Real Estate Update

Posts Tagged ‘green’

HeatingSave is a low-cost, revolutionary Energy Management System that saves between 15% and 30%+ off the energy used to heat and light your home. It’s controller, which replaces the central heating timeclock, contains a computer program that learns, and constantly refines, the heat loss profile of your house so that it uses the least amount of energy.

At 25 Manor Road, St Neots, the HeatingSave system is using HeatingSaves’ glass evacuated solar tubes to heat the hot water using the suns rays. As HeatingSave is controlling both the boiler and the solar panel, it is able to make further economies by using the free energy from the sun as much as possible. The heating is turned up or down automatically depending upon the heat loss profile of the house and the outside temperature, whilst the occupancy sensors automatically turn up and down the heating depending on whether anyone is at home. The same occupancy sensors automatically turn lights on/off, this time saving money off the electricity bill. The immersion heater is also controlled by HeatingSave, allowing the home owner the vary the hot water temperature; hot for the baths/showers in the morning and cooler in the day for washing up, hand-washing and the washing machine. All saving energy and money, but leaving you firmly in control. Linked to the HeatingSave controller is a PC where the householder can change settings, view daily costings to help with the household budget and view the energy savings graphs – so you can see that the system is actually working and saving you money. The HeatingSave system is linked to the Internet so you can control, set and view how well your energy management system is working – from anywhere in the world.

At 1 St Audrey Lane, St Ives the HeatingSave system is controlling the Dimplex flat solar panel and the Dimplex air heat source pump. There is no central heating boiler, with heat being extracted solely from the outside air temperature and the suns rays. HeatingSave applies the same type of control at 1 St Audrey Lane as at 25 Manor Road. Again the Tensor access control system links to HeatingSave so that the energy management system “knows” when the house is occupied or empty.

HeatingSave is a government approved by the Carbon Trust and the Energy Savings Trust to save money on your energy usage. It is also an approved product on the lord mayor of London’s “London Green500″ scheme.

HeatingSave are also helping Cambridgeshire Fire Service to reduce their heating bills, more information can be found on the Hunts Post website

The Greencell technologies – The Green House Project will take a ‘whole house’ approach to refurbishment, starting with the building fabric and insulation, windows, heating systems, ventilation, water efficiency measures and the installation of renewable energy technology including solar thermal for hot water and solar photovoltaics (PV) for energy.

A ground breaking initiative by Huntingdonshire District Council called the Green House Project has opened in St Ives Cambridgeshire. Tritechnology™ are pleased to have supplied the LED lighting throughout the house.

The Optech 40 and Optech 60 LED modules have replaced conventional 40watt and 60watt lamps in all of the decorative ceiling lights ,wall lights and standard lamps throughout the property. Tritechnology™ Module 10 LED has been used in all of the ceiling recessed downlight products

The Optech 40 and Optech 60 is a revolutionary, energy efficient ultra compact new light source, combining the lifetime and reliability of the worlds leading LED technology, with the convenience and brightness of conventional lighting The Optech 40 consumes just 7 watts and the Optech 60 just 10 watts. Achieving energy savings in excess of 80%.

All electrical, thermal and optical issues have been considered in the design, resulting in a light source that is simply plug and play

Optech 40 or Optech 60 LED modules can replace the conventional lamp and lamp holder within the majority of commercially available light fittings.

With this method the energy saving is truly sustainable. Optech is British designed and British made. Tritechnology™ is a registered trademark. If you would like more information about how to purchase this product contact Peter Malt at peterm@esea.org.uk

The Greencell technologies – Home energy use in the UK is currently responsible for producing more than 27% of all carbon emissions.

Whereas progress to reduce this is being made by improving the energy performance of new build properties, we must face the huge challenge of addressing existing, older inefficient properties, many of which will still be standing and occupied by 2050.

Such inefficient homes account for more than 90% of the existing housing stock, which highlights the importance of adapting them to suit 21st century living. Improving the thermal efficiency of existing properties will not only help meet the challenges of climate change, it will help householders tackle rising fuel costs, encourage well being and a provide a healthier living environment.

As part of Huntingdonshire District Council’s commitment to reduce carbon emissions and tackle climate change, we have purchased two properties, which will be ‘sustainably’ refurbished and opened up to the public as demonstration homes.

In Huntingdonshire approximately 67,000 homes are privately owned. There is huge potential to improve the energy and water efficiency of the properties, which will help to reduce the district’s carbon footprint and bring existing homes up to a higher level of environmental performance.

The UK Government is committed to reducing carbon emissions by 80% by the year 2050.

If we are to reduce our carbon emissions and help slow down the effects of climate change we need a step change in our thinking – the way we live, travel and refurbish our properties plays a major part in that. It’s important for the Green House Project to demonstrate and influence sustainable refurbishment and to encourage a ‘low carbon lifestyle’.

The district council is working with the Building Research Establishment (BRE), whose expertise and guidance is integral to the project. The BRE will be providing the specifications for the improvements, which will be based around the results of extensive thermal and acoustic testing which has already been undertaken in both of the houses.

The Greencell technologies – The Green House Project will take a ‘whole house’ approach to refurbishment, starting with the building fabric and insulation, windows, heating systems, ventilation, water efficiency measures and the installation of renewable energy technology including solar thermal for hot water and solar photovoltaics (PV) for energy.

Toronto is going green. I’m sure you’ve noticed a large majority of Grocery stores in Toronto are now encouraging shoppers to bring their own recyclable grocery bags. As well, Torontonians took part in the earth hour which demonstrates that we are becoming more aware of our environment. Did you ever think about living your every day life more green? Well now you can as Toronto has jumped on green band wagon with over over 2,000 green condos units.
 
You’re probably wondering what exactly makes a condo building green.  Well for example TAS DesignBuild, also Green Builder of the Year, is currently building a Green condo called the M5V, located on King at Blue Jays Way. They have included motion sensor light switches in the common areas of the condo, energy efficient appliances, dual flush toilets and a roof top rainwater retrieval system with on-site water recycling just to name a few. Living Green can also mean better indoor air quality as developers use low-emission products when installing hardwood, painting etc.  Living green means residents can enjoy energy savings of up to 25% which results in lower utility bills, less strain on our energy supply and by reducing green house emissions. All these elements contribute to increasing resale property values.
 
To encourage developers to build green, the Better Buildings Partnership- New Construction (BBP-NC) provides incentives and technical support. The goal of the BBP-NC is to encourage and assist condo developers to design and build condos in a more energy efficient manner and not to just meet the minimum standards as set out by the Ontario Building Code.

So next time you are in the market for a condo, why not be good to yourself and the environment and think Green.

Austin has long been a home for friendly folk- friendly to each other, friendly to animals, and friendly to the environment. What used to be considered as only the concerns of hippies and the bohemian sect, environmentalism is now at the forefront of commercial and residential design, and “green” businesses are popping up nationwide. Austin, however, was the first city in the United States to establish a local green-building program, laying out environmentally friendly and sustainable guidelines for home builders and its interested citizens back in 1991.

Since the Austin real estate market is known nationwide as the leader of these green building methods, the National Association of Home Builders chose the city as its hub to launch an industry-wide effort to establish green-building guidelines in 2004. These guidelines now provide a practical nationally recognized framework for builders to follow to reduce a home’s environmental impact by making them more energy efficient, improving indoor environmental quality, and so on. Though Austin has already been using similar guidelines for over a decade, now the rest of the country is following suit.

The City of Austin and Austin Energy provide a great resource to owners of Austin homes, and new home builders, who are looking for ways to conserve energy, and build an environmentally friendly home. The city’s website offers a list of companies willing to do an energy analysis of a home that will determine possible options to help the house conserve more energy, with suggestions ranging from air conditioning repair to weather stripping doors. The city then will offer a 20 to 75% of that cost.

For those Austinites building a new house or commercial building, the city created the Austin Energy Green Building organization to promote the construction of high quality, more sustainable buildings, and has even zoned sections of the city’s real estate to require an Austin Energy Green Building rating. Four times a year, the organization also holds a one day “Green By Design” workshop open to the public. The workshop provides an overview of the green building process, and brings in design, building, engineering, landscaping, and Austin real estate professionals with many years of experience in homebuilding and remodeling, to help make sense of it all.

In March of this year, Austin was named as the city leading the country in “cleantech” by SustainLane, an online resource center that offers sustainability tips to state and local government. The term “cleantech” refers to venture capital-based startups based in green technology, with Austin as the front runner with seven such startups, ranging from internet-controlled irrigation to geothermal energy technologies. To keep Austin on the cutting edge of green technology, the Clean Energy Incubator program was set up to help young clean energy businesses succeed by commercializing their ideas. With citizens, government, and forward thinking businesses, Austin will likely be the city to follow in the environmental battle for years to come.

Construction of Green Building is a technology to use all resources efficiently for the creation of human habitats which improve human health, build a better environment, increase working efficiency of human beings and minimize the cost of buildings. Green buildings are also known as sustainable buildings, which are designed, built, renovated, operated and used in an ecological and resource-efficient manner.

In fact, Green buildings are designed to meet certain objectives such as protecting occupant health; improving employee productivity; using energy, water, and other resources more efficiently; and reducing the overall impact to the environment. These buildings with good overall environmental quality can reduce the rate of respiratory diseases, allergy, asthma, sick building symptoms, and enhance worker performance. The green building construction technique include following elements:- Elements of Green Building Construction Technique

1. Proper Ventilation

Green Buildings provide adequate ventilation to all habitable rooms including bath rooms, kitchens with high-efficiency in-duct filtration system to allow proper drainage of air-conditioning coils to control humidity including heating and cooling systems which ensure indoor air quality.

2. Prevention of indoor microbial contamination

Under this technology, construction and finishing materials are selected with zero or low emissions to improve indoor air quality. Many building materials and cleaning / maintenance products emit toxic gases, such as volatile organic compounds (VOC) and formaldehyde gases which result in a detrimental impact on occupants’ health and productivity. Such products are not to be used in building construction and their finishing.

3. Utilization of recycled material for minimizing the cost of building

Demolition and reconstruction of old buildings is a continuous phenomenon. Population and demand for buildings are increasing day by day whereas our resources are depleting in the same proportion. Building construction activities consume one-sixth of the world’s fresh water withdrawals, one-fourth of its wood harvest, and two-fifths of its material and energy flow. About 22 percent waste material (bricks, concrete, wood, steel, metals, steel pipes, plastic pipes, electric wires, sanitary material etc.) of demolished buildings can be reused or recycled thus prolonging our supply of natural resources and minimizing construction cost. In green buildings, about 25 % recycled material is used.

4. Installation of glass panels

Instead of wood window glass panels are installed in green buildings to allow flow of natural light inside the building during day time.

5. Installation of Rainwater Harvesting System

The green buildings are well equipped with rainwater harvesting system to preserve depleting water resource.

6. Maximizing the use of renewable natural resources

In order to maximize the use of renewable natural resources in green buildings, the energy efficient equipments such as Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFL) and Solar Water Heating Systems etc. based on non conventional energy resources are installed.

7. Minimizing The Use of depleting resources

Since, forest cover is depleting day by day in the world, therefore, use of fresh wood is minimized in green buildings. Wherever, use of wood is considered necessary, in such buildings, the wood of fast growing trees is only used so that utilization of such material may not effect the ecological balance of the earth.

8. Minimizing energy use in green buildings

The green buildings are fixed with energy censors to minimize the use of power within the building. When there is no person within a room, the lights would automatically go off.

9. Water conservation and efficiency measures in green buildings

In green buildings, water is used in most efficient way. The gray water from bath rooms is again recycled to flush toilets.

10. Proper disposal of garbage

The garbage of green buildings is properly handled, placed and disposed off as per Building Bye Laws of respective Civic Bodies by segregating it into biodegradable and non-biodegradable wastes.

11. Maintenance of greenery

In green buildings, the open areas are well landscaped with maintenance of maximum greenery for building healthy environment.