Energy
New Construction Should be Outlawed
I think new construction is to building like heroin is to health. It should be outlawed as a threat to our well-being. There are enough old buildings for us to renovate. New construction is a needless act of arrogance and self destruction.
There’s really not much more to say. I could explain why I guess but [...]
World Energy Consumption Per Capita
Here is a graph that shows some of the highest energy consumers and lowest per capita. Sobering.
Click on image to enlarge
Net Zero Brooklyn Brownstone
A net zero brownstone means that it consumes a net zero amount of energy, meaning over time it creates as much energy on site as it consumes. It does this by using very little amounts of energy (few and efficient appliances that are sparingly used) and producing a lot of energy (lots of solar panels [...]
93.9% of the energy that is consumed by US is NOT from renewable sources
Here is an interesting list of what energy the US consumes and the % consumed for each. Notice over 90% is not renewable.
Source: no idea!
Green Building is More Dependant on Natural Cycles
One of the many differences between renovating a Brooklyn brownstone the old fashioned way and doing a green renovation is the difference in cycles.
A normal brownstone renovation is very similar to all post-industrial activity: MAN OVER NATURE. And ever since the “triumph of science” we have been able to overpower the earths natural cycles and [...]
New York net metering fix
While most of us are looking forward to a relaxing weekend, others are working hard on our behalf. Right now they are pushing hard to pass an improved version of the net metering bill through the Senate. This allows your average Brooklyn brownstone owner to put solar panels on their home and actually sell the [...]
Permaculture, Pigs and Bees
Here is a cool insight into nature. It is by Michael Pollan. He also talks about the Polyface Farm which is run by “grass farmer” Joel Salatin. Joel is interviewed a lot in the Food Inc Movie. Check out the talk below, follow the links above. All very cool stuff.
Not directly connected to green contractors [...]
Brooklyn Brownstone Extentions and the Stack Effect
This is the season of phone calls from clients needing Eco Brooklyn’s help with their brownstone extensions. The problem is always the same: they are cold.
They call us up because we are Brooklyn brownstone insulation specialists.
Here are my observations having seen and fixed extensions for a while now.
There are two types of extensions. The first [...]
Building Green Book
This book has a long title: Building Green: A Complete How-To Guide to Alternative Building Methods Earth Plaster * Straw Bale * Cordwood * Cob * Living Roofs. But then again it is a big book.
Written by Tim Callahan and Clarke Snell this book overflows with 600 pages and 1500 images. The book aims to [...]
Concrete and CO2
I was just blogging how much we like earthen floors because for one it doesn’t use CO2 producing concrete.
Then I decided to calculate how much CO2 your typical Brownstone basement would produce if you poured a concrete slab.
Answer: Almost ONE MILLION cubic feet of CO2 is let off to pour a simple brownstone basement concrete [...]