Chesapeake Home

Recently, I attended a presentation with home and garden industry professionals who spoke on the subject of green innovation with respect to sustainable buildings. One of the most interesting segments of this event was presented by a representative of LiveRoof® on their prevegetated green roof system. I was only tangentially aware of the prominence and significance that green roofs play in today’s environmentally conscious world.

Basically, LiveRoof® has created a simple, effective, efficient and modular system that gives you the look and function of a conventional green roof. In a nutshell, you grow plant life on top of your home or building in a very simple, easy-to-care-for, carefully as well as skillfully thought out system.

At first, this may seem a little eccentric like a 70s-hippy movement initiative aimed towards creating an environmentally conscious society. But LiveRoof® has created a system for commercial, industrial, governmental and residential applications that make a lot of sense. Here are some of the core benefits of integrating a LiveRoof® on the top your next or existing projects:

•    Green roofs protect the roof from the sun, wind, heat, and cold and can extend the life of the roof by up to 40 years.
•    Reduce air conditioning costs by 25% or more (for the floor under the green roof)
•    Reduce or eliminate storm water discharge fees
•    Allow building owners to sell or rent their properties more easily
•    Help to reduce the effects of Global Warning
•    Release oxygen and absorb green house gases
•    Earn LEED credits
•    Keep pollutants out of lakes and streams
•    Absorb sound and reduce noise

LiveRoof® makes the whole process of getting a green roof more manageable and just plain old easy to do. They use pregrown flowers and vegetation and modular containers that they install on the top of your home or building. Green roofs should only be applied to appropriately engineered buildings, and LiveRoof® professionals can determine whether your home roof can sustain the weight.

For those die-hard green doers, this is an exceptionally good idea to look into and for those of you just getting your feet wet in the eco-friendly movement, you just might find this information useful.

For more information on LiveRoof® call 800-875-1392 or go to liveroof.com.

The first Windspires in Virginia were installed in a neighborhood backyard in the city of Chesapeake on Wednesday, June 17. The energy output of the combined units helps provide clean renewable energy to the home and defers usage from the local utility. This latest Windspire installation offered Virginia residents and community leaders the first opportunity in the state to see this new wind energy technology.

Blue Sun Renewable Energy, the mid-Atlantic dealer for Windspire, had the units up an running by the afternoon. At only 30 feet tall and silent, the sculptural Windspire is a good choice for residential and more urban areas. The slender vertical design can catch wind from all directions and also allows Windspires to be installed close together–perfect for smaller backyards or urban rooftops.

CLICK HERE for a video of the installation

The US Green Building Council awarded a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for Homes Gold certification to Kensington, Maryland-based Alexander Group for their renovation of a 1960s rambler in Oxon Hill. An early adopter of green building practices, CEO and President Alex Dean, has been an advocate of energy conservation and solar and alternative energy resources since the 70s and has various green certifications from the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) and The US Green Building Council (USGBC) to prove it.

What makes the Oxon Hill Project green?
-  Low VOC Plywood and construction glues and low VOC hardwood floors
-  Low VOC Green Seal GS-11 certified paints used inside the house
-  FSC certified, no VOC, no formaldehyde cabinetry
-  Open cell foam insulation
-  Mold resistant drywall throughout the house
-  High efficiency HVAC system with UV bacteria killing light, Merv 13 filter and separate ERV system
-  Landscape Elements: drought tolerant turf & plants
-  80% of waste from construction diverted from landfills to recycling

I don’t know about you, but I am definitely feeling the pressure to go green. I often travel on the weekends with my family, and I have noticed random stationary solar panels dotting the landscape. It seems like such an incredible idea to have a small non-obtrusive panel that does so much good for the environment and allows us to be more independent.

So what are those panels, exactly? Solar electric power, known as photovoltaic (PV) technology, makes use of the abundant energy from the sun. It can be used in a wide range of products, from small consumer items to large commercial solar electric systems.

Few power-generation technologies have as little impact on the environment as solar power. It quietly generates electricity from light and produces no air pollution or hazardous waste. It doesn’t require liquid or gaseous fuels to be transported or combusted. And because its energy source—sunlight—is free and abundant, it can guarantee access to electric power.

So I am always wondering why doesn’t everyone have at least one solar panel in their backyard? Well, I suspect the answer is price. Depending on the size of your house, you have to purchase a system that can convert the sun’s energy using these solar panels and the price ranges from $10,000 to $60,000. I guess in comparison to our monthly electric bills, those amounts seem a little steep.

For me, I think there are two very good reasons to consider the possibility: one, it protects the environment and two, it makes me less dependent on the electric company and their fluctuating costs. I think if I ever do build that dream house with my husband that we’ve been talking about for over 12 years, I would definitely consider rolling that high price tag of solar energy into my new mortgage.