LEDs: the popular choice for holiday lighting in '08

   Chances are, if you live in the Annapolis area, you’ve noticed the same change that I have in your neighbors’ holiday light displays over the past couple of years. Traditional incandescent lights are being replaced far and wide by strands of brightly colored LEDs. LED holiday lights come in every imaginable color and bulb style, including gem faceted, dome, teardrop, snowflakes, stars, bubble lights and more! If you want to recreate the Star of Bethlehem atop your Christmas tree this year, Home Depot carries a 12” LED white star tree topper that outshines conventional options.

   The pros of LEDs make them very appealing: by some accounts, they use 30-90% less energy than traditional incandescents and tout 20-year lifetimes. LEDs are less likely to start fires since the bulbs give off far less heat than traditional holiday lights. There are cons though as well. Some users complain that LEDs with sockets corrode from the inside out in harsh winter conditions, while LEDs without sockets cannot be replaced in the event of a burned-out bulb that doesn’t live up to the 20-year anticipated lifespan. Price-wise, LEDs seem to cost a little more upfront, although a longer lifespan would certainly offset the initial investment.

Arguably the most well-known Christmas tree in the world, the Rockefeller Center tree in New York City, made the switch to LED last year. The Rockefeller tree was covered in 30,000 LED lights and was powered by over 300 solar panels placed on top of #45 Rockefeller Center. With the solar power station, the tree was able to use an alternative energy source during peak demand hours and reduce its energy consumption by 60% according to information published at the time. The New Year’s Eve ball in Times Square is also illuminated by LEDs these days.

For more information, check out this video that shows some Consumer Report comparisons.

    After so many years in the industry, I admit to being skeptical when the “green” building movement started gaining momentum in Maryland in the last ten years. For too many years, green building was an intriguing concept and nothing more due to the prohibitive cost of construction. Then, earlier this year, I was in California with my family on business and we had the opportunity to take a tour of the Black Mountain Ranch community about 40 minutes outside of San Diego. Among the many awards the community’s garnered, it was the 2008 NAHB (National Association of Home Builders) Green Building Award Winner for Development of the Year.

   The flagship building is the Ranch House welcome center located at the entrance of this gorgeous neighborhood. The Ranch House is a certified Platinum LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) building and a net-zero energy consumption facility, thanks to a combination of a photovoltaic (PV) solar energy system, EnergyStar appliances, efficient ductwork, and the use of wind credits to offset any remaining energy use. Might sound like it could be an architectural step-child, but the design itself was extremely appealing, as you can see in the photos.

The products and techniques showcased in the Ranch House were just downright cool. For example, the permeable concrete driveway provides groundwater filtration and meets storm-water management requirements. Why wouldn’t we use this in Annapolis on our next waterfront project where storm-water issues are crucial? And the Ranch House’s insulation? Recycled blue jeans! Countertops? Sunflower husks! Other aspects are more common, but were used beautifully, like cork flooring and exposed salvaged timber beams.

The landscaping in the entire community is striking as well and runs on a weather-based satellite irrigation system, although most plantings were native to the area and draught-resistant. At the end of the tour, the group spent about an hour outside the Ranch House, enjoying the breathtaking scenery and admiring the ultra-sleek solar panels that were completely integrated into the tiled roof!

If you’re in the San Diego area, I’d strongly recommend stopping by the Black Mountain Ranch community and the welcome center in particular. It’s a groundbreaking community in many ways and very inspirational to anyone interested in green building technology. Complete information including directions are available here: http://www.blackmountainranch.com/.

Kohler, well-known to contractors and homeowners alike for attractive plumbing fixtures, has an interesting new frameless shower door product. It’s called the Minima and has a lot of attractive features that makes it a great option for those in the Annapolis area looking to make a small change in their bathroom while creating a big impact.

Designed to be the same size as most common shower spaces, the Minima is a great remodeling option since, all other factors aside, it can be a fairly easy retrofit for your local Maryland contractor. The Kohler Minima is a complete unit and only requires tiled walls, flooring and a drain, unlike other units that require a shower receptacle/pan. Another feature that makes the Minima unique: the CleanCoat coating on the glass that’s water-repellant. The coating eliminates the need for harsh chemical cleaners—a water and rag are all you need. No more streaky hard water stains to deal with!

Kohler is constantly updating their shower door line to be both modern and effective for people looking for a “luxury shower experience.” After you’ve spent several hours meticulously choosing your tile, the last thing you really want to do is draw a curtain over your artwork for the next 15 years! A frameless shower door is a functional alternative to showcase your finished project, and the Minima in particular is an appealing choice. For more information, go to www.Kohler.com. If you’re interested in installing this product in your home and live in the Annapolis area, contact me for pricing and install details.  

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Because of nature of the factory-built process, modular homes use less materials and therefore less waste during the construction process. New World Home uses popular eco-friendly building practices, such as strategically orienting the home for maximum solar gain during the cold winter months and installing recycled “vintage… light fixtures and mantles.” Additionally, locally harvested hardwood flooring lends to the overall traditional character of the home. Cabinets, paint and finishes are low-VOC and contain little or no formaldehyde, reducing dreaded off-gasing and overall toxicity of the interior itself.

Many modular home builders are shedding the old reputation of shoddy craftsmanship and doubtful structural credibility. Modular building can to be a great solution to a number of problems facing today’s home buyers. A new modular home can reduce your overall construction costs while providing you with a spacious, modern, eco-friendly home.

The criteria in the article for the homes in the competition included a Home Energy Rating System (HERS) index below 35, meaning that the home uses 65 percent less energy than a home built with traditional practices and according to standard building codes. Scott’s challenge to his team: create a home with a HERS index of 0—in other words, a home that is zero-energy! In the article, Scott defines a zero-energy home as one that “produces as much energy as it uses, so the owner purchases no energy on an annual basis.” This may seem like a confusing notion, but when you factor in a photovoltaic (PV) or wind energy system that produces the majority of the home’s energy for consumption, it begins to make sense. In Scott’s design, a PV system to generate the home’s electricity was combined with a solar water-heating system to meet the home’s energy needs.

Scott outlines several more hurtles his team jumped to achieve the zero energy rating, such as choosing premium windows, insulating with high-density cellulose and creating a “hot-roof” (described as “an unvented, super-insulated roof”). The team also installed a Mitsubishi Mr. Slim split-ductless air-source heat pump, a low-energy and cost-efficient option they were able to utilize thanks to the house’s ultra-efficient, high-performance windows. Out of six teams, Scott’s was the only one to achieve the coveted 0 HERS index.

This article intrigued me for a couple of reasons, not the least of which was the $195,200 price tag on this attractive 3-bedroom, 2-bath house. Although the design is only 1,232-square-feet including the basement, that’s a heck of a deal, even before factoring in the energy savings the homeowner will reap year after year. I took my interest a step further and downloaded the set of plans for the “Needham home” as it’s referred to in the article. Imagine my surprise to see that it was a nearly-complete set of plans that could be used to obtain a permit from Anne Arundel County this afternoon! Very little legwork needs to be done on this project, which attributes to even more savings for someone looking to build this project.

As for me, I’m filing these plans away for the time being. However, I’d love to put Scott’s concepts to work in the near future. Send me an e-mail if you would like a copy of the building plans -questions@askmarkbartlett.com.

To read the Solar Today magazine article- Click Here

Federal Incentives for Renewable Energy

Maryland Solar Energy Grant Program

Anne Arundel County Residential Property Tax Credit

Harford County Residential Property Tax Credit

Howard County Residential Property Tax Credit

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