NEW! SUSTAINABLE and GREEN Home Website
Did you hear? There is a new sustainable and green home website? You may have noticed we have been publishing different info on green and sustainability, well here is an entire website dedicated to green homes and green homes in Flagstaff, AZ.
http://www.greenflagstaffrealestate.com/
The website will feature not only sustainable homes for sale but lots of info on green building in general.
Earthship's
Earthship's are Earth sheltered autonomous buildings. Made by recycling automobile tires and ramming earth in them. Rammed earth is taking clay or sand and packing it into the tires(and other objects). Earthship's are made from a lot of recycled material often including beverage bottles and cans for non-load bearing walls.
Earthship's may function is to be earth friendly. As mentioned they are built with recycled materials (automobile tires, beverage bottles, recycled wood, just about anything). The are also self sufficient with their utilities. Water is collected of the roof and stored in a cistern, then filtered for drinking. All indoor plumbing(excluding toilets) uses greywater systems to supply toilets or water gardens (indoor or outdoor). Black water (human waste) uses a Watson Wick system (filters waste and waters outdoor gardens), Watson Wick systems are not permitted in a lot of areas. So the alternatives are composting toilets are septic systems. For power a PV system or Solar Panels store energy(DC current) in large batteries in which the energy is inverted to AC for home use. Back up generators are often used as supplement. Some also use wind turbines and is stored and used the same way. Heat is done using passive solar techniques with wood burning stove supplement. They rely on the sun hitting the windows and storing in there thermal mass(stone floor & automobile tires).
History:
In the 1970's Mike Reynolds invented these homes. He and his wife had lived on boats or ships and then came up with these earth homes, so the name was coined earthship. Mike Reynolds wanted to create a home that is sustainable (using recycled materials, indigenous materials), sell sufficient (off grid, produces all utiliities and anyone could build one without a specialized skill level in construction. Being self sufficient, there is less chance of natural disasters or human disasters effecting power supply, water supply or heat supply(key word less chance, they are not tanks).
There is a whole community of Earthship's in Taos New Mexico and a couple here in Flagstaff.
Conventional But Green
Building Materials Used in Sustainable, Green or Energy Efficeint Homes
Bamboo Flooring & Countertops- May not be suitable for Flagstaff. Durable, versatile and water resistant.
Cork Flooring - We have also heard this may not be suitable for Flagstaff. Cork flooring comes from tree barks and sealed with acrylic. Durable, thermal insulateds and comfortable
EnergyStar Products - Check to see if your products are EnergyStar and what the rating is compared to its competitors products. By using EngeryStar products or having a certified Energystar home it will lower your bills and use less natural resources & fossel fuels.
Formaldehyde Free Adhesives - Adhesives are used throughout the home in different building materials. They do sell formaldehyde free adhesives.
Granite, Travertine & Concrete - Different types of stones have been used for ages. Very durable and great for countertops and flooring. Concrete is also a great alternative for floors and countertops. Concrete can be colored, painted or made with designs.
Insulated Concrete Forms" ICFs" - Interlocked metal, plastic or foam forms. Concrete is then pored into the forms. ICF's are durable, well insulated, and good for passive solar. More energy efficency than a wood framed house.
Natural Linoleum - Made with cork, tree rosin, linseed and limestone. Long lasting, non-toxic and bioderadeable.
Paint - Low VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) or Home Depot's Fresh Aire With NO VOC's are not only earth friendly but people friendly. VOC's are chemicals that vaporize and enter the atmosphere and pollute the indoor air.
Photovoltaic Cell - A solar cell. Cells make up a solar panel. The technology is used to take light and turn it into engery to be used and stored.
Recycled carpet - Carpet made from recycled food and drink containers. Check to make sure they are low VOC and low off gassing.
Spray Insulation - This spray foam cost 3 times the amount as regular fiber glass insulation but will reduce you heating and cooling bills tremendously inturn use less natural resources & fossel fuels.
Structural Insulated Panels "SIPs" - SIP's consist of and interior and exterior sheathing(usually OS
with a foam core. SIP's can be used as walls, ceilings or subfloors. Great insulation, wind and earthquake resistant. SIP's have the same structural properties as I-beam or I-column.
Wood Floors - Made from mother earth. Looks great and can be refinished.
Wool Carpeting - Non-toxic alternative, healthy and natural.
Photovoltaic "PV" AKA Solar Panels
Straw Bale Homes
Straw Bale Homes are made from bales of straw. The bales come from wheat, rye, oats, rice or barley that has already been harvested. The straw bales are either used a animal food or burned in some states. So why not use them for insulation? Or load bering walls? The are two way straw bales are used in constructing a home. Either they are used as load bering structural or the post-and-beam(framed structures of heavy timber jointed together) and the straw bale is used mainly for insulation (and of course recycling earth products).
After construction, the straw bale are coated with stucco and can be painted. The building becomes pest and fire resistant. The insulation value is very high at R-30 to R-45 and energy savings can be from 50 to 75%.
Passive Solar
Passive solar is yet another way to harness the power from the sun. Passive solar uses sunlight for energy.
Generally passive solar gain comes through the windows and is stored in some kind of thermal mass(great masses: stone floor or wall).
Other types of passive solar include an exposed glass water heater or a solar furnace.
The diagram at www.greenflagstaffrealestate.com/passive _solar.html shows a thermal mass as either the floor coverings, a wall, cabinet or countertop. There are several ways to collect the heat for later distribution (rock is great because it gets hot and then radiates at night). Also shown(not exact) the difference in where the sun is in the winter or summer. In Arizona, the sun is higher in the summer and lower in the winter. For effective solar gain you want to take advantage of this. The design needs to be calculated to be maximized, so its warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
About ENERGY STAR
About ENERGY STAR
Energy star is an international standard for energy efficient consumer products. Recently it has gone from kitchen and home products to Energy Star certified homes. Using Energy Star certified products is one more thing you can do to help reduce energy consumption. There are different levels of efficiency, so make sure you check all the products rating when choosing a new appliance, computer, water heater, furnace or air conditioner.
"ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy helping us all save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices.
Results are already adding up. Americans, with the help of ENERGY STAR, saved enough energy in 2007 alone to avoid greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 27 million cars — all while saving $16 billion on their utility bills.
For the Home
Energy efficient choices can save families about a third on their energy bill with similar savings of greenhouse gas emissions, without sacrificing features, style or comfort. ENERGY STAR helps you make the energy efficient choice.
If looking for new household products, look for ones that have earned the ENERGY STAR. They meet strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the EPA and US Department of Energy.
If looking for a new home, look for one that has earned the ENERGY STAR.
If looking to make larger improvements to your home, EPA offers tools and resources to help you plan and undertake projects to reduce your energy bills and improve home comfort.
For Business
Because a strategic approach to energy management can produce twice the savings — for the bottom line and the environment — as typical approaches, EPA’s ENERGY STAR partnership offers a proven energy management strategy that helps in measuring current energy performance, setting goals, tracking savings, and rewarding improvements.
EPA provides an innovative energy performance rating system which businesses have already used for more than 62,000 buildings across the country. EPA also recognizes top performing buildings with the ENERGY STAR."
ENERGY STAR History http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=about.ab_history
Source: http://www.energystar.gov Direct Quote From About Energy Star
New Frontiers store dazzles
Arizona Daily Sun
http://www.azdailysun.com
Smiling faces. Dazed expressions. Dropped jaws.
These were common reactions 10 days ago for the opening of Flagstaff's brand-new New Frontiers natural marketplace at Butler Avenue and Sawmill Road. It replaces the old store on South Milton Road and, at 24,000 square feet, is more than twice as large.
Shoppers stood in the middle of wide aisles, lost and bedazzled by the array of selections before them, such as a mind-numbing choice of more than 100 varieties of chips.
"We're thrilled," said Flagstaff resident Karen Kampf, who was shopping Wednesday afternoon with her son, Forrest Wilson, 8. "It's the only place I shop. I've been anxiously waiting for the opening of the store. I'm excited that the parking lot is filled, especially considering our current economy. It's pretty upscale for Flagstaff. I anticipate that we'll grow into it. I'm very appreciative."
Forrest said he enjoyed his snacks of dried pineapple and pumpkin cake, eaten in the store's ample new south-facing, glass-enclosed dining area, a vast improvement over the old cramped eating area on South Milton Road.
Children sped around the store, pushing their very own mini-shopping carts, complete with banners reading, "Customer in training."
On opening day, customers loaded up shopping carts to overflowing and parked on nearby streets as the store lot filled up.
"On opening day, the new New Frontiers here in Flagstaff did more in sales than any of our other store openings -- anywhere," said Dennis D'Andrea, store team leader for Flagstaff.
To add to the daunting task of opening, about two dozen new employees had to be hired, trained and in full swing for the Memorial Day holiday.
By Wednesday, new employee Tyler Bryson was cutting up roasted chicken in the kitchen, which is eight times larger than the old kitchen.
"I opened with the new store, with the expansion," Bryson said. "The training here has been wonderful, and the camaraderie. We see ourselves as team members. We're all here to make the customers smile."
Although there were a few modest glitches, the soft opening ran smoothly, with many customers returning during the holiday weekend and the week following.
UPGRADES GALORE
New Frontiers staff in Arizona and California started planning for a new store location three years ago.
The store was custom-designed to incorporate features requested by Arizona customers and staff, with feedback from the head office in Solvang, Calif.
"It's really the perishable departments we've made strides in -- the deli expansion, anything that has to be refrigerated," said Priya Drews, marketing manager at the Flagstaff store. "We have fresh Artisan bread baked daily. Most of the employees really like the sushi bar."
Customers can also enjoy pizza made fresh in the store bakery.
"We can't keep up with the pizza, and they're so inexpensive," Drews said.
A new cheese island carries more than 100 cheeses, including offerings with exotic names like Porter with Guinness, Fromage D'Affinois, Sage Derby and Drunken Goat.
All meat products are certified organic and are displayed without cellophane wrapping in long, well-lit cases.
"One of our parameters is whatever we bring in is clean, meaning no added dyes, no pesticides, no chemicals, no preservatives and no growth hormones," Drews said.
Because of a huge increase in storage and cooler capacity, the store can stock frozen organic turkeys all the time, as well as specialty meats and poultry, such as bison, antelope, elk, duck, pheasant and smoked trout and salmon.
Specialty sausage is also being made fresh on the premises, cinnamon apple turkey and lemon thyme chicken.
New Frontiers is the first local venue to offer range-raised beef from the Bar T Bar, one of the two Diablo Trust ranches. The beef is sold under the Country Natural Beef label.
The store also has a large supplements section, health-related books and fresh flowers.
A date for a grand opening has not yet been announced, but the store is hosting its popular ice cream festival Saturday, June 14, from 1 to 4 p.m., with a huge variety of ice cream products and toppings. Donations will benefit a local nonprofit.
Presidio files for Chap. 11
http://www.azdailysun.com
One of Flagstaff's biggest proposed master-planned communities has filed for bankruptcy protection.
Presidio in the Pines, with 900 housing units planned in west Flagstaff along with stores and offices, said it needed to file for Chapter 11 protection to stave off a list of lenders and contractors that have filed legal action against one of Presidio's primary developers, Premiere Acquisitions, as well as its affiliate, Luxury Lofts LLC. Two of the co-owners of the development, Tom Krause and Clem Stubstad, said in a press release they were reluctant to declare bankruptcy but believe the filing "will allow Premiere to take the steps necessary to move the development forward."
By filing under Chapter 11, the developers of Presidio in the Pines will be given time to come up with a plan to pay off its debtors without having to liquidate the assets of 91-acre master-planned community.
Presidio's primary lender was close to foreclosing on the property and a unpaid contractor had asked a Coconino County judge to put the property into receivership.
The developers had been holding weekly meetings with builders, contractors and lot owners in the development to give them information about progress within the project.
Krause and Stubstad said they had identified new investors for the development and had planned on selling property from an unrelated development to free up cash to pay off contractors, but imminent legal actions from creditors has endangered those plans.
The developers said they expect to emerge from bankruptcy protection quickly, moving on to development of the property.
"Premiere anticipates that post-petition financing will be finalized shortly and be submitted to the Bankruptcy Court for approval. This financing will enable Premiere to complete paving on street improvements in Phase 1 of the development, which in turn will allow the builders to begin construction of homes in Phase 1. These funds as well as other funds pledged to this project, also provide the basis to allow completion of the infrastructure for the entire project," a press release issued by the developers said.