Electronic Waste

Electronic waste is beginning to gain widespread attention as our society continues to mass produce and mass dispose of electronics. As of late, electronic waste, also known as electronic scrap, has been discarded to third world countries, where impoverished scavengers cut and burn old electronics to profit from the valuable materials within. In addition to putting their own health at risk by taking apart electronics without proper safety gear, these electronics hounds are endangering the health of their homes by releasing contaminants into the surrounding air and water.

Solar panels have obvious benefits for the environment, and environmental scientists are currently experimenting with more and more uses for them, from heating conductors to cars. But on the downside, solar panels also contain the same harmful materials found in many electronics, including cadmium, silicon tetrachloride, selenium, and sulfur hexafluoride. Of course, green-conscious solar power producers are hoping to maintain the eco-credibility of their solar products.

Solar Panel Recycling

Fortunately, there is some motion towards solar panel recycling, but it is still very limited.  Arizone-based First Solar, the world’s number one PV-cell manufacturer, has initiated an end-of-life solar module collection and recycling program. It currently recycles 95% percent of metal-rich semiconductor materials and 90% of module glass. But while the recycling program is free-of-charge, it is only applicable to First Solar products. This seems to be a common drawback with electronic waste recyclers. If they were truly concerned with the current state of electronic waste, wouldn’t they accept any form or brand of e-scrap? Yes, I’m more likely to buy new First Solar products, knowing they offer free recycling, but where does that leave me with my old, unusable solar panels?

Unfortunately, First Solar does not expect much solar recycling business any time soon. Though the company believes the service should pick up within the next ten to fifteen years, they might also want to consider producing solar products with waste-conscious updates in the meantime. As one of the premier solar recyclers, First Solar needs to set an example for other solar manufacturers. The addition of solar recycling plants around the country will not only benefit our earth, but create countless jobs in a struggling economy. Solar panels also are embedded with numerous precious materials, including pure silver. An effective recycling system could assist in the protection of our Earth’s valuable natural resources. Creating a solar panel from recycled materials costs nearly the same amount as creating a solar panel from new materials and requires only one-third of the energy. With these statistics, it’s obviously time to start recycling solar panels. Let’s not hurt our earth with the very products we use to protect it.

Written by Lynn Jackson

The three-day conference include educational programs, green product exhibits, local green home tours and the Muddy Boots Mixer, which is a networking and awards event.

“These awards recognize the best and most innovative builders and remodelers in green building”, said NAHB Chairman Barry Rutenberg, a home builder from Gainesville, Fla. “The demand for green building is growing in leaps and bounds, and these winners set a great example of what can be accomplished in terms of sustainable and energy efficient building practices.”

Five single-family home projects were honored:

• Purdue University of West Lafayette, Ind., for Project of the Year, Single-Family Concept and Research- Academic
• Meritage Homes of Goodyear, Ariz., for Project of the Year, Single-Family Production Builder
• TC Legend Homes/Zero-Energy Plans LLC of Coupeville, Wash., for Project of the Year, Single-Family Concept and Research- Enterprise
• Chandler Design-Build Inc. of Mebane, N.C., for Project of the Year, Single-Family Small Volume Builder
• MGM Construction of San Francisco, for Project of the Year, Single-Family Custom Builder

Two remodeling projects and one multifamily project were also honored:

• Trifecta Construction Solutions of Fort Meyers, Fla., for Multifamily Project of the Year
• G HOME of Rocking Horse Redevelopment of Phoenix, Ariz., for Remodeling Project of the Year Under $100,000
• G HOME by Rocking Horse Redevelopment of Phoenix, Ariz., for Remodeling Project of the Year Over $100,000

Two awards were given to individuals or organizations for their efforts in green building advocacy:

• G STREET of Scottsdale, Ariz., as Remodeler Advocate of the Year
• The Mungo Companies of Irmo, S.C. for Builder Advocate of the Year

A new award, NAHB Green Outstanding Contribution Award, was also presented to T.W. Bailey, of WaterMark Custom Builders in Frisco, Texas.

For more information on this year’s awards, visit the National Green Building Awards website.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) will be signed during a ceremony at Georgia Perimeter.

WHO: Gwen Keyes Fleming, Regional Administrator, EPA Region 4;
Dr. Anthony Tricoli, President, Georgia Perimeter College
Hank M. Huckaby, Chancellor, University System of Georgia Board of Regents
Karla Drenner, Georgia State Representative

WHAT: EPA and Georgia Perimeter College Sign MOU on Campus Greening and Environmental Careers

WHEN: Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2012, at 2:00 p.m. EST

WHERE: Georgia Perimeter College – Clarkston Campus
Atlanta Center for Civic Engagement & Service Learning
555 N. Indian Creek Drive
Clarkston, GA

For more information, contact Dawn Harris-Young at 404-562-8421 or harris-young.dawn@epa.gov.

According to the study, construction industry professionals report an even steeper increase in green home remodeling; 34% of remodelers expect to be doing mostly green work by 2016, a 150% increase over 2011 activity levels. Many home builders have shifted to the remodeling market due to the drastic drop in new home construction. In fact, 62% of the builders who do both new and remodeling work verified that the economy has increased their renovation work.

“The housing market is critical to the U.S. economy,” said Harvey M. Bernstein, VP of Industry Insights and Alliances, McGraw-Hill Construction, “and the results of our study show that despite the drastic downturn in housing starts since 2008, green has grown significantly as a share of activity– indicating that the green market is becoming an important part of our overall economic landscape.”

The green home building study, produced by McGraw-Hill Construction in conjunction with the NAHB and Waste Management, is designed to provide key insights into market opportunities, backed by proprietary research surveys and the power of the Dodge database. The study reveals business benefits afforded by green building, such as a competitive marketing advantage: 46% of builders and remodelers find that “building green” makes it easier to market themselves in a down economy, and an overwhelming 71% of firms that are dedicated to green home building report the same.

“This study demonstrates phenomenal growth in green building and indicates that we can expect even larger increases in the coming years,” said NAHB Chairman Barry Rutenberg, a home builder from Gainesville, Fla. “In a sample of NAHB builder and remodeler members, nearly 90% reported building green at some level. This is a powerful testament to the importance of green home building–and transforms the way we think of homes overall.”

By 2016, many more builders anticipate that they will be dedicated to green building work on over 90% of projects– 33% expect to be dedicated to green work in 2016, up from 17% in 2011. Remodeling will grow even more dramatically– 22% of remodelers report that they anticipate they will be dedicated to green work in 2016, nearly triple the 8% who report being dedicated to green work in 2011. These builders are clued into the revenue opportunity afforded by green building and know that home buyers will pay more for green homes, according to 61% of builders and 66% of remodelers.

“Home buyers and builders increasingly want to do what’s right for the environment,” said Jim Halter, VP for Construction Solutions, Waste Management. “This trend has been taking off within our business as customers look to recycle and divert more materials from landfills. We’re excited to see the results of the study; they validate the services we offer.”

Many factors are driving the green homes market, with “higher quality” and “increases in energy costs” topping the list, indicating that today’s green homebuyer is not just a green consumer. Buyers recognize that green homes have lower bills due to higher building performance. The reported costs of building a green home have also gone down significantly. Builders report that the cost to go green is now 7%, as compared to 10% in 2008 and 11% in 2006.

While green is growing across the U.S., three regions are seeing higher than average growth. The West Coast has seen the highest green growth; the Midwest’s northern region, west of the Mississippi, is second highest; and New England is ranks third.

McGraw-Hill Construction will continue analyzing the results of the Green Home Builders and Remodelers Study and release a printed report in April during the NAHB’s National Green Building Conference and Expo in Nashville. Further findings, including remodeling details, green technologies, and green product adoption in green homes, will be included in that report. For more details in the meantime, visit http://bit.ly/wsF2gJ.

With homeownership at historic lows, many residents in Chicago and around the nation are turning to rental properties for living quarters.

Developer AMLI Residential broke ground last week on a luxury 50-story apartment tower in downtown Chicago that will be built for LEED Gold Designation and designed as part of Chicago’s Green Permit Process.

The high-end AMLI development will include lots of luxurious features, including a pool, fitness center, theatre room and in-unit floor-to-ceiling windows that provide natural night and beautiful city views.

The building will also include a no-smoking policy in which offenders found lighting up anywhere on the property, including in units, will have to send $250 to the American Lung Association.

Want to find out more about this pet-friendly residential tower, including its green features and expected completion date? Check out our story:

Construction Commences on Chicago Luxury Tower

and then check back to Chicagoland Real Estate Forum for updates on this exciting project.

Lakeside is a proposed community to be built along Lake Michigan on Chicago’s South Side where the U.S. Steel’s South Works manufacturing plant used to sit.

The 500-acre site will include enough single-family homes and high-rise units for 50,000 residents, retail and entertainment space, a marina and a new high school.

The Chicago Lakeside Development Master Plan is a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND) certified community from the U.S. Green Building Council and will include these environmentally friendly features:

*Large open spaces, compact walkable neighborhoods and access to bike paths and public transportation.

*1.7 miles of additional lakefront access, 91 acres of lakefront park and 125 acres of green space.

*On-site and off-shore wind development.

*Geothermal/lake water cooling.

*Solar panel inclusion.

*An innovative stormwater management plan.

Want to learn more about this new community? Read our story:

Untapped Chicago Real Estate About to Bloom

Then, check back to Chicagoland Real Estate Forum for updates on this exciting project.

Called the Cube, the home is designed with all the furnishings one person needs. In addition to a kitchenette, table, two chairs, lounge and small bed, it contains a full sized shower and a composting toilet.

Among the home’s many green features are LED lights, an air-source heat pump, and an energy-efficient fridge. Plus, with the use of solar photovoltaic panels, it produces at least as much energy as it uses. To see the home and read about its additional features, check out the full article, “The Cube Project: What Would You Give Up To Live In A Tiny House?”

For a true green builder, this may be a dream house. But for the rest of us, it’s a little far fetched. Many demonstration projects go to extremes to show all of the things that can be done, while working home builders are faced with trying to build green within real-life budgets and real homebuyer preferences.

After you’ve seen the article at the Equifax Personal Finance Blog, come back here and tell us if that project gives you any ideas you can use now. What will help you as a green builder incorporate more environmentally friendly components into your next home?

215 West, located at 215 W. Washington St. in downtown Chicago, is the first rental residence to be built in the Loop in the last 15 years and is one of the city’s only high-rise apartment buildings to be developed for LEED certification.

The 50-story tower was constructed with energy, lighting, water and material use in mind. As a result, residents will see lower utility bills while leaving a smaller carbon footprint on the neighborhood.

The pet-friendly building has amenities as well, with a fourteenth floor that rivals country-club living.

The building was recently awarded the LEED Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council and the Green Building Certification Institute.

Want to learn more about 215 West and its amenities? Check out our stories at ChicagolandRealEstateForum.com:

Loop Chicago Real Estate Designated Green

Green High Rise in the Loop Ready for Renters and Their Furry Friends

In the latter, you’ll find out upon what historic site 215 West was developed.

About the Project:
Project Location: 3310 Shoshone St in NW Denver

Owner / GC: Urban Green Development

Project Goal: A fundraising project to showcase and network sustainable building contractors and green suppliers.

Background: Being built in one of Denver’s “hot spot” building neighborhoods, NW Denver’s historic Highland area, “The Green Cube” will be the city’s first LEED Platinum single family home, the highest sustainable/built green rating possible. When complete the home is expected use just 40% of the energy of a code built home.
The home is scheduled to open in late fall off 2011 as a Green Built Show Home in conjunction with U.S. Built Green Council, and will be featured on the DIY Network throughout the process. The home will bring together area contractors, suppliers using sustainable and reusable products as well as serve as a fundraising project to support an annual scholarship fund enabling North High students to pursue careers in the Green Building Industry. When complete the Show Home will host tours, open houses, seminars and special events all raising money for North High career scholarships.

The Show Home will host 3,000-5,000 trade professionals and consumers during the month of July 2011 The project offers the opportunity to partner and network with the nearly 100 green trades, suppliers and services required to build the home from start to finish. Please contact Brett Robben at 303-433-6212 or email brettrobben@comcast.net

The 2010 WasteWise award winners were:

Better World Books, Georgia — This company collects and sells new and used books online. They also donate a portion of each sale to help literacy initiatives worldwide.  In 2009 alone, the company recycled 7,090 tons of materials, which is equivalent to removing 2,900 passenger vehicles from the road for one year in terms of carbon dioxide output.

Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp (FCCC), South Carolina — Freightliner is the nation’s largest producer of diesel-powered chassis for the RV and walk-in van industry.  By taking a ‘green’ initiative, the company has gone from dumping 125 tons of solid waste per month in January 2008 to zero landfilling in September 2009. Not only is this great news for the environment, but it has also saved FCCC $157,598 in 2009 alone.

Fetter Group, Kentucky – Fetter Group, a printing company out of Louisville, has switched to reusable plastic shipping boxes and no longer uses “proof approval stickers,” eliminating the production of more than 10,000 proof stickers per year.  In 2009, Fetter Group was able to add $250,000 to its bottom line through its efforts to reduce waste.

Florida Department of Financial Services, Division of Legal Services –The Division has implemented several environmentally friendly practices. Its paper reduction efforts saved Florida taxpayers more than $1 million in 2009.  TBy switching to electronic processing tools, paper use was reduced by 1.5 million pages per year, saving  more than $85,000.

Georgia Environmental Protection Division, Tradeport Complex – In 2009, employees recycled 100 tons of traditional recyclables and diverted one ton of used coffee grounds for use in home compost bins. These efforts saved taxpayers almost $6,500 and eliminated greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to nearly 37,000 gallons of gasoline.

The WasteWise program is a free, voluntary partnership that helps businesses reduce their environmental impact and find cost savings through innovative waste reduction and recycling activities. Currently, over 2,700 participants and endorsers are involved in the program.

For more information on the WasteWise program and the award winners, visit http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/partnerships/wastewise/events/2010awardees.htm.