While venture capitalists are pouring money into Silicon Valley green-tech companies, cities in other states are making bold moves to build green communities.

On May 4, 2007, a class EF5 tornado, nearly two miles wide, destroyed 95% of Greensburg, KS. Left with a blank slate and true the the nature of their self-sufficient image, the community made a committment to rebuild as a model 21st century “green” rural American town.

According to ABCNews.go.com, “Since just a few days after the tornado, the small farming town has made ambitious plans for rebuilding green, from a wind farm at the electric plant to green homes and businesses.” The plan calls for mixing urban amenities with a rural setting.

All city-owned buildings will be built to meet LEED Platinum standards and homeowners are being given big incentives to rebuild green. I hope that they will be utilizing tornado-resistent technologies, as well.

The non-profit group created to support Greensburg’s Green intitiative has launched a One Million $5 Donations Campaign to show that a million small things make for big change. You, too, can donate to help them out.

Besides you, the government, and insurance companies, others have come in to help.

In a prime example of integrative learning, architecture students at Kansas State University have designed eco-friendly and weather resistant cubes that help make the city sustainable.  These 10′x10′x10′ modular structures have different educational and functional aspects, like public showers and toilets using recycled rain water and recycling bins with an interactive learning system. KU students are also designing a fine arts center.

Maxon, a District Energy and Green Power developer, is developing the “Energy Master Plan” for the City Of Greensburg in close cooperation with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the EPA.

Thanks to Maxon Energy for the photo used above. Before and after satellite photos are also enlightening.

Compared to Greensburg’s committments, Santa Clara County’s change-out-your-lightbulbs campaign seems a bit feeble (although each person should be doing this, and other small steps, too!).

So, you want to refinish the floors or that dresser (with potential!) you found at a garage sale. Forget the noxious odors and health risks associated with paint strippers.

aMAIZEing^TM Biobased Solvent & Stripper is a 100% bio-based solvent and stripper, derived from corn and soybeans. It and similar products made by SoyClean and  Molecular Tech Coatings Inc.’s EFS-2500 removes adhesives, paint from concrete, masonry, wood, metal and other surfaces.

aMAIZEing can also be used to remove graffiti from concrete if your place gets tagged on a regular basis. Or it could be time to move.

I’ve found poor seals around doors and windows of older homes and new construction alike. If you have cold spots or drafts in your home, check out this chart.

Here are common sources of energy losses and air infiltration points in the home according to Comprehensive InfraRed Thermography Consultants.

Generic winterizing tips may be helpful for you if you’re knowledgeable about the construction of your home. But even a talented do-it-yourselfer can a use professional to identify where your energy dollars are leaking out of the house.

Contributed by Martha Amram 

Ah, Eichler homes — a truly California mix of indoor and outdoor living. But sometimes this comes at the price of dis-comfort. Many Eichler owners complain of being too hot in the summer as the sun bears down on their patio or atrium. And too cold in the winter as all that glass conducts the warm air out.

Typical home improvement suggestions to increase comfort are to add insulation in the walls and replace your single-pane windows with double-pane. Both will save energy, but lack an element of “fun” we crave. And the expense! Here are a few different ideas:

Close off the atrium or patio.

Some Eichlers wrap around their open courtyard. It’s a simple matter to add the final wall and some kind of roof covering. The roof area can be covered with an innovative skylight option. I’m a big fan of putting skylights over the atrium, because it makes the area useful during the rainy winter months, so we get more use out of the whole house. We installed a Rollamatic Roof. Our energy efficiency tests show that it doesn’t leak warm air at all. This means the glass windows facing the patio or atrium no longer conducts warm air to the outside, saving energy and money.

Oh, and the courtyard floor has now moved indoors. It can be heated with a simple add-on such as Warmfloor™. 

Add awnings for shade.

A recent study showed that shading windows on the south and west can substantially reduce air conditioning costs. While our air conditioning days are minimal, homeowners can increase comfort by shading windows and patio areas in the summer. East-facing patios, for example, can heat up in the morning and release that heat all day long, raising the house temperature in the afternoon when the sun is blazing down from the west.

Sale shades provide wonderful trapezoidal shapes for shade, a style that fits with the contemporary Eichler look. Sunset Magazine even recently featured an Eichler with a sail shade.

Add blinds to your single pane windows.

Cheaper than replacing all those famous Eichler windows with double-pane, blinds can help reduce heat gain in the summer and heat loss in the winter. Their effectiveness will depend on your lifestyle. Here are reasons that blinds may or may not work for you.

First, blinds reduce heat gain and heat loss when they are closed. But, as Eichler owners, we like our open indoor/outdoor feeling. So, blinds depend on the good habit of actually pulling them down. Will you really do it?

Second, blinds are an imperfect seal. They let hot air in, and cold air out. They will reduce heat transfer, but not as effectively as a double-paned window. Will you mind? If blinds are a solution for some of your windows, look for those that have R values (insulation factors) of 2 or more.

Match your choice of blind to your purpose. Some styles are optimized to save heat in the winter. Other styles are optimized to provide shade in the summer. There are even shading blinds that you can look through, keeping the best of both worlds — Eichler’s feel of outdoor living while cooling the house in the summer.

I love living in my Eichler, but I want to save energy too. Let’s keep looking for fun ways increase comfort.

Martha Amram is the CEO of GreenNow USA, a Palo Alto-based firm that helps homeowners save energy and water. During the home visit, GreenNow collects data and performs tests that help homeowners identify where their water and energy spending is going, how much is wasted, and the next steps to energy and water efficiency – from good habits to new appliances to home improvements.

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It’s always interesting to see what green features are highlighted in a Build It Green certified home or development. In Nevada’s Incline Creek Estates, a gated community of 58 single family homes, the emphasis is on smart home technology, Coza™ insulation and Trex™ decking.

Of course, the golf courses and ski resorts featured, as are the tennis facility, fitness/recreation center, indoor pool, nearby private beaches, hiking, mountain biking, and nature trails. Is this because folks wanting a green dwelling value personal health and the great outdoors? Not necessarily, but it does reflect the lifestyle interest of Tahoe’s North Shore buyer. (If it sounds like your lifestyle, contact Terry Moore.)

Smart home technology makes sense for a second home. Heating and ventilation can be managed remotely through a AMX control system and pre-programmed settings to control energy costs. Touch panels control multiple zones of distributed audio, video, and lighting.

Featuring Coza™ insulation is no surprise. It’s snow country after all, and energy costs have been on the rise. This stuff’s made from recycled paper fiber and chemically treated for permanent fire and mold resistance. Coza insulation is safe to hold in your hands. It provides solid blanket of energy efficiency and protection for walls and attics. Added insulation of the interior walls and between the floors provide a quiet and acoustically pleasant environment.

Trex™ decking was a surprise at first. After all, wood finishes are a feature of Tahoe architecture. Even the home models’ names are trees: Pinon Pine, Rosewood, and Manzanita.

Don’t get me wrong. I’ve recommended Trex products because they doesn’t rot, splinter or warp, and resist mold. Trex’s made from recycled materials, a mixture of shredded plastic bags and sawdust to produce a durable wood-like product. The process was invented by organic chemist, Roger Wittenberg.

And there’s the connection. Wittenberg is the majority investor in Incline Creek Estates. He says, “The shift in energy cost and the need to reduce the burning of fossil fuel is real, and we intend to build projects that are energy efficient and at the same time do not interfere with a normal life style”.

Thanks Roger. We need more people like you.

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Is your kitchen clean and ready for all the work it’s going to do in the next couple of months? No? Rather than compromising your health with harsh chemicals, here are some safe, chemical-free ways to keep your appliances sparkling clean.

The Oven - You can rub the inside of your oven with wet steel wool to remove the tough stuff, and then sprinkle baking soda throughout the oven. Let it sit for a few minutes, then just wipe it all clean with a wet rag . . . really, it can be that simple!

The Microwave - Mix 1 cup of water with a few teaspoons of baking soda in a microwave safe bowl. Put the bowl in the microwave and run it for 2 minutes. Take out the bowl and wipe it clean with just a rag; every last spot will come out!

The Refrigerator - Baking soda is key! Why would you want to spray chemicals in the place that holds your food! Make a nice paste from baking soda and water (equal parts of both) and scrub away. Wipe down with a clean cloth and all will be sparkling!

The Dishwasher - Add 1/2 cup vinegar to an empty dishwasher and run the rinse cycle. This will open up any clogs in the dishwasher drain lines and deodorize the machine.

Sink Clogs - A mixture of equal parts vinegar, salt, and baking soda may help open up a slow-draining sink. Pour the solution down drain; let it sit for 1 hour, then pour boiling or very hot tap water down the drain.

With an endless supply of spills, drips, grease and foot traffic, cleaning the kitchen can feel like an endless task. Hopefully, these tips and tricks will help you in the upcoming months.

Thanks to Home Warrenty of America for these tips. I like their service, so I don’t mind saying that HWA offers a comprehensive repair and replacement plan cover to your systems and built-in appliances for one low annual fee. When we buy or sell a property in the Bay Area, this kind of coverage is a must.

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It’s good to see more developers recognizing that greener properties provide healthier living environments, and tend to enjoy a larger increase in value. The Chateau at Heavenly Village is aiming for LEED silver status. This may be difficult, given the already stringent guidelines for South Lake Tahoe development.

The luxury vacation homes are in the form of a six-story condo-hotel, close to the beach, mountain, and casinos. It’s at the California / Nevada border.

So what are some of the environmental upgrades? The developers say that the project

• Uses Best Management Practices (BMP) for water quality with on-site storm water treatment
• Reduces land coverage by more than 63,000 sq. ft.
• Encourages pedestrian traffic and reduces automobile dependency
• Energy conservation through LEEDs technology
• Improved air quality

If you contact the sales people with an interest in learning more about The Chateau at Heavenly Village, please indicate that you found them through our “alternative website,” ValueAndComfort.com, so that they will know that you support this type of development. 

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As in any area of the real estate industry, for “green” to be viable, it needs to be as competitive as the alternatives. In order to be relevant, while standing out and being true to our purpose, our blog has a broad definition of “green.” Our definition originates from the blog’s url: value and comfort.

In value, we want to show that  being green not a burden — it adds to quality of life.

Being green at home provides value to the earth, the housing industry, the inhabitants, and the homeowner. It ties into the concerns over global warming, sustainability, and saving money. It also ties into making investments in both time and materials that will add value above and beyond the immediate cost.

As we tell by all the venture capital money going into new, clean technologies, being green can also be profitable. We want our green homes to be worth more than the alternatives.

The value of energy efficiency can be measured empirically. People’s stories with also reflect value (hopefully increased, although we can gain by we learning from others’ mistakes). Esthetics, outdoor living spaces, and familiarity all create value and comfort.

Comfort can be physical and mental. Principles of ergonomics and universal design are specific to the physical comfort of individuals. “Green” meets health concerns, be it with proper mold remediation, reducing draftiness, or improving indoor air quality. Some cultural concepts, like feng shui and vedic sciences, are based on living in harmony with our environment. These also add comfort in conscious and subconscious ways.

We’re not interested, necessarily, in a feel-good blog. Our writings reflect the conflicts and trade-offs that we deal with every day — the thoughtfullness that goes into trying to be green. As the industry changes, we will define ourselves again and again. The blog is also an organic process.

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There are some new eco-ordinances in them thar Los Altos Hills! Some buyers will be delighted, others may go elsewhere. Before you buy or remodel, here are five new ordinances you should know about.

1. Development area credit for solar power
2. Development area credit for permeable surfaces
3. Open space
4. Estate home setbacks, and
5. Eucalyptus tree abatement.

1. Solar
Ah, solar. It’s the right thing to do here in Northern Cal. It’s especially attractive with the current state tax credit and development credit from Los Altos Hills. It works like this: A hoimeowner who installs 500 square feet of solar panels on the roof receives 500 sf of development credit on the lot. That’s enough for an additional tennis court or extra decking around a pool.

While 45 projects applied for solar panel permits over the last 12 months, only two asked for the LAH credit. I have to wonder how long the town will continue to offer this credit since homeowners are going solar without town incentives.

You can check out LAH Town Hall’s Solar activity online.

2. Permeable Surfaces
Synthetic grass is not the astroturf of yesteryear. This stuff is surprisingly close in look and feel to the organic matter. Plus it’s practically maintenance-free and saves in your water bill. Los Altos Hills offers a development area credit for using permeable surfaces like pavers and synthetic grass.

Homes on a hill lose significant development area to the paving requirements for a firetruck turn-around area. Permeable surfaces help with erosion control and have a more asthetically pleasing and rural feel than asphalt. Homeowners get a higher percent of development area credit for using materials of greater permeability.

Sorry, your artificial lawn can’t be used as a front yard. The neighbors get jealous of the green look all year ’round and have a tendency to use much more water and fertilizer to keep up with the Jones’. The town doesn’t endorse any particular brand, but some names you may encounter are Waterless Grass, NewGrass, and ForeverLawn. Check with your landscaper to find out what they recommend. (if you need a landscaper, let me know.)

3. Open Space Easements and Pathways (Don’t Fence Me In)
LAH maintains an open, rural feel. There are minimum one-acre lots, protected creeks, no sidewalks, and oak tree protection. Open space and pathway easements may be granted to the town to preserve woodland habitat for wildlife and trails for walking and horseback riding. Openings in perimeter fences allow larger wildlife (cougars, bobcats, and deer) to pass through developed lots that would otherwise have been obstacles to seasonal water sources.

Granting open space or pathway easements allows a homeowner to participate in maintaining LAH’s greenbelt without incurring a loss in property value.

4. Estate Home Setbacks
If you could find a 1.5 acre flat lot in the hills, the permitted house could be about 10,000 sf. On occasion, a buyer can put together four to five acres and construct a substantial estate. It’s hard to imagine it having a rural feel. LAH is considering increasing the setback provision for estate homes over 10,000 sf. It’s not an approved ordinance yet.

5. Eucalyptus Tree Abatement

Those 50′ towering trees with shredded bark and limbs heavy with pungent blue-green leaves. You love them or hate them. They’re quick growing, provide shade, and mark property lines. The oils that give the tree its distinctive smell also make it highly flammable. A shallow root system means that the entire two tons are more prone to fall when the ground is saturated.

The shallow root aspect was tragically brought to light when a branch of an uprooted Eucalyptus fell onto a passing cyclist in 2006, instantly killing him.

There are more than 600 varieties of Eucalyptus, none of them native. Los Altos Hills has identified five varieties that the commission considers a danger, the most common being blue-gum. If any of the trees on their list is within 150′ of a project, it will have to be removed. Check with an arborist to see if the property you’re interested in (or own) has these trees.

Thanks to Los Altos Hills Planning Commissioner Ray Collins for the update. For more information, call Los Altos Hills at (650) 941-7222.

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Here are the Top Seven things a mortgage company can do, on their dime, to reduce your global ecological footprint and reduce your home’s carbon emissions:

1.  Free rating or assessment of how green your home is and how it can be improved. Examples of rating systems include California’s Build It Green, Built Green of Colorado and Washington, and the residential LEED certification. See if your local Green Building Program has a rating system.

2.   Provide additional incentives or loan discounts for green home improvement.

3.   Purchase carbon-offsets on your behalf, through CarbonFund, The Institute of Ecosystem Studies, TerraPass, or other organization.

4.   Plant trees. Lots of them.

5.   Contribute part of profits to environmental or real estate reform

6.   Help you monitor your global ecological footprint. You may need a conversion calculator.

7.   Take the pledge lead by example by being a sustainable, carbon-neutral business.

Thanks to Tomek Rondio of MortgageGreen for his input for this post.

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