Match Existing Decor
Invest in sofa slipcovers that will match the general décor and color scheme of your room, unless you intend to completely redecorate. Your slipcovers will look more attractive if they are complementary to the color of the walls and flooring.

Purchase Sturdy Slipcovers
For furniture that is used often, you will want sturdy slipcovers that can take a good bit of wear, made from a hardwearing fabric such as cotton duck or twill. This is particularly important if you have pets or children in your household. Your slipcovers will not be of much use if they quickly look even more worn than the furniture they are covering.

Consider All Rooms
Bear in mind that you are not limited to just your living room when using slipcovers. They can be used just as effectively in a dining room or kitchen, and there are even folding chair slipcovers available, which are especially useful when extra seating is needed for a family meal or during the holidays.

Covering Wooden Arms
For furniture with wooden arms, you may want to pad the arms with towels or some other type of padding before installing the slipcover, so that it will have a snug and comfortable fit.

Covering Leather Furniture
You may want to cover leather furniture with old blankets before applying a slipcover, thus preventing it from moving around on the leather.

Alternate Slipcovers
If you would like to change the look of your room periodically, perhaps for a special occasion or for a new season, you may want to choose several different styles of slipcover and alternate them occasionally. This technique will keep you from growing tired of the same appearance day after day.

Measure Furniture
Take measurements of your furniture before shopping for slipcovers, and purchase the ones that will most closely fit. You can use bunched up towelling to fill in any areas that might not have as snug of a fit as you would like.
Slipcovers offer an inexpensive way to decorate your home and save the environment from an added accumulation of material being dumped in landfills. You can change the appearance of your home without investing hundreds of dollars in new furniture as slipcovers will extend the life of your existing furniture. You will definitely be getting your money’s worth out of the items that you have previously purchased.

Another Tip on Redecorating
If you want to redecorate a room in your home but have a tight budget, you can purchase second-hand furniture at reduced prices and then use attractive slipcovers to change the appearance of the items. Slipcovers will add style and beauty to furniture that would otherwise look out of place.
You can use slipcovers to change the overall look of your home and to give new life to older furniture that would otherwise be discarded. Slipcovers will help to keep the environment cleaner by eliminating waste in landfills. By using them, you will not only be doing your part to help the planet, you will also be saving money by decorating your home economically.

It would be obvious even to lay persons that rain water catchment would be higher with smoother surfaces. All types of metal roofing materials such as galvanized iron, corrugated steel, aluminum, various alloys, etc. provide not only smooth surfaces but they are also bacteria-resistant. Hence, the harvested rain water is highly potable. Metal roofing for rain water harvesting easily meets the major criteria required for using metals as the roofing materials in catchment of rain water. These criteria and the effectiveness of metal roofing against each criterion are listed hereunder.

Metal roof installation:

Durability

The roofing system should withstand the weight of the water even during heavy rains. It should not be affected by the accumulation of water on its surface and last for a longer period. Metal roofing for rain water harvesting is able to meet these conditions perfectly.

Functional Design

The roofing should be easy to fix and maintain. It should not leak during periods of heavy rain also and remain strong. The roofing should allow the accumulated water to flow to the rain water harvesting tank smoothly and easily. The metal roofing for rain water harvesting is better in this aspect, compared to many other types of roofing materials.

Purity of Water

Since metal roofing for rain water harvesting is resistant to bacteria, the water collected from rain is generally potable straightaway. Still, bugs, dust, dirt, and debris that accumulate on the metal roof are likely to contaminate the water to a certain extent. Hence, the rain water harvesting system should have adequate filters and other water purifying techniques to remove these materials from the rain harvested water. It is advisable to clean the metal roof before rains are expected to minimize these problems.

Aesthetics

Since the metal roofing for rain water harvesting could be made from various materials like galvanized iron, corrugated steel roofing, aluminum, and alloys, they could be manufactured in various designs, patterns, styles and colors. This would boost not only the functionality of the roof as a powerful rain water harvesting medium but also the aesthetics of the entire building. The variations in aesthetics that could be achieved with metal roofing materials could never be obtained by concrete roofing, the major alternative to metal roofing.

Cost Considerations

Metal roofing for rain water harvesting is among the cheapest roofing materials. In particular, compared to solid concrete roofing, the metal roofing is the most cost-effective solution. Additionally, concrete roofing needs to be reinforced and strengthened with water-proofing chemicals and treatments. This increases the cost of concrete roofs even further. The sturdiness and durability of metal roofing materials result in least maintenance cost over several years. Hence, metal roofs are highly cost effective.

Englert Inc is just one of the many metal roofing manufacturers offering integrated metal roofing and water harvesting systems.

From the above features, it is clear that metal roofing for rain water harvesting is the ideal solution.

Before I jump into my thoughts, I will state a few facts and what I think about the Oil crisis (peak oil theory) and how we ABUSE our limited resources.

Energy use in US:

Americans use about 25% of world’s energy resources, while our population make up only about 2 percent of world’s population. We also use about 25% of worlds oil. About 65 percent of oil consumed in US, goes to private commuters – myself include. Every time you drive somewhere you burn gasoline (or diesel fuel), contributing to this astonishing number. Trucking and aviation combined, make less than 30% of America’s oil consumption. So it is you and me who are burning all this oil!

1 – Carpooling and ride-sharing:

What really bothers me is when I go into Boston, from the south, there is a 5 mile traffic that barely moves. You see all these cars, truck, buses and 18-wheelers standing there, moving at 5 miles/hour. And almost every one of these vehicles has only one person in it! And every day, they are willingly standing in this traffic, wasting their time, burning gas, and polluting the atmosphere.

Boston Express way has an HOV lane (express lane for 2 or more people in the car) but almost no one uses it, because the “can’t” carpool. Why? Not only it’s cheaper – it is also faster! But no – we will stand in traffic and burn money and time.

I will not even argue the point of global worming as too many people still deny it. But as a matter of convenience and practicality – why don’t we ride together or use public transportation?

2 – why the hell do you need a V8 full size pickup truck to go shopping?

I don’t know about you, but I see this all the time. A medical office receptionist or a soccer mom driving a huge SUV or a pickup truck. I just want to through them out of their vehicle. You don’t need this monster to get around, and buy groceries. Get a freaking Corolla! … and don’t forget – this is Boston – not Alabama!

And why do they sit in the car while it’s idling? Just a week ago I went to the Wallaston Beach in Quincy, MA and there is this guy sitting in his car, reading a news paper. It was 90 out and of course he had his windows up and AC blasting. Go for a walk or a swim – isn’t that why people go to the beach?

What can be done to stop wasting fuel, and switch to more economical cars as well as alternative fuels such as bio-diesel?

Do you still remember when gas was $4 / gallon? I do. It was only two years ago, and that’s when I got my Honda Civic hybrid – actually I got it just 3 months after oil market and global economy crashed. During the record oil prices, reaching $140 / barrel, it was nearly impossible to buy a hybrid, and they were sold at $2000 premium over sticker price. And at the same time American car industry crushed, as they mostly produced the stupid SUVs and trucks, that no one was buying.

So the solution in my mind is simple. We need $4 or even $6 / gallon gas in this country (as is the case everywhere else in the world) – only then will Americans wake up and switch to economical cars.

You want to drive your Hammer – sure, it will cost you 50 cents per mile! I have no real problems with truck and SUVs – in fact I own a Toyota Tundra myself. Its a V6 though and I rarely drive it – only when I really need it. In fact for the last six months (with VERY rare exceptions) I’ve been driving my Toyota Prius to most of my roofing appointments, and I get around the the situation with ladders just fine. I have an 11 foot telescopic ladder, and all my tools and rubber roof repair materials fit in the car just fine, and there is even room for my folding bike. Most home owners have a ladder in their backyard, so I don’t need to bring one, and therefore I don’t need my truck!

Yes I do drive a lot due to the nature of my work and there is not much I can do about it – I need to get to work, and usually there is no public transportation there and I can’t carry 5 bags of tools and roofing materials with me on a bus. But I drive in the greenest way possible.

So I’ve identified the solution to switch Americans to more economical means of transportation – since we only react when something becomes too expensive, we need higher gas prices. But how do we go back to $4 gas?

Fuel – the movie – switching the world to green fuels:

First, I want you to watch this awesome movie, so you and I are on the same page. Bellow is the embedded player, so you can watch it without leaving this site.

So what can be done to switch from gas and diesel fuel to ethanol and bio-diesel?

First – you should know that most of the car fuel used in Brazil is home-grown ethanol. And diesel engines were actually designed to run on vegetable oil – back then there were no diesel fuel! And Ford model T was 100% compatible with ethanol, which Henry Ford produced and sold, until Standard Oil pushed for a ban on all alcohol production in the US.

As I said before, the only thing that will move the masses, is economical reasons. We can scream “global worming” all day long, and nothing will happen. People don’t care – I know because I’ve been trying to convince my friends not to waste energy and other resources for years, and they look at me like I’m an idiot

First, the reason gas is so cheap in US, is because of the subsidies to the oil companies, for which we pay anyway, through our taxes. The only way it will change is if the government removes these subsidies, and so far the “oh-so-green” Barack Obama has done NOTHING. And neither have the republicans. My opinion is such that we need to vote most senators and congressmen out of the office. New people will not have such strong ties to the Oil Industry as the current gang of politicians (both democrats and republicans). And it is doable – Scott Brown became a senator in predominantly democratic Massachusetts.

Second – the new blood must be more educated. I will personally buy a few copies of “Fuel” and distribute them in public schools in my town, so it is shown to all kids there. Hopefully my plan will work, and school management agrees to show it – after all Mass is all democratic and green

I am also starting my research on small algae plants to produce bio-diesel and will work with local green-collar businessmen to possibly set it up here for mass production.

Why am I doing all this – why do I want green fuels?

Besides my personal outrage with the current situation with energy and resources, I will be a daddy in just two short months, and I do not want my daughter to grow up with polluted air, dirty lakes and oceans , and other perks of global warming. Its time to start doing more than just driving a hybrid and turning down the thermostat. It’s time to get general public involved!

PS – join the unofficial “Boston Prius club” and share your story.

Opting to build with environmentally friendly and sustainable materials may prove to be more cost effective in the long term, than building with initially cheaper, but less sustainable or environmentally friendly building materials, that never make effective use of natural resources.

Building in a sustainable way involves using the materials that are sustainable in their nature, and recyclable or easily replenished if needed be. An example of use of green building materials would be construction of modern building using metal for the building envelope. Metal is a sustainable building material that is fully recyclable at the end of its service life. Metal possesses rigidity and durability required to construct buildings that can withstand sun, wind, hail and years of abuse to prevail in harsh environments.

Building with Metal was known to result in a long lasting and durable building long time ago:

Although, the concept of green building was not prevalent in the 1930s, the metal such as steel was in wide use for the construction of great buildings such as Chrysler Building. Completed in 1930, this great building uses metal frame, and incorporates stainless steel cladding to attain longevity, sustainability and energy efficiency. It is not in the least surprising that this great building is still here standing the test of time.

Metal coated with solar reflective coatings can reduce energy consumption by drastically reducing the amount of energy required to cool the building as metal reflects solar heat requiring less energy to cool the building. This also helps mitigate the heat island effect associated with buildings attracting the solar heat, and then releasing the heat into the surrounding environment.

Thus, metal, a green building material, helps in the construction of an energy efficient building that is built to last while being safe for the environment, as well as its occupants is what green building design is all about.

The Environmental protection Agency (EPA) has been assigning energy star ratings to the buildings for many years. The energy star ratings for buildings’ energy efficiency sanctioned by EPA have helped prevent the release of nearly 120 million metric tons of C02 into the atmosphere.

Energy Star buildings typically use 35% less energy and emit 35% less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than average buildings.

The Chrysler building uses 40% less energy, generates 35% less Co2 then the average building. It underwent some systematic upgrades to replace old systems with green building compliant elevators, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, plumbing, fire, electrical, and energy efficient lighting upgrades.

Bamboo – Natural Green building material

While metal is a sustainable, energy efficient and fully recyclable building material, there are other natural green building materials such as bamboo that grow fast and can be easily replenished. For instance bamboo flooring is considered a green building material.

Green Building means Health and Comfort for the building occupants.

Using green building materials offers many advantages over the traditional materials used for building and renovating, as green building materials are environmentally friendly, which leads to better health, while the construction of so called green buildings can be more attractive for perspective buyers. Green buildings are designed to last providing safe, healthy, and pleasant environment for the building occupants. They emphasize the efficient use of natural resources such as water, and energy. Examples of energy efficient use of resources include: water sinks with auto shut off, automatic doors, automatic lighting, and use of energy efficient and environmentally safe components such as LED lighting.

Another example showcasing the use of metal in modern green building is Cornell University’s new building outfitted with zinc and tin coated steel wall panels designed to provide superior protection against the elements and help make the building more energy efficient. The metal cladding is expected to last well over a 100 years offering durability, and energy efficiency.

Green Building design

Commercial buildings are not the only ones benefiting from green building design. In fact residential homes, even the ones that are already in place can be outfitted with energy efficient upgrades such as energy efficient metal roofs, metal wall panels, solar panels, geothermal energy, energy efficient windows, siding, LED lighting, and energy efficient appliances.

Green building is actively promoted by the US Green Building Council, a nonprofit organization, which was founded in 1993, with the mission to promote, the construction of green buildings, by promoting sustainable building. The US Green Building Counsel is best known for its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating system (LEED), which is used to certify so called green buildings.

The use of green building materials, and construction of green buildings, represents an important step forward to creating a sustainable environment, for generations to come. Sustainable buildings, use non polluting building materials that are eco-friendly, and are designed for energy conservation, which in turn leads to less waste and less energy consumption, which is not only cost effective, but also provides positive boost to lowering the amount of emissions produced while burning fossil fuels in order to produce energy.

Green building products are becoming more and more common in modern day construction, and are used for for new construction and renovation of the existing homes. With the increase in the usage of green building materials, the cost is rapidly decreasing, making green building products a realistic option even with the immediate budget in mind.

Overall, green building materials and sustainable buildings save money and energy in the long run. Green building practices help preserve the environment. They also create a type of living environment that is healthy, stable and sustainable for future generations. Investing in green building materials is therefore an option that is certainly worth considering for anyone, that is in the process of building or renovating their home.

Eco Resources:

Green Building Council

Alternative Energy Directory

Green Architecture

LED Lighting Manufacturers

Green Building Guide

Most homeowners have sloped roofs protecting their homes, but there are some homeowners who have a flat roof on protecting their residences. Many homeowners experience annoying roof leaks and roofing problems every now and then, but those with flat roofs experience major roof leaks and expensive roof replacements far more frequently. It’s unfortunate that flat roofs are more prone to leak than regular sloped roofs due to their design. Not only are the owners of flat roofs at a disadvantage due to roof design, but they can also become victims of contractors who are not qualified to install flat roofs. This situation often happens when homeowners shop for a new roof while putting a heavy emphasis onto aroof price. When the price becomes a major determining factor, the quality of the actual roof installation is often neglected, and as a results, the actual final product is less than adequate.

The common roofing industry practice shows that flat roofs that require a complete roof replacement due to their age, often get installed improperly. This often happens because the flat roof that requires specialized installation, gets installed by conventional asphalt shingle roofing contractors who rarely get to install a flat roof. This leads to installer errors due to lack of knowledge and inexperience with the flat roofing installation. Another problem with flat roofing installation, is that EPDM rubber, an inherently energy inefficient flat roofing system, tends to fail prematurely and the seams of the roof. The roof seams are held in place by glue that can fail due to standing water, age, and temperature fluctuations. Thus, EPDM flat roofing system is inherently impermanent and tends to fail rather soon. This is bad from the ecological, economical, and consumer perspective.

PVC based cool flat roofing membrane can provide an ecological, economical, and environmentally friendly long lasting roofing solution. IB roof systems, which stands for industry’s best, is just one of the many PVC flat roofing manufacturers that offer a residential flat roofing solution backed by a lifetime warranty. IB flat roofing membrane reflects 95% of solar radiant heat, which helps reduce energy costs and keeps the building and its occupants cool and comfortable. The cool-roof reduces air conditioning load, which is especially significant during peak hours, and it helps combat heat island affect. The seams of IB flat roofing system are hot air welded forming a permanent bond between the seams. The formed bond is so strong that it can never come apart even if there is standing / refreezing water on the roof. IB flat roofing system carries a lifetime residential warranty provided by the manufacturer. It fully solves the problems associated with premature flat roofing leaks, while providing energy savings, providing a long service life that outperforms any other flat roofing system, and helping preserve the environment.

Some of these areas are already abandoned or unkempt. For instance, park and recreational areas that were once highly visited have become urban wastelands. In an article from the Salt Lake Tribute, Lindsay Whitehurt discusses how area that was capped with tennis courts to replace an old reservoir had been empty for some time now. She further explains how the University of Utah received a loan to fill the old reservoir and turn the land into a conservation area.

Much larger metropolitan areas are also playing their role in promoting sustainability by implementing many Green Spaces within the city. In Meg Muckenhoupt’s new book Boston’s Gardens & Green Spaces, she discusses different green space within the city of Boston. With very low cost maintenance fees and little liability, these areas are perfect for protecting our wildlife and the environment. They also attract further tourism; which would in turn generate revenue from ticket/tour sales.

This aligns with the implications of “economic viability” and long term sustainability, posing the questions, “Would substituting golf courses and airports in the short term lead to an abrupt economic downfall? It’s true that this type of architecture provides undoubtedly high revenue. On the contrary, they both come with ridiculously high expenses and maintenance. Incorporating various elements of green architecture implies things like green roofing, which could in turn drive down electrical/gas costs dramatically.

Larger organizations are already taking a step in the right direction in Haiti. Machine behind the CGI (Clinton Global Initiative) Doug Band has been working closely with organizations like AFH (Architecture for Humanity) to discuss potential means of green restoration. Combined with the additional efforts of many large collaborative units like the USGBC (United States Green Building Council), they plain to rebuild Haiti in a greener fashion.

Recent findings have driven people like McMahon and fellow conservationists to investigate further into upgrading and expanding green infrastructure efforts. As earth day 2010 slowly approaches, it’s important that we as individuals follow and support these ventures. It’s equally important that we adapt greener disciplines to support both our planet and our economy.

This is very significant from the economic, environmental, and ecological perspectives. So since the government has stepped forward to reward and encourage homeowners to take advantage of green building incentives, why not take advantage of the economic recovery act and make your home greener as well as make a positive environmental impact.

Top 10 green remodeling and home improvements:

Energy efficient insulation – installing energy efficient insulation can have the greatest environmental impact and increase energy efficiency of your home by as much as 50%. This is especially true of older homes that usually do not have sufficient insulation. I recommend using energy star rated insulation products to property insulate your walls, attic space, and ceilings. There are breathable insulation products that provide energy efficient insulation, and allow your home to breeze. This helps prevent rotting, and keeps your home cooler in the summer, and warmer in the winter.

Energy efficient windows – by installing energy efficient windows you can further reduce your heating and cooling costs. Energy efficient windows are designed to allow sun warm up your room in the winter, and keep the warm air from escaping. In the summer, energy efficient windows help keep your room cooler and reduce air conditioning load.

Energy efficient vinyl siding and Metal Wall Panels – combined with energy efficient insulation energy efficient vinyl siding can further increase the degree of energy efficiency of your home, and provide aesthetics and beauty for your home. Another option is to install metal wall panels instead of siding. Metal wall panels provide excellent energy efficiency and style, as well as a touch of different to your home.

Energy efficient roof – installation of energy efficient roofing system can take your home’s energy efficiency to yet another level. I recommend installing cool-roof an energy star rated metal roof that reflects solar radiant heat, which keeps your home cooler, increases the value of your home, and can help with ice dam prevention in the winter. Modern metal roofs are our coated with solar reflective metal roofing colors designed specifically for attaining cool-roof properties, which translates into energy savings and greener environment. Metal offers many advantages over conventional roofing materials, you can learn a lot more about metal roofing pros and cons to see the whole specter of benefits metal roofs have to offer.

Solar roofing panels – you can really reach for the sky and integrate solar panels with your new energy efficient roof. There are options including solar roofing shingle, solar roofing panels that attach to the metal roofing panels, and peel and stick thin film photovoltaic solar panels that easily adhere to standing-seam metal roofs. Many solar roofing systems will pay for themselves in 7 to 10 years. Further, many states offer additional rebates to homeowners will choose to install solar panels.

Led lighting – by upgrading your conventional incandescent bulbs, and fluorescent lights, to ultra long lasting and energy efficient light emitting diodes, you can realize additional energy savings and get the LED lighting system that can last for a very long time without requiring replacements of the bulbs.

Energy star rated appliances – you can realize additional energy savings by upgrading your appliances such as refrigerator, dishwasher, dryers to energy star rated ones. By doing so, you can reduce your energy bills, and contribute towards cleaner environment.

Green flooring – this upgrade will not provide any additional energy savings, but if you consider replacing your floors; you can choose to install green floor and products such as Bomboo flooring, or you can opt for sustainable flooring products made locally.

Upgrading your home with energy efficient improvements, and remodeling in sustainable way shows your commitment to yourself, your home, your community, and the environment. Good luck with your remodeling projects and keep green in mind!

References:

Green building directory

Construction directory

Construction and remodeling costs

Home improvement directory

Roofs and common roofing materials information, buying guides, energy efficiency comparisons.

It has been a very difficult choice for me, as I was so in love with my ’09 Civic Hybrid, but now I’m a proud 3rd Generation Prius driver – 2010 Prius II to be precise. My main reason for the switch was the fact that I needed a recognizable hybrid for work purposes, while my Civic Hybrid looked just like any other Civic, with the exception for special aluminum wheels and a “Hybrid” sticker on the trunk. The actual switching process is what I wanted to talk about as there is a lot to say. From choosing the right Prius package to getting the right deal on trade-in and the car itself, I had to jump through hoops to be almost satisfied.

When the Honda Insight just came out back in March 2009, I test-drove it and did an extensive review and comparison of Honda Insight and Civic Hybrid. Back then I was not much impressed by Insight, but later came to appreciate it more. Yet, when it cam time to upgrade from my now “aging” 2009 Civic hybrid, I had to make a difficult choice between Insight and Prius. In part this choice was influenced by Honda sales managers so unwilling to give a deal.

Unfortunately I was looking to buy during and right after the notorious Cash for Clunkers program, which brought in a lot of buyers to the car dealerships, and gave the sales managers false feeling of a recovery in the auto industry. This false feeling lasted about a moths past the and of Cash for Clunkers program, at which point they realized that sales of new cars dropped significantly, since people who wanted to buy a new car, did it and got a rebate, while others were not going to buy anyway.

Too bad for me and later for Honda, while the sales managers were uncooperative in giving me a deal (though I bought a few cars from them over the last few years), my odometer kept rolling and I had over 31000 miles at the time I finally got a Prius.

Trading in 2009 Civic Hybrid:

My first and main concern was to get the right amount of money for my 1 year old Civic. Thanks to Honda’s recent release of their reinvented Insight hybrid, I instantly lost about $3000 of equity in my Civic as the new insight could be bought for about $19200 + fees and registration / taxes / title costs. A comparably equipped Insight (EX model without navigation) was about $21200. Still, my civic, brand new off the dealership floor was $24340 plus fees, and I could not sell it for that money anymore (even if it had zero miles). It is difficult to explain or understand how the new – used car market works, especially when the same car maker releases a new, yet very similar model for $3000-4000 less, creating competition within its own product line. But that was the situation in which I ended up and I had 3 choices:

1) Keep my “old” Civic Hybrid - well, since I needed a recognizable hybrid, this would only be an option if I did not get what I wanted for my trade-in.

2) Get 2010  Honda Insight

3) Get 2010 Toyota Prius

Since 2010 Prius (3rd Gen) was already out and it is in my opinion a much better car than 2009 Prius (Gen 2), choice  on the Toyota’s side was obvious. Now the contest was between Insight and Prius. These to cars look very similar, yet they are so different. For the sake of argument, lets skip the Hybrid technologies in each of these cars, as for me, both work well. I will only mention that Integrated Motor Assists in Honda hybrids works very well, despite the Toyota salesmen trying to tell you otherwise. Also both Insight and Prius get VERY similar gas mileage in Green Mode for Insight and ECO mode for Prius.

For me the criteria for choosing a car were more aesthetic. I had some unresolvable issues with Insight body (although it looks so similar to Prius), while Prius I find to be very “sexy” looking.

On the inside, I lake Insight MUCH more. There is so many more options for me to stuff my small things all over the car. And I have a LOT of small things which I always need in the car. In Prius you only have two side pockets in front doors, space under arm rest and under center control panel. Glove compartment  (bottom one) barely fits the papers and user manuals and the top one is almost useless. Rear doors in Prius do not have side pockets which is kind of annoying, as I always used those in my Civic.

As for the trunk space – I loved the fact that Toyota included a pull-out trunk cover by default while Honda does not have it and you NEED to buy one, unless you want people breaking into your car to steal your stuff. Also the fold-down armrest of the rear seat is a nice addition to Prius as compared vs. insight.

Breaks: Toyota has 4 disk breaks, while Insight is a split disk / drum breaks. I find it strange for an higher end 2010 car to have “cheap” drum breaks, instead of all-four disk breaks.

Using a hybrid car for recreational / personal needs:

Despite of the above mentioned negatives of the new Prius, it is an excellent vehicle, and perfectly fits my needs for recreation and work.  As far as recreation goes, I like outdoor activities and my 2009 Civic hybrid was really annoying when it came to hauling lard objects. It had a very small trunk, even compared to the regular Civic. The rear sits did not fold forward to expand trunk space, due to battery pack placement. I had to get a roof rack for the snowboards and skies if I wanted to go skiing with my friends, as these long object did not even fit in the rear sit. I had to use a bike rack to transport my bicycle, and I was always afraid it would come loose and fly off on the highway.

The bike rack also significantly reduced my gas mileage. I recorded my mpg over a 120 miles trip to and from Cape Cod, and noticed a drop of about 9-10 miles per gallon/. From my average of 45, it went down to 36 mpg, only because of a huge wind resistance added by the rack and the bike. It was also a big hassle to put the bike on and take it off, each time I needed it and I was always afraid someone might steal it. In the end, Prius is roomy enough to fit all my gear and potential passengers. An average snowboarding / skiing trip from Boston to Wachusett mountain ski area with all boards, skies and other equipment consumes about 2.5 gallons of gas. If I was driving my Civic hybrid with a roof rack, I would go through about 3.5 gallons of gas. A Honda Accord / Toyota Camry with a roof rack, would use 4.5 gallons or 4 gallons without roof rack.

Using Toyota prius for work as a roofing estimator’s vehicle:

Although recreational use of Toyota Prius is fun and bring me much joy from both the usability and comport standpoints, the may purpose of getting a hybrid car (first the Civic hybrid and now Prius) in the first place, was my roofing business. I do a lot of work related driving – about 60-70% of my total mileage, and hybrid car is a perfect choice not only for a green roofing contractor like myself, but for almost any estimator in a construction industry, as well as most “on-the-road” sales people. Nature of our business dictates that our roofing jobs are spread around Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut. Green flat roofs such as IB PVC roofing and  Metal Roofs are premium products with adequate price tag, so we usually don’t work in the same neighborhood, job after job after job. Most homeowners will choose the non environmentally friendly, but cheaper roofs such as asphalt shingles and EPDM rubber roofing (for flat roofs). Therefore, we need operate in a larger geographic area than an average roofing contractor, who is diving his Diesel F-250 around town, and to work. We be greener, we have to compensate for the extra-mile we drive by lowering our fuel consumption.

Being a roofing contractor, specializing in green roofing technologies such as cool flat roofs and lifetime metal roofing materials, as wells as roof-top gardens, we needed a car that would consume little fuel, and of course enhance our image as a green construction company. The car also had to be reliable and versatile / capable to carry all product samples and sales materials as wells as equipment and even a small ladder to get on the roof. While Civic Hybrid was economical and reliable, it lacked the utility of bigger cars and did not appeal to most people as a hybrid – the only way to know it was a hybrid, was to read the small “hybrid” label on the  trunk and by looking at futuristic rims. Still, 90 percent of people did not recognize that it was in fact a hybrid car until I mentioned it.

Prius had everything I needed in a hybrid: It is spacious for a compact sedan – there is plenty of legroom both in the front and back seat. The trunk space is big enough to hold all my roofing samples, small tools, an 11 feet telescopic ladder and my folding bike, to go for a bike ride after an estimate.

I can also fit on the rear seat all the tools and materials needed to go on a rubber roof repair call, which we provide to homeowners in MA, CT and RI. When a home-owner has a shady roofing contractor install rubber roof which begins to leak soon, and the contractor is no where to be found, it may be too expensive for these people to have another brand new roof installed. Often such roofs can be repaired, which we do for as little as $350. However, most roofing contractors will drive their truck to work with lots of unnecessary tools in the tool box and ladders on the rack, and waste a lot of fuel. In every case of a rubber roof repair we did, I used a prius to get there and all my tools as supplies fit perfectly in the back seat.

Now you may ask – how I as a roofing contractor can get around doing roof estimates and even roof repair work driving a compact car – don’t I need a ladder to get up on the roof? Answer is YES. I do need a ladder, and no, I do not tie a 28-footer to the roof of my Prius. Before we go on a roofing estimate or a roof service call, I will ask if the homeowner has a ladder tall enough to reach the roof. You may be surprised, but most people do have a long enough ladder, and allow me to use it, so I can easily get by with driving my Prius to look at or repair a leaking roof. Only on a rare occasion do I need to take my Toyota Tundra pick-up truck to bring the necessary ladders or extra equipment / materials to the job-site. I only remember about 7 such occasions in the last year and a half since I started doing this.

Toyota is also an excellent choice to get to the job which is located within a normal  driving distance for an average morning commute. I’d pick up my guys and we would go to work in a my car if needed tools, materials and ladders were already on the job-site. This is never the first or the last day of the roof installation, but rather some days in the middle, when I do not need a truck to just get to work. I will use the truck to deliver materials and equipment and drive the car on other days, when I don’t need to haul heavy or bulky things.

3rd Gen Toyota Prius Optional Equipment and Packages:

Prius come in five optional packages, numbered from 1 to 5. Package 1 is virtually non-existent in the US market (or at least in New England). I chose package 2, which is more on the basic side, but has all power options (power doors / windows). Basic package 3 costs exactly $1000 more than package 2, and is in my opinion a complete waste of money. The only difference between packages 2 and 3 is the upgrade to a 6-disc CD changer and 8-speaker audio system. After using Civic’s USB hook-up and an 8 GB USB thumb drive to hold all my music, now I personally hate CDs and do not need a CD changer which is slow and makes annoying sounds. 8 speakers vs. 6 speakers is also not a huge improvement to justify paying extra thousand.

Still, there is a purpose for package 3. The only way you can upgrade to the built in GPS Navigation or the so much advertised, yet completely useless Solar Sun Roof, is to have at least a package 3 Prius. Cost of this upgrade is $3600 and you cannot get one without the other.

Built-in GPS / Navi:

I love my little Garmin GPS and hate every single built-in navigation system I encountered, including the ones in luxury cars like Lexus. When you look for “fast food” on a Garmin, it give you the closest junk food joints, based on distance. If you try to do the same using a built in navigation of either Honda or Toyota, unless you first specify your city and state, you will get some McDonald’s and Wendy’s in Alabama or Nebraska - literally! If you need to type in some weird address which built in Navi does none recognize by the first two street numbers, it won’t let you proceed. I once spent over 30 minutes searching for an address which was pretty much around the corner.

When I test-drove the package 3 prius with Navi, I entered a  place nearby, but went in a different direction. The GPS would not shut up and kept telling me to “make a u-ture in point three miles”. Even the toyota salesman could not figure out how to stop the current route.

And the worst of all, the position and angle of a built-in GPS unit make in impossible to see, when sun hits the screen, which happens a lot during the day. Basically, portable navigation is the best. I just hope I can figure out a turn by turn navigation on my iPhone and I won’t need any GPS at all.

The “awesome” Solar Sun Roof:

This in my opinion as a complete scam on the part of Toyota. The Solar PV panels mounted on the roof of a Prius do not charge the battery pack. They waste energy on running the fan to keep car’s interior space the same temperature as outside. Who needs interior fan for their car parked most of the day? You would only need it if you drove kids or pets in your car all day and had a bad habit of leaving them in the car, which is a bad habit anyway. Ok, you can’t always take your pet with you to the store – leave a small crack in the windows open – car will self ventilate. And if you plan to live your pet in the car for more than 5-10 minutes to get something from the store, why do you have your pet with you?

The sun roof is a sun roof – it is cool to have, completely useless 99% of the time, but keeps your resale value up. While I could live with the Solar Roof – the coolest invention since blue jeans, the GPS was an absolute NO for me.

Packages 4 and 5 are more on a luxury side and come with 17″ alloy wheels, GPS/Solar Roof, and only GPS in a package 5, but with the optional technology package, which is really cool but not worth $33000+. For just a bit more, you can get a Lexus 250h hybrid.

Pros, cons and other mixed feelings:

Based on all of the above reasons I went with simple, yet very nice package 2 and am very happy with it. Overall, the prius completely satisfies my needs and wants. I wanted luxury at first, so I test drove the Lexus hybrid, but realized that I did not need / want it, and it also took away the hybrid image, which Prius presents and is recognized for. The only thing that really annoys me about my Prius, is the lack of USB plug, which should be standard in this otherwise technologically advanced car.

Really Toyota – how could you screw it up so much? It is so simple to provide a simple USB plug – the sound system already recognizes mp3 format, and there is an auxiliary line-in connection. Now i have to go through my iPhone to find a song I need and there is a million of wires and cables all over the car so I can listen to Pandora online radio. Honda is SO much better in this regard…

Still, Prius is awesome, and I got a decent trade value from Toyota, while Honda lost a sale. It is especially strange since when I was shopping for my new car, the two Boch dealerships, Toyota and Honda, which are located side by side on Route 1 in Norwood, MA, had a VERY different inventory. There were over 15 Insights on Honda’s lot, and not a single 3rd Gen Prius to test-drive, and over 15 cars with “sold” sticker in the windshield. Still, Honda would not give me a deal on a car which was clearly loosing the “great battle of hybrid”. Insight which is supposed to be the economy hybrid, costs almost as much as comparably equipped Prius, yet lacks the trunk space cover, and does not look nearly as sexy as Prius. It is a shame in my opinion that Honda blew this opportunity to make a great hybrid and market / sell it well.

So I’ll let the big guys do their things, while I tell you about the event which so many people waited 2+ years for, and worked so hard to make it happen – ladies and gentlemen – Solar Decathlon 2009!

This was our first Solar Decathlon, but certainly not the last. Since we were sponsors of Team Boston Solar Home, most of my coverage will be focused on it. However, there are many great solar homes this year and judging from the results so far, our creation is not looking to win this year – Team California and Team Germany are now battling for the first place (you can see Team Germany solar home in the picture above – a black house, second from the right).

As I wondered through the Mall, looking at these homes and being hesitant to stand in line to see very similar interior set-ups, my main focus was on the outside. Solar technologies, energy efficiency and exterior design were my main concern, as these are what make a true solar home, while the inside can always be remodeled.

Team Boston Solar Home:

As a future architecture student, and a “construction worker” now, I look at these houses with a lightly different perspective than most people. For me, the ease of construction, most energy efficiency and reasonable cost are the most important things, followed by a nice design. Unfortunately, many of the innovative approach used for this competition, are not usable in a mass market and are left to the most extravagant home buyers with deep pockets. While I have no problem with it in general, the purpose of a Solar Decathlon in my opinion is to move innovative green building technologies into mass housing market, so that such technologies would actually make a major difference in improving the environment and reducing CO2 emissions.

It is expected of all these homes to be super insulated and have solar PV panels on their roof. I was interested in innovative new approaches at achieving maximum effect (energy efficiency or energy generation) using the least expensive methods. In this regard, the Boston Solar home has (had) great potential, if not for the massive glass array on the norther side of the house. All these windows and doors will let all the heat escape in the winter, which makes it that much less efficient. This is a fixable situation however – just remove most windows and put a wall there

Despite potential heat loss, the liquid-filled glass units on the southern side of the house will collect tremendous amounts of solar heat and store it, making it much easier to heat this house. Find out more about these liquid-filled solar thermal windows and wall panels.

In addition to solar thermal wall panels, Boston solar home has about 6.4 KW solar pv system on the roof and a solar thermal hot water, for heating and domestic use. There are many other new and innovative design features used by BAC (Boston Architecture College) and Tufts University students in construction of this home – to many to list here. You may check out the project’s website – www.livecurio.us.

Team Spain solar home:

Other solar homes that attracted my interest where the one build by Team Spain (which for some reason is doing VERY poorly in this competition).

Apparently, these bi-pv cells are very good at capturing indirect sunlight and help the house generate the most electricity it possibly can.

Team Spain used a very interesting )in my opinion) approach at capturing ALL available solar energy with their powerful solar PV array. This roof mounted array ca rotate at the center, following the sun going across the sky, thus always keeping the most efficient angle of the PV panel to the sun. It is basically a gigantic solar tracking systems, which is however complicated and expensive systems to implement, which make this house not as competitive int terms f costs and ease of building.

Additionally, the glass walls of this home have integrated solar PV cells, which captures even more solar energy. It is a good idea, but and overkill in my opinion, and the roof mounted solar system should be more than sufficient and, unless they used “dummy” cells on east, west and north sides of the house,  it is a wase of solar capacity as sun will barely or never hit those solar cells.

Cornell University Solar Home:

Another interesting design, which for some reason reminds me of the Water World movie – a solar home built by Cornell University students. It features three round “rooms” connected to each other and a large solar PV system, which for some reason is mounted flat to the ground.

It may not be the best designed house (in terms of competition rankings), and round rooms make it ever more difficult to build, but the steel frame and a VERY cool vintage design make it very attractive. As I’m writing this, Cornell’s solar home is in 6th overall place, with few more contests to go. You can view current team rankings here: http://www.solardecathlon.org/scoring/

As a side note, as of Oct. 13th, Team Boston solar home is in 12th position and Team Spain is in 18th place, while 1st place belongs to Team California.

Let the best solar house win!

The Solar Decathlon will continue for another week or so, and there is a lot of contests left in which either team can pull forward dramatically. Therefore I will not even try to predict the winner. All houses presented in the Solar Village this year and very well designed and built, and the green building technologies used in them will in (hopefully) near future migrate into traditional construction markets and help home and building owners reduce the over all energy use and make our environment better. These competition is also an inspiration for the new wave of architects who will be literally building our future homes and infrastructure, and as you can see, they all have great ideas. I will continue the coverage of solar decathlon 2009 in future posts, and soon you will be able to review the IB flat roof installation which we did on the Curio Home – look forward to see it soon on our cool roofing blog.

In 2007 Solar Decathlon, Boston was represented by a Solar Home built by MIT team and many volunteers interested in green technologies. This year it is Boston Architecture College and Tufts University that sponsor the solar home built by Team Boston. Why team Boston? Because many folks that participated in 2007 Solar Decathlon are doing it again.

We and IB Roof Systems (the manufacturer of Cool PVC flat roofing membrane) had our own humble involvement by sponsoring the roof installation on top of this amazing creation of latest architectural designs and green construction technologies. Now, with a new IB 50-mil PVC membrane, this solar home will be completely water-tight and the built in water collection system will provide it with as much H2O as it need. The roof is also very well insulated with over 5 inches if rigid ISO tapered insulation and additional 12 inches of insulation between the rafters. The cool roofing properties of IB Roofs will minimize its cooling needs, and will waterproof the entire building. Hopefully everyone will be eventually replacing their old black roof with a cool roof such as IB, and when roof removal is required by code, calling a skip hire to remove the old material, and then installing these new highly efficient roof is economical and sustainable way to deal with roof tear-off. In some cases the old asphalt roof can be recycled and used in synthetic roofing products.

About the Team Boston Solar Home:

By definition, a solar decathlon project will use different solar technologies available on the market. Team Boston has created such a design where virtually every solar system will be utilized. There will be a 4.6 KW Solar PV system consisting of 20 SunTech PV panels. There will be a large solar hot water installation using Viessmann Solar Thermal hot water panels and water storage unit. But aside from these common, roof mounted solar systems, there will be a new solar thermal system, that will provide up to 70% of FREE heating to this house. It is a so called “trombe wall”. I’ve discussed it in our previous article about solar thermal mass windows. But this time, the Boston Solar Home will have ne and improves solar thermal windows: these are not the old 2×2′ window blocks. It will be a full size 8×2 wall/window units, covering entire south side of this solar house, to provide it with all the heat it will need in the winter. To avoid overheating in the summer, the roof will overhang the southern side by 3 feet, and an additional retractable awning will roll out to provide the shade for these thermals walls / windows.

The walls of this solar house have 2 inches of ISO insulation on the outside and 6 inches of between studs insulation. In total there will be more than 30-r in the walls. Although this is a stick construction home, it can easily be labeled as super-insulated, and it will have minimal heat loss, while providing more than enough energy to be completely off the greed, and won’t need any outside energy sources for either heating or cooling.

Portable design of this Solar Home:

For the competition purpose, the house has to be transportable, therefore it is designed and built in 3 sections on a portable foundation blocks so that it can be put on that flat-bed trucks and transported to DC, for the competition, and then transported back.

The house is designed to be easily taken apart put back together: All the mechanical components, a bathroom, kitchen, heating and air-conditioning equipment and electrical panel ate located in one part, and special quick connect ports are used when two living sections are connected. Solar PV panels and solar thermal system are installed on removable racking systems that are mounted to the parapet walls on the roof, eliminating any roof penetrations and potential roof leaks. This also allows for easy removal and re-installation of both types of solar systems.

There will be a fold-able / removable deck / patio area with a handicapped access ramp, making this home a perfect choice for comfortable living in the summer and winter, and usable by anyone.

Final thoughts about the solar house:

Since this solar home is still in construction stage and many systems are not installed yet, it is difficult to get a complete picture of how it will perform. Still, this will be a true zero-energy home, and will actually produce a lot of excess electric power to be sent back into the grid. My biggest personal concern about this home is the cost: without having exact information and costs run down, the estimates are around $800,000. This amounts to about $1000 per square foot of living space (a maximum of 800 sq. ft. of living space is one of the guidelines of the Solar Decathlon competition), which is very expensive and is not very practical. However this is just  prototype and if it was a mass production home, the actual cost would be a lot less. This cost also includes the transportation to and from competition site in Washington DC, and nominal expenses such as marketing, promotion, creation of the website, etc. So actual construction costs are somewhere about $500,000-600,000.

This is just a firs report on this solar home, and there will be more, as construction goes on. Stay tuned for a complete report on the roof and solar PV system installation as well as overview of the new solar thermal window units.

Useful resources:

http://www.coolflatroof.com/flat-roofing-blog – Learn about the green cool PVC roofing systems, solar roof products and metal roof installation methods.

http://www.mbmcarpentry.com – Green construction and home improvement ins South-Eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

MA Metal Roofing – Flat roofs will not always fit the design of a solar home, and that is where the greenest roofing technology – a Metal Roof – is perfect fit for any sloped roof design.

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