AGreenRealtor.com Permaculture Blog - Sustainable Architecture, Green Buildings

Green architects and builders are key to human health

2011-04-01T08:13:00.000-07:00

Modern Construction’s Use of Green Technology

Guest blogpost by K Peterson

With the emphasis on simplified form that accompanies modern architecture, the internal elements of homes have become essential. Modern architects recognize that the functional requirements and materials determine the home or building’s form, no longer separating these intertwined aspects of a structure. In addition, many modern structures now utilize green architecture, which is both sustainable and safe, adding an ornamental quality and expressed structure feel. However, the adoption of green technology also benefits those inside the structures, adding a layer of comfort and safety through the use of safe materials.

One of the most significant aspects of modern home design is the use of safe materials. Besides the effect unsustainable manufactured materials can have on the environment, the use of some of these products has proven lethal. One such product is asbestos, which found heavy usage as an insulator until the 1970s. Today we know exposure to this material leads to a cancer known as mesothelioma.

Unfortunately, symptoms generally lie dormant for 20 to 50 years, appearing decades after initial exposure and frequently mimicking other illnesses. For residents of these homes and buildings, the use of this material literally put their lives in danger.

With the evolution of architecture today, which takes into account all aspects of a home, including its potential hazards, the threat posed by irresponsible construction has largely been eliminated. However, home and business owners looking to incorporate these new green technologies into existing structures still must account for dangerous materials. Although asbestos remains safe as long as it is undamaged, contact with the material allows it to fragment and enter the air in tiny particles which can be inhaled or ingested. Although symptoms of mesothelioma might not be readily apparent, any level of exposure has been proven hazardous. For those structures undergoing repair or renovation, retrofitting them with green materials is not the only concern. The careful identification, removal and disposal of materials also must occur in these structures, which can involve considerable investment.

The recent surge in popularity of green roofs, which improves insulation, slows emission output and decreases waste water runoff, highlights a trend towards the beautification of design that adds both the functionality and sustainability we should demand from modern structures. Although sometimes in stark contrast to the austere forms of other modern structures, these buildings can add a vibrant sense of life to any building. In addition, the inclusion of this green architecture can add other fiscal benefits for the construction industry, such as the support of programs developed to promote these technologies.

As we are now learning, the incorporation of green technologies into modern architecture can add a number of benefits, both aesthetic and practical. Aside from extreme concerns, such as the disturbing mesothelioma life expectancy, owners of these homes and buildings can take pride and comfort in the use of the safest, cleanest materials possible. One alternative to asbestos is cellulose insulation, which is both efficient and a green, being comprised of 80% postconsumer newsprint. With the elimination of unnecessary details that detract from the appeal of a structure, the materials used become increasingly important as this form of architecture continues to take hold and provide a new way of looking at
housing.

USA urban foreclosures provide opportunity for Greening of America

2011-01-28T10:42:00.001-08:00

Seattle, Houston, Atlanta and Chicago; Rising foreclosure risks

Major US cities are experiencing a forsclosure crisis in 2011, and this presents a window of opportunity for urban energy efficiency and clean energy technologies. According to Alex Veiga's Associated Press report in the Toronto Star today:

In Seattle, Houston, Chicago and Atlanta, a growing number of homeowners are falling behind on mortgage payments and finding themselves on the receiving end of foreclosure warnings. Others have already seen their homes repossessed by lenders.

All told, foreclosure activity jumped in 149 of the country’s 206 largest metropolitan areas last year, foreclosure listing firm RealtyTrac Inc. said Thursday.

The firm tracks notices for defaults, scheduled home auctions and home repossessions — warnings that can lead up to a home eventually being lost to foreclosure. Job loss, rather than time-bomb mortgages resetting to higher payments, has become the main driver behind rising foreclosures.

“We’ve actually had a sea change in what’s causing foreclosures, from the overheated home prices and bad loans to a second wave of foreclosures actually caused by unemployment and economic displacement,” says Rick Sharga, a senior vice-president at RealtyTrac.

The Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown metropolitan area in Texas saw its foreclosure rate jump 26 per cent from 2009, the largest increase among the top 20 biggest metro areas, the firm said.

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, in Washington State, ranked second with an increase of nearly 23 per cent, while the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta metro area in Georgia was third with a 21 per cent bump.

In the Chicago-Naperville-Joliet metropolitan area of Illinois, foreclosure activity rose 16 per cent, while home repossessions climbed nearly 20 per cent, RealtyTrac said.

“As the economy and unemployment improve, you’ll see those markets recover fairly quickly, whereas you’re still going to have a bit of a hangover in places like California, Florida and Nevada,” Sharga said.

Those states, and Arizona, remain the country’s foreclosure hotbeds, accounting for 19 of the top 20 metropolitan areas with the highest foreclosure rates in 2010.

The worst may be behind us, but we're not out of the woods yet. Instead of packaging these homes by the dozen and selling them to the same realtors who helped get us into this mess, innovative banks should hook up with local retrofitters to "green" these homes before returning them to the real estate market.

Full AP article about Rampant foreclosures in big USA cities

Architect Eric Corey Freed offers 5 Tips to Green Your Home

2011-01-27T10:19:00.000-08:00

Courtesy of my email subscription to Inhabitat.com's newsletter (try it, you'll like it!), I was happy to see the article 5 Tips to Greening Your Home, by Organic Architect Eric Corey Freed.

TIP 1: Wrap Your Home in Insulation – “The More, The Better!”

Proper insulation is probably the most important factor you can control in creating an energy-efficient home. I always say insulation is like chocolate, the more you have, the better! On average, ½ of your home’s heating and cooling will escape through walls (35%), windows (25%), floor (15%) and roof (25%). Therefore, the first thing you should do to determine where insulation is needed is to scan your home with a thermal radiometer or infrared scanner in order to detect where your home is leaking heat.

TIP 2: Manage Your Heating and Cooling Intelligently with a Thermostat

All the insulation in the world won’t make a difference in cutting energy costs if you aren’t smart about how you heat and cool your house. This may sound blindingly obvious to some, but you can cut your heating bill in half if you are strategic about WHEN your heating and cooling is running. Without a thermostat to guide them, most heating/cooling systems are dumb and blind and will consume loads of energy keeping your bedroom nice and toasty during the day (when you are not home), or warming your living room at night (when you are asleep). If you connect your heating and cooling system to a programmable thermostat, you can heat/cool different rooms at specific times during the day when people will be in those rooms (such as between 6-8pm in the evening, after work). Many brands of thermostats (check out Honeywell) even have smart phone apps that allow you to program your heating and cooling on the fly, remotely.

TIP 3: Conserve Water Through Smart Technology

Because water seems plentiful and is all-around us, most Americans have no idea about the coming water crisis. Our water infrastructure is crumbling in this country and potable water shortages are going to become commonplace within 10 years. You can get a jump on tackling this looming problem by installing some water-saving appliances in your house, such as low-flow shower-heads and water-saving toilets. I’m a big fan of the AQUS grey water toilet, which recycles grey water from your sink to flush your toilet!

60% of the average American’s water use takes place outside the home (in irrigating water-sucking lawns), so ditch the 1950′s Cleaver-style lawn and consider “xeriscaping” – planting native foliage that doesn’t need high maintenance watering and fertilizing.

View full online article Five Tips to Greening Your House, by architect Eric Corey Freed

21st Century Architecture profiles Paul Raff, Christopher Simmonds

2011-01-06T12:42:00.000-08:00

Ontario architects Paul Raff (Toronto-based Paul Raff Studio) and Christopher Simmonds have each been profiled on the sustainable buildings blog 21st Century Architecture.

Paul Raff architecture:

Paul Raff feature on 21st Century Architecture blog

Christopher Simmonds architecture:

Christopher Simmonds feature on 21st Century Architecture blog

Toronto GTA 3D Digital Architectural Rendering

2010-12-06T10:37:00.000-08:00

Toronto and the GTA offer a wide range of interiors rendering and architectural illustration services, whether it be for a new high-rise condominium project, for a heritage building renovation or an architectural rendering for Toronto-area custom homes builder.

I recently began working at DO HERE 3d Architectural Rendering and every day I am amazed at the quality of work we do with top Toronto and international architects, plus Toronto-area and GTA home builders and interior designers. For Toronto rendering services, DO HERE offers award-winning world-class artwork that will increase the success and profitability of your project.

Call Joe at DO HERE Architectural Rendering today, via 416.273.8288 x 369 or if you are out of the Toronto /Markham / GTA region, please use our 1.866.967.0868

New Ways of Working (New WOW) honors Dr. Judith Heerwagen

2010-11-30T07:55:00.000-08:00

Dr. Judith Heerwagen is an environmental psychologist whose research and writing have focused on social impacts of sustainable design, workplace performance and behavioral change. She currently serves as Program Expert in the Office of Federal High Performance Green Builldings for the U.S. General Services Administration.

In recognition and appreciation of her contributions in workplace research, New Ways of Working (New WOW), an organization dedicated to examining the changing nature of work in a distributed world, has awarded Dr. Heerwagen an honorary fellowship for the 2011 calendar year.

Over the past decade, Dr. Heerwagen ran her own research and consulting business in Seattle. Previously, she was a research faculty member at the University of Washington, Department of Architecture, and a staff scientist at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. At both the University of Washington and PNNL, her research focused on sustainable architecture and the occupant experience in buildings. She has lectured widely on the human factors of sustainable design, workplace productivity, and the impacts of physical space on emotional, social and cognitive functioning. In 2005, she was named Environmental Champion by ASID. Dr. Heerwagen has been a member of the US Green Building Council since 2000 and currently serves as the vice chair of the USGBC research committee. She is a co-editor of Biophilic Design: The Theory, Science and Practice of Bringing Buildings to Life (Wiley, 2008) and author of numerous papers. She received a PhD in psychology from the University of Washington and a BS in communications from the University of Illinois.

Read full article on New Ways of Working honors Dr. Judith Heerwagen for green building research

EnviroCities calls for the Zero Carbon City

2010-11-30T07:31:00.000-08:00

During the 2nd day of the EnviroCities conference in United Arab Emirates, "Sustainable Cities: Strategy, Elements and Indicators to Counterbalance Climate Change," was presented by Prof. Mohsen Aboulnaga, Government Strategy & Policy Advisor and main founder of Emirates Green Building Council.

"Creating and designing cities is one of the most complex and sophisticated processes as they ultimately consume most natural resources, an awful amount of energy, and use huge quantities of water as well as produce air pollution and generate waste. These pose a huge risk to our health and environment, and ultimately contribute to climate change; a phenomenon that is of prime global concern," Aboulnaga pointed out.
"Another crucial dimension impacting climate change is the gigantic rise in world population particularly, in urban areas and beyond," he pointed out.

According to the United Nations 2009 report on water shortage, and keeping in mind the world's high energy consumption rates, it is becoming assertive that strategy and policy, and its assessment tools in sustainable national planning should be firmly developed and exploited to put forward appropriate key performance indicators to encounter such great challenges and ensure our cities are sustainable," said Aboulnaga.

"To curb green house gases emissions and reduce its impact on climate change, it is vital to efficiently plan our cities to be sustainable yet, to diligently develop strategy and policies that promote sustainability to the extent these cities are eco-friendly and maintained," he said.

Full article on Creating and Sustaining Eco-friendly Cities

Greening an Office Tower; An Architect's Advice

2010-11-26T11:21:00.000-08:00

The following is excerpted from an article by Dermot Sweeny (Sweeny Sterling Finlayson & Co) in the May 2010 issue of Sustainable Architecture and Building Magazine:

Natural light

There is lots of anecdotal evidence, and some empirical evidence, to support our contention that natural light and views to the outside are critical contributors to stimulation, human comfort and well being. Effective daylight harvesting depends on capitalizing fully on daylight penetration into the space while controlling direct sunlight and glare.

We achieve this by maximizing ceiling heights, arguing successfully with our clients that the best compromise between economy and performance is achieved with a 13ft. floor-to-floor height incorporating 18in. of raised floor, a 10in. slab, and ceiling heights approaching 11ft., with full height glazing for excellent natural light penetration.

ASHRAE has tended to discourage this fully-glazed approach in order to increase insulation levels and reduce solar heat gain or conversely heat loss. This resulted in a reduction of glazed surface from somewhere between 80% and 90% in Mies’ day, to about 40% in the 1990s. What ASHRAE fails to recognize is that over the same period, the relative importance of solar gain through windows has been reduced both by advancements in glazing technology, and by the dramatic increase in internal heat loads noted above.

While it is still important to work on reducing the amount of excess heat in buildings, we believe that the environmental and psychological benefits of natural light far outweigh the disadvantages of any additional solar heat gain. We do, however, work to control heat gain, and the negative effects of glare while maximizing the positive attributes of daylight.

Typically, an external solar shading device at a height of approximately nine feet creates a clerestory and shades the glass curtain wall below. At the same time, an internal light shelf aligned with the exterior solar shade reflects sunlight penetrating the clerestory off the concrete slab and deep into the building. The light shelf is coupled with a roller blind that lowers automatically [while the light shelf rotates upward] in response to solar intensity and potential glare. The blind never comes to the floor so some views are always maintained.

The additional ceiling height enables us to suspend indirect lighting fixtures fitted with T5 or T8 fluorescent lamps. The goal is to achieve even, ambient lighting. Experience has demonstrated that where there is too much variation the natural tendency is to enhance the dark spots by introducing more light. This of course uses more energy and costs more money.

We find that if we can achieve savings by designing for lower overall lighting levels, it is easier to convince clients to invest money in control systems that further improve energy efficiency. Maximizing indirect lighting also dramatically reduces glare which further increases human comfort.

Full article on Converting office towers to green sustainable technology

World Green Building Week honours top architects and retrofitters

2010-09-21T10:33:00.000-07:00

Green buildings often cost up to 5 percent more than traditional buildings during construction, but will reduce waste output by 70 percent, water usage by 40 percent and energy usage by 30 to 50 percent. As part of the campaign, the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) has released a new report outlining the impact of building green.

According to the United Nations Environment Programme, buildings consume between 30-40% of global energy. There is no single larger global contributor – and thereby potential reducer – of carbon than the building sector. Green buildings can also play a central role in providing affordable housing, job creation and disaster recovery, according to a new report from the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) launched today at the start of World Green Building Week. The building sector directly employs 5-10% of the workforce in most countries.

Tackling Global Climate Change, Meeting Local Priorities highlights how green buildings can play a valuable role in meeting local needs worldwide, including in areas hit by natural disasters, as well as providing the most cost-effective way of tackling climate change.

"In the past some thought we could only address environmental concerns when the going was good and that 'green' had to take a back seat to economic growth when times got challenging" notes Jane Henley, CEO of WorldGBC. "This report shows that to be a false choice. We have a growing evidence base of international examples in which homes, buildings and communities are addressing pressing local needs and reducing carbon emissions at the same time."

"Buildings are simply the most cost-effective way of reducing carbon emissions and policy-makers around the world must recognize this at the upcoming international negotiations at COP16 in Mexico," Jane Henley says.

"This is a timely message. The impact of the financial crisis is still with us, while the situation in Pakistan provides a reminder of the terrible devastation that natural disasters can cause," says Paul King, CEO of the UK Green Building Council and Chair of the WorldGBC Policy Taskforce. "The challenges facing countries around the world may vary locally, but a common theme remains – the importance of the built environment in providing communities with a high quality of life. As we also strive to radically reduce carbon emissions we can't miss these win-win opportunities – tackling global climate change and meeting local priorities."

ABOUT WORLD GREEN BUILDING WEEK:

WorldGBC and its member green building councils celebrated the inaugural World Green Building Day on September 23 2009 to raise the profile of green buildings globally in the lead up to COP15 in Copenhagen.

This year's World Green Building Week will be celebrated through a number of key activities including the launch of the WorldGBC Special Report 'Tackling Global Climate Change – Meeting Local Priorities' and a host of synchronized green building events around the world.

Green building councils in over 20 countries around the world will be hosting an event in or around this week, including:

Australia: The GBCA will be hosting a 'Green Tie' Gala Dinner on September 22, as well as encouraging members to host their own events – from site tours and debates through to green treasure hunts. For more information on the range of activities: www.gbca.org.au/world-green-building-week-2010.asp

Colombia: The Colombia Green Building Council will be holding a Green Building Seminar on September 23 with invited government representatives to increase awareness of actions necessary to support the growth of green building initiatives across the country.

South Africa: The Green Building Council of South Africa will be holding its 3rd annual Green Building Convention & Exhibition on September 20-22. Drawing on the growing energy of the African Regional Network, the GBCSA will also be holding an Africa GBC Day on September 23, bringing together developing green building councils from across the African continent.

United Kingdom: The UK Green Building Council will be holding an event at City Hall in London, with keynote speaker Mayor of London Boris Johnson.

More Green Energy links:

Online Media Release about World Green Building Week

Geothermal Energy Investing website

PV Solar Stocks Investing blogs

Away to an Island Paradise; Canada's PEI

2010-07-29T12:10:00.000-07:00

I'll be out of the office from July 3oth to August 10th, as my wife and I, plus our 20 year old triplets, are off to PEI this Friday (July 30th) for our Trainor Family Reunion (last one was 1989!!!).

If any of you are ecology-minded AND compassionate, please visit some of my other blogs also, and feel free to support our sponsors (eg click on the ads!!!):

Harness Horses Racing Breeding

Wind Energy Investing Info

Geothermal Power Stocks

PV Solar Power Companies

Windpower Stocks to Watch

Water Purification Desalination Stocks

A Green Realtor Blog Website

Peace 2 All,

Joe Trainor

MCS Real Estate Systems NEW LOOK SITES

2010-07-27T13:49:00.000-07:00

Smart Phone Friendly Websites for Ontario Realtors

My employer MCS Real Estate Systems has recently launched 2 new leading edge templates, with tremendous functionality and they are also fully smartphone-friendly, and look amazing on an iPad!!!

Here are samples of the new T3 look:

www.ZacAttack.com (NEW Look T3 White/Silver, Level 4 Service)

www.OshawaBowmanville.com (NEW Look T3 White/Silver, Level 4 Service)

www.TeriLynnHilson.com (NEW Look T3 Black/Grey, Level 3 Service)

www.MartinEckert.com (NEW Look T3 Black/Grey, Level 4 Service)

Here are some websites created by MCS, the Canadian leader in elegance and fucntionality:

www.ErinHayes.ca (Fully custom, Level 4 Service)

www.IndiaWhite.ca (Basic Marketing Package, Style #2, Level 3)

www.JasonAtkins.com (Fully Custom, Level 3 Service)

www.RyanDeCastro.com (Basic Marketing Package, Style #14, Level 3)

www.MississaugaHomesCondos.com (Basic MP, NEW version Style #1, Level 4)

www.TorontoVaughan.com (Basic Marketing Package, Style #2, Level 4)

www.DeanSwanson.com (Fully Custom, Level 3 Service)

www.DebraBain.com (Executive Class custom, Level 4 Service)

If you are a realtor looking to have someone handle all your web stuff for you, MCS offers Full Service Web Support, and realtors love working with us because we do everything for you!

Call me, Joe Trainor (it's my real name, my family are PEI Trainors), at 1.866.470.4007 x 239 for a FREE Web Strategy Consultation.

Ontario Real Estate Links webpage

2010-06-30T13:28:00.000-07:00

Here are some links that may be helpful to Ontario Realtors:

Ontario Real Estate Association

Websites for Ontario Realtors

RECO - Real Estate Council of Ontario

MLS.ca Online Home Listings Search

Happy Canada Day everyone!!!

Peace,

Joe T

Mesothelioma Information, effects of asbestos exposure

2010-03-05T13:50:00.000-08:00

Another blogger asked me to post a link to this website about asbestos and mesothelioma cancers, but the website is so thorough and helpful that I thought I'd provide more than just a link.

Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer that typically affects the lining of the lungs, heart and abdomen. Approximately 2,000 to 3,000 cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed each year in the United States, comprising around 3 percent of all cancer diagnoses. This cancer occurs about four times more frequently in men than in women and all forms of mesothelioma, except for benign mesothelioma, are invariably fatal.

The life expectancy for mesothelioma patients is generally reported as less than one year following diagnosis, however a patient’s prognosis is affected by numerous factors including how early the cancer is diagnosed and how aggressively it is treated.

Welcome To The Mesothelioma Center

Asbestos.com is committed to providing the latest, up-to-date information to our visitors in the hopes of spreading awareness about the dangers of asbestos cancer. This website offers a one-stop resource on all asbestos issues ranging from occupational exposure to mesothelioma treatment options. As the leading asbestos and mesothelioma resource, Asbestos.com offers more than 3000 pages of the most comprehensive and cutting edge information on the web.

Visit the Mesothelioma Center Official Website

Also check out malignant mesothelioma information on wikipedia

15 Clean Energy Technology Growth Stocks for 2010

2010-01-01T16:42:00.000-08:00

15 Best Green Energy Stocks for 2010

Top Alternative Energy and Renewable Power stock picks for 2010:

1. ITRI - Itron, Inc. (Itron), provides products and services to utilities for energy and water markets globally, and is a provider of metering, data collection and software.

Itron company website link

2. AMSC - American Superconductor Corporation (AMSC) is an energy technology solutions company, offering products and services based on two technologies: programmable power electronic converters and high temperature superconductor (HTS) wires. The two primary markets it serves are the wind energy market and the power transmission and distribution or power grid market.

American Superconductor AMSC company website

3. CSIQ - Canadian Solar Inc. (CSI) designs, develops, manufactures and sells solar cell and module products that convert sunlight into electricity. CSIQ conducts all of its manufacturing operations in China. It sells its products under its Canadian Solar brand name and to original equipment manufacturing customers under their brand names. It also implements solar power development projects, primarily in conjunction with government organizations.

Canadian Solar photovoltaic stock

4. CLNE - Clean Energy Fuels Corp. (Clean Energy) is a provider of natural gas as an alternative fuel for vehicle fleets in the United States and Canada. CLNE designs, builds, finances and operates fueling stations, and supplies customers with compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG), and also helps them acquire and finance natural gas vehicles, and access government rebates and incentives. Clean Energy serves fleet vehicle operators in a variety of markets, including public transit, refuse hauling, airports, taxis, seaports, and regional trucking.

Clean Energy Fuels official website

5. LON-CWP - Clipper Windpower PLC (Clipper) is engaged in the design, engineering and manufacturing of advanced wind turbines and developing wind energy projects, including engineering, construction, and plant operation. The Company also retains partial ownership in certain wind energy projects. It manufactures the 2.5 megawatts Liberty wind turbine and actively develops wind power generating projects in the Americas and Europe.

Clipper Windpower PLC, CWP company website

6. BOM: 532667 - Suzlon Energy Limited (SEL) is an India-based wind power company. The Company is engaged in the manufacture of wind turbine generators (WTGs) of various capacities and its components.

Suzlon Energy global windpower leader

7. CVE:WND - Western Wind Energy Corp. (Western Wind) owns two wind energy electrical generation facilities and is developing wind energy projects in California and Arizona. WND currently owns over 500 wind turbines with 34.5 MW of rated capacity and a further 131MW of expansion power purchase agreements in the States ofCalifornia and Arizona.

http://www.westernwindenergy.com/

8. YGE - Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited (Yingli Green Energy) is a vertically integrated photovoltaic (PV) product manufacturer in China. The Company designs, manufactures and sells PV modules and designs, assembles, sells and install PV systems. Yingli Green Energy’s end-products include PV modules and PV systems in different sizes and power outputs. It sells PV modules under its own brand names, Yingli and Yingli Solar, to PV system integrators and distributors located in various markets worldwide, including Spain, Germany, the United States and China.

http://www.yinglisolar.com

9. TSL - Trina Solar Limited is an integrated solar-power products manufacturer based in China. The Company sell and market the products globally, including in a number of European countries, such as Germany, Spain and Italy.

http://www.trinasolar.com/

10. ORA - Ormat Technologies, Inc. (Ormat) is engaged in the geothermal and recovered energy power business. The Company designs, develops, builds, owns and operates geothermal recovered energy-based power plants, usually using equipment that it designs and manufactures. The Company develops, builds, owns and operates geothermal and recovered energy-based power plants in the United States and geothermal power plants in other countries around the world, and sells the electricity generated by these plants.

http://www.ormat.com/

11. APWR - A-Power Energy Generation Systems, Ltd. (A-Power) is a renewable energy company in China, engaged in providing onsite distributed power generation systems and micro power grids for industrial companies. The size of its projects range from 5 megawatt to 400 megawatt and allow its customers, which require heavy electrical input, to recapture previously wasted heat and gas from their manufacturing processes to generate electricity.

http://www.apowerenergy.com/

12. AMAT - Applied Materials, Inc. (Applied) provides Nanomanufacturing Technology solutions for the global semiconductor, flat panel display, solar and related industries, with a portfolio of equipment, service and software products. AMAT's clients include manufacturers of semiconductor wafers and chips, flat panel liquid crystal displays, solar photovoltaic cells and modules (solar PVs), and other electronic devices.

http://www.appliedmaterials.com/

13. JASO - JA Solar Holdings Co., Ltd. (JA Solar) is engaged in the development, production and marketing of photovoltaic (PV) solar cells, which convert sunlight into electricity, in the People's Republic of China (PRC).

http://www.jasolar.com/

14. AOS - A. O. Smith Corporation is a manufacturer of water heating equipment and electric motors, serving a diverse mix of residential, commercial and industrial end markets principally in the United States.

http://www.aosmith.com

15. OTC: SHCAY (Sharp Corp ADR) - Sharp Corporation is a Japan-based company engaged in the manufacture and sale of electronic telecommunication devices, electronic machines and components. The Company operates in two business divisions. The Sharp Solar division is a world-leading alternative energy manufacturer.

http://sharp-world.com/

Green Realtor Associations of North America

2009-12-21T20:16:00.000-08:00

Here are some links to green realty associations, ecological realtor groups, green builder guilds and more:

Green designation for agents AND property managers recognized by the National Association of REALTORS®

NAR Green Resource Council

National Association Of Green Agents and Brokers (NAGAB) is Canada's largest Non Profit association of Greerealestate™ Real Estate representatives.

Canadian Green Realtor Association

Green Tool Kit for REALTORS®. A a collaboration between the BC Real Estate Association and the Greener Realty Association,

Green Resources for Realtors

HomeFinder.com Guide to Green Realtors

Working with a Certified Green Realtor

Guide to USA Green Home Builders

Green Builders Online Directory

ListedGreen.com Eco-friendly Homes and Properties

Find Organic Land and Green Homes For Sale

Green Building and Environmental Trends

Eco-friendly Building and Construction Blog Website

Optimization for realtors; optimizing real estate websites

2009-11-03T13:47:00.000-08:00

The key to successful optimization of a realtor website is localizing localizing localizing...

Important factors to consider:

1) Keywords within links to your website, and within internal links on your website

2) Keywords "after the slash" eg. in page title names

3) Keywords in domain name

4) Page content

5) Meta Tags

Let's look at these areas one at a time:

1 - Anchor Text, or "phrased links"

When you are linking your website from another webpage, use a phrase in the hyperlink that you'd like to come up for on Google, for example, Find Markham luxury homes, then link your website from that phrase.

I work at MCS Real Estate Systems (if you are an Ontario realtor seeking a strong web solution call 1866.470.4007 x 239 or just ask for Joe), so if I am linking our website from another website or blog, I may use something like:

Toronto Real Estate website design, web design for Ontario realtors

Note that the underlying link is to www.mcsres.com

For competitive terms, like "toronto real estate", there will be thousands of links to major websites, so pick an area or three and get farming. Think in terms of neighborhoods, subdivisions, towns and areas. Phrases like Unionville detached homes, or Maple luxury homes, or Streetsville family home, will be more successful than Markham homes or Scarboro real estate.

2 - Keywords "after the slash"

Think about it; while keywords in the domain tell Google what your 50-page website is all about, the keywords after the slash (eg. Page Title at end of URL) let Google's index know what that specific page is about. For example:

JohnRealtor.com/SearchBurlingtonHomes.html

GTAproperties.com/MarkhamLuxuryHomes

See how there is much more detailed info after the slash? Name your pages properly and you'll come up in a wider variety of searches and generate more leads from the web.

3. Keywords within the domain name

Something like SearchTorontoHomes.com will usually (not always, as #1 factor remains keyworded links to your website - anchor text) rank higher for that specific phrase and variants of it than something like JohnSmithRealtor.com would.

This is particularly important if you are farming a new subdivision area or section of town you really like. The smaller the area, the more value you'll get out of having keywords in the domain. Now, you don't want all your branding to reflect one small area, so if you register a domain name for an area you are farming / prospecting, consider it a sub-brand, and create a page on your website about that subdivision, then forward that domain to that page. A web branding rule: Main brands point to homepage via DNS, sub-brands forward to specific sub-page via Enable Forwarding (a GoDaddy.com term).

4. Words content on your website

The more you write about various parts of your city and cool towns nearby, the wider a range of searches you will come up in at Google. Search engines want to deliver relevant results. To make your website relevant to what your ideal client would search for at Google, write down the 15 phrases that this ideal client might type into the Google search engine.

Now try and work 3 or 4 of of those phrases into sentences on each page of your website, making your web presence organically relevant to what your desired client would search for. How do you do this? Okay, let's say these are 2 of your phrases:

find Toronto homes

If you are looking to find Toronto homes for sale online, THIS is the website for you!

Markham luxury homes

We offer expertise on elegant homes and properties throughout the Toronto GTA region, including the best neighborhoods for Markham luxury homes, Richmond Hill detached houses and luxurious Thornhill condos; call today!

5. Meta Tags - Not what they used to be!!!

Before Google began their global takeover (they ARE the 800 pound gorilla we were all afraid Microsoft might become...) in 1998, meta tags were a key factor in deciding search engine rankings, but not any more. They can still break a tie, however, so do a great job on your meta tags and this will enhance your search engine rankings. A couple of tips:

a) Do separate meta tags for each of your crucial pages

b) Whenever possible, don't use any keywords that are not on that specific page

Many happy returns!!!!

Links Relevant to Real Estate SEO:

AgentBuddy.com realtor website SEO

RealEstateWebsiteSEO.com Optimization for realtors

RealtyRankings.com Real Estate SEO

SEOforRealtorsBlog.com SEO Tips for real estate agents

Real Estate website design:

Website with listings for Ontario realtor

Professional website for USA real estate agent

Website Links for Toronto GTA Real Estate Agents

2009-09-26T21:12:00.000-07:00

Toronto GTA Websites for Realtors

MCS Real Estate Systems offers websites with listings and lead capture for Ontario real estate agents, with exclusive competitive advantages for realtors with Remax, Royal LePage, Sutton Group and any agents in Durham Region.

Ontario Realtor website with listings IDX

Toronto GTA Real Estate Agents: Links for Your Website

Here are some links that Toronto-area realtors may find helpful when working on localizing your websites:

Toronto Parks and Recreation

Toronto Public Libraries Information

Toronto Catholic Schools Info

Toronto Public Schools official website

Toronto GTA Private Schools Information

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

TTC - Toronto Transit Commission

Ontario GO Trains - Go Transit website

Realtor.ca Ontario Homes For Sale search website

PropertySold.ca Canadian real Estate For Sale By Owner

Realtor.com Toronto Homes Condos search

HowRealtorsHelp.ca Canadian Homebuyers Information website

MCS Real Estate System Online Marketing for Realtors

ByTheOwner.com Ontaio FSBOs Real Estate For Sale

Toronto Board of Trade official website

Ontario Chamber of Commerce online

Toronto Real Estate Board

CMHC Canadian Mortgage Loan Insurance

Explanations of legal terminology from Toronto Real Estate Board

Wikipedia entry on Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation

Wikipedia webpage on Toronto

Wikipedia page about Mississauga

HomeTrader.ca Online GTA Home Showcase

IncomRealEstate.com Websites for Toronto Realtors

Free IDX for TREB - Web Templates for Toronto Real Estate Agents

Toronto Zoo official website

Toronto District School Board

Toronto GTA Catholic School Board

Peace 2 All!

11 Top Real Estate Web Design Companies: North America

2009-09-17T16:50:00.000-07:00

Here is a brief alphabetical list of USA and Canada web design companies specializaing in real estate websites for realtors, websites for real estate agents, web design and optimization for real estate brokers, real estate website SEO, real estate IDX and websites for real estate offices:

AgentImage.com Real Esate website design

IncomRealEstate.com Online Market and web design for realtors and real estate offices

Internet Marketing Consultants Custom / Semi-custom Real Estate websites

MCS Real Estate Systems Web Marketing for Realtors; Ontario real estate listings IDX system

Money Maker 4 Agents Internet software and web site solution

Point2.com Real Estate Websites and Listings Network

RealEstateWebmasters.com Template and Custom Real Estate Web Development

RealtySoft.com Value websites for realtors, plus free IDX for many MLS providers

RealWebLeads.com real estate website design and seo solution

TopProducer.com Real Estate Websites and CRM Solutions

Z57.com Web Markeing for real estate professionals

Green Energy Stocks Websites and Clean Power Technology Blogs

2009-09-12T10:50:00.001-07:00

Here are some links to many of the top alternative energy investing websites and green power blogs:

AltEnergyStocks.com

Alternative Energy Investing Research Reports

American Solar Energy Society

BionomicFuel.com Environmental Biofuels

Clean Energy News Blog

DOE Renewable Power and Energy Efficiency

European Wind Energy Association

FindSolar.com Solar Energy Products Portal

Geothermal Power Stocks Investing

Green Chip Stocks

Green Stocks Central

Green Stocks Investing Info

GreenProgress.com for a Green Future

InvestorIdeas.com Alternative Energy Stocks Investing

New Alternatives Fund Green Investing

PVintell.com Photovoltaic Solar Energy Stocks

RenewableEnergyFocus.com Leading Green Power Website

Renewable Energy Stocks Blog

Renewable Energy World

RenewableEnergyStocks.com

RenewableWealth.com Socially Responsible Investing

SociallyResponsible.org

SolarEnergyInvesting.com Solar Power Stocks

Solar Intelligence Blog; Clean Energy as a Path to Peace

Solar Stocks List

SolarBuzz.com Green Energy News

SolarIntell.com Solar Power Stocks

Sustainable Business

Texas Renewable Energy Industry Association

WaterIntell.com Water Purification, Wave Power, Tidal Energy

WindIntell.com Wind Energy Investing

World Wind Energy Association

Partner Websites:

Bees Trees Frogs Elephants Nature Blog

Wind Energy Stocks Investing Info

Geothermal Power Companies Websites Links

Leading Global Green Power Companies

6 Best Toronto GTA Real Estate Web Design Companies

2009-09-12T10:10:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the leading Toronto-area Ontario web design companies specializing in real estate or offering websites for realtors:

MCS Real Estate Systems websites for realtors

Moneymaker 4 Agents

RealtySoft.com for Brokers and Agents

RealWebLeads.com Websites CRM SEO

IncomRealEstate.com Websites for Realtors

5fish.net Real Estate Web Design and SEO for Ontario and BC

New SEO Anchor Text Webpage plus SEO for Realtors section

2009-07-05T11:26:00.000-07:00

Here is the new website that provides links to explanations of how SEO Anchor Text is beneficial to optimization efforts:

SEO Anchor Text Explained, Info on Optimizing with Anchor Text

The section with SEO Links for Realtors is in the column to your left, and updates automatically with blog posts designed to help real estate agents and realty office websites to rank higher in search engine results.

504 Loan DOUBLES: Now allows max $4 million financing for greening buildings

2009-06-15T21:43:00.000-07:00

HuffingtonPost.com is featuring this article about how real estate investors can get up to $4 million in financing by reducing energy consumption by 10% or more (eg. conservation, efficiency technolgy) and/or by introducing green, renewable power. Considering the type of market many cities are in, buildings most suitable for a green retrofit are likely to be in demand.

Here's the article:

The Small Business Admistration has amended its existing 504 loan program, which was originally created to encourage small- to medium-sized business owners to acquire commercial property by providing them with long-term, fixed-rate financing. One of the biggest accommodations is that these loans required a minimal equity requirement and the size of the loan correlates directly to the borrower's impact on the community, including revitilizing and stimulating local business, improving and diversifying the district, and expanding a minority-, woman-, or veteran-owned business.

The new loan program has now been doubled to a maximum of $4 million to borrowers who reduce energy consumption by 10 percent or generate renewable energy. This opens up whole new avenues to businesses that focus on sustainable design, reduce energy consumption, and promote renewable energy generation. This is where some of the federal government's stimulus programs' rubber is beginning to meet the road. Although the SBA 504 loan program was originally intended to revitalize local areas through its financing program, this new expansion literally broadens these possibilities on an exponential level. Sustainability, in a way, has been considered a minority class on a pure business level. Now the seeds are being planted in order to invigorate a model that is not only essential on an environmental level, but on a profitable business level as well.

Full on;line story about green real estate loans by Jonathan Schein

The 3 Biggest Mistakes Realtors are Making in 2009

2009-06-10T13:44:00.000-07:00

Here are 3 common, revenue-killing errors in perception and practice that real estate agents and brokers are making this year:

1 – Exclusively focusing on the “sell” side
2 – Not utilizing the effectiveness of web marketing
3 – Waiting for things to “turn around”

In more detail:

#1 - Working the SELL side only; in 90% of North America, this makes no sense, as the money is being made on the buy side! This is the biggest buyer's market in the past 75 years. Does your branding reflect service to buyers? Has your website been keyworded to appear in front of homebuyers?

Have you summarized and linked the 8k Federal Housing Tax Credit info on your website? Have you thought about and contacted previous clients who may be ready to move up during this biggest buyer’s market in UDSA history?

Having written all that, listings are always useful, and providing great service to buyers during this phase will set you up well for 2010 / 2011 listings presentations, as you’ll be known as the realtor who “has lots of buyers looking.”

#2 - Underestimating the power of the Internet. You wouldn't believe how many realtors say "I only want to have one website"; they may as well say, "I don't want to make a lot of money." Where I work (joe.trainor@realtysoft.com or via 1.866.857.1657 x 113) you can get a lead generation website with world-class IDX and a domain name and hosting included all for less than $20 a month via our annual deal (THIS month June 2009), but even if you’re spending a lot more, the key is to optimize it well during the first few months. After that, you’ll only need to spend 20-30 minutes per month to keep it generating high quality leads.

#3 – NOT being proactive; if you are thinking and expecting other people will call you, it’s time to get back to doing everything as if it's your first year in the business. Touch base with your prospects and regularly make 20 calls per day and you’ll see your situation start to turn around.

Send me an email if you are looking to gereate more leads and revenue from the web, and we can send you some samples to view or set you up with a free trial, whatever you prefer!

Home Builders - Wells Fargo Housing Market Index for May up to 16, from 14 in April

2009-05-18T15:13:00.000-07:00

Emerging optimism that a bottom may have been reached in USA housing markets was confirmed by the Home Builders / Wells Fargo Housing Index and good news from the banks also helped ignite the North American stock markets today.

From vantage points in the UK and in Canada, American real estate has looked quite inexpensive for close to a year now, and it seems that US home buyers and real estate investors are about to begin celebrating the biggest buyers market in the past 75 years. This accumulation stage may be followed by a longer than usual bull run, as all of the air has been taken out of prices, and solid values abound.

Summary of Rules $8,000 USA Federal Housing Tax Credit Info

2009-05-12T11:39:00.000-07:00

Here are the basic eligibility requirements for the 8k tax credit for US first-time home buyers:

$8,000 Home Buyer Tax Credit Rules Summary

Tax credit is for first-time home buyers only.
This credit does not have to be repaid in any form.
The credit is equal to 10 percent of the home’s purchase price up to a maximum of $8,000.
The federal tax credit is for homes purchased on or between January 1, 2009 and November 30, 2009.
Married couples with incomes up to $150,000 qualify for the full tax credit; Single taxpayers with incomes up to $75,000 also qualify.

More online information about the $8,000 Tax Credit for new homebuyers in USA

EXPANDED List of Green Realtor, Eco-communities and Environmental Realty Links

2009-03-28T10:38:00.000-07:00

Green Realtor and Enivronmental Real Estate Links

America's Top Ten Green Homes Communities

Eco Business Links - Green Real Estate

Eco Property Canada - Online Ecology Resource

Green DC Realty

Green Key - SF Ecological Realty Blog

Greenbridge Community in Chapel Hill NC

GreenBuilder.com Sustainable Homes Real Estate

GreenerHomes.ca Dexter Associates Realty Vancouver

GreenHomesForSale.com

GreenHomesForSale.com - Healthy Homes Marketplace

Green Real Estate Agents Directory

Greening Seattle

GreenOntario.org Finding a Green Home

HOST - Low- to moderate-incoming green housing project in Portland OR

Issaquah Highlands in Cascade Mountains, Washington

ListedGreen.com Sustainable Energy Efficient Properties

Meuller Austin Geen Community in Austin Texas

Navy Yard brownfield redevelopment in North Charleston, SC

Prairie Crossing in Grayslake Illinois

Southern California Green Real Estate Blog

Stapleton Green Redevelopment Reclamation Project in Denver CO

Green Real Estate and Mortgage News; Federal Housing Tax Credit link

2009-02-18T18:15:00.000-08:00

Here you will find environmental real estate news, government housing programs, HUD homes and a link to the Federal Tax Credit for new homebuyers.

Feel welcome to suggest any additional links for homeowners refinancing assistance and otherhelpful residential real estate links.

Federal Housing Tax Credit website link

Webpage linking to HUD Homes in every state

HUD housing programs homepage

USDA Rural Housing Programs

Wikipedia.org webpage on USA Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008

Post your suggestions!

Renovation and Retrofitting to be core of Obama Real Estate Rally

2008-11-05T10:09:00.000-08:00

Think about all those foreclosed homes, about the USA energy crisis, about the $15 billion for clean renewable energy, and get ready for another decade-long real estate boom. REO flips may just require a coat of paint and a bit of landscaping, but to generate true value in renovating and modernizing a house for sale, retro-fitting for energy effiency and self-sufficiency will be sure to add value, with a variety of existing and proposed conservation and clean energy grants available to help with conversions.

More Green Power Info:

Green Energy Stocks Information

Geothermal Power Company Websites Links

Wind Energy Investing Tips, Windpower Stocks

PVintell.com Photovoltaic Solar Energy Stocks

Green Realtor News; Environment-friendly Real Estate

2008-10-13T09:41:00.000-07:00

Recent News and Views around the Green realtor / eco-friendly homes world

Environment-friendly resources for realtors and homebuilders

First 6 of Brad Pitt's Make It Right Green Homes In New Orleans Complete

Five Green Stocks to benefit from Obama Election Victory

Green Energy Stocks to benefit from Ecological Green Realtor movement

Realtors are Encouraged to Learn to Think Green - Homes101.net article

More green energy stocks investing links:

Wind Power Stocks, Green Energy Investing Info

Solar Energy investing, Renewable Power Stocks Links

Pure Water Investing, Desalination Stocks, Tidal Power, Wave Energy

Green Energy Stocks Investing Info News

PVintell.com Photovoltaic Stocks Investing Information

Geothermal Power Stocks Investing

5 Best Stocks for Greening of America Rally

2008-10-09T17:04:00.000-07:00

Five Green Stocks to benefit from Obama Election Victory

Everything is faling into place for one massive green stocks Obama Rally, and the biggest, fastest economic turnaround in world history!

A few positive signs for the stock market:

- Oil prices have fallen dramatically in recent months, lessening their devastating economic impact and improving margins for many companies with high fleet and fuel expenses.

- The US dollar has been under pressure for years, allowing for global competitiveness now and in the coming months and years, a sustained longterm rise in the value of the currency versus other major currencies, such as the yen, euro and pound.

- Equity prices have been spooked by the liquidity crunch in credit markets and the overwhelming psychology in the world of stocks is fear and capitulation. Very few people understand that the time to go long is when downward momentum slows ... and in our scenario it may reverse altogether on the morning of the final US Presidential debate, as it dawns on Americans and investors globally that Obama is essentialy already the President of the USA, as the Republicans have failed in every area of governance.

The next and final debate of the election will take place on Wednesday October 15th at Hofstra University in Hempstead, NY; my call is that the rally begins around 11AM that day (six days from now, evening of 09OCT08), or even sooner. If I had to pick the exact moment, I'd opt for something around 1.25 / 1.30PM Eastern on Tuesday, 14OCT08. None of that is important. What is more crucial is that buying opportunities like this come along perhaps a few times per century.

These are NOT buy recommendations, but rather suggestions to begin your research, and consider dollar-cost-averaging into mutual funds that hold large positions in quality companies such as these:

Bank of America (BAC)

Their recent move to normalize the 1.4 million faulty mortgages inherited from Countrywide showed savvy, timeliness and willingness to move boldy to preserve assets and relationships and avoid costly forays into massive foreclosure and REOs. At 19.63 (down from >$52) the stock trades at a PE of 17 and yields 13%.

Home Depot (HD)

The coming economic recovery in the USA has got to benefit HD via busy Home Depot stores; housing stock will get retrofitted and renovated as "fix-er-uppers" will be back and homes get made energy self-sufficient for the emerging green real estate market. At 19.93, HD is now priced at 10.4 times earnings and yields 4.5%.

Applied Materials (AMAT)

USA tech firm solutions for the semiconductor, flat panel display, solar and related industries. Their SunFab line of thin-film photovoltaic solar modules is one of FSLR's more serious competitors. Up 0.33 today to 12.80 ( still a long way from its high of 21.87) AMAT trades at 15.4 times earnings and yields almost 1.9%.

Ormat Technologies (ORA)

A pioneer and ambassador of quality American technology, at 24.38, ORA stock is down over 55% from a high of 57.93. Based in Reno NV, ORA develops, builds and operates wholly-owned and partnered geothermal and recovered energy-based power plants in the United States and geothermal power plants around the world, and sells electricity generated from these plants. The leading geothermal power stock on the planet ...

First Solar (FSLR)

The world photovoltaic industry's undisputed market leader, FSLR makes solar panels using thin film semiconductor solar power technology; basically, a layer of cadmium telluride used for converting sunlight into electricity. The outstanding fear is tellurium supply, but with the shares at 118.10 (off from a year high of 317), the PE is about 43 but only 20x next years forecasted earnings. A high risk play but also potentially an opportunity to own the next Google.

Clean Energy Stocks may benefit from Green Realtor trend

2008-09-20T09:58:00.000-07:00

If this cyclical low in real estate has produced six straight years of declining house prices in the USA, and an estimated 5 to 6 million foreclosures, is there a silver lining anywhere? Well, for one, the price of entry to home ownership for young couples with children has dropped dramatically, especially compared with Canada and Europe.

From a green perspective, one is reminded of the Chinese symbol for crisis - a combination of the characters for danger and opportunity. In coming months the American real estate market will see the re-emergence of the income property investor, presenting a tremendous opening for upgrading existing housing stock. One can imagine an investor picking up an REO from a bank for 30 to 40k, investing 10 to 15k in solar panels, insulation, new windows, paint and landscaping, and offering the spruced up ultra-efficient gem for 79 to 89k.

Out of 5 million forecolosures, perhaps 2 to 3 million will sit empty for some time. This presents a great time for renovators, energy-efficiency experts and home-powered energy systems installers to get busy.

Oil price volatility and continued downward pressure may create even greater bargains in the renewable energy sector in coming months, and buying an individual stock near its low is far, far riskier than buying a clean energy mutual fund or renewable power ETF near its low; the diversification of the funds nearly eliminates individual company risk and allows investors to benefit from the overall price momentum trend of the renewable energy industry stocks.

My suggestion to most investors is to utilize the market weakness to initiate dollar cost averaging programs into a judicious mix of renewable energy mutual funds, environmental investment funds, ethical funds an exchange traded green power funds.

A few names to consider, and look for in a fund's holdings:

Home Depot

It's hard to imagine how the long awaited Greening of America can be achieved without an impressive string of strong quarters and years from these guys. The stock closed 19SEP08 at 27.37, off significantly from the 52 week high of 37.15.

SunPower Corp

Their solar electric parking lot installation with Applied Materials can be replicated 1000s of times across North America, and on-site / building-integrated solar energy is only at the tip of the tip of the iceberg. Oil is the most replaceable commodity, and solar-powered homes will be just one of the many routes to American energy independence. The stock is at 89.62, down almost half from late last year's high of 164.49. Investors may want to look at renewable energy mutual funds and clean energy index traded funds with high weightings in solar power and wind energy stocks, and begin to dollar cost average into these diversified longterm investment vehicles.

Evergreen Solar

Already rebounding strongly from last week's low of 3.30, Evergreen Solar stock at 6.20 is still down 2/3 from the year high of 18.85. This is the company that put the solar panels on the White House, and many other buildings around the USA. Oil price shocks may affect near term valuations, but for the longer term, the coming months and year may provide a good time to average in, or find renewable energy investment funds and clean power mutual funds holding thin-film solar energy companies, geothermal power producers and wind energy stocks.

More renewable energy links:

Wind Energy Stocks, Clean Power Producers

Geothermal Power Investing, Geothermal Stocks

Solar Energy Companies, Solar Power Stocks

Links to geothermal power companies, publicly-traded geothermal energy stocks

Windpower company website links, wind energy stocks, public wind power companies

Green Realtor Tips for Ecological Home Renovations

2008-08-22T13:03:00.000-07:00

10 Green Renovation Tips

Whatever your next home-improvement project, be earth-friendly about it

Provided by Wish, Yahoo.com

1. Use eco-friendly, low-VOC paint, and paint everything (walls, floor and ceiling) the same colour. Tip: Rent a spray machine from your local hardware store and cut painting time in half.

2. Place a rain chain and barrel under eavestroughs to catch water for watering plants.

3. Update dated fluorescent fixtures with more attractive lighting and energy-efficient bulbs.

4. Make room for greenery. Bring in large potted plants or built-in planters to keep the air fresh and suck up CO2. Choose native plants that don’t require much water.

5. Choose natural accents. Roll out a seagrass, coir or sisal area rug for a finished look.

6. Use reclaimed wood for decking and fencing. Cedar ages gracefully and naturally repels bugs.

7. Repurpose found objects or shop yard sales for interesting pieces.

8. Think local. Source materials and furniture from nearby places to reduce the negative impact of long-distance shipping.

9. Salvage whatever you can. Cover chairs with fresh new fabric or donate old kitchen cupboards to organizations like Habitat for Humanity (habitat.ca).

10. Create accessible recycling and make the most of storage. Use dowels to hang recycling bags along one wall to store recycling overflow. Attach a series of metal buckets to the wall for storage and to create a ledge for an iPod station, books and magazines.

Green Energy websites and blogs:

Windpower stocks, renewable energy investing

Solar Power Investing, Alternative Energy Stocks

Geothermal Stocks, geothermal power investments

Creating great real estate websites for green realtors

2008-08-22T12:54:00.000-07:00

10 Steps to a Profitable, Successful, Lead-capture Real Estate Website

by Kurt Lynn

Here are 10 website “must-haves” that are needed to ensure success in an Internet-based real estate practice today:

1. Remember: There Is But One True Goal - Sales

If you have, or are planning to create a website, it is essential that you keep in mind that the only goal of a website, ultimately, is sales. Don’t get caught up in the vanity or technology surrounding websites (which is all too easy to do). Make sure everything on your real estate website is oriented toward your “One True Goal.”

2. Prioritize Lead Capture

If the “One True Goal” is sales, then focus on capturing leads. Don’t waste your time (or the time of your visitors) on other objectives. Make sure your website includes calls-to-action and offers that will result in hard leads-on every page.

3. Create a Meaningful Brand

Your name is your brand. Protect it at all costs. The goal of any brand is to ensure that it equates with a “value proposition” that is meaningful to your prospective buyer or seller. Make sure that your brand-i.e. your name-is clearly associated with attributes that will be valuable to your website visitor. (Suggestion: It’s worth taking a pencil and paper and writing down what you think your value proposition is or should be.)

4. Keep Your Site Fresh

Keeping the content of your website fresh is important. Fresh content is more interesting to visitors and to search engines. Set aside a specific time and day, each week, to review and maintain your website’s content and structure. Make changes accordingly.

5. Use IDX and Syndication

Again, if the goal is sales, the only way to achieve that is by helping your website visitor get access to any listing of interest and by making your own listings known far and wide. To achieve the former, make sure your website incorporates an IDX solution-not just framed access to the local MLS listings-but an IDX that truly adds value to your visitors’ searching. To advance your own listings, syndicate all your listings with Internet real estate marketplaces like Google Base, Trulia®, and Zillow®. It’s free, so what do you have to lose?

6. Create an Environment of Trust and Confidence

Capturing leads, and getting sales, depends on your visitor having trust and confidence in you. Your website will be the first chance your visitor has to find that. Make sure your website is accurate, informed, and useful. Make sure you include information about yourself that will help visitors identify with you and understand your values.

7. Use Specific Key Words for Optimal Search Engine Rankings

Search engines like Google, Yahoo!, and MSN are a source of free leads. Search engines do their best to ensure that people looking for information find what they need. You have to do your part. Do not water down your content with useless, generic terms or broad-brush terms like “real estate” or “home buyers.” If you want to be found, use specific and relevant terms like “Chicago Real Estate” or “Philadelphia Condos” or “Walnut Street Homes” to help the search engines get you placed better and more appropriately in their listings.

8. Make Sure Your Site is User-Friendly

Like with you, a website visitor’s time is money. Don’t waste it. When someone visits your website, make it easy for them to find what they’re looking for. This means that most of your content should be visible or accessible from the home page. It also means that you will offer information that is relevant and useful to the prospective buyer or seller. If you do not, if you waste their time, you won’t get a second chance - they’re outta there.

9. Don’t Post Bad Content

Not only does bad content waste the time of your visitor, it kills trust and confidence in you, confuses search engines, and reflects poorly on your brand. Likewise, old content is stale, uninteresting content. While most websites come with pre-packaged content of some sort, make sure you take the time to edit it and augment it with local information and comment that will make it truly useful. Freshen up your site’s content regularly and always be on the lookout for tidbits of information that might be useful to your real estate website visitor.

10. Focus on Your Goals - Not Your Competitor’s

Lastly, keep your focus on your website. Do not get distracted by the bells, whistles, or glitz of the website from the agent down the street. Simply because another agent has a site with really cool gadgets, doesn’t mean it serves the ‘One True Goal.’ Stay focused on the results of your website. Your goal is to ensure that it works. If you ensure that you adhere to the first nine must-have’s, then the 10th won’t be necessary, and you will certainly arrive at the utopia of successful Internet marketing.

Note to realtors with no website or with outdated, unmanageable websites:

If you need a world-class website, call me, Joe Trainor at MCS Real Estate Systems www.MCSRES.com via 1.866.470.4007 x 239 or 1.905.470.1040 x 239. Special, unique competitive advantages for Ontario realtors with REMAX, Sutton Group and Royal LePage, and for ALL real estate agents in Durham Region; CALL TODAY!!!

Green Realtor websites - all-in-one package!!!!

2008-04-17T10:18:00.000-07:00

Good folks,

I am on a hiatus regarding posting to this blog, but if anyone would like me to put together a smart new realtor website, it's just $255 per year including a domain name registered to you, and also including hosting and search engine submitting.

Call Joe at 1.866.857.1657 x 113 or email all your details (name, phone, email, photo of yourself or link to Broker's site etc.) to joe.trainor@realtysoft.com and I'll set you up with a free trial and send you a link to view it!!!

peace,

Joe Trainor
Senior Web Consultant
www.RealtySoft.com

Green realtors gaining market share in tough US real estate market

2008-03-02T09:51:00.001-08:00

article from Chicago Daily Herald

In a bid to stand out in a sagging housing market, an increasing number of real- state agents are marketing themselves as eco-friendly -- connecting environmentally conscious buyers to "green" homes and helping sellers make their homes more eco-sensitive.

These agents are promoting their knowledge of eco-friendly and energy-efficient properties on their Web sites and blogs. Some are taking courses to learn about things like geo-thermal heat pumps and how to help home buyers qualify for grants and tax credits for energy-saving improvements.

Yet some housing experts question whether some agents are using a cursory knowledge of green building as a marketing ploy in a tough market. "A Realtor may support (a purchase) regardless of how green the home is," says Jay Hall, acting director of the eco-friendly home-building program at the U.S. Green Building Council in Washington.

Still, there are ways to check a real estate agent's earth-friendly credentials. And for consumers who don't know much about green building or the recent proliferation of green construction labels, these brokers can be helpful, Hall says.

Many Realtors hope so. Green Key Real Estate in San Francisco asks on its site: "Wouldn't you rather work with a Realtor who shares your values in environmental and social responsibility?" and sends its agents to environmentally friendly building courses.

Last fall, Harry Norman Realtors in Atlanta had 48 Realtors certified by EcoBroker International, which educates Realtors on eco-friendly homes and marketing. Meanwhile, individual Realtors are carving "green" niches for themselves: Celeste Karan, of Keller Williams Realty in Chicago, started www.greenhomechicago.com, a site where she lists properties and promises "to help home buyers understand what truly constitutes a 'green building.' "

Such agents say their knowledge of environmentally friendly designs and materials can help clients in several ways.

First, the brokers will link interested buyers to homes that are built with eco-friendly features, like solar power and energy-efficient appliances. Even if the property is old and lacks such features, agents can walk buyers through possible retro-fits that will lower their energy bills or improve indoor air quality.

When it comes to sellers, agents can advise them on simple projects that can make the home eco-friendly, such as improving insulation or touching up the interior with nontoxic paint in a bid to attract buyers.

EcoBroker International, which offers courses for Realtors, says its program has certified more than 2,600 agents total, doubling the amount since last year. Based in Evergreen, Colo., its classes include things like how to make improvements in indoor air quality, what types of eco-friendly retro-fits will be the most cost-effective, and how to piece together the state and local tax credits or grants for "green" projects. Realtors then earn an EcoBroker designation, something concrete that agents can use as a marketing tool, says EcoBroker chief executive John Beldock.

Kermit Baker, a senior research fellow at Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies, says it's a potentially good strategy at a time when there's a glut of homes for sale.

"Anything that would make you stand out in this market would help," he says.

Existing-home sales fell 2.2 percent in December from November to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.89 million units, according to the National Association of Realtors, a national trade group. The median home price was $208,400 in December, down 6 percent from a year earlier.

Hugh Morris, the community outreach representative for the National Association of Realtors, the national trade group, says pitching environmental certifications isn't the only way Realtors are trying to distinguish themselves these days. A few are marketing themselves as experts in historic properties, while one even says his specialty is homes near nature trails. Yet Morris says interest in "green" properties has surged; he now answers about five calls a week from Realtors asking how they can get eco-friendly credentials, compared with none a year ago, he says.

When Tonia Lee wanted to sell her one-bedroom live/work townhouse outside Atlanta, she turned to local EcoBroker Carson Matthews after coming across his blog online. The home, which she listed at $325,000 a few weeks ago, is part of a sustainable-development community and has many eco-friendly features, including a highly efficient heating and cooling system, energy-efficient appliances and a permeable driveway surface (which absorbs the water instead of adding to run-off).

With his blog and knowledge of the benefits of "green" building, she figured Matthews was well-positioned to sell the property.

With a regular agent, "I don't think I would get the niche buyer I am looking for," she says.

The growing number of such real-estate agents come as the building community is in the midst of defining what "green" is. In December, the U.S. Green Building Council -- a nonprofit that rates commercial buildings on things like energy use and indoor-air quality -- introduced similar rating systems for people's homes. The National Association of Homebuilders, meanwhile, is working with the International Code Council to develop a green building standard. Yet another certification is available through the federal government's Energy Star program, which requires homes to be at least 15 percent more energy efficient than those built to the 2004 residential code.

States and local building associations, too, may have their own green building programs or guidelines.

Full article continues at: 'Green realtor credentials' prove lucrative in tough market

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John Colvin donates $3 mil to U of Maryland Green Real Estate program

2008-02-07T11:51:00.000-08:00

article from: BizJournals.com

Developer gives $3M to launch 'green' real estate program

Washington Business Journal - by Ryan Sharrow Contributing Writer

A Baltimore developer has donated $3 million to become the namesake of a new "green" real estate program at the University of Maryland's flagship College Park campus.

The donation from John Colvin and his wife, Karen, will be used to create the Colvin Institute of Real Estate Development in Maryland's School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation. The donation will be used to create a new track in the program focusing on green design, sustainable development and energy financing.

Colvin, a University of Maryland graduate, is a principal at Baltimore-based real estate development Questar.

The new institute will be the academic home for the university's master's degree in real estate development track.

"The rules of the game are changing very quickly, and both the industry and higher education need to adapt," Colvin said in a news release.

The gift from Colvin is the largest in the history of Maryland's School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation.

The school's real estate development program has quickly expanded since launching in 2006. More than 75 students are currently enrolled in the program, up from a class of 12 in the fall of 2006, according to the school.

The university is in the midst of its latest capital campaign, dubbed "Great Expectations, the Campaign for Maryland." The school had raised $466 million as of January, nearly half of the $1 billion goal it hopes to hit by 2011.

Colvin is a senior fellow in the University of Maryland Executive Programs at the School of Public Policy.

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Listed Green has beautiful eco homes, naturally organic properties

2008-02-02T12:27:00.000-08:00

Listed Green® Homes - the Green MLS (Multiple Listing Service) exclusively for Green, Energy Efficient, Sustainable Homes and Housing Developments For Sale Worldwide.

The way we currently build and maintain our homes is one of the contributing factors to global warming.

Listed Green Homes is committed to being part of the solution to reduce global warming by promoting sustainable, energy efficient, healthy building design - in addition to helping elevate the market value of green homes and eco-friendly residential developments.

"Spread the word - watch us grow"

Architectural RFP for Green building project; Writing a Sustainable Design Proposal

2008-02-02T12:18:00.000-08:00

Writing the Green Architecture RFP Sustainable Design Language for Consultant Requests

OVERVIEW

This is a tool for clients--educational and cultural institutions, companies, agencies, non-profit organizations, and others--who are writing requests for proposals or qualifications from architects and other design professionals, as well as development, construction, and construction management services. Each project and site is different and each RFP or RFQ should also be unique, including the aspects of sustainable design and planning that are appropriate to the project, site, and region. This document touches on the basic elements of an RFP for design services for a sustainable project, as well as some of the issues to be considered. Some of the language cited is fairly ambitious, and clients should take care to thoroughly understand the cost and schedule implications of such requirements, should they include those in their project requests.

WHAT KIND OF REQUEST DO YOU NEED?

There are two primary types of requests for building design (and development, construction, and construction management) services, though there are variations on these and other types as well. Requests for Qualifications (RFQs) are the more basic requests, asking in large part for much of the information that would typically appear on the federal government?s Standard Forms 254 and 255, with some additional information. Requests for Proposals (RFPs) also ask for information about firm approach, process, experience, as well as requests for project specific information such as team organization, schedule approach, and fee schedules.

Less important than what the request is called is that it elicit responses complete enough for the client, the issuing organization, to make distinctions between competing firms and determine that one or another team is the right fit for the project.

A strong, well-written RFP will engage the interests of the teams who receive it and inspire creative responses to the problems presented. It will also accurately convey the full scope of the work desired, permitting the consultant teams respond realistically and specifically to the rest. The language should allow consultants to assess their firm?s ability to compete effectively for the work (preventing them the expense of a useless proposal and the client its time to review one).

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN BASICS

"[A]n exciting new field is emerging. It is called 'sustainable design' or 'green development.' Although this new architecture is difficult to describe in a sentence or two, its overall goal is to produce buildings that take less from the earth and give more to people. Note that sustainable design is not a new building style. Instead, it represents a revolution in how we think about, design, construct, and operate buildings. The primary goal of sustainable design is to lessen the harm poorly designed buildings cause by using the best of ancient building approaches in logical combination with the best of new technological advances. Its ultimate goal is to make possible offices, homes, even entire subdivisions, that are net producers of energy, food, clean water and air, beauty, and healthy human and biological communities. ... As an architect, builder, or developer, you can use the principles of sustainable design to capitalize on this trend, to distinguish your projects in the marketplace, to save money, and to waste fewer resources, all the while doing your share to preserve the environment. Applying that idea to construction yields a checklist of criteria that a sustainable building should meet. Ideally, such a building would:

make appropriate use of the land
use water, energy, lumber, and other resources efficiently
enhance human health
strengthen local economies and communities
conserve plants, animals, endangered species, and natural habitats
protect agricultural, cultural, and archaeological resources
be nice to live in
be economical to build and operate."

quoted from A Primer on Sustainable Building, Rocky Mountain Institute

CORE ELEMENTS OF REQUESTS

Project Introduction

The request should include a short introduction, which will state clearly and succinctly the scope of the project, the organization's vision for the project including sustainable design benchmarks desired, and the nature of services needed. If the client is a partnership, the nature of that relationship should be stated.

It is also appropriate for the request to state the client's core mission, identify how sustainable design relates to that mission, and reference other relevant statements about the motive for pursuing a sustainable design project. The client should do internal goal setting prior to the writing of the request, and those goals can provide the framework for the project introduction.

Sample language:

...the Museum has defined its mission as "to inspire wonder, discovery and responsibility for our natural and cultural worlds." Our vision statement describes an active, outward looking institution: To fully realize our mission and vision, the Natural History Museum must reinvent itself within a structure that both inspires and enables its staff and visitors to become stewards of their natural and cultural worlds. I hope you will participate in this process as we define a team dedicated to creating a New Museum for a new century.

--RFQ: Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County,
Los Angeles (2001)

* * *

Because the new SALA facility will not only accommodate learning but also serve as an enduring lesson in design and maintenance, it should embody the highest possible architectural and environmental design excellence. The project should be convivial, beautiful, and sustainable, humane and functional, and responsive to the identity of Penn State University and the cultural and natural forces in the region.

--RFP: SALA Building, Penn State University,
University Park, Pa. (2000)

Project Objectives
Environmental sensitivity or high-performance characteristics should be part of the project objectives if the client places a high priority on those aspects of the project. If the client has technical expertise, it may be able to develop the objectives in detail. If not, broader objectives may be suggested here, with the assumption that articulating these specifically will be part of the early project work by the consultants.

Sample language of specific objectives (referencing design strategies):

While any type of environmentally sound innovative building technology may be proposed, the City is particularly interested in technologies that address the following:
Ecological site design; on-site erosion control, water purification/pollution reduction, and stormwater management (bioswales, ecoroofs, stormwater filtration, etc.)
Transportation: promoting bicycle, pedestrian, and transit use
Waste reduction: building reuse, job site recycling, and efficient use of materials
On-site management of sewage and organic wastes, such as graywater systems and biological wastewater treatment
Energy efficiency: efficient thermal envelopes, efficient space and water heating, lighting, controls and monitoring, and appliances
Renewable energy: photovoltaics, geothermal pumps, wind turbines, micro-turbines, and fuel cells
Water efficiency, both domestic and irrigation, including rainwater harvesting for irrigation and toilet flushing
Materials and resources:
Durable building envelopes and long-lived materials or assemblies
Recycled-content materials
FSC-certified woods
Safer, less toxic materials, such as alternatives to CCA-treated wood
Innovative application of natural materials (characterized by low embodied energy, local availability, good performance, biodegradable, safe, esthetic) such as straw, earth, and other composites

Indoor environmental quality, pollution reduction, worker and occupant safety, air cleaning, humidity control, and thermal comfort
Operations and maintenance:
Monitoring of energy, water, waste, air quality and transportation use
Resource-efficient building operations practices.

--RFP: City of Portland Green Investment Fund, Grants for Affordable Housing,
Portland, Ore. (2002)

Qualifications and Experience
A detailed explanation of the consultant personnel qualifications should be a part of the submittal, and this should include resumes, certification issues, and other relevant background.

Current architectural practice, in general, is multidisciplinary and integrative. Comprehensive or holistic sustainable design processes push these characteristics to a greater degree. The request language can help specify that the client is expecting a very broad and inclusive team at the outset of a project (whereas a conventional project might pull some of those team members along the way).

Here is some sample language requesting a more integrative, multidisciplinary process than a conventional project might employ:

The Poudre School District believes that an integrated design approach can greatly increase the chance of success of meeting sustainable design goals without getting indigestion. Traditional design approaches to the construction of facilities has largely been a linear process. The architect progresses from conceptual/schematic design to design development to construction documents to contract administration while pulling in technical consultants along the way. Integrated design employs a multidisciplinary approach where all project stakeholders are involved in the design process from start to finish on a collaborative basis. The process recognizes that a design decision made unilaterally may have a major impact on achieving sustainable design goals.
--RFP: Poudre School District Prototype Elementary School,
Fort Collins, Colo. (2000)

Sample language for specific qualifications desired:

An important goal of the Authority is to develop an environmentally responsible building on the Site that can serve as a model for high-rise residential construction in this region and elsewhere. The Authority's policy is to implement financially feasible, technologically sound strategies to conserve energy and to surpass current norms for water conservation, waste management/recycling and the quality of the indoor environment (including quality of indoor air, light, acoustics and personal controllability of building systems). The Authority will require that such strategies be fully explored in the development of the Site. Specifically, the Authority will require schematic designs for the building to be analyzed by an experienced consultant using energy use computer simulation model such as DOE-2. The results of this analysis will be used to determine whether alternative design choices could increase the energy efficiency of the building, and what the incremental cost/benefit of these alternatives would be over the life of the building. The DOE-2 analysis would be repeated during the design process at design development phase and upon preparation of construction drawings. The Authority is prepared to assist the Developer in applying for any available funding from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority to help defray the cost of this analysis as well as the incremental cost of incorporating energy efficiency measures in the building design.

--RFP: Site 18A, Battery Park City Authority Residential Development and Design,
New York City (2000)

Clients may invite respondents to include a list of environmental conferences, seminars, workshops, and professional meetings attended by team members in recent months or years and a list of firm members actively involved in the local, state, or national level of the American Institute of Architects' (AIA) Committee on the Environment (COTE) or similar efforts such as the U.S. Green Building Council.

Requests that get too specific with past examples, such as "provide three examples of medium-size conference centers," open the door to specialized or very large firms only; "similar in scope and scale" is more appropriate wording.

Services Required and Approach
This section should articulate what the client wants the consultant to do. In most cases, it is recommended that clients ask respondents to describe their own approaches and processes, rather than ask them to follow the issuing client's process. Such descriptions can be useful when comparing consultants. In addition, respondents with expertise in sustainable design may suggest a sophisticated or tailored approach the client might not have considered.

Sample language of specialized services required:

Demonstrated ability to provide green building consulting and design services for public and commercial buildings. These services can be provided by the proposed by the proposed firm or individual, as well as through the use of specialized subcontractors. Firms and individuals responding to this RFQ will be required to submit information specifying in which of the following areas they can provide expert services:
Recycled-content and sustainable building product selection, specification, and procurement
Waste reduction strategies, such as construction and demolition waste management plans and specifications, deconstruction plans and specifications, storage and collection of recyclables, and other reuse opportunities
Use of the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED Green Building Rating System to guide project design
Design charrettes for projects using the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED Green Building Rating System
Development of design guidelines and master specifications for public agencies
Partnering opportunities in building projects with organizations such as DOE and PG&E
Use of creative financing for green buildings
Green operating and maintenance plans
Commissioning a green building
Energy modeling and analysis
Monitoring and tracking of final projects once they are operational (tracking back to original models).

--RFQ: Green Building Assistance, Alameda County Waste Management Authority,
San Leandro, Calif. (2002)

Scope of the Project

This section should outline the key phases of work, critical deliverables, and other tasks that will need to be completed as part of the project work, including the following:

Project vision articulation
Site and resource analysis
Project programming
Contract documents
Schematic (or concept) design
Design development
Construction management
Building commissioning and close-out.

For more information, see The Architect's Handbook of Professional Practice (John Wiley & Sons, 2001). (Order at the AIA Store or use a copy in AIA offices around the country.)

Budget

Inclusion of construction budget information, even if just a range, will result in responses far more valuable to the organization. Without any budget parameters, consultants will be forced to speculate (low and high), which can lead to a less-focused response.

Green buildings typically require some additional services and result in additional deliverables. In most cases, additional costs are paid for within a few years based on energy savings and other factors. Aggressive efforts may require longer-term payback analyses.

Submission Requirements

The request should include a list of the submittal components as well specific directions for submission and clear rules about deadlines. The submittal could include (but may not be limited to) some or all of the following:

Cover letter
Introduction to the firm and team
Explanation of approach, philosophy
Explanation of work to be performed
Project schedule (based on some dates provided)
Resumes of key personnel
List of green design "tools" that the team would use (and why they are appropriate)
Lists of subconsultants and their qualifications
Statement of qualifications
Compensation (broken down by phase) or fee structure
Sample projects and other relevant experience
References.

Evaluation Methodology

The request should include the evaluation criteria that will be used to select the consultant as well as who will be doing that evaluating. If the client plans to weight certain criteria more heavily than others, that weighting system should be spelled out in detail for respondents.

LEED, the USGBC's Green Building Rating System, is growing in use, but there are still only a sprinkling of LEED-certified buildings throughout the country. Requiring firms to show LEED-certified buildings of the same type or scale as the project in question may result in a low number of responses. But there are other ways that LEED can be useful. Project team members may include LEED-accredited professionals (and the RFP could require this). The RFP could also ask that the team be familiar with the use of LEED as a tool to help guide the project. This approach, regardless of whether the project become LEED registered or eventually certified, can help ensure that some of the many issues involved with sustainable design are considered and addressed.

The client may also want to compare team based on what other tools they have experience with, such as DOE-2 software to create energy profiles, Green Building Advisor, Energy 10, Energy Plus, and more.

Contractual Information

See the AIA Handbook for guidelines on contractual information that should be included. (Order at the AIA Store or use a copy in AIA offices around the country.) The client may choose to identify whether its team plans to use current AIA Owner-Architect agreements or its own contracts.

SAMPLE REQUESTS

Several institutions and organizations have agreed to let us post their requests. They appear here in PDF format. (Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view PDF files, and is available to download free of charge.)

Educational

RFP, RFQ, and Pre-qualification: Poudre School District Prototype Elementary School, Fort Collins, CO (2000)
Request for LEED Consultant: Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ (2001)
RFP: New Laboratory Complex, Department of Global Energy, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Stanford, CA (2001)
RFP: SALA Building, Penn State University, University Park, PA (2000)
RFP: Environmental Studies Center, Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH (1995)
Prequalification: Kasson-Mantorville High School Competition, Kasson, MN (2002)

Cultural/Civic/Municipal

Specific Requirements request: Brooklyn Children's Museum, New York Department of Design and Construction, New York, NY (2000)
RFQ: City of Highland City Shop and Public Works, Highland, UT (2000)
RFP: Environmental Education Center, Township of Upper St. Clair, PA (2000)
RFQ: David L. Lawrence Convention Center Expansion, Public Auditorium Authority of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, and the Southwestern Pennsylvania Convention Center Design Commission, Pittsburgh, PA (1998)
RFP: Dan Ryan Woods Nature Preserve, City of Chicago Department of Environment, Chicago, IL (2002)
RFQ: Green Building Assistance, Alameda County Waste Management Authority, San Leandro, CA (2002)
RFQ: Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, CA (2001)

Full article continues at: American Institute of Architects Green RFP

EcoProperty.ca offers Ecological & Organic Property and Land for Sale, Commercial, Residential, Farms

2008-02-02T12:07:00.000-08:00

Ecological and organic property, housing and land -- homes, cottages and properties for sale, rent or to share -- from across Canada and beyond.

Ecological property in Canada.



Ecological &
       Organic Property · Land · Commercial · Residential · Farms
       · Gardens · Retreats · Green Businesses

Deep Green Design from RFP Magazine

2008-02-02T11:51:00.000-08:00

Deep Green Design

article from: RFPmagazine.com

Issue 33 - August 07

Creating buildings that integrate seamlessly and benignly into their local environment could pave the way for a sustainable future.

Two statistics demonstrate the impact that building design in Asia can have in the global effort to achieve environmental sustainability. Globally, buildings are estimated to account for 30 percent of energy usage and carbon emissions. At the same time, more than half of the world’s new construction is taking place in Asia. Clearly there is a huge opportunity for the industries that make up the built environment to put the right foot forward.

The question that seems to be on everybody’s lips is: “Who will take responsibility for driving this change?” Is it the developers and building owners who should take the lead, the clients and consumers who should drive the demand, or the governments who should legislate? However, designers and architects are emerging as the leaders, mainly because they are the initial creators of the buildings we use. Increasingly it appears that without their vision and expertise, even the will to change cannot create an environmentally sound building.

integrating with nature

Dr Ken Yeang, principal of Llewelyn Davies Yeang (UK) and author of numerous books on ecodesign, has long championed the concept of environmental integration through architecture. He believes that design must begin by looking at nature and imitating its properties and processes. Yeang points out how nature’s systems re-use and recycle all waste, and says that “our built environment can and should imitate ecosystems.”

This process of ecodesign, says Yeang, “is designing the built environment as a system within the natural environment.” Following this, good eco-design is that which maximizes interaction between the natural (organic) and artificial (inorganic). This is the guiding precept behind Yeang’s approach, which uses a number of architectural strategies to blend and enhance this connection, connecting the outside environment with the very structure of the building.

misperception

This approach should not be confused with the common concept of ecodesign as a technological endeavour, says Yeang. He believes strongly that “we must not be misled by the popular perception that if we assemble enough eco-gadgetry we will instantaneously have an ecological architecture.” Instead, he states, the built environment should be balanced by “incorporating greater levels of bio-mass, ameliorating bio-diversity and ecological connectivity”.

zero-energy means zero carbon emissions

Another approach that is essential in ecodesign is zero-carbon design. While this concept has often been regarded as impractical, one Indian architectural collective is offering a uniquely Asian approach that is pushing the boundaries of zero-carbon. Manit Rastogi, Principal, Morphogenesis, says that design should take sustainability in all its forms, be it environmental, social, cultural or economic. He points out that nature itself gives us much that we re-create artificially. When looking at designing, he says, “you’ve got light that’s free, wind that’s free, climatic conditions that can be used. The question is: How much do we need to moderate it and how can we moderate it? That’s the starting point for zero energy buildings. We build it bottom up from there.”

Rastogi believes that traditional Asian architecture holds the key, pointing to an evolution driven by a lack of resources to use natural, low-cost solutions. The heart of his design approach goes back to these methods, “looking at how they dealt with that development, learning the principles, then using modern computational techniques and methods to analyze for current demands”.

If a truly global change is to happen, says Rastogi, the global design community must completely re-invent how buildings are created. “The problem of architecture today,” he says, “is that it’s such a highly competitive field that even practices within themselves are not collaborative.” Over the past few years, Rastogi has traveled throughout Asia and abroad, demonstrating successful examples of his architectural approach.

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Suburban Wildlife; Canadian Geese, Turkey Vulture and a squirrel …

2008-01-17T15:41:00.000-08:00

Real folks,

I live in Markham, Ontario, Canada and there are many flocks of geese that live alongside or nearby Highway 7 that runs through our city. It is quite an amazing thing to see 6 to 8 lanes of rush-hour traffic stop and wait patiently while a mother goose and all her goslings tread carefully across the pavement to get to the other side.

Then the other day I noticed this story about a turkey vulture and a squirrel, so here you go:

article from: http://www.buildrealestateresults.com/blog

Whimsical Wednesday: Suburban Wildlife

By Kathleen Allardyce

Suburban Wildlife - Things are Tough All Over

The other day I was driving through my neighborhood headed toward the main road when I came upon several cars stopped so that they were just about blocking the road. It was an unusual occurence because our little neighborhood streets are not really prone to traffic jams.
As I slowed to a stop, I discovered the reason behind the problem. One of our local squirrels had been unlucky enough to be hit by a car and standing next to it was a turkey vulture. So, this was something of an event.

I’ve seen turkey vultures floating on thermals, but I’d never seen one this close. It wasn’t really a pleasant experience except for the novelty of it.

If you haven’t seen a turkey vulture up close, rest assured that it is an animal only a mother could love. This bird was about 2 feet tall, and probably had close to a 6′ wing span, it had a feather-less red head and the skulking posture that makes it difficult to consider it a cute animal.

Supposedly, turkey vultures stay in open spaces such as fields and less dense wooded areas. Evidently, no one explained that to this particular bird. And, the other odd thing was the bird’s evident disregard for the cars and people around it.

full article continues at: Suburban wildlife includes turket vultures

More on vultures at WebVulture.com, your Vulture Information website

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Green Real Estate Mortgage market thriving in UK

2008-01-16T18:16:00.001-08:00

article from: http://www.earth.co.uk

Green mortgage market left unscathed by credit crunch

The green mortgage market is enjoying success while other mortgage markets suffer from the credit crunch, according to Ecology building society.

Ecology also said that fixed rate mortgages appear to be losing their appeal as lenders increase rates due to instable financial market and this is making variable rates more attractive to borrowers.

Jenny Irwin, marketing manager for Ecology Building Society, said: "Mortgage lending for the year was the highest on record and we doubled our gross lending compared with 2006.

"We are a mutual building society and use our savers'' investments to fund mortgage lending, so we do not need to borrow funds from external sources. As such we have not been affected by the credit crunch."

She added that the company was expecting 2008 to be a successful year following the business the company has had this year.

Green mortgages are said to be better for the environment as they come from lenders who will make contributions to charities that support the environment.

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Real Living Ohio Realty offers "Green Realtors" section on website

2008-01-10T14:41:00.000-08:00

What a great idea!!! RealLiving.com is providing online resources for green realtors, homebuyers and those seeking to purchase an environmentally-friendly home.

The green realty information on their website is divided into 4 main sections:

Green Tips for Home Buyers

Greening Your Home before Selling

Green Ideas for Home Renovation

Recycling Tips for a Green Home

This Real Living online green realtor information section also includes links to important sites:

Green Internet Sites:

U.S. EPA

National Geographic

Go Green Initiative

Green Living Online

ENERGY STAR

Sierra Club

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Six Ways to "Green" a Home and lower utility bills

2008-01-05T19:37:00.000-08:00

According to an article by Susan Thurston published on December 28th in the St. Petersburg Times, Green remodeling may pay off significantly — in lowered utility bills, and in buyer appeal when the property is sold.

Here are a few "green renovation" "find a green home" options to consider:

Site selection. Prefer infill development instead of a new subdivision in a far-flung new suburb that gobbles wetlands and displaces animals.

Energy-efficient products. Choose Energy Star appliances, double-paned windows, low-flush toilets, and compact fluorescent light bulbs.

Spray foam insulation. Seal the home with insulation that doesn’t let the heat or cooled air leak out.

Sustainable wood flooring. Select flooring certified by Forest Stewardship Council, which protects forests by managing the amount of wood harvested annually.

Locally made products. Buy products made less than 250 miles away to reduce transportation costs. Granite, for instance, is generally imported from afar.

Nontoxic paint. Use paint that is low in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) — chemicals that evaporate into the atmosphere. Look for Green Seal certified brands.

Welcome Green Realtors Everywhere

2008-01-04T19:34:00.001-08:00

Please let us know what you would like to see on these pages, for the more connected we all are, the better the opportunity to make it easier for people to improve the quality, sustainability and energy-efficiency of homes, cottages, commercial properties and other buildings.

We look forward to seeing posts from real estate agents, real estate brokers, office managers, including any and all realtors promoting ecology and sustainability in housing.

A Green Realtor,

Realty Joe