Sleek new townhouses bring energy efficiency to low-income Philadelphians

Philadelphia is a major city that has gone to great lengths in showcasing the benefits of energy efficiency. From the massive LED light show that changed the cities skyline throughout the summer and fall to massive developments proposed for the downtrodden waterfront, "green living" has been a buzz-word citywide over the past year or more.

Now, lower income Philadelphia residents will not only get to hear about the benefits of environmental friendliness, but some will actually get the chance to experience it first hand. A new residential project has sprouted up in the Logan neighborhood that the Philadelphia Inquirer has called "low-income housing superior to anything Philadelphia has done in half a century."

The three new townhouses, called Onion Flats, are located in a neighborhood filled with older triple-deckers that are described by many residents as "sinking" because of their decrepit state of disrepair.

These new homes are thoroughly modern inside and out, featuring luscious outdoor patios, a collection of solar panels on the facades and interiors that take advantage of the ample natural light available in the low-rise neighborhood.

Despite featuring top-of-the-line appliances and state-of-the-art energy technologies, these homes only cost roughly $225,000 to construct, and will market for no more than $300,000. Once owners have occupied these properties, the costs of utilities will be close to nothing, as these homes are almost completely energy independent.

Owners of older homes can take advantage of such energy efficient benefits that are enjoyed by the residents of this new development without having to abandon their current properties. By allowing a home inspection contractor to conduct an energy audit on their houses, these residents can discover where to curb unnecessary utility use in their residences.

In an attempt to make properties that are not only environmentally friendly but also affordable for lower-income residents, a Boston area home developer is looking to create a series of new residences that will actually produce more energy than they consume.

The idea behind the new development is that, because the homes have no impact on the power grid and actually create energy, residents can maintain the properties at a low cost. As well, each home is estimated to sell for less than $400,000 despite the innovative approach to each home's design.

"It’s really not rocket science," said Kamran Zahedi, ­president of Urbanica Inc., the developer building the first wave of homes as part of the project. "People are now realizing it’s good business to build in this way."

Instead of incorporating expensive technology into the construction of the homes, each property is designed to take advantage of the elements. The homes are configured to not only let natural light within to heat the residences, but they'll also collect natural rainwater to use for drinking and plumbing.

The most significant aspect of the project is the vast array of solar panelling that covers the facade and roof of each home. Because of their orientation on the building, these panels will be the most useful component of the project that contributes to its energy independence.

For homeowners curious about how to make their home less dependent on the energy grid, they should look into having a home inspection contractor conduct an energy audit on their property. This will highlight where waste is occurring in their home and inform them on what steps they can take to lower their utility bills.

In an attempt to make properties that are not only environmentally friendly but also affordable for lower-income residents, a Boston area home developer is looking to create a series of new residences that will actually produce more energy than they consume.

The idea behind the new development is that, because the homes have no impact on the power grid and actually create energy, residents can maintain the properties at a low cost. As well, each home is estimated to sell for less than $400,000 despite the innovative approach to each home's design.

"It’s really not rocket science," Kamran Zahedi, ­president of Urbanica Inc., the developer building the first wave of homes as part of the project, told the source. "People are now realizing it’s good business to build in this way."

Instead of incorporating expensive technology into the construction of the homes, each property is designed to take advantage of the elements. The homes are configured to not only let natural light within to heat the residences, but they'll also collect natural rainwater to use for drinking and plumbing.

The most significant aspect of the project is the vast array of solar panelling that covers the facade and roof of each home. Because of their orientation on the building, these panels will be the most useful component of the project that contributes to its energy independence.

For homeowners curious about how to make their home less dependent on the energy grid, they should look into having a home inspection contractor conduct an energy audit on their property. This will highlight where waste is occurring in their home and inform them on what steps they can take to lower their utility bills.

According to a new report from Forbes Magazine, the market for home decor has only ramped up over the past decade despite the unsteady economy. In fact, the industry for home renovations and do-it-yourself improvement projects accounted for roughly $65.2 billion last year alone.

Much of this has been attributed to an increased awareness of the benefits of energy efficiency, and how improvements small and large can contribute to significantly lowered utility bills.

Another major reason for the increase may have everything to do with the troubling economic landscape. The Magazine reports that many families who purchased larger homes before the housing market bottomed-out in 2010 are now finding that they can't afford to live in them anymore. These property owners are looking to home improvement as a solution to make their residences not only more comfortable, but more cost efficient.

Entire television networks devoted to home improvement have had a big impact on people's attitudes regarding do-it-yourself decor options, as proven by the increased popularity of channels like HGTV and the DIY Network.

Forbes also reports that stores such as Lowes and Home Depot have seen huge jumps in revenue over the past few years. In fact, these are two of the only major big-box companies to actually increase revenues throughout the recession.

Homeowners have increasingly opted for such energy efficient options as replacing window treatments with dressings that have insulating qualities, handcrafted door stoppers to seal in heat and decrease drafts in a space and larger endeavors such as new roofing.

If you are interested in taking advantage of a renovation that will have an impact on your monthly utility costs, contact a home inspection contractor to perform an energy audit that will highlight how you can reduce your home's carbon footprint.

With more and more tech companies releasing new products like advanced tablet computers and multi-function handheld phones, it was only a matter of time before these technologies got integrated into controlling the utilities inside your home.

A new form of lighting management has gone on sale in the U.S. that combines energy efficiency, wireless internet and the lighting fixtures in your residence that lets you control your power consumption remotely.

Greenwave Reality, an environmentally friendly start-up company, introduced its new Connected Lighting Solution kit, which lets you control the lighting in your home through a mobile app on your handheld device or tablet computer.

The kit includes four high-power energy efficient LED light bulbs, a gateway box that connects to a home router and, just in case you can't access the apps on your iPad, a remote control. This all comes with the purchase of the Connected Lighting Solution mobile application, which gives you complete information regarding the consumption and lifetime of your lighting fixtures.

The kit allows you to not only turn off the lighting in your house when you aren't home, but to also set moods by allowing you to dim the lights and stay on top of how much energy is being wasted through your fixtures.

One of the other key features of the device is the ability to dim the lamps that are currently not equipped with such features. This allows you to do more than control utility consumption, but also have a bigger say in your home's aesthetics.

Implementing more energy efficient lighting into your home is only one way to fully integrate greener living into your day-to-day lifestyle. An energy audit from a home inspection contractor can highlight where electricity is being wasted in your home and how you can prevent it from occurring.

An alumnus of Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York has made one of the biggest contributions to the school's endowment in its more than 100-year history. The $1.8 million comes from philanthropist Thomas Scott, and will go to funding the majority of a substantial lighting overhaul that will replace fixtures throughout the campus.

The money was donated as part of the school's "Evolution to Excellence" campaign that was started in October 2011. The goal of the fundraiser is to collect $228 million that will go to making the school one of the more energy efficient campus' in the country. The contribution from Scott brings the total amount of money raised so far in the campaign to almost $208 million.

"It is the largest estate gift ever received from an alumnus. Gifts of this magnitude don’t happen often and, when they do, it is a wonderful thing," Richard Johnson, Clarkson's vice president of philanthropy and alumni relations told the Watertown Daily Times.

According to the source, Scott was a 1960 mechanical engineering graduate of the university who would go on to work for Maryland-based Northrop Grumman.

Scott and his wife, Sarajean, had set up an estate that would go to his alma mater, unbeknownst to Johnson and other school officials, who told the source they were "very surprised" by the contribution.

The majority of the funds will go to replacing more than 60,000 interior fixtures throughout the campus with LED and CFL bulbs in an effort to cut down on the school's utility costs and environmental impact.

For homeowners looking to upgrade their living space without the help of a huge donation, replacing the lighting throughout their properties will greatly decrease their utility costs.

The Wilton E. Scott Institute for Energy Innovation at Carnegie Mellon University is poised to become a national leader in the field of alternative energy following a recently announced partnership with several area colleges.

Chris Gabriel, former vice provost of the university's strategic planning committee, is now the president of the University Energy Partnership (UEP) based in Pittsburgh. This organization is a collaboration between the science departments at Carnegie Mellon, the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania State, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia University.

The purposes of the UEP and the Scott Institute are to bring a broad-ranging group of experts together for the purpose of evolving the region in a number of fields ranging from public policy on environmental friendliness to an increase in conservative water usage.

"This is going to be a hugely important piece of what we do in the region," Gabriel told Keystone Edge in an October 19 feature on the program. She cited the expert abilities of the faculty at Carnegie Mellon to work together with professionals from many different areas to accomplish widespread change.

This collaboration is a big step forward for a region that has long been a national leader in energy production through older and new technologies. Coal has been a huge player in terms of job creation throughout Pennsylvania and Virginia for more than a century, though green technology has led the way in new employment growth throughout Pittsburgh and the surrounding counties.

Residents and business owners in and around the Steel City should support the emerging green sector in the area by looking towards improving the environmental impact on their property. A home inspection contractor can conduct an energy to help them understand where waste is occurring and can be curbed.

According to several new reports, the number of energy efficient homes on the market has been increasing drastically year over year throughout the United States, with Energy Star Certified homes accounting for more than a quarter of all new construction in 2011.

This news comes on the heels of a report from the Department of Commerce that shows new home construction exceeded real estate analyst's expectations last month, with housing starts increasing 15 percent from August to September.

All of this has been accomplished without a strict national building code, showing that more buyers are willing to go green than ever before. As temperatures drop and winter approaches, more and more buyers are seeing the benefits of lowering their utility costs by being environmentally friendly.

A separate study from the National Association of Home Builders shows homes that qualifies as green by the group, exceeding even the high Energy Star certification, accounted for 17 percent of new construction. Two years ago, the same report showed that only 2 percent of new homes met the standard.

Although there is no national standard that mandates new homes have an Energy Star seal, certain municipalities throughout the nation have adopted stricter rules regarding new residences that does require them to meet certain green guidelines.

If you live in an older home that may not be as energy efficient as a newer property, contact a home inspection contractor to have them show you what ways they can improve their homes burden on the environment.

This weekend, more than 300 exhibitors will take over the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium for the fall edition of the Maryland Home & Garden Show.

October's gathering of gardeners, house remodelers and interior decorators will focus on energy efficiency in the home to help occupants lower their utilities once colder weather starts to cover the region.

The show is held twice a year, in the spring and in the fall, and showcases a wide array of renovation options for consumers appropriate for each season.

Exhibitors at the show include local companies eager to showcasing their products at the event all year, according to a report from the Baltimore Sun.

Geothermal heating and cooling options for the home are on display at the Supreme Air booth, which will be manned by Catonsville native Denny Kougianos.

"We'll talk to them about the benefits of geothermal, which is not as publicized like solar is," said Kougianos, who founded the company in 2005 with his brother Alex.

Kougianos' company takes advantage of heating options that utilize the cool and consistent 55 degree temperature found just below the Earth's surface.

It is estimated that at least 30 companies present at the event will have a strong tilt towards solar power units opposed to geothermal, which Kougianos believes will give his company an advantage given their unique and cost-efficient concepts.

For homeowners who are inspired by what they see at this year's show, a home inspection contractor can perform an energy audit to help the resident implement utility-saving upgrades to their property.