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Inside: Turning the Corner in 2010 This Edition: April 2010

Solar installation in Carmel Valley. Design, installation, and photo by Greg Martin, K&M Electric.

Turning the Corner in 2010

2009 was the worst year for business that most of us have experienced in a long time. But 2010 is shaping up to be a big improvement (thankfully!). In fact, I’ve been so busy with all of the new business and new information that I haven’t had time to stop and write about it. So for this month, rather than limit myself to one topic, I want to just mention some of the most interesting stuff happening. LED lighting – When we first became aware that we needed to find an alternative to incandescent bulbs the only option out there was fluorescent. When I finally bit the bullet and started switching out my old light bulbs at my house I couldn’t believe how ugly and depressing light could be. When I first turned on the lights after installing fluorescent bulbs I thought that somehow my house had turned into a Soviet prison. The light quality of fluorescents has improved since then with warmer-colored bulbs, but the light rendering (whether you can still see the actual color of the object under that light) is still terrible and the bulbs contain a small amount of hazardous mercury. LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) have been out there for awhile but they have been very expensive and, for a variety of reasons, didn’t work too well. Now they are finally ready! We recently bought some LED can lights for a project which cost the same as the comparable fluorescent fixture. The LEDs produce light using even less energy than fluorescent bulbs, the bulb last about 10 times as long, and the light is beautiful – it looks a lot like light from the halogen bulbs used in many low voltage fixtures, like the MR16. CALGREEN – California has adopted a new green building code, most of which will go into effect January 1, 2011. The residential part of the new code has a lot in common with the Build It Green program, which we already use here. All in all, it will promote higher quality, more efficient buildings for California. California FIRST – On July 21, 2008 the governor of California signed AB811 into law. The effect of this was to create a program that is now being called California FIRST (Financing Initiative for Renewable and Solar Technology). This program, which is the first of its kind in the nation, creates financing districts which will offer low-interest loans to property owners to install energy upgrades and/or energy producing hardware on their homes or other buildings. The revolutionary part of this program is that the loan stays with the property and is paid back via property taxes. This program is meant to eliminate the hurdle of coming up with the up-front cost to install improvements which will reduce our dependence on non-renewable energy sources. It also eliminates the “free rider” problem, meaning that if you pay for an improvement (like a solar power system), whose life span is 20 years, but you sell the house 5 years from now, you only pay for the first 5 years of use, as the next owner continues to make the payments via the property tax. This program will roll out to residents of Monterey County, which is participating in a pilot program, some time this summer. These are some of the really exciting things happening in the world of green building. There is much much more but I will have to save that for next time.

Book Review

Creating the Not So Big House by Sarah Susanka This is just one in a series of “Not So Big House” books authored by Susanka. This one drills down into the detailed strategies for creating rich, livable, beautiful space without wasting materials on extra square footage that you will never use. In the first book in the series Susanka talks about the “furniture museum” which is the formal Living Room that nobody really uses, instead cramming into the Kitchen and Family Rooms. Her books are all about re-thinking how we create the built environment. This book is a must for anyone who wants to create elegant interior space without being wasteful. Her objective is to tell you how you can be confident that the house you build will be a space that you will love to be in.

GREEN TIP Interested in learning more about the ins and outs of solar? Get the FAQs at www.realgoodssolar.com. UPCOMING EVENTS Earth Day celebration: Ecocruz 4/17, 11:00 – 4:00. For more information Earth Day Celebration 4/17, 9:00 –1:00, Locke-Paddon Community Park, Marina Self Generation Incentive Program (SGIP) – An Overview and Update An Online Course provided by PG&E, 4/22, 11:00 – noon For more information Low Income Solar – An Overview and Update An Online Course offered by PG&E. 4/28, noon – 1:00 For more information Greening Stormwater Runoff 4/28, 5:30 – 7:00 at Greenspace, Santa Cruz. Free. R.S.V.P. to Angie: 464.2950, X22 GREEN PRODUCT Consider lighting your home with energy-efficient LEDs. Learn more. A MESSAGE FROM ROB As I said above, we are really back in the swing of things – a real relief after last year. There are so many new technologies being developed and so much work being done in our local communities to try to embrace them. I think we can all look forward to a very special period in the history of building science that will yield many incredible things very shortly. Stay tuned to this newsletter and our website for the latest breakthroughs! Best regards, Rob ANNOUNCEMENTS Build It Green Build It Green issued a press release about the CECs Energy Retrofit Bill. Read more

Carmel Building & Design offers a complete home building experience from start to finish, including design, drafting, permitting, project management, and construction, and has been building quality homes on the Monterey Peninsula since 1992. Robert Nicely, President of Carmel Building & Design, studied art at U.C. Davis and has over 20 years of experience in the construction industry. His rare combination of technical expertise and artistic sensibility allow him to provide a unique and highly successful experience for his clients. At the heart of his training and experience is a zeal for quality craftsmanship and great design. His staff includes highly skilled construction managers, job supervisors, and carpenters whose goal is complete customer satisfaction.