Ken Edelstein Mar 6, 2011
Dennis Creech is the senior statesman of green building in Georgia, perhaps in the Southeast. Thirty-five years ago, he co-founded the Southface Energy Institute, and he’s been an effective evangelist for the mainstreaming of sustainable residential construction ever since. Last fall, I interviewed Creech for the Southface Journal, the in-house magazine for Southface, where he’s…
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Ken Edelstein Mar 3, 2011
Count on Carl Seville for the candid assessment. The dean of Atlanta residential green building consultants has no qualms with the people offering a webinar on updates to the Energy Star Homes rating system. Nor does he take issue with updates to Energy Star that raise standards to stay ahead of ever more efficient energy…
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Ken Edelstein Feb 23, 2011
Green Building Chronicle member Neal Smith, of Helios South, cuts through some of the hyperbole about the upcoming ban on incandescent lightbulbs with a thoroughly reasonable take on the shift from traditional bulbs to compact fluorescents and other innovations. Basically, Neal channels Thomas Edison: Edison had a profoundly practical view of the way science works….
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Ken Edelstein Feb 21, 2011
Interesting article in Green Building Advisor this morning refutes claims by Passive House enthusiasts that the super-insulated homes are only a little bit more expensive than conventionally built energy-efficient homes. You may have read some of the more enthusiast arguments from a couple of Passive House leaders here in Atlanta in this story. But GreenBuildingAdvisor.com’s…
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Ken Edelstein Feb 9, 2011
National Association of the Remodeling Industry, meet the Earthcraft House. Earthcraft, meet NARI. About 100 remodelers held their monthly NARI-Atlanta meeting at the Southface Energy Institute last night to learn more about Earthcraft and a groundbreaking arrangement that allows local NARI members to participate in the green certification program (Earthcraft is operated by Southface). The…
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Ken Edelstein Feb 8, 2011
President Obama offered up a history lesson on energy efficiency and the refrigerator to make the case yesterday to a business audience that regulation often helps businesses. The occasion: Obama’s pilgrimage across LaFayette Square to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, where the president continued his post-election homage to the business interests that helped fund his…
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Ken Edelstein Feb 8, 2011
Suniva Inc. provides a model for American solar cell manufacturers to compete with Chinese cell makers, according to a very information post on the Norcross, Ga., -based company at GreenTech Media. GreenTech breaks down Suniva’s competitive advantage very succintly: Suniva is the first PV manufacturer to successfully leverage ion implantation, a technology widely used in…
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Ken Edelstein Feb 3, 2011
Sometimes hard times beget good news. That’s one way to view the agreement announced last week between Atlanta’s leading remodelers’ association and the EarthCraft green building certification program. Until now, to participate in EarthCraft, Atlanta area remodelers had to be members of the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association. That seriously limited the reach of Earthcraft’s home renovation…
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Ken Edelstein Feb 3, 2011
Georgia Power is taking another step toward solar. The utility announced yesterday that it’s working with the Electric Power Research Institute to evaluate how photovoltaic systems perform on its power lines. The panels are small — three-by-five feet — and generate a tiny amount of electricity — up to 200 watts. But they could a…
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Ken Edelstein Feb 2, 2011
Seven years ago, when the building industry still was expanding, fewer than 1,000 people participated in the Construction Education Foundation of Georgia’s Career Expo for high school and junior high students. This year, the event is expected to draw 7,000 students, teachers and professionals. And its major focus will be the one segment of the…
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