drinking. This design also saves on the power required to pump the water, filter, treat and clean the water once it has been used.
As you can see, Austin is stepping up once again as the top green city. Moving toward lowering overall carbon foot print, Austin is enabling home builders and owners to select this new option. As with all forms of sewage facilities, it is regulated by your local city and must be approved on that level. Be sure you check with your local officials regarding regulations.
Austin Energy has a program developed to help residents, business owners and property investors reach for a greener environment. They offer green education programs, assistance and consulting on all levels of real estate. To further show their commitment to the community as a whole they also offer free home energy improvements to those who qualify.
This program is targeted to the low and moderate income range, and is designed to improve the energy efficiency of the living space. This of course improves the energy costs of the home and enhances the comfort level and lifestyle.
If they need to, Austin Energy will provide and install the needed materials for attic insulation, duct repair and or sealing, plumbing caulking as needed. If need be they will even take time to update the weather stripping around the doors and install solar screens. With these minor changes a home’s energy value can increase dramatically. With Austin Energy’s program, anyone who qualifies can see the benefits rapidly in their bill.
Visit: Austin Energy to see if you qualify.
It used to be that a house delivered pre-built to a lot wasn’t something most people considered. When they bought, there was generally a house already there. If there wasn’t, they erected one on-site, trucking in pieces rather than a structure. But times have changed, and modular housing has gone from rare to trendy to logical.
A modular home is delivered to the site approximately 90 percent assembled, saving the owner a considerable amount of time, money and frustration. Built to the same standards as a regular family home, it now garners the same respect. Awards are given for the best ones on the market – 2008’s winner was Genesis Homes‘ Bunbury, the company’s newest urban in-fill.
The beauty of the Bunbury is the combination of flexibility and aesthetics. The home is designed to fit into the typical urban lot, making it perfect for urban fill projects. It can be built with a variety of exteriors and in a variety of styles to match the environment, and a garage can easily be added into the home. Similarly, the Homestead, built by Building Systems Network, is well designed and built to last. It appeals to the buyer with its impressive use of modern construction methods and forward-thinking amenities.
Modular housing used to be a rare occurrence, but today may be a wise choice. With well-built, beautiful homes that can squeeze into even the most restricted areas, it can be the perfect solution to a difficult problem. If you’re not sure which way to go, consider a house already built and waiting for an address.
You have amazing plans. They involve you buying a house that might need a little work but has a lot of potential. You’ll take that potential and use it to create a green haven. Your home will be more eco-friendly than even you had ever imagined. Everything in it will work to sustain some part of the environment, from the roof, which will hold a garden, to the cooling system, which will be energy efficient and made from recycled parts. You have grand plans, but there is one small problem: your wallet, for the money in your savings and checking accounts won’t go as far as you may think.
HyoJung Kim and husband Seth Garland of New York both thought they could easily renovate their home, making it green for as little as $70,000. What they found instead was that going green was putting them in the red. Units that were energy efficient and moderately priced were costing them thousands of extra dollars to install. Architectural designs that would save money in the future were causing complications and costing money they didn’t have in the present. And the falling real estate market was only adding to the real estate debt they had already accumulated. To make ends meet, they had to forgo many of their plans, sell their mortgaged condo and attempt to make the house, rather than a green place to live, a livable place to live.
Before you wind up in the same situation as Kim and Garland, assess your finances. Whatever you imagine it will cost to make all of the renovations you are envisioning, add a little more. And then, find ways to go green that you can afford. You don’t have to knock down walls, build roof gardens or use only plastic plumbing to help the Earth. There are other things you can do, less costly things that will keep the world and you in the green.
A Living or Planted roof is not a new concept, in fact the concept dates back to the ancient times of Babylon when they displayed hanging gardens and built terraces of stone with lush layers of reed and tar on which plants and trees grew in soil.
Today we live in a time where we must become more aware of the impact we make within our own lives that effect the environment and the world which belongs to our children and grandchildren.
Let’s examine what it would take to create a living or green roof system. There are four basic components: a waterproofing layer, a drainage layer, a growing medium, and vegetation. There are other elements that can be added by are not necessary are root retention and irrigation systems. We are going to stick with the basics.
Now we will list the benefits.
• Reduces heating and cooling
• Reduces heat requirements during cold months
• Reduces ambient temperature of the roofs surface
• Reduces cooling costs
• Reduce Storm water drainage
• Protects from extreme temperatures and harsh weather conditions.
• Filters pollutants and carbon dioxide
• They increase insulation to the roof
• Creates a bird and wild life habitat
A green roof is not for everyone. For those who choose to explore this energy efficient option, there are many resources available. There are nurseries that specialize in growing specific plants will thrive in that environment.
Explore this option, it might be fun!
The city of Austin has done well during the recent real estate crisis. Austin has been included in many “Top 10” lists, including those for home buyers and home sellers. The city has also been recognized for its embracing of green building. The Austin Green Building Program offers many tips on how to build while being environmentally safe, and how to live that way once construction is complete. Many local builders use these guidelines to ensure quality green homes are built properly.
The Building Program bases its suggestions on Austin’s specific climate. Recommendations for heating and cooling the home are made based on the area’s relative humidity, annual rainfall rates, and winds. After studying all of these factors, the Program is able to advise builder how best to use natural resources. For example, it is recommended to build the home with the broad side facing north or south to avoid overheating during sunrise or sunset. Skylight use should also be limited for the same reason. Too much heat absorbed by the home will increase the need for an air conditioner. It is also recommended to use vents and reflective heat barriers on the roof to keep an attic cooler. Lighter color shingles will also keep the home cooler.
There are many more suggestions from Austin’s Green Building Program, for any part of new home construction. Since renewable resources are so necessary, many recommendations will offer a rebate or other benefit for using green planning. Be sure to look into how much building green can save you right now, and in the future.
Green has definitely become a popular color. The city of Austin has embraced an eco-friendly view on home building. Many local builders and real estate agents have placed more focus on this new facet of construction. More home buyers are looking for environmentally healthy alternatives for building materials and more energy efficient appliances. The housing market has taken notice of this trend and is making every effort to supply this dream.
Real estate agents are getting into the green scene now, with a recent seminar held by the MetroTex Association of Realtors. The seminar focused on educating the agents about specializing in green home sales. A few years ago, some agents chose this focus as a means to stand out in the industry. These days it has become almost a necessity to possess the knowledge of a home’s carbon footprint. Previously built homes can be evaluated for its energy usage. Many homeowners looking to sell have stated they are willing to spend the money on making their house greener. With the increased demand for eco-friendly homes, it is no wonder that more and more agents are looking for specialization in this field. Real estate agents are encouraging sellers to update their homes to make it more sellable. In the current depressed market, anything that brings better attention to a home helps.
In such a rough real estate market, agents have taken the steps to increase their selling potential. Austin has taken great strides the last few years in green building. Local agents have recognized this and are educating themselves to meet the demand.
The demand is rising for more information about graywater systems – those systems that reclaim and reuse waste water from the bathtub, shower, utility sink and washing machine. (Toilet, dishwasher and kitchen sink waste water contains human or organic waste and is excluded from graywater systems.) Recycling the graywater involves filtering it, sending it to a storage tank, and then either using it to water the landscape or draining it below the surface of the yard where it eventually joins the groundwater.
Installing a graywater system can be difficult: it requires a separate drainage system for the bath, non-kitchen sink and washing machine water, a filter system, a storage tank, and an irrigation system to deliver the water to landscape plants. In addition, there should be a way to reroute the water into the regular septic system or sewer should the need arise.
This reuse of waste water ensures that clean, drinkable water isn’t used on the lawn or plants which don’t really care how it tastes. It reduces the amount of discharge going into the sewer system, taking demand off the treatment plant. A few important issues need to be taken into consideration before installing a graywater system, however.
It may be difficult to procure the permits needed to install a system as local health and safety agencies are understandably wary that graywater may leech into and contaminate drinking water. It’s advisable to use biodegradable laundry detergents for obvious reasons, and avoid chlorine bleach. It’s also probably a good idea to at least consult a professional plumber, if you plan on doing it yourself, as he or she can give you guidance on the proper and safe way to install such a system.
