Let's talk about how we can create a home that's safer, healthier, and more comfortable while saving money and reducing our carbon footprint on our planet.
“I think there's a whole new awareness right now after these fires in LA, at least for people who live in California of like, just actually how toxic our whole houses are. So, you know, the answer for some might be, “oh, I was going to buy a new couch and I'm going to buy a couch that's cotton instead of like plastic,” you know, just smaller things. And, yeah, the more people that could be building a whole house out of natural materials right now, that's amazing.” - Sasha RabinSasha Rabin has a long history with natural building, stemming from her father's early interest in straw bale construction in the 1990s. This sparked Sasha's passion, leading her to study environmental design and eventually focus on earthen building methods like cob, adobe, and light straw clay. She founded Earthen Shelter as a platform to teach workshops on these techniques, which she sees as an important part of creating more sustainable and healthy built environments.Sasha discussed the challenges of getting alternative building materials permitted, especially in high-seismic areas. While there are now code appendices for some natural building methods, Sasha and organizations like Quail Springs, where she is involved, have had to do extensive testing and work with local officials to demonstrate the safety and viability of these materials. Looking to the future, Sasha envisions a multi-pronged approach, from simple retrofits using earthen plasters to whole cob or adobe structures, as crucial for rebuilding more resilient communities.
“The secret is cost shifting. That's the secret. So we shift the cost from expensive mechanical systems into the quality of the building shell, of the building envelope. We have what we call a super-insulated building envelope. We have triple-glazed windows. We have insulated frames. They get installed in a certain fashion. And we basically take… we beef up the building envelope. it's super-insulated that means insulation is cheap. Insulation is the cheapest building material on the planet. It's much less expensive than batts. That's really the issue.” - Joaquin KarJoaquin Karcher is a founder/owner/principal architect for Zero E Design based in Taos, New Mexico. The discussion centered on Joaquin's expertise in eco-architecture and his work with Zero E Design, particularly focusing on cold climate architecture in northern New Mexico. Karcher shares his journey from his early passion for eco-architecture in Germany to his current projects, emphasizing the importance of achieving carbon neutrality in buildings by 2030. He highlighted his collaboration with the Navajo tribe to improve housing using local materials and labor, as well as his insights gained from the Passive House Institute in Germany. The conversation also delved into the principles of passive house design, its affordability in California, and the benefits of enhancing building envelopes to create energy-efficient homes.Karcher discussed the resilience of passive houses in extreme weather and fire-prone areas, suggesting specific materials and techniques for safety. Although he has not yet worked on redesigning homes affected by wildfires, he expressed a vision for affordable, resilient zero energy buildings, particularly through offsite construction methods like panelized construction.
Healthy home supports your health, in my opinion, from the air we're breathing, the materials around you, it's designed to promote your health and it prioritizes air quality, has items that are made from non-toxic materials, and it actively reduces toxins, you can actively reduce toxins when you have practices that support a healthy home. So all that is also going to be good for the environment typically. - Karen BloomKaren started her career as a consumer protection attorney, fighting against companies that failed to warn consumers about the dangers of chemicals in their products. She later developed a mysterious illness that was eventually diagnosed as Lyme disease and mold toxicity, which made her highly sensitive to chemicals and toxins. This experience inspired her to focus on creating non-toxic living spaces to help others who have been in similar situations.A healthy home supports your health by prioritizing air quality, using non-toxic materials, and actively reducing toxins. While a green home focuses on environmental sustainability, the two concepts don't always fully align. Karen explained how some "green" technologies like LEDs and EMFs can actually be harmful to health, and emphasized the need for solutions that protect both the environment and human health.Karen provided several specific recommendations for creating a healthier home, including using air purifiers, high-quality HVAC filters, natural cleaning products, non-toxic furniture and mattresses, stainless steel or glass food storage containers, and proper ventilation when cooking. She also discussed the importance of being mindful of the products we bring into our homes and their potential impacts.Karen explained that her business, Natural Haven, offers in-home or virtual consultations to assess a client's home and provide customized recommendations for improving indoor air quality and reducing toxin exposure. She also creates educational content and free guides to help people make their homes healthier.When asked about recommendations for protecting against EMF exposure when outside the home, Karen expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of many EMF shielding products on the market, noting that she has tested many and found them to be ineffective. She suggested exploring professional EMF assessments and mitigation strategies instead.
"The fact of the matter is your heating your home and cooling your home and heating your water are the two biggest loads to your electric bill. They cost the most in in your home. So this is an opportunity to yes decarbonize and do right for the environment and our grid but also for energy usage. And the products are there. There's more and more coming for sure. " - Anita Singha The much anticipated rebate part of the Inflation Reduction Act, HEEHRA, Home Energy Efficiency Rebate program launched in California in November, 2024. Anita Singha, the Senior Marketing Director for the Switch Is On, the administrator of the financial incentive programs in California explains how this rebate program works and how to navigate it. She explains the program provides rebates of up to $8,000 for low-income households (80% or less of area median income) and $4,000 for moderate-income households (80-150% of area median income) to install heat pumps and heat pump water heaters. The rebates are paid directly to the contractor, and consumers must use a HEEHRA-qualified contractor to be eligible. Anita walks through the steps for consumers to verify their income eligibility and find HEER-qualified contractors through the Switch Is On website. This includes using an online income verification tool, getting a certificate of eligibility, and then contacting multiple contractors to get quotes. Izumi shares her experiences trying to help low-income homeowners, particularly those in remote/rural areas, navigate the HEER program. She highlights issues like lack of HEER-qualified contractors in certain regions, contractors being unfamiliar with heat pump technology, and complexities around mobile home and rental properties. Anita acknowledges these challenges and discusses efforts to expand contractor training and outreach, and reassures that the $450 million in HEER funding allocated to California is secure, even with a potential change in federal administration. However, she notes that the rebates may not last indefinitely, so consumers are encouraged to act quickly. Additional clarifications: California state is launching the rebate program with one appliance at a time, mainly focusing on the heat pump systems. The first phase was for heat pump HVAC system, in which low-income households can get it installed for free although the homeowners may have to cover a difference if the cost of installation exceeds $8,000. Qualified householders can apply if you live in a condo, 2-4 units buildings, ADU and Junior ADU. If you live in a mobile home, you can apply as long as you're on a foundation and not have an axle or license number.
We are focused on incentives for home upgrade projects. We're focused right now on residential space. If anyone is listening or you might have applied for a rebate program in the past, like an appliance rebate program through a government agency or utility, it oftentimes can be quite challenging. So we provide an end to end solution to make it very easy for folks to pre-qualify projects for all available incentives as well as then to claim the funds. And you can think of us as kind of a TurboTax for electrification rebates. - Aimee Bailey, Rock Rabbit Rock Rabbit was founded in 2022 by Aimee Bailey, co-founder and CEO, with her co-founder, building on concepts Bailey had been developing for years in her previous roles in the energy sector, including roles at the Department of Energy, utilities, and government agencies, with a focus on designing and deploying incentive programs. The company's mission is "Future-proofing homes made easy and affordable for everyone," reflecting their commitment to accelerating the energy transition in the residential sector. Rock Rabbit provides an end-to-end solution for contractors and homeowners to easily navigate and claim rebates for home electrification projects. The platform integrates multiple databases, including incentive programs, authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) registries, and community choice aggregation (CCA) information, to simplify the complex landscape of rebates and eligibility requirements. The company addresses three key pain points in the rebate process: incentive discovery (finding available programs among hundreds of options), navigating eligibility requirements (interpreting complex program rules), and streamlining paperwork processing (reducing administrative burden for contractors and homeowners). Rock Rabbit works primarily with contractors as their main user base, but also collaborates with utilities and government agencies to streamline rebate programs. This dual approach allows them to improve the rebate process from both the implementation and administration sides. There's a significant labor shortage in the HVAC industry, with estimates suggesting a gap of hundreds of thousands of technicians needed to meet climate targets. Rock Rabbit aims to alleviate this by making rebate processes more efficient, allowing contractors to focus more on installations and less on paperwork. For inquiries, contact: info@rockrabbit.ai
If you're thinking about starting an Eco-Village, you wanna know, essentially you want to know what are the issues with soil, with air, with water, in your bio-region, in the ecological region that you live in; what are the relationships that you have with your elected officials that have the power over the area where you want to make this happen; who are your neighbors, and what kind of relationships you have with those neighbors whether they're rural, farm neighbors, or whether they're urban neighbors on your block. - Lois Arkin Lois Arkin shares her personal journey, from growing up in a close-knit, nature-filled neighborhood as a child, to moving to California with her husband, studying anthropology, and eventually finding her calling in the cooperative and intentional community movements. This led her to found the Cooperative Resources and Services Project (CRSP) in 1980, which laid the groundwork for the Eco Village LA concept. She explains how she came to the idea of creating an "eco village" - a cooperative, environmentally-focused community - after hosting public forums on different types of cooperatives. She describes the process of acquiring the first Eco Village LA building in the 1980s, and how the community has grown to encompass three buildings and a land trust over the decades. As she outlines, the key criteria that define an eco village, as outlined by early eco village pioneer Robert Gilman - includes being human-scaled, full-featured, closing the waste loop, supporting healthy human development, and being sustainable long-term. She explains how Eco Village LA aims to embody these principles, while also maintaining a diverse community in terms of income, ethnicity, gender, age, and household composition. Lois candidly shares the conflicts and challenges the community has faced over the years, including periods of intense interpersonal tensions. She describes how they eventually implemented a formal conflict resolution process, requiring members to first try to resolve issues one-on-one, and then seek mediation through a community conflict resolution committee if needed. Looking ahead, Lois talks about Eco Village LA's upcoming plans, including creating a pedestrian plaza on their main street, developing an urban farm, and continuing efforts to remove more housing in the surrounding neighborhood from the speculative real estate market. She emphasizes the broader goal of transforming the real estate industry's mindset from "maximum return on investment" to a "fair return on investment" to improve housing affordability and quality of life. Other resources mentioned: Foundation for Intentional Communities The Cohousing Association of the United States
“And what we did was, ‘let's combine the performance of heat pump, off the shelf heat pump, heat pump water heater, with thermal storage with really really smart controls, and you can reap the benefit of that heat pump by shifting the load to the middle of the day and giving you a heat and hot water whenever you need it.” - Jane Melia Jane Melia, Co-founder and CEO of Harvest, the smart thermal battery system explains the genesis of Harvest. She discusses the limitations of traditional heat pump systems and how Harvest combines a heat pump with thermal storage and smart controls to decouple the time when heat is generated from when it is used, allowing the system to take advantage of cheaper, cleaner electricity. Jane provides a detailed overview of how the Harvest system works. It uses a heat pump water heater, a thermal battery (hot water tank), and smart controls to optimize when the heat pump runs to take advantage of renewable energy and off-peak electricity rates, while still providing heating and hot water on demand. Jane discusses the cost of the Harvest system, noting that it is comparable to a median heat pump system but with higher performance. She explains the various incentives and tax credits available, including the 30% federal tax credit, that can make the system cost-competitive with traditional gas heating and water heating. She also discusses Harvest's efforts to work with contractors and property owners to drive broader adoption. Jane and Izumi discuss the future of home heating and cooling, with Jane envisioning a future where thermal storage becomes a standard feature of heat pump systems to better leverage renewable energy and support grid decarbonization. They also discuss the policy changes, such as bans on new gas furnaces, that are helping drive the transition to clean heating solutions. harvest.green
“During Covid I started to think more about the products I was using and plastics. I'd always used refilled bottles for water and I'd reuse plastic bags at the grocery store. Then I heard the statistics that 2.5 billion tons of trash are in the landfill just from hand and body lotion alone and hand and body wash… “ - Libby Bourne Libby Bourne is the store manager for a sustainable store Sun Moon Rain in Santa Monica, offering refillable cleaning and personal care products. The store aims to eliminate single-use plastic and toxins through education. Libby outlined the store's most popular items like refillable dish soap and laundry detergent, appealing for their effectiveness and concentrates reducing plastic use. Customers favor natural deodorants and handwashes for their safe, non-toxic formulas. Libby ensures products meet the store's high standards by checking Environmental Working Group ratings and trusting suppliers with aligned values. This gives customers confidence that items support wellness without compromising the planet. She explains how the store attracts families seeking non-toxic products plus students and health practitioners concerned with sustainability. Santa Monica schools influence interest, and youth outreach grows demand while older customers remain open to change. While progress encourages Libby, a perfect solution remains distant. Continued education and small individual changes can chip away at plastic pollution if companies also curb production. Collaboration across generations offers hope for positive change.
"We're not sacrificing anything aesthetic. We're not sacrificing anything ergonomic by being mindful. We're just pausing and thinking about it and making a good decision instead of rushing through to check everything off the list. It's not going to be apparent in the final end result that you did everything in a very sustainable mindful way. It looks the same. It functions the same. It's just going to last, and it didn't hurt anyone in the process. And if it's ripped out, it's not going to hurt the earth for getting ripped out." - Ali Davin Ali Davin is a founder of Jute Interior Design, who specializes in sustainable and healthy designs. Ali's passions for art, antiques, and spatial design led her to study and work in those fields in Italy and the US. Clients regularly sought her design advice beyond individual pieces, inspiring her holistic interior design practice. For her sustainability means prioritizing the earth's and inhabitants' well-being. Ali incorporated sustainability from necessity due to her chemical sensitivities. It involves mindful material selection, waste reduction, and opting out of consumerism through repurposing. Building codes and contractor mindsets don't always support sustainability. Willing contractors make incremental changes, while some reject discussions. Education is key to accepting health risks in building practices. Ali informs clients of sustainable options without pushing agendas. Most clients initially prioritize aesthetics over sustainability. Changing mindsets requires patience, as rushing decisions sacrifices health and environmental impacts. Ali sees growing receptiveness as sustainability connects to individual and planetary well-being. Her dream is working with aligned clients and contractors on thoughtful, waste-reduced projects that minimize footprints. Her book, Live Natural, aims to introduce sustainability gently through beautiful imagery and approachable, bite-sized writing. It encourages absorbing sustainable messages comfortably without sacrificing aesthetics or function.
“You as a consumer, I as a consumer have enormous power to make the transformation that we want to see. But one of the transformations as a consumer is selecting the right products because the competitor who is not doing the right packaging or the right product is going to see that they're losing clients to the competitors that are doing more sustainable product, produce and materials, so he's gonna change. He's only going to change because us as consumers are driving the change by purchasing the right or the best materials available for us.” - Denise Braun Denise Braun found her calling for sustainability work after witnessing waste flooding during a storm as a child in Brazil. She was further inspired after reading a book on applying sustainability in businesses while working in human resources. This led her to pursue a career in waste management. Denise founded All About Waste 8 years ago after having a child, encouraged by her husband to start her own business focused solely on zero waste solutions. The firm now provides zero waste certifications and consulting globally to reduce building waste. She leads by example with zero waste practices like composting and using refillable products. She encourages others gently and hosts zero waste children's birthday parties. She also recommends shopping at farmers markets when possible or using services like Imperfect Produce. She also suggests stores like Sprouts for bulk options. In Europe, she noticed less waste from smaller grocery formats and buying daily needs. Her goal is advising political leaders on waste policy. Other resources mentioned: The Natural Step, the book
"For me, mantra in my sort of day-to-day climate work is go for the gigatons. And while as a homeowner, a single homeowner, you can't do that, you can look at your biggest spend. So what are the most gigantic energy sinks in your home? Two-thirds of home energy use is from heating and hot water." - Trent Wolbe Trent Wolbe is currently a VP of marketing for a start-up called, Harvest, but I invited him to be my guest because of his fascinating history and passionate dedication to help this environmental crisis we face. He recently joined me as a co-chair of the Green Home Committee at USGBC-LA and dove right into actions, which I'm so grateful for. He shared how watching Ninja Turtle in his youth led him to be who he is today, and how he and his partner built a sustainable ADU in Los Angeles. A chance sighting of unusual structures revealed Earthships to Trent, inspiring him to study their off-grid design harnessing nature for comfort through materials and thermal gain. And upon building his ADU, he optimized for minimal energy use with a tight envelope, geothermal, solar, battery and heat pumps. He shares lessons from a challenging but educational process.
"For some folks, they become really motivated by the climate crisis. They start to understand that in their family, maybe their single largest source of climate pollution, and it's a big one, is sitting in their closet just heating their water and heating their house, right? So that's some folks are motivated by that, and they want to start finding out what they can do. Other folks maybe don't care about climate at all, but they've got high utility bills, and they want to understand how electrifying their home can actually reduce their utility bills. This is a common misperception. People think electricity is expensive, and they think it's dirty. Electricity is not dirty in California. Our electricity supply is remarkably clean. … Also, electricity is not expensive when you do the math right when you compare apples to apples, running your home on electricity and running it on gas. You'll discover that over time, you can save, a typical home will save thousands of dollars over the lifespan of the equipment that we're talking about." - Cooper Marcus, Chief Quitter, Founder Cooper Marcus founded QuitCarbon, which is a platform that makes home electrification easier, cheaper, and better for all with free expert advice, personalized plans, contractor referrals and support through the process to transition homes off fossil fuels. Chief quitter, founder of QuitCarbon shares how he started this company as he went through a complex process of electrifying his Victorian home in San Francisco. QuitCarbon is free for homeowners and generates revenue through contractor partnerships by connecting them with clients, with the goal of helping millions of homes electrify while educating contractors on the transition. Cooper addressed pushbacks like climate concerns, cost worries and reliability myths, noting solutions like battery backups and that electricity is often cheaper than gas long-term, especially as incentives lower upfront costs. Also QuitCarbon has developed a software that tracks almost 300 ever changing financial incentives available and be able to inform the homeowners the best possible path of electrifying homes.
“…what can we do in terms of water and energy? Something that's super decentralized that doesn't make people compromise. And we started to look at where water is used most within the residential home and 50% of that water use stems from the bathroom. It's quite alarming when you start looking at how much we actually use in terms of water.” - Alisha McFetridge A typical 10-minute shower uses 25 gallons, whereas Rainstick Shower uses under 5 gallons, saving both water and the energy required to heat excess water. Its point-of-use cleaning further reduces costs and environmental impacts. Alisha McFetridge, Co-founder and CEO, detailed Rainstick's recirculation system saves 80% water and energy by reusing shower water up to six times through cleaning and pumping, while maintaining a strong 3 gpm flow. Her background in water management and sustainability led to developing this solution. She also explained the installation process, maintenance as well as the possible upcoming financial incentives. Instagram: @rainstick.shower FB: rainstickshower LinkedIn: rainstickshower
“I feel that we have this moral imperative from a business standpoint to preserve our markets. And so, as Realtors, we are advisors. So we explain to our developers, we explain to our buyers, we explain to our sellers how to transact in a way that is most profitable for them. how the Code of Ethics really demands that we understand the products we sell and that we do a better job of representing these products.” - Wayne Beals Wayne Beals is a managing broker at Beals Group of Exit Strategies and a fellow Green Realtor in Chicago. Wayne details his upbringing fixing old homes, sparking passion for buildings that led to careers in construction and real estate. Witnessing energy poverty drove focus to efficient housing. He now specializes in all-electric new construction, convinced gas infrastructure worsens problems, developing with partners seeking competitive edge in electrification. While some buyers eagerly seek green, others dismiss features until educated on health, comfort and cost benefits. Appraisals don't recognize value, hindering prices despite certification. He believes that as advisors, realtors must explain sustainability impacts for clients' long term interests. While some resist, normalizing discussion introduces more to benefits, shifting perceptions over time for future-proofing markets. Relying on early adopters, realtors can disrupt competitors by demanding high performance standards. Educating all parties grows receptive audiences. With moral duty to steward resources and public health, the industry must integrate sustainability for viable future operations.
"The new thinking is around circularity. The idea of circularity is the circulation of materials at their highest value for the longest period of time. And when you design with circular systems in mind, you are thinking about the end at the beginning, meaning what's going to happen to this product that we're making? What's going to happen to this house that we're designing at the end of life? Can any of these things be reused again? Can they be made into something else? Can you take and use... send the furniture back to the manufacturer and they'll repair it or even keep it and resell it to somebody else. There are companies that do that. " - Kathryn Soter About a year ago, I interviewed Katie Story, a founder of Good Future Design Alliance, which she created to educate the professionals in the building and designing industry to reduce the massive waste this industry generates forging a radical new path in the world of design. The new executive director, Kathryn Soter, gives us the update on the organization's missions as well as some practical tips when designing, redesigning and renovating homes or even when we need to replace a piece of furniture to help reduce waste. Construction and demolition waste is a massive problem, with 500 million tons generated annually in the US alone. This is equivalent to 100 Great Pyramids of Giza per year. There are major health impacts from construction waste, including landfill pollution, emissions, and plastic waste. GFDA aims to connect and educate interior designers, architects, contractors, and manufacturers to adopt low-waste practices. Homeowners should plan carefully, salvage and reuse materials, and hire trained professionals to reduce waste. Resources mentioned: Chairish Renovation Angel Rheaply FirstDib
"I think that we will continue to see high performance sustainability at the forefront of innovation. I think it's going to be a slow transition depending on where you are in the world and where you are in the U.S. So I think we're going to see different rates of adoption. I think all of it is going to become faster as we realize the impacts of climate change. And the same holds true with the other element you mentioned, which is resiliency. So as the climate continues to warm, storms are going to be more severe. Floods are going to be more severe, droughts will be more severe, hurricanes will be more frequent. And the approach to build buildings and homes that are more resilient to disaster is going to continue to increase. And I think those two are going to go hand-in-hand." -Todd Usher Todd Usher is the founder and president of Addison Homes in South Carolina. Todd has been building high performance homes since 2003 when he discovered Earthcraft House certification. He is passionate about sustainability and building science. In his presentation, he explains the key elements of a sustainable home including insulated building envelope, air sealing, indoor air quality management, efficient equipment like heat pumps, and smart home technology. He also discusses how site orientation, window placement, roof overhangs, and other passive design strategies are crucial before considering any technology or building techniques. Conversation further explores how energy efficiency strategies can align with strategies for improved health, comfort and resilience.
“Building science for these principles and tools to measure and test homes and treat them as an interconnected thing so that all the systems work together and you can achieve better results by looking at the house as a system.” - Dan Thomsen Dan Thompson, the owner and founder of Building Doctors, shares his journey from flipping homes to becoming an energy auditor and contractor. He was inspired to enter the green industry after attending a GoGreen Expo and hearing a talk by an environmentalist, leading him to start his own company called Building Doctors. Dan's company, conducts comprehensive energy audits using science-based tools to assess homes' energy efficiency. They provide homeowners with a treatment plan based on the audit results, which includes insulation, HVAC system upgrades, and solar installation, aiming to make homes more comfortable, energy-efficient, and valuable. Dan serves on the board of Efficiency First California and the steering committee for Tech Clean California, involving in the preparation to roll out the rebate programs being set forth by Inflation Reduction Act. His passion for improving the energy efficiency of existing homes is palpable.
There's been plenty of studies over the years ranging anywhere from half of a percent to 15 percent in value for certifications. And part of it has to do with the areas, so obviously when you get into areas like parts of Texas and California, Florida, Virginia, we saw value increases partiallybecause I think you have more educated and interested population who cares, and so they bring that value. -Brett Little Brett is the education manager for this non-profit organization, GreenHome Institute, which provides rich sources of educational information and services to empower people to make healthier and more sustainable choices in renovating and constructing the places we live. Brett shares his knowledge and insight into the current green home space; who are participating in the classes and services they offer; how the certifications would help evaluate homes that have implemented sustainability elements while discussing his own journey of certifying his home and how the certification played a role in getting his home evaluated.
My model is if you look at the cost of owning a house holistically, is a high performance home better? In most cases I can tell you with all confidence it is. But a lot of people look at first cost, and they say, “wait a minute, this house costs 10,000 bucks more than house B over here, which is code built.” And they're missing the big picture. My point is that I don't wanna be the right person in the room, but I wanna be the one who has the most information so people can make the right decision. - Kerry Langley Kerry Langley is a long time industry leader in the field of mortgage lending and founder and CEO of Home Bucks. He was someone who helped me in a challenging moment when negotiating with buyers for my recent listing of a certified green home with an attractive proposition of lower interest rates. He explains how he created a platform to come up with mortgage programs that would fit the buyers needs including the energy efficiency issues. He explains what TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) software is, and how it integrates the information about the home's energy efficiency/sustainability/disaster resilience as well as other improvements the homeowners may want to make. His new platform HomeBuck$ VIP completely disrupts how a prospective homebuyer goes about selecting the terms of their mortgage loan and in turn gives them the ability to control the total cost of owning their new property. kerry.langley@primelending.com
"Is my home going to last longer? Is home gonna be more beneficial for me in some ways? Is it gonna be easier to maintain? Am I gonna have lower energy bills and water bils? Is it just gonna be cooler? Is it gonna be like really interesting and fun to have some that also happens to be environmentally friendly? Knowing that information as soon as possible in your home search is more beneficial for you than too far down the line when you doing a home inspection or energy audit." - Kari Klaus Kari Klaus, the founder of Realty Sage with a background in sustainable economic development, found inspiration to create a platform of market place for green homes while she was renovating her own home to be more sustainable. Kari shares her experience and challenges of promoting energy-efficient homes and the creation of Realty Sage, a platform that educates and incentivizes sellers to invest in green properties. The platform evolved over time, launching in 2016 and expanding to include Realty Sage Pro's in 2020, connecting real estate agents with home buyers nationwide. While Realty Sage has received positive response from the market, we both recognize the deficiencies in the real estate industry and the need for more information and transparency for consumers.
So I make electricity from the sun. With that electricity, I make water out of air. With that water, it goes to the pressure tank. That pressure tank would then take it to the water heater. The water heater is a heat pump water heater, which we use the electricity from the sun to heat the water heater. The bi-product of water heater is the air conditioning. That's the only air conditioning we would use, which we pipe the air conditioning out of the water heater into the house. Then you take a shower, and that shower water goes out to my fruit trees in the front yard, and that was all gravity fed. So make electricity, make water, heat the water with the electricity from the sun, shower then feed the fruit trees. -Ryan McEvoy Ryan McEvoy, a principal and founder of Gaia Development. While Gaia Development has an impressive track record of developing and/or consulting for more than 500 sustainable buildings around the world, our conversation was about Campbell Collective, which is a residential property he bought and renovated in the Mar Vista neighborhood of Los Angeles guided by the Living Building Challenge garnering Zero-Energy Certification. Ryan explains why he chose to go with the Living Building Challenge (LBC) program as opposed to LEED, and how the process of putting together his net-positive water and net-positive energy went, and how he ended up with three petals out of seven for LBC. With regenerative and permaculture design, the place is now an urban farm oasis providing the community with fruits, vegetables and herbs. As he prepares the property for an upcoming home tour for USGBC-LA in November, he shares with us the challenges he had so far and the vision he has for the property for the future.
In the beginning, just because a lot of people, like I said before, a lot of people, they don't know, or they have not conscious of what's going on in the world, and how they can save money and electricity, gas, or the more healthy. A lot of people aren't sure. So I was a little hesitant in the beginning. I said, how we're going to market this property and to get the price that we want. Because of course, to do those changes, we add more and more budgets, more money for budgets. Now we have to raise the price, the listing price, is no more budget. In the beginning, so we were a little concerned, but everything came out good. - Jenny Acosta Jenny Acosta and I met through Women in Real Estate (WREN) back in 2018 as I was trying to learn more about flipping houses. My motivation was simply to create more green homes that I can sell as a Green Realtor. Jenny is a successful real estate investor, who has been “flipping” homes in Los Angeles since 2015, now in Austin, Texas as well. Over the years, I have talked to Jenny about doing her flip projects “green,” and we finally had an opportunity to collaborate on her most recent project to make a certified green home. This conversation was recorded a few days after we closed escrow. We discussed what we did, some challenges, and the outcome. My debrief presentation deck. Marketing video of this property.
“I think there's definitely certain Feng Shui principles and concepts that can and should be used through our architecture. At the same time, it can also be very logical because Feng Shui is based on the natural world, the interactions with the natural world, the operation of the natural world and the flow of energies.” El Larson is a wellness real estate agent and Wellness Design Consultant. She combines a wide range of expertise in what makes a home healthy and sustainable incorporating principles such as Feng Shui, biophilic design, land resilience and material health. El discusses the different aspects of wellness in real estate, including the importance of constructing homes with wellness practices. She shares her expertise in her application of Feng Shui, particularly landform and BTB methods, in assessing and enhancing the health and balance of properties. She discusses some examples of the land formation principles, and how it can impact the energy and well-being of individuals; and shares the possibility of remedying certain issues with Feng Shui. How do we incorporate the concept of Feng Shui into wellness real estate and design. www.heare.la
"Literally if you gave me two words to describe you what I'm doing, I would say “eco-flipping.” That is actually what I'd say to you. But there's a huge difference in what it means because third party certification means adherence to certain standards and have to be not only done but defend it and understood. So the buyer of this home is going to know exactly what is behind all of their walls, what the sources of their materials are, and the processes that went into all of it." In this part, Steve Matloff discusses a project in Los Feliz that he and his partners are working on. The project involves renovating a home built in the 1930s and making it relevant for modern living while honoring its legacy. They approached the sellers with letters expressing their desire to buy the home at the full asking price or more and transform it into a demonstration of sustainable home utilization for the next 100 years. The home they chose was in disrepair and had been untouched for several years, making it an ideal candidate for their project. The team aims to change every system in the home to align with modern priorities and advancements. While they want to maintain existing materials, such as the flooring, they plan to reframe the entire second floor to optimize living spaces and take advantage of the beautiful views of the Griffith Observatory and downtown Los Angeles. The challenge lies in balancing form and function and creating a home that offers luxury while significantly reducing its carbon footprint. They envision providing a 7,000 to 8,000 square foot home that functions like something much smaller, appealing to buyers who want both space and environmental sustainability. One of the challenges they face is the design aspect, particularly in maintaining the elements of a proper Tudor revival while incorporating green priorities. They want the home to achieve independent third-party certification for its sustainable features and ensure transparency for potential buyers. They aim to provide a book documenting the home's eco-friendly features and the points accumulated for third-party certification, giving buyers a clear understanding of what lies behind the walls and the environmental impact of the home. The team is currently in the planning phase, aiming to finalize permit plans in the near future. The vision of Tradicient is, once they successfully execute this project both in renovation and sales, to scale this model to lower price points properties. *** LA Times article by Lisa Boone about Steve's family home and its landscaping done by FormLA Steve Matloff: steve@tradicient.com
"I want to inspire others who are doing this work but based on a different set of priorities, who understand that this priority of sustainability, of efficiencies of resources and processes, of reduction of wastes of all sorts including the carbon is valued. And you should be incorporating those priorities into your project." Steve Matloff is a “sustainable real estate RE-developer,” CEO and founder of Tradicient, which is a business name that combines the two words, “tradition” and “efficient.” Steve believes that the majority of our built environment was designed and developed for a different world and different times. Over the years, the world has changed significantly, with population growth, the introduction of convenience products, changes in the definition of quality of life, and increased consumption. Our existing built environment, including millions of homes and buildings, was not designed to meet these new circumstances. Therefore, redevelopment is necessary to prioritize efficiency in resource utilization, waste reduction, and urban development. He shares his personal journey and how his love for architecture and design combined with his awareness of environmental impact led him to focus on sustainability in the built environment. He emphasizes the need for a market that offers existing homes with modern functionality and efficiency. He started out with his own family home, built in 1922. He wanted to find professionals who could maintain the historical characteristics of the home while making it efficient. However, he couldn't find anyone who specialized in this type of work. Steve emphasizes the importance of renovating and retrofitting the existing built environment instead of starting from scratch, as the waste generated from demolishing and rebuilding would be immense. To address this gap, Steve formed Tradicient. He sought to make his own family's home a LEED Platinum-certified property, the highest level of certification for sustainable homes. He collaborated with professionals on maintaining the aesthetic and historical characteristics of the home while incorporating efficient and sustainable features. Overall, Steve's goal with Tradicient is to create a market for efficient, sustainable redevelopment of existing homes. He believes it's crucial to preserve and enhance the built environment while aligning it with modern sustainability standards. LA Times article by Lisa Boone about Steve's family home and its landscaping done by FormLA Steve Matloff: steve@tradicient.com
"From the environmental aspect, composing has so many benefits. When you compost your food instead of throw way in the landfill, it gets proper aeration and it has oxygen to properly decompose so it doesn't release harmful greenhouse gasses like methane into the environment. So it's helping kind of the global warming movement on one aspect. And then from another lens, I'm taking AP environmental science right now and my teacher was talking about how one of the main reasons that they're requiring compost in California is because they're running out of landfill space. And so landfill space is obviously really detrimental to a lot of ecosystems because you're displacing those natural lands to put in manmade things like the landfills. And so when we compost our food, we're not taking up those lands and taking those lands away from natural ecosystems. And lastly, composting is known as black gold. And so, compost is really valuable to a lot of plants, and so, when we compost instead of just throwing it away, we create that natural fertilizer, so composting also reduces the use of synthetic fertilizers, which cause so many problems in the ecosystem." Grades of Green is an international non-profit organization, originally founded in Southern California by moms to “educate, empower and inspire students to take action and achieve long lasting environmental impact in their schools and communities.” Special Project Manager, Glenn Arnade, proudly introduced me to a high-school student named Cordelia O'Rouke, who spearheaded a program to get local schools to start composting the food scraps from their cafeterias. In California, the State Senate Bill 1383 enacted in January 2022 requires the food and compostable materials be kept out of the landfill. Empowered by the bill and the support/structure provided by Grades of Green, Cordelia has so far reached approximately 4,000 students at 4 different schools and trained them to engage in composting programs to divert the cafeteria food scraps. Cordelia discussed the benefits of composting and how it can help the environment by reducing greenhouse gasses and landfill space, and also shared tips on how to compost, including adding more brown waste and finding the right composting method based on individual goals and living situations.
"You know, I thought, I know about your podcast and I'm really thinking about what I can contribute in. It's really quite numerous. And so as I said, very little hereditary and so most of it is environmental. So one thing I want to say, it's tangential to your question, but I don't want it to be lost. It is family history and non-hereditary because we also share environments, share homes, maybe sometimes workplaces, and so it's not always that there's a gene." -Melanie Palomares I have had episodes to talk about what makes a home healthy in comparison to home being “green.” I would say most of us who are interested in “green homes” would probably want our homes to be healthy. So I wanted to talk to a medical professional who can give a perspective from the medical standpoint of prevention. What is it that we should all be aware of so that we know our homes are a place of nourishment and healing. Today, I have a guest named Melanie Palomares. She is an MD-MS. She's affectionately known as Dr. Mel as a preventive oncologist and founder of Cancer Prevention Movement. We discussed the various environmental factors that can contribute to cancer, including pollution, cleaning products, water and air quality., and exposure to EMS. We also talked about the importance of awareness and prevention, such as using filters and detectors, and making lifestyle changes to reduce exposure to harmful substances. Melanie offers various cancer prevention strategies including the importance of diet, exercise, and environmental factors. Jue 4 is a National Cancer Survivors' Day, which celebrates cancer survivors and highlights the need for prevention. Melanie's foundation: https://canpreventmovement.org/
“Part of that is to be able to honestly and clearly articulate the difference between cost, especially the upfront cost and long term value, obviously the fiscal value of something that works as your monthly output is less for that. And that money can go towards small add to your mortgage. But there's also these amazing soft cost value that people don't know. You can't quite grasp until you're in. The air quality is amazing. They're very quiet homes. You don't have any drafts on the big windows, and you have great light and things like that. Those are the things when you actually bring some people to a home like that. It's like walking into the nature, you just get that feeling, this is amazing.” - Brian Falcon Joe Lombardi and Brian Falcon are founders of a home building company, Alter Eco, based in Paoli, Pennsylvania. Joe and Brian, both architects, started their partnership in sustainable and energy-efficient home building after working together in a firm where they encountered difficulties in implementing green building principles due to clients' lack of understanding.They faced pushback from contractors and structural engineers who were used to a certain type of system, but were able to gain exposure and clients through national awards and articulating the importance and benefits of sustainable building. We discussed the sustainable design and construction practices they implement in their architecture firm, including the use of energy-efficient systems, minimizing water waste, and achieving third-party certifications. They also talked about how they have been able to control costs and reduce waste in construction through their integrated design process. the trend of green and sustainable home building, including the use of pre-fabricated and panelized parts, and the importance of considering the embodied carbon of building components. More importantly we talked about the need to educate people on the benefits of sustainable homes and how it doesn't necessarily require a change in lifestyle.
"I'm a big believer that if a product or space is human friendly, then by definition, it's environmentally friendly. I don't think the same is true in the opposite direction. There are plenty of products that are eco-friendly but still very very dangerous for humans. There's also plenty of examples of things that are 100% natural that are dangerous for humans." - Andy Pace When I first learned about what we call, “green homes,” the aspect I was most interested in was the “health” factor of what a green home is to provide. As I learned more about what makes a home green, I soon discovered that the definition of “green home” can be rather complex and can be elusive. Soon I realized a “green home” is not necessarily a “healthy home” for certain people. Typically in the green home world, the health or wellness factors often talked about are indoor air quality, comfort, daylighting, access to the outdoors, etc., yet for some people, that's not enough. Both my guests, Jen Stout and Mike Bender, had a long journey in finding their way to create a home that they could live in without having any reaction. Mike discussed how he worked with Andy in his attempt to create a home that he could live in, I thought I would go directly to the source. As founder of The Green Design Center, Andy Pace is an invaluable worldwide expert in the field of chemical sensitivity, building materials, and non-toxic construction with over 30 years of experience. He is a leading educator for those who suffer from allergies, asthma and chemical sensitivities and struggle to create healthy living environments. He is also a host of Non-Toxic Environments podcast.
“So it is one of the most effective things you can do as a homeowner to make a difference to the world with respect to climate is by going solar. So please do not delay because our planet can, well, our planet will be fine, we'll just be dead. We need to make a difference if we want to make this planet a planet where our children and grandchildren are going to be able to enjoy. So make that decision now to go solar. It's not only a great decision from a cost effective perspective, but your grandchildren and their children are going to thank you for the decision you make today.” - Carol Cole-Lewis An independent solar consultant Carol Cole-Lewis and Izumi explored various aspects of solar energy and incentives for homeowners including the transition from Net Energy Metering 2 (NEM2) to a new net energy metering rate plan (NEM3) in California and the importance of battery storage. Carol advises homeowners to choose a reputable installer based on factors such as experience and financial stability. Topics also discussed were the different business models of solar installers and the importance of energy efficiency before going solar. Carol emphasizes the potential benefits of various financing options, including loans, leases, and power purchase agreements. The conversation also touched on tax credits and incentives per Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and the importance of taking action to combat global warming. UpstartEnergy.com Go Solar with Confidence, a book by Carol Cole-Lewis DSIREUSA.ORG - Check available incentives Project Drawdown
“I think especially when you get to the point of EHS, that everybody takes responsibility for their own energy, and that's part of the healing. Just as important it is to put that metal shielding around those wires as it is to be very mindful of how we're using our energy, and how we're treating out bodies.” Michael Bender, an artist and writer by profession, who struggled with increasingly aggravating and mysterious health issues that most doctors couldn't figure out pretty much all his life after he was bitten by a tick at the age of 11. He was not only sensitive to the typical toxins found in homes, but started to have reactions to some of the most benign home products such as lavender fragrance of his wife's shampoo. Needless to say, he developed electrical hypersensitivity (EHS), which reacts strongly to electrical signals and what's commonly known as electro-magnetic field (EMF). After decades of challenges, he finally built a house where he and his family can live by creating a “Quiest Home,” which is a result of his tenacious effort to find solutions in various disciplines and modalities. He shares of a few resources he either used for himself and what he may recommend to others. · Mike's article, The Quiet House, in Men's Health Magazine, March 2022 · The Green Design Center, Andy Pace · SafeCoat Paint · IQAir Perfect 16 Air Purifier
“A couple of things to know about tax credit. So there's efficiency tax credit and renewable tax credit. Efficiency tax credits are the ones that were expanded this year. It used to be set at $500 whereas now you can take up to $3,200 in the tax year in which you make the installations. On the renewable side, one thing that's important to know is that for the first time now battery storage is a part of what you can get 30% tax credit as well. That didn't use to be the case.” As a part of the new legislation, Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, some financial incentives are now available for home owners and builders to build higher performing residential buildings as well as to improve existing homes for better comfort and efficiency. I have been dying to learn about what IRA has to offer to homeowners and builders so I can guide them to utilize this massive bill. Cynthia Adams, CEO and Co-founder of Pearl Certification generously offered to explain IRA in a nutshell. While there are many moving parts and the mechanics of rebate are still pending, Cynthia offers some information we should be aware of. Incentives are offered in two different types: 1) tax credits for efficiency and renewable energy upgrades; 2) electrification (HEEHRA) and efficiency (HOMES) rebates. Here are some helpful website links Cynthia mentions in our conversation: Area Median Income Look-up Tool Clean Energy Tax Credit for Consumers by Department of Energy Greendoor.app by Pearl Certification
“If I'm speaking to a builder, your home owner, your client is going to be more comfortable, they're going to be happier; they're going to be healthier; and they're going to love living in this home compared to any other home that is less than, and that is something that I think isn't top of mind for a lot of people when they think about green building. Health and comfort doesn't always come.” Karen Benner is a building consultant, who has worked in the residential construction industry over 20 years. Once she became aware of the impact construction industry has on the planet in early 2000s, she emersed herself to learn about green building and high performance building, and took it onto herself to inform, encourage and empower the home builders she worked for to build better homes. She has navigated the landscape of the construction industry to shift the mindset from focusing on short-term financial benefit to include long-term benefit, providing guidance to mitigate risks and manage projects with a new perspective of building green. While her experiences were primarily with production builders, Karen sees that once you commit to building sustainably, the business model can be successful and scalable even with smaller builders and developers. Resources Karen mentions in her interviews: · National Association of Home Builders · Enterprise Community Partners
"I went down the rabbit hall of, “O.K. how can every choice I make as a consumer be made with an idea of thinking about where does this come from, what are actually the ingredients, and materials that are being used; and what happens at the end of life of this product?” Basically, my mission right now is I guess I categorize myself as becoming a zero waste living advocate." Amanda Cavallo is an architect by profession in Santa Monica, though originally from Boston. Throughout her life, she was always in tune with nature and environment. As she works with her architectural clients recommending sustainability design, she was keenly aware of the fact that if she talks the talk, she must walk the walk. She took on herself to live a lifestyle of reducing our waste. With the social media channel, "return_to_earth_collective," she is collecting tips and info on healthy, eco-friendly living, researching natural and low-waste products to share with the public trying to inspire to change one good habit and sustainable swap at a time. Also mentioned in the interview: Dark Green Religion by Bron Taylor
“When you purchase a home, it's more than just principal and interest. You're never going to own a home and not utilities, not have power payment, not have gas payment, and not have water payment. So we said, O.K., let's talk about PITI plus utilities and then what's that total payment, then how can we maximize that for home buyers.” When purchasing homes, home buyers who are financing the purchase would consider what the monthly payment would be. They don't always take into consideration how much it may cost to operate and maintain the homes, namely the utility bills. In some areas of the country, the heating and/or cooling cost can become exorbitant. Don Worthington introduces Lowtility, a mortgage product that allow the homebuyers to include the cost of energy efficiency improvement in the purchase price as the first mortgage. While there are other similar “green financing” products as were introduced in previous episodes of this podcast, Lowtility approaches the underwriting process with minimized utility bills in the equation. Homebuyers can have energy efficient homes for the same or less amount of monthly payments with little to none utility bills. They service all across the United States except the state of New York. Find out more from Don!
Definition of sustainable site is it promotes land development and management practices with our future in mind. So sustainable sites generate less waste, minimize impact on the landscape, and use less energy, water and natural resources. Brandon is a Sr. Applications Engineer for one of an innovative solar technology company. He was influenced by growing up with a father who was a pioneer of sustainable building professionals. Now that he owns a property of his own up the hills in southeast of Los Angeles near Temecula, he has undertaken a truly regenerative transformation project of what once looked like a deserted property into a home with net-positive energy sanctuary. Brandon shares the strategic approach he has taken to regenerate his home and the land surrounding his home on almost 5-acre of property including decarbonization, water management, and landscaping following the concept of “sustainable site.”
I think we understand more and more that life webs that we're all in makes human beings happier and healthier, that there's things to do to acknowledge those life webs and do what we can do to help it. Greg Travis is an old friend of mine, who has become an amateur expert on native plants gardening. He and his partner bought their 1908 craftsman they now call home in West Adams area of Los Angeles in 2001. Greg's primary goal was to have “dirt” where he could do gardening. At the time he was a self-proclaimed “frustrated gardener” and was going through a certificate program for horticulture and garden design. When not many were talking about the native plants yet, one instructor who taught him about the California natives really influenced him, which led him on a journey of creating his dream garden. He transformed the front yard from the typical grass yard into a lush garden that hosts not only a wide variety of native plants, which attracts variety of pollinators like birds, bees and butterflies, requiring little irrigation. Hear how he designed, planted and nurtured his beautiful garden including some of the mistakes he made.
[This episode is from a short video about Adam's project. Best to watch on HomeGreenHomes YouTube channel.] Adam, a long-time construction professional, and his family were experiencing health issues when they found their “property” in Redwood City, California. What they wanted was a place where they felt healthy. Yet the property was in such disrepair that his first thought was to demolish and rebuild. Instead he chose to “heal the house and the land that the house was sitting on” in the same way that he wanted to heal the family's wellbeing. Thus Adam took on a challenge to change the construction process, which is typically very extractive, disruptive and wasteful, into a regenerative process to have a positive impact not just on the environment but also to the local community and local economy. The project touched on the Five Roots of Regenerative Real Estate®: 1) Health and Wellness; 2) Sustainability; 3) Community; 4) Ecology and 5) Spirit, which also relates to the concept of “Eco-chaplain.” (Those who work to establish people in a healthy, compassionate, and mutually supportive relationship with each other and the natural world. - Sati Center of Buddhist Studies) As a result, he was able to accomplish his Vision of truly regenerative project and indeed be an eco-chaplain for himself and his family, the property he turned into his family nest, the people who worked on the project and the surrounding community.
“I'm a firm believer that the soil health is human health. If we start with the land first, it will reap the fruits of our labor and it's highly reciprocal.” Diego Torrelio is a Founder and CEO of Circlefoot. Circlefoot is the leading wellness landscaping and construction company based in San Mateo County, California. They design, build, and manage homes, gardens, homesteads, and small farms in San Mateo and beyond with a mission to deliver ecologically regenerative outdoor-indoor living solutions. Driven by the Vision of human being living lightly and in balance on our planet, Diego and his company collaborate with their clients to create not only regenerative living spaces but also promotes more just and ecologically regenerative economy. Diego shares the back story of his professional development and his Vision for future.
“Discussion about energy efficiency, net positive and locking your energy cost by installing solar power. They're privileged conversations. But I want to deliver energy efficiency and the promise of being a part of clean energy future to bigger groups of people that don't necessarily have access and make it a much more equitable thing.” Realty Energy Partners work with Realtors and their communities to build a solar-powered net-zero future and regenerate neighborhoods. Licensed in all 50 states Providing energy solutions that are more effective and financially sound than what "big solar" is trying to sell. Changing how solar and alternative energy is sold and financed. They are a trusted name in understanding, selecting, coordinating and implementing solutions that meet a building's needs and its budget. Licensed in all 50 states ☀️Providing energy solutions that are more effective and financially sound than what "big solar" is trying to sell. ☀️Changing how solar and alternative energy is sold and financed. ☀️They are a trusted name in understanding, selecting, coordinating and implementing solutions that meet a building's needs and its budget. They work with commercial, residential, and institutional Realtors to help their clients find the best path to fiscally responsible eco-development and renovation. Right now, only 4% of buildings in the US have solar power. But with their help, that number is going to increase dramatically. To learn more, visit our website: RealtyEnergyPartners.com
We are not looking to be orthodox about our ability to create low carbon footprint and green homes. We're looking to educate people and let people know that this is possible, and you can do it beautifully, economically and have impact. Greg Roth is the senior designer for CarbonShackDesign, a branch of Home Front Build, an architectural firm. CarbonSharkDesign offers a holistic approach to green building design, integrating high performance, low impact materials with refined aesthetics, to create homes that respond to the way we live today. As a soup-to-nuts sustainable design-build company, they view every aspect of design and construction as an opportunity to shift the way homes are built today, towards minimizing our impact on the natural environment. From simple moves, like selecting touchless faucets or installing window shades, to more systemic applications, like upgrading insulation or installing solar panels – every decision you make about your home construction project can be viewed through the lens of its carbon footprint. And CasaZero is the case study house they designed and built to expand the definition of “green” to include the entire life cycle of a building and also one that examines the interconnectedness of our choices with the environment. See what else they have to offer at: CarbonShackShowroom, and SustainableBuild.
“Capturing rainwater and letting it make its way back into earth is really the most sustainable thing you can do with the water on the property, and a good way to guarantee water supply in a more sustainable way.” Do you know that an inch of rain on a 1,000 sq/ft roof topcan collect 600 gallons of water? Jesse Froehlich Savou, a native of Davis, CA native, thinks everyone should be able to harvest rainwater, so she set out to make that possible, founding BlueBarrel in 2012. Jesse developed her first catchment system in 2010 as an AmeriCorps project with Conservation Corps North Bay at the Indian Valley Organic Farm & Garden located in Novato, CA. Her assignment was to build a 1,500 gallon rainwater catchment system with a budget of only $1,000. She and project partner John came up with what ended up being the prototype for the BlueBarrel System, using 22 food-grade plastic barrels and associated hardware in a narrow corridor next to the farm's greenhouse. nThe system immediately proved workable, and Jesse decided to install one at her home… And then another… And then a third! With a few tweaks each time, Jesse refined what became known as the BlueBarrel Rainwater Catchment System™—now available nationwide as BlueBarrel's DIY RainKit™ for you to install at your own place. BlueBarrel (https://www.bluebarrelsystems.com/) now offers the tools and resources for successful home-installation experiences for rainwater harvesters everywhere!
"...soil without biology is geology. It's supposed to have life in there. So by telling people to use harsh chemical fertilizers I was part of the problem. I heard this saying, 'Be the solution, not the problem." Nationwide, landscape irrigation is estimated to account for nearly one-third of all residential water use, totaling nearly 9 billion gallons per day. As climate destabilization leads to intensifying heat waves, fires, and droughts, we are witnessing already burdened watersheds getting stretched to their limit. It's been estimated that California only has enough water supply to last one year, a state in which declared water shortage emergencies and restrictions to outdoor usage have become the norm. Approximately one-half of residential water consumption is used on our lawns. What if we could reduce water usage, sink carbon, increase biodiversity, and beautify our landscapes all at the same time? This is precisely what Dane Shota has sought out to do. As a bio-nutritionist, permaculturist, consulting arborist, and real estate broker, Dane consults with landscape architects and homeowners alike on using “rainwater only landscaping.” In this conversation, Dane will share with us his landscaping techniques for using only what falls from the sky to create beautiful, drought tolerant landscapes for his clients in arid climates. *At 20:19, Dane mentions the nutrients of the product lasts for 6 years, but he later corrected to mean 6 months.
“I'd like to describe what we do as wellness integrated living. That is actually the foundation and inspiration behind our book. Since it is so difficult to disseminate this information. A lot of people shot at Whole Foods, but they don't even know or think about the house, “Is my house healthy?” like it's just not something that's on top of people's mind yet. So I think that's really going to be hopefully pivotal as far as educating people, which is part of our mission.” With so many building materials out on the market, it's hard to know what's going into your family's home. JS2 Partners Healthy Home Builder is doing something no other builder is doing. They are creating better living through healthier building, using exclusively non-toxic construction materials and design methods in our custom homes. Jen and Rusty Stout share their story about how they came to recognize that each homeowner has their own needs and unique sense of style, how they came to specializes in healthy home building & design in the Austin, TX area and surrounding Central Texas Hill Country region, and how they ended up writing a book, Healthier Homes, to spread the knowledge.
“I am an interior designer. I call the architect who calls the contractor. We all call landscaper because we're all obsessed with plants right now. But all day we're working in tandem in a circle. So I thought everyone needs to be involved here. What does it matter if I spend all my time trying to source responsibly and bill my clients may be a little extra for these efforts […] if the contractor just goes in and throws everything in the landfill anyway? So why did we do that? We need to close the gap like close the whole circle.” Katie Storey is an established interior designer based in San Francisco, who had an epiphany when she realized her work was big contributor to a massive waste problem generated in the world, particularly in the design and building industry, despite her own personal practice in conscious living. One of the resources that awoken and inspired Katie was Earth Overshoot Day, which marks the date when humanity has used all the biological resources that Earth regenerates during the entire year. She founded The Good Future Design Alliance, a community of design and building professionals committed to reduce waste to “forge a radical new path.” She shares how this fast-growing network of design leaders are shaking up the industry with access to cutting edge tools to help them meet their professional low-waste goals, and invites designers, architects, general contractors, landscapers as well as manufacturers to join the movement.
“My modeling shows that the number one thing you can do to reduce the carbon footprint of your house is to switch from gas water heater to heat pump water heater.” As an energy consultant with Build Smart Group, Nick Brown, helps homeowners, builders and developers to design energy efficient and sustainable homes and buildings and ensuring they meet the California energy code. On this podcast, Nick shares why heat pump water heater is the best solution when replacing existing gas water heater or designing new buildings. Up to about 10 years ago gas water heater was standard, and came the gas tankless water heater became popular, but now the current heat pump technology makes the heat pump water heater a better choice in terms of energy efficiency; hence, reducing the carbon footprint. Nick offers the insight on how the heat pump works to make it more efficient compared to other options we have for water heater as well as some tips for what to know about replacing the unit to heat pump. Nick recommends for consumers to check the Switch Is On site to learn more about home electrification including more information about the heat pump water heater and other appliances; how to find the contractors to install, and about the available incentives.
“We are kind of in a new world order now. People are just loving driving electric. A study, a data showed that once you entered that market even if it's plug-in hybrid electric, which is I have, you don't go back so much. You don't go back to gas car. You stay electric.” Zan Dubin Scott, a communication specialist of ZDS Communications, one of co-founders of Plug-in America and the co-founder of National Drive Electric Week, is a passionate advocate of electric vehicles since the beginning. Zan shares the current market condition as of 2022 with a brief reference to the history of electric vehicle industry including what's going on in the infrastructure that supports the driving needs. While there are many more electric vehicle models available today than ever, Zan says it may not be a good time to acquire EVs due to the shortage of inventory affected by a number of factors. Yet, if you're more concerned about reducing carbon footprint today and have extra cash, Zan says to go ahead and get one by all means. There are some really cool EVs that you can get today. Also, there are still federal tax credit as well as rebates available. California residents can check what's available at DriveClean California website.
“To me permaculture is really planning. It's a road to sustainability. And I will add that may be not commonly used but its part of it is resilience.” Ruth Meghiddo, AIA, of Meghiddo Architects, founded Farm Urbana in 2014 with the vision for cities to become prosperous and sustainable. Ruth's passion for urban farming began decades earlier, as a student at UCLA. There, she published a pioneering thesis in sustainability, “Agriculture in Urban Environments: City and Farm Romance.” Her background in architecture and urban design inspired her to create edible garden solutions. She became a Certified Permaculture Design Consultant. She draws from permaculture design the agenda of natural green living and create the urban framework for consciously designed local farming landscapes to provide sustainable and resilient cities. They are keen to incorporate the element of farming into the built environment, connect to nature, and activate local communities around growing fresh food and a healthy lifestyle. Ruth discusses history of permaculture, the principles and how she envisions permaculture to be a provide a roadmap to sustainable urban living for all people.
“Chefs don't like it. It's not gourmet way to cook. … I won't cook on gas any more. And in my private chef life, I literally bring my induction hub to my fancy clients' kitchen if they don't already have induction because it cooks better, faster and more accurate.” Chef Rachelle Boucher (a.k.a. “The Appliance Whisperer”) of Kitchens to Life is a celebrated national cooking appliance trainer, private chef, influencer and event expert with over twenty years of experience creating custom training programs, activities and hands-on workshops for appliance brands, architects, designers, developers and end users to help them choose, use and enjoy modern cooking appliances and technology. After an adventurous career as a top private chef for celebrities such as filmmaker George Lucas, rock band Metallica, legendary sports celebrities and many other luminaries, Rachelle was recruited into the home appliance industry. She quickly became a celebrated corporate chef, trainer, and consultant with Monark Home, Sub-Zero & Wolf, Miele U.S.A. and many others working to showcase cooking technology such as convection, induction, speed cooking, steam cooking and more. This experience grew into a passion for electric cooking appliances which inspired her to become a leading advocate for electric kitchens and home electrification. Chef Rachelle has exceptional local, national, and international relationships with cooking appliance manufacturers, vendors, dealers, architects, designers, builders, influencers and industry groups including ASID, AIA, NKBA, NARI and experts in related fields. She is working tirelessly to bring electric kitchens to the forefront with her partner Robert Roth with their new venture, “Kitchens to Life” whose mission is to “Elevate the electric kitchens conversation, engage stakeholders with today's inspiring cooking options and facilitate the adoption of kitchens electrification for performance, people and planet.” Rachelle recently joined forces with Building Decarbonization Coalitionto further the movement to electrify kitchens where abundant resources for electrification is available.
“We shouldn't imagine that we'll just get a $20,000 home loan and decarbonize the whole house. We could do that, but that's not the most common way. More common, like you said, people are gonna have something that's breaking or just broke, and they need to replace it. Now is the time to spend the money and I'm going to get an electrified version. That means like a 8-year horizon. You can get the whole house like by 2030 and that would be great for the planet.” Sean Armstrong is the Managing Principal of Redwood Energy and has worked for 25 years in building electrification, designed the retrofit and new construction of more than 10,000 all-electric residences for disadvantaged populations, co-authored five practical guides to building electrification, provided legal and technical support to dozens of gas bans nationwide, helped develop the 2016/2019/2022 and 2025 Title 24 California Energy Codes, and has received sustainable design awards from the United Nations, the U.S. Department of Energy and the SoCal Building Industry Association. Together Redwood Energy has led the design of more than 1500 units of Zero Net Energy, all-electric affordable housing, and 200 all-electric market rate residences. They provide Title 24 modeling, design support and Utility Allowance modeling to create cost-effective Zero Net Energy housing. Their projects range from cottages to high rise residences, commercial spaces and large facilities. Publications of comprehensive resources by Redwood Energy based on their extensive research are available on their website.
What you need to do is to talk to somebody that understands it all, that can look at and understand what's going on in your home and help you decide what aspirational approach or what would be possible, and then back down as necessary. And you'll get the best possible result. Passive House (Passivhaus) represents today's highest energy standard for building performance with the promise of reducing the operational energy consumption of buildings by up to 75% in California, while providing superior comfort and extreme indoor air quality – all with minimal additional upfront investment. When coupled with renewable energy systems, such as solar PV, Passive House puts zero net energy within easy reach. Passive House is a proven standard, already applied to more than 100,000 buildings in all climate zones and is growing exponentially. [passivehousecal.org] Jay dissects the Passive House in an understandable way, offers an insight of what makes a passive house, benefits and how to have passive house. To watch the interview with Jay's presentation, go to YouTube channel.
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