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Casa Verde: Texas Approves Wind Power Superhighway

CasaSugar — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 08:30:00 -0700

According to an Associated Press article, Texas has preliminarily approved "a $4.9 billion plan to build new transmission lines to carry wind-generated electricity from gusty West Texas to urban areas like Dallas," and "build a slew of new turbines." The Lone Star State already stands as the nation's leader in wind power, generating about 5,000 megawatts with the nearly 4,000 wind turbines already in place, but a lack of transmission lines has prevented that energy from being used. The new plan will mobilize about 18,000 megawatts, "enough to power more than 4 million Texas homes." Texas electric customers will see a $3-4 price increase on their monthly bills, but it is likely to be offset by lower energy prices. The plan awaits final approval later this year, and the lines won't be ready for use for three to five years. It looks like Chicago may no longer be "the Windy City" . . .
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This Just In: Wind Could Fuel Britain's Homes by 2020

CasaSugar — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 05:00:01 -0800

England Prime Minister Gordon Brown's government is unveiling a proposal to build 7,000 new wind turbines off the country's coast by the year 2020. This number of wind turbines would produce 22 gigawatts, which is enough to power all of England's homes. John Hutton, the Secretary of State for Business, will make the announcement, which is backed by both the Labourites and Conservatives, at a conference in Berlin.

Britain currently has enough offshore wind turbines to produce 2 gigawatts of electricity, which is enough to power approximately 1.5 million homes. The plan to extend wind power is part of the European Union's target goal of producing 20 percent of energy from renewable sources by 2020. This move has been supported by environmentalists and energy experts alike. Since the production of petroleum is becoming increasingly costly and harmful, solutions like this are worthy of praise.

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Wind Power For Your Home

CasaSugar — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 05:33:24 -0800

Those endless fields of windmills are becoming a more and more common sight across the country. I personally find them beautiful on a purely aesthetic level, and love them for their renewable power-generating capacity. Now, Canadian company Windterra has announced that they will be introducing residential wind turbines for California.

While wind is less expensive than solar to install, you will still get a similar energy output. There's also the advantage of it having a very low visual profile. However, your house will need to be assessed by an architect to make sure it is structurally sound to support the wind turbine. And while it's almost 75% cheaper than solar panels, it's still expensive for most of us, at $5900 pre-installation.

To watch a video of this wind turbine in action, just read more

Casa Verde: Customized Wedding Ring Bowl

CasaSugar — Thu, 14 May 2009 05:30:00 -0700

If you're looking for a way to enhance the unique feel of your wedding ceremony, consider adding one of Caroline Colom Vasquez's gorgeous ring bowls to the big day. Vasquez, an Austin, TX, artist and designer, runs the shop Paloma's Nest, where she designs ceramic bowls, tiles, and decorative pieces for the home. Many of the pieces in the Paloma’s Nest line are available with custom texts, which adds special meaning to the pieces. You can order the With This Ring Bowl ($26) with that message stamped in the bowl's interior, or customize the bowl with your own special words or message. I used one of Caroline's ring bowls in my wedding ceremony, and had a line from a poem special to my husband and me stamped onto the bowl. You could also customize it with your names, the date of your wedding, or a quote or special message.

Each Paloma’s Nest piece is hand cut, free form, with no pattern, imbuing each piece with its own variation in the size, shape, and layout of the text. The shop is eco, too: Recycled, up-cycled, and biodegradable products are prominent throughout the line, as well as in the gift packaging in which pieces arrive. The studio is also powered 100 percent by renewable wind energy.

Explore more of Caroline's line at her shop.

Casa Verde: LA Gets Windy

CasaSugar — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 07:15:20 -0800

While most folks think of Hollywood decadence and glamour when they think of Los Angeles, the second largest city in the US has pledged to procure 20 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2010. According to the LA Daily News, one critical part of this renewable equation is the construction of a wind farm in the Tehachapi Mountains, located about 100 miles north of the city. Costing an estimated $425 million, the 120-megawatt facility will feature 80 turbines as well as a new high-voltage transmission line. The wind farm will essentially double the amount of electricity that the city currently receives from wind power. While this wind farm was slated for opening more than four years ago, delays (very possibly related to earthquakes) prevented its building. LA's Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has also announced plans for another wind farm on a nearby site. This boost in wind power would result in enough electricity to generate power for almost 130,000 homes. The project has the support of environmental groups, including the Natural Resources Defense Council, Sierra Club, and Union of Concerned Scientists.

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In the News: Philippe Starck's Democratic Ecology

CasaSugar — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 04:30:00 -0700

Back in March, in an interview with German publication Die Ziet, prolific industrial designer Philippe Starck admitted to feeling "ashamed" for being "a producer of materiality," saying, "Everything I have created is absolutely unnecessary." In shock, the design world was buzzing. Would this mean retirement for the can-do-no-wrong designer? What would we blog about? Well, luckily, we haven't yet had to cross that bridge. It turns out, according to a New York Times article, despite his misgivings, Starck has been "advocating environmentalism" for some time in his personal life with his "organic diet, the solar-powered oyster farm he owns in Arcachon Bay in southwestern France, and so forth - ending with 'the least polluting plane on the market,' his private jet." And, more buzzworthy, he has designed a line of products called "Democratic Ecology," which are "relatively cheap, attractive, energy-saving products" meant to “introduce everybody to ecology.” The first is a "miniature rooftop wind turbine, priced between $780 and $1,250, which Mr. Starck said can produce up to 80 percent of a home’s energy." In the works as well is a solar panel film that covers existing windows, a prefab green house, an electric car, an eco-moped, and a solar- and hydrogen-powered boat. As to be expected, these eco products won't be a stitch "granola": Starck says, “It’s very, very important that they’re beautiful, because ecology should be a pleasure, not a punishment." Read more about the line in The New York Times's "And Now, to Try and Catch the Wind."
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Leo Trades in Pacific Coast View, Lowers Carbon Footprint

CasaSugar — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 12:00:25 -0800

Leonardo has finally closed on the eco-friendly Battery Bark Condo that he went to contract to purchase back in April, paying nearly $3.7 million. But, ever the environmental advocate, DiCaprio isn't swooping up energy-hogging properties left and right. He's made room for this purchase in his real estate portfolio and his wallet by putting his 2,374-square-foot, two-bedroom, two-bath midcentury oceanfront Malibu home on the market for nearly $9 million.
DiCaprio can gaze at the Hudson River through the energy-efficient triple-layered windows at Riverhouse, one of the greenest residential buildings in America. DiCaprio's new apartment building exceeds Gold LEED certification, using solar-powered energy and built with only nonpollutant materials. Among its other eco features are programmable thermostats, filtered air, filtered water, locally quarried bluestone, recovered barn wood, low- or no-VOC adhesives, paints and carpeting, and recycled, salvaged, and biodegradable materials. There's no word on the exact square footage of Leo's new pad, but a listing for a similarly priced Riverhouse property measures in at 1,985-square-feet, with 3 bedrooms and 4 baths.

To see more photos of both properties and hear about his Malibu digs, read more.

The listing for DiCaprio's Malibu property reads:

Distinctive contemporary on the bluffs above the ocean complete with new stairway to the cove below. The interior is a collection of elegant open spaces looking out to beautiful gardens and your hot tub tucked away on the ocean front. A separate guest house containing two 1-bedroom suites. A four car garage and long winding driveway complete this beautiful estate.

View 16 Photos ›

Here are some photos of another Riverhouse apartment, most likely the model apartment designed by Thom Filicia:

View 17 Photos ›

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Link Time!

CasaSugar — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 14:00:43 -0700

Shop at Serena & Lily for great bedroom finds.- Simply Stated
Tour a charming Aussie cottage.- AT:LA
Take a tour around San Francisco's Mission district.- SFGirlByBay
Try resting your tookus on Hercule's noggin.- Shelterrific
Download some charming Halloween cards.- Craft
Coal and wind power battle it out in West Virginia.- Forecast Earth
Don't sacrifice design if you're on a budget. These finds are all under $40.- Daily Dose
If you're not going to get a significant raise this year, here are three other things to ask for.- SavvySugar

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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?

Casa Verde: Ikea's Latest Green Move

CasaSugar — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 05:00:53 -0800

A new Ikea store in Karlstad, Sweden, is currently installing a geothermal system, drilling 101 holes 390 feet into the ground to tap 50-60°F water. This will provide 85 percent of the stores heating needs and 75 percent of air-conditioning requirements. A geothermal system is a heat exchanger that uses the earth, ground water, or both as sources of building heat in the Winter and as a source of air conditioning in the Summer. Ikea stores in Uppsala, Helsingborg, and Malmö are tapped for similar systems. Swedish Ikea stores get 91 percent of their energy and electricity needs from renewable sources (mainly hydro and wind), while globally the average is around 40 percent.

Ikea is also proposing an upcoming energy plan that includes cutting its global energy consumption by 25 percent. In addition, they plan to supply power to all of its stores, warehouses, and offices with all-renewable energy sources, such as wind power, solar power, biofuels, and geothermal. Eva Stal, a spokeswoman for Ikea Sweden, said that "without going out on a limb, I would say that this will probably happen already between the next three to five years, globally."

This is definitely a stop in the right direction. Kudos, Ikea!

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