As an early pioneer in the renewable energy field since 1985, I had a vision to create a solar powered, secluded mountain retreat designed for sustainable living that would unite technology and ecology, resilience, and beauty.
Earth-sheltered homes are homes built using soil or substrate of some kind as external thermal mass to provide insulation, and various climate control properties. To put that in plain language, earth-sheltered homes use dirt, rock, and vegetation to protect the home from the elements.
Home clean energy project financing in Riverside County is surging higher with the launch of an innovative public-private PACE partnership, HERO (Home Energy Renovation Opportunity). HERO is boosting job creation and the local economy, along with helping consumers cut energy costs and helping the state meet its GHG emissions reduction targets […]
If sustainability and environmental responsibility weren’t enough persuasion, then cold hard cash in the form of home resale value may get homeowners to invest in green improvements. A new study finds California homes with green labels sell for $34,800, or nine percent, more than comparable homes without green certifications. … [continued]
The confluence of a stagnant housing market and consumer desire to save money is creating a green home building boom that could be worth up to $114 billion by 2016, according to a new report from McGraw Hill Construction. […]
Well, this is outside the realm of what I normally cover, but this is pretty cool. A commercial home builder, Meritage Homes, has started offering net-zero, super-green homes. With a starting price of $140,000 and incomparable electric bills, these are affordable and green. With solar panels as part of the package, you don’t even have to go through the simple trouble of finding an installer and getting solar added — probably the biggest obstacle to people going solar.
