GreenBuild Blog

New opportunities abound for water technologies

Saturday, July 31, 2010

My latest article in HPAC Engineering magazine highlights some of the major opportunities in the water technology field. Water likely will be the next big environmental crisis in the United States, probably first in the West/Southwest, then extending to rapidly growing metropolitan areas throughout the nation. The crisis likely will come as a result of drought and/or lack of funds for infrastructure upgrades to provide new supply sources.

Exciting new video for my new book Dry Run: Preventing the Next Urban Water Crisis

Friday, July 30, 2010

My production team at Combridges has gone all out and produced a great new video about my new book, Dry Run. Take a look for yourself and see why “Blue is the New Green” and why you need to be informed about the coming wter crises and what we can do to forestall them.

No Climate Bill? No Problem! Time for a New “Standard of Care” in Building Design

Friday, July 30, 2010

While everyone is wringing their hands about the failure of national “cap and trade” legislation, perhaps this is a golden opportunity to put responsibility for CO2 emissions where it belongs: in the hands of building designers, builders and operators, along with homeowners. After all, 75% of all electricity produced goes to buildings, so why shouldn’t buildings rather than power plants bear the burden of climate change mitigation?

Designing a Water Efficient Community in Central Washington State

Wednesday, July 07, 2010

My friend Robin Rogers of Kirkland, WA, checks in with a report on her efforts to design a new water-efficiency community, Rocky Top Living, near Yakima, Washington. Robin is a longtime green housing advocate well suited for this type of missionary work. Here’s her report of a work in progress:

EcoBroker in Colorado spearheads MLS listing of green features of homes

Wednesday, July 07, 2010

Angela Ashby, an EcoBroker in Steamboat Springs has led the charge to fill in one of the missing links in selling green homes, getting the green features in the the Multiple Listing System (MLS) used by every Realtor(R) to find homes for prospective buyers.

Best Water Conservation Ideas - Smart Irrigation Controllers

Wednesday, July 07, 2010

In my latest newsletter, I invited readers to share best practices in water conservation. Here’s a suggestion from Brian Maloney, formerly of Tucson, not in Northern California, that involves irrigation controllers, a technology which I describe in detail in Chapter 7 of my new book Dry Run: Preventing the Next Urban Water Crisis

Omega Center for Sustainable Living: The First to Achieve Living Building Status?

Monday, July 05, 2010

In the research for my book, Dry Run: Preventing the Next Urban Water Crisis

, I came across many innovative examples of water efficiency and conservation. One of the more interesting projects is the Omega Center for Sustainable Living (OCSL). Designed by BNIM Architects of Kansas City, MO, the $2.8-million project is located on the 195-acre campus of the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, New York, an education and retreat center.

Finding the Payoff in Rainwater Harvesting

Monday, July 05, 2010

Most of the water used in commercial buildings – as much as 89 percent – doesn’t require drinking-quality (potable) water, making rainwater an ideal substitute for uses such as irrigation, toilet flushing, cooling-tower make-up and vehicle washing. What could be simpler? Nothing, except that you might pay $20,000 to $50,000 for such a system, an amount that’s not included in most new construction budgets.

Sewer Mining: Extreme Measure or Viable Solution?

Friday, July 02, 2010

A practice first developed in Australia, sewer mining is the process of extracting wastewater from urban sewers and treating it inside a building for reuse as recycled water. Developing additional non-potable water supplies through sewer mining reduces the demand for potable water, reduces the burden on municipal wastewater treatment systems and reduces the amount of energy used to transport wastewater and treated water, a rare “triple play” in the world of integrated/sustainable design.

Ocean Water Desalination: Our Next Source of Drinking Water?

Friday, July 02, 2010

If global warming consequences are as severe as many fear, the ocean may become part of mainstream water supply planning over the next few decades. Desalination represents one of the few drought-proof water resources, outside of wastewater reclamation and recycling. However, there are also environmental consequences related to the disposal of concentrated brine (process water) back into the ocean, so great care needs to be taken with its dispersal into the marine environment.