In 2005, the EPA reported that commercial and residential buildings accounted for 38.9% of our country’s total energy consumption. A year later, they reported that buildings accounted for 72% of all the electricity being used in the United States. And that number is currently rising. It is now, as the average single-family home spends upwards of two-thousand dollars a year on energy bills, that the need for sustainable building is at its highest. The good news? Chicago is leading the country in LEEDcertified building space. But what is LEED, anyway? Continue reading 'What is LEED, anyway?'»
Consumers and residents wishing to eat more consciously face a number of difficult questions. Where does my food come from? How far has it traveled? Is it sustainable? And what if I decide to eat out? In this two-part series we highlight some of the bountiful, greener choices that Chicago residents can increasingly make and also draw attention to some great eco-conscious food havens that we’ve been excited to play a role in developing. Article one focuses on eating out in Chicago while article two considers better options for dining in. Continue reading 'Eating Your Greens: Eco-Conscious Eating in Chicago'»
Own an Existing Home? REGREEN It!
As eco-architects, we work to make new homes and buildings as green as possible, but this is Chicagoland, where we have tens of thousands of existing buildings. This means we also spend much of our time helping to renovate and reformulate existing spaces, which is in itself inherently a green approach. (It takes 8,000 gallons of oil to make one new home, so reuse is definitely a good plan.)
Existing buildings offer exciting challenges, and often times they do not require a full ‘gut rehab’ to be useful again. This has left some clients frustrated that their highly sustainable renovation project doesn’t qualify for programs such as LEED.
Enter REGREEN to save the day! Continue reading 'REGREEN Certification'»
Voting with your wallet, speaking with your pocketbook, putting your money where your mouth is… These well-worn phrases and many others underscore a simple truth: decisions about what we do with our money are one of the loudest and strongest ways we can express – and stand behind – what we believe in. That’s why when our green-minded architects here at 2 Point Perspective were presented with an opportunity to design the new flagship location of GreenChoice Bank, we couldn’t wait to dive in!
The new branch is located in the Green Exchange, Chicago’s new-fangled hub for up-and-coming green businesses, Continue reading 'Green Bank / Green Digs!: GreenChoice Bank’s New LEED Platinum Headquarters'»
There is plenty of buzz about solar panels, but making sense of the facts can still be a challenge.
Here is a high-level overview that we hope will inspire you to investigate solar further (or at least rent a good Spaghetti Western) in the near future.
The Good:
Many people are recognizing that in this volatile financial market, a solar panel system can be a good investment. (My financial advisor even has them!) The ‘payback’ time of solar panel systems can vary based on the incentives, but 5-8 years is a common range.
After that, all of your costs are re-couped, and of course you continue to get free energy, and most panels these days come with a 25 year warranty! With conventional energy prices going nowhere but up, this becomes even more appealing.
In addition, I learned recently of a study* that looked at home sales from 2001- 2009. Homes with solar panels sold for an average of $17,000 more than their conventional counterparts. In many cases, after incentives, the premium Continue reading 'Solar Panels: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly'»
Guest Post By: Beau D’Arcy, President, Effortless Efficiency
As a homeowner, if you could pay $50 per month to save $100 on your utility bills, would you do it?
The answer to this question is always, “Yes, of course I would!” It makes sense though, right? Who doesn’t want to have an extra $40 or $50 in their pocket every month, especially with the way our economy is going these days. Well as crazy as it sounds, it’s totally possible if you use a federal program called Energy Efficient Mortgages, or EEM for short. EEMs allow you to include the cost of efficiency upgrades with your home mortgage, so you can pay for them over a 15- or 30-year term. That’s a lot more bearable than coming up with $5000 or $10000 out-of-pocket to make these upgrades! Plus, because interest rates are so low right now, you’ll be able to finance these upgrades at 4.5 – 5.0%, which is way better than a standard home equity or consumer loan.
The EEM program is run through the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and Fannie Mae. However, even with lots of government support, not many people know about these types of loans because Continue reading 'Energy Efficient Mortgages'»
In this 4 part series, we’ve been examining some of the Green Home Certifications available for homeowners to consider, and looking at some relevant considerations. In this article, we review the Energy Star and HERS certifications for energy efficiency.
You’ve probably heard more about energy in recent years than you can even process.
To be sure, energy represents one of the most complex issue we face economically, politically, environmentally and socially and tensions will only continue to rise along with demand. Starting to feel your own energy giving out?
By most accounts, energy efficiency represents some of the lowest hanging fruit that eco-conscious consumers can reach. Along with finding ways to reduce your energy needs, using energy more efficiently is one of the best and easiest things you can begin doing right away.
Let’s shed a little (natural) light on the subject. Residential buildings in the US consume 21% of our total produced energy and 37% of our electricity use. That means the opportunity to reduce our energy consumption in the home is significant, and our efforts can have dramatic impact. And there are systems to guide you.
Energy Star is the most widely recognized system in the United States. The Energy Star for Homes program is a joint venture between the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy. To be certified under this program, your home must be at least 15% more efficient than homes built to the 2004 International Residential Code standard. Energy Star energy reductions are based on efforts such as good insulation, energy efficient windows, tight construction and ducts, efficient heating and cooling systems and Energy Star lighting and appliances. The Energy Star for Homes program will put you on track for the energy portion of LEED for Homes certification, and is a recommended addition to NGBS, the National Green Building Standard certification offered by the National Association of Home Builders. Continue reading 'Green Home Certification Series: # 4 Energy Star Certification'»
In this 4 part series, we examine some of the Green Home Certifications available for homeowners to consider, and look at some relevant considerations. In this article, we discuss the National Association of Home Builders certification.
So, you’ve made the decision to green your home! Well, as the saying goes, no good deed goes unpunished. In addition to the planning and resources you’ll be expending, you’ll also have to consider which green certification program you’ll be working toward. In previous articles, we discussed LEED for Homes certification, and the Chicago Green Homes Program. So where does the National Association of Home Builder’s NGBS (National Green Building Standard) program come in?
Continue reading 'Green Home Certification Series # 3: National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Certification'»
In this 4 part series, we examine some of the Green Home Certifications available for homeowners to consider, and look at some relevant considerations. In this article, we discuss the Chicago Green Homes Program certification.
Chicago has really kicked its green into gear lately, and we’ve earned the honor of having the most LEED certified buildings in the country. While the city’s overall green report card has room for improvement (hello, recycling), Chicago is earning high marks for progress in active transportation, energy efficiency and vegetated roofs, to name a few areas. So it should be no surprise that the city has also developed its own green home certification program.
The city is currently in the process of updating and improving the system, and 2 Point has been invited to participate in the process. Let us know if you have thoughts or ideas!
In our last article, we discussed the LEED for Homes certification program, which evaluates residences based on eight criteria established by the USGBC. Continue reading 'Green Home Certification Series # 2: The Chicago Green Homes Program'»
The Academy for Global Citizenship (AGC) and Argonne National Laboratory (Argonne) have begun a conversation about the quality of soil found in urban environments. As AGC is interested in urban agriculture and potential reuse of an industrial site for it expansion, this conversation is particularly relevant. AGC is also interested in Argonne’s commitment to education and community outreach. Our students currently learn about science, technology, and math within the context of renewable energy, urban farming, and energy efficiency. Similarly, they can learn valuable academic lessons from Argonne’s study of urban soil composition. Even better, they can learn about an exciting plant-based soil remediation technique known as ‘phytoremediation’.
Argonne, one of the U.S. Department of Energy’s oldest and largest national laboratories for science and engineering research, is located on 1,500 acres in southwest DuPage County. The site is completely encircled by the Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve. Argonne employs roughly 3,200 employees, including about 1,000 scientists and engineers, three-quarters of whom hold doctoral degrees. Argonne’s annual operating budget of around $630 million supports upwards of 200 research projects. Since 1990, Argonne has worked with more than 600 companies and numerous federal agencies and other organizations. Argonne’s mission is to apply a unique mix of world-class science, engineering and user facilities to deliver innovative research and technologies. Argonne actively seeks opportunities to work with industry to transfer their technologies to the marketplace through licensing, joint research and other collaborative relationships.
As mentioned above, AGC is intrigued by Argonne’s phytoremediation Continue reading 'Academy for Global Citizenship & Argonne National Laboratory'»
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