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Casa Verde: Pope Benedict Goes Solar

CasaSugar — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 04:00:34 -0700

Still thinking about adding some renewable power to your home? Well, maybe this story will inspire you. Pope Benedict XVI recently installed photovoltaic solar panels in his home outside of Regensburg, Germany.

The panels are estimated to generate as much as 5,800 kilowatt hours per year, the equivalent of $3,500 worth of surplus electricity, which will be routed back to the German power grid. Any profits from the panels will be donated to job- and skill-training programs for disadvantaged youth.

To hear what the pope has to say about energy use, and to find out about tax credits for renewable energy, read more.

“Technologically advanced societies can and must lower their energy consumption, either through an evolution of manufacturing methods or through greater ecological sensitivity among their citizens. It should be added that at present it is possible to achieve improved energy efficiency while at the same time encouraging research into alternative forms of energy,” said Pope Benedict in a prepared statement.

The Vatican's roof was also covered with solar panels, beginning last Winter. Pope Benedict was also instrumental in the Vatican's plan to install a $600 million solar plant. A 6,000-seat hall's heating, cooling, and natural light needs will be supplied through 2,700 solar panels. When the hall is not in use, the energy will be used to power the Vatican.

If you live in the United States, you can find about renewable energy tax credits here.

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Cool Idea: Ikea's Sunnan Solar Lamp

CasaSugar — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 12:00:29 -0700

Talk about going green. Ikea's Sunnan Solar Lamp ($19.99) requires no electrical connection, since it gets its energy from solar cells located on the lamp's base, which transform sunlight into electrical energy. Designed by Nicolas Cortolezzis, these cute lamps are available in a rainbow of cheerful colors. Want something else to smile about? For every Sunnan lamp bought from Ikea, the store will donate a lamp to UNICEF, which will help children in homes without electricity to do their homework after dark. The first donations will go to UNICEF in Pakistan, helping children in refugee camps and remote villages without electricity in two provinces: Balochistan, which was struck by a major earthquake in October 2008, and the North West Frontier province, where unrest has affected half the population and displaced many thousands.

Casa Verde: The Science Behind the Net-Zero Energy House

CasaSugar — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 15:00:02 -0700

I recently had the chance to tour South Farm Homes, a “net-zero” community, in Hinesburg, VT. The project is a collaboration between Rolf Kielman, AIA and Lee Grutchfield, AIA of TruexCullins Architects of Burlington, VT and Reiss Building of Hinesburg, VT. One of the goals of this project was to show that green building can be user - and homeowner - friendly, which means that the systems and science behind the home isn't intimidating. Curious as to what it all means? I'll explain in the slideshow.

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Nice and New: west elm's Eco Storefront

CasaSugar — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 09:00:39 -0800

Today, west elm's newest storefront opens to the public. If you're in the Bay Area, stop by today starting at 10 a.m. to browse the wonderful selection of furniture and accents and to take in the very cool, very eco Emeryville, CA, west elm. What's so eco about it, you ask - and what cool new products did I see when I stopped by yesterday? Check out my slideshow to find out! Photo courtesy of Carlie Statsky

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Cool Idea: Solar LED House Numbers

CasaSugar — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 06:15:25 -0700

Considering how plugged in and geeked out our homes are these days, sometimes it baffles me that the simplest, often most crucial things aren't well-lit. Personally, I'm a big fan of motion-sensor lighting, so when you're walking toward your front (or back) door you won't trip and wind up falling flat on your back. But motion-sensor lighting doesn't help passersby who are trying to locate your crib. That's why I'm smitten with the Matter Inc. Solar LED House Numbers ($19.99). The solid aluminum fixture absorbs the sun's energy during the day to power two high output white LEDs for eight to 10 hours during the night, keeping your house numbers well-lit without draining the grid or your wallet. The laser-cut numbers are completely weather-resistant, too, which is a plus. Although I personally don't mind the modern, sans-serif shape of the numbers, I wish they were offered in a traditional serif to appeal to more homeowners. What do you think?

In the News: Grad Student Bakes Green Power in Pizza Oven

CasaSugar — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 07:00:48 -0700

One of the main reasons that green power hasn't taken off is its high price tag, but Australian PhD candidate Nicole Kuepper may be changing that. This green-thinking student has discovered a way to produce solar cells using a pizza oven, nail polish, and ink jet printers.

According to the The Sydney Morning Herald:

Ms Kuepper realised a new approach would be needed if affordable cells were to be made on site in poorer countries: "What started off as a brainstorming session has resulted in the iJET cell concept that uses low-cost and low-temperature processes, such as ink-jet printing and pizza ovens, to manufacture solar cells."

While it could take five years to commercialise the patented technology, providing renewable energy to homes in some of the least developed countries would enable people to "read at night, keep informed about the world through radio and television and refrigerate life-saving vaccines". And it would also help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The inspiring Kuepper was awarded the British Council Eureka Prize for Young Leaders in Environmental Issues and Climate Change for her solar power development, as well as a $10,000 study tour to Britain. I'm always proud of girl geeks, and since women are underrepresented in the sciences, I am doubly impressed by this young inventor. Congratulations, Nicole!
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Eco Chic: Solar Power Executive Table

CasaSugar — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 16:00:42 -0700

If you read my reclaimed wood bench Before and After, you'll remember that the Oakland-based design-building studio, Because We Can, was hired by SunPower to create furniture for their new office in an old Ford manufacturing building. The reclaimed wood benches that they designed are beautiful, but their job didn't stop there. SunPower, a solar power company, also asked Because We Can to design them special table for their executive office, with a different feel than their other furnishings. Because We Can harnessed their own energies to design a particularly special executive table: a table that holds one of SunPower’s solar panels. The panel, which has a smooth plastic surface, was dropped into the steel table frame, and looks sleek and most definitely "special." What's more: it actually functions, trapping the suns rays as it sits there during important business meetings about . . . solar power!
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Casa Verde: Kristin Davis's Eco Choices

CasaSugar — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 08:30:15 -0700

If you're looking for inspiration on ways to go eco chic look no further than Kristin Davis. Perhaps better known as Charlotte from Sex and the City, this celeb is surprisingly green in her lifestyle choices. While it's true that she did drive a Beemer to the Sex and the City movie premiere, her BMW was actually hydrogen powered. While hydrogen vehicles are still in the experimental stage for the general public, research suggests that they may help to curb greenhouse gases, since their use doesn't involve the burning of fossil fuels.

Another eco choice? Well, Kristin is an ambassador with Oxfam, a charity that works to find long-term solutions to poverty and injustice in over 100 countries. Kristin's worked with Oxfam since the South East Asia tsunami in December 2004, first as a donor and most recently traveling on behalf of Oxfam all over Africa.

Kristin's biggest eco change, though, is probably her new solar-powered house, which is currently being built in LA. To see a video of Kristin talking about her house, read more.

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Nice and New: Solio Solar Charger

CasaSugar — Tue, 06 May 2008 07:00:18 -0700

Wow, well this is unexpected. While I'd expect to find a solar charger for your gadgets at a more eco-oriented store, I never thought I'd see one at Urban Outfitters. However, it makes sense that this company is selling chargers, since so many of their customers have a glut of gadgets that need recharging.

The Solio Solar Charger ($80) combines a solar panel with a rechargeable battery and comes in a durable case that will provide needed protection for the charger when it's stashed in a backpack or overstuffed purse. The charger also comes with interchangeable charging tips that will attach to most mobile phones, iPods, and other mobile devices. The battery will store power for up to a year, and if the sun isn't out, you can blog the charge into a USB port to charge it up via your laptop. What a great idea - and when a solar charger is sold at a big retailer like Urban Outfitters (though it's only available on the Internet for now), it's more likely that the idea of charging your gadgets with the sun's power will become commonplace.

This Just In: Leonardo DiCaprio To Buy Eco-Friendly Condo

CasaSugar — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 12:00:26 -0700

According to New York magazine, actor and environmental activist Leonardo DiCaprio is in the process of buying a unit at Riverhouse, an eco-friendly high rise in New York City. Although the price for Leo's unit is unknown, these units usually sell for between $800,000 to $4 million, depending on the size.

Riverhouse is truly an eco-friendly high rise (and I wouldn't expect anything less in a home purchase from the eco-friendly actor). The 264-unit building was built with only nonpollutant materials and uses solar-powered energy. Its eco features include programmable thermostats, which reduce energy use, around-the-clock filtered air, and a $1 million graywater and black-water treatment facility in the building's basement. The building is attempting to achieve LEED Platinum status, the highest rating through the US Green Building Council, and also features locally quarried bluestone, recovered barn wood. low- or no-VOC adhesives, paints and carpeting, and recycled, salvaged, and biodegradable materials.

The building also includes a children's playroom, an organic bakery, an indoor 50 foot-long lap pool, and an indoor children's Light House. Leo's rep confirmed the condo purchase, saying, “Riverhouse is a prime example of how green technology is both accessible and achievable for new residential developments - it is a groundbreaking building.”

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