Solar & Green Building Tour
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Cape Fear’s Going Green your guide to local eco-friendly resources Solar & Green Building Tour Topsail High Builds Electric Vehicles NC Wildflower of the Year Rain Barrels— How you can fight Full Belly Update from Malawi stormwater runoff WWW.GOINGGREENPUBLICATIONS.COM Fall / Winter 2007 Premier Issue Letter from the Editor Contents Welcome to the premier issue of Cape Fear’s Going Green! 3 3rd Annual Solar & Green Tour Have you ever asked yourself these questions: Where does our 8 Why Collect Rain?— The Inherent Nature of Water water come from? Where does our recycling really go? What kind 9 Rain Barrels— A Simple Investment in Collecting Water of energy tax credits are available for North Carolinians? How can 9 Introducing Sustainable Features in Older Homes we promote a healthy garden without pesticides? Paper or plastic? Does it matter if I buy organic produce? How can I keep my pet 11 I Spy a Tree Game healthy and active? Would an electric car really work for me? 12 2007 NC Wildflower of the Year I know I have. As the reality of our finite resources becomes 13 Miss November more obvious each day, it can be hard to know what, if anything, we can do to help sustain our planet and the people on it. That’s 14 Garden Spider— Andy Wood Commentary why I started this magazine. 15 The Outdoor Classroom Going Green will serve as your guide to eco-friendly activities, 16 Full Belly Project Update— Email from Malawi products and services in the Lower Cape Fear. We will feature 18 Business News people who live and work in the Lower Cape Fear River Basin—the counties of southeastern North Carolina. 19 Topsail High School Steps Up to the EV Challenge We’ll cover a range of topics designed to help you make 19 Coastal Carolinas Electric Auto Association choices that can save you money, contribute to healthier living for 20 Business Briefs & Education Updates you and your family, and assist you in being kind to our planet. 21 Book Suggestions Over the course of the year we’ll discuss green building and sustainable architecture, water management, alternate energy, 21 A Green Roof Comes to Wilmington eco-friendly products, transportation, organic food and gardening, 22 Calendar and the enjoyment of nature. mmm Profiles of local individuals, groups, businesses, and events will show the variety of innovative projects our neighbors are On the Cover: New home by Anne & Bradshaw Builders is one of the homes pursuing. We’ll have articles on local plants and animals and the featured on this year’s Solar & Green Tour. Built on a narrow, deep infill lot in places they live. Business briefs, book reviews, and a calendar of downtown Wilmington, existing oak and magnolia trees were left in place. “green” events will suggest where to learn more about topics that Numerous energy conservation accommodations make this a comfortable interest you. An on-line version of our calendar—the first “green” and energy-efficient home. See page 6 for more details. calendar in the area—will be updated weekly to provide you with Photo by Valerie Robertson the latest information on what’s happening. Cape Fear’s Going Green is a bimonthly publication promoting eco-friendly We’ll also look at ideas from our sister Green City, Eugene, resources and lifestyles in the Lower Cape Fear River Basin. Oregon, and see what might apply here in Coastal Carolina. Publisher & Editor in Chief: Valerie Robertson This premier issue’s theme is Green Building. Whether you are building a new home or considering improvements to the one you Sister City: Eugene, Oregon (Voted “Greenest City” 2006 by The Green Guide) have, our report on this year’s Solar & Green Tour may give you Eugene Correspondent: Mary Robertson some ideas for products or features you’d like to have. Advisors & Editorial Contributors: Jessica Ashcraft, Bouty Baldridge, Lara In these pages I hope also to explore more subtle questions— Berkley, Jock Brandis, Brion Capo, Brian Connors, Laura Cotterman, Evan Folds, Steve Garrett, Gwenyfar, Ann Howard, Andy Jakes, Kathleen Jewell, those of scale, and possessions, and reusing, sharing resources, Chris Liloia, Karen Linehan, Scott Ogden, Page Paterson, Adeline Robertson, the nature of waste, the interconnectedness of our planet’s Lynn Ruck, David Ruehle, Linda Thomas, & Andy Wood inhabitants, and what really constitutes stewardship of our planet. Special thanks to Scott Ogden of B + O Design and the Cape Fear Green Don’t ever doubt that one person or one community can Building Alliance for their contributions to this issue. make a difference. You have already started making a difference by Cape Fear’s Going Green picking up this issue of Going Green. Going Green Publications — Valerie L. Robertson P. O. Box 3164 Wilmington, NC 28406 Editor (910) 547-4390 www.goinggreenpublications.com Cape Fear’s Going Green is available by subscription or on our Web site. Never doubt that a small Print copies are available at many area eco-friendly businesses and group of thoughtful, locations, including: B + O Design Studio, Folks Cafe, Pomegranate Books, Progressive Gardens, committed citizens can Sapona, Tidal Creek Co-op, UNCW, & WHQR change the world; indeed, Editorial: If you have story ideas or calendar items to suggest, email us at it’s the only thing that [email protected], or call (910) 547-4390. ever has. Advertising information: Email [email protected]. Margaret Mead Cape Fear’s Going Green is distributed free through Brunswick, New Hanover, and Pender counties. If you have a business and would like to receive multiple copies for the public to pick up, please contact us. 2 www.goinggreenpublications.com 3rd Annual Solar & Green Tour Held each October, this year’s tour fea- In Wilmington, where working with green to the spectacular. Some ideas– such as building principles is more prevalent than appropriate combination of windows, tured nine sites in the Wilmington area, use of solar alone, our tour incorporates overhangs, and building orientation– could from new construction to retrofitting of both. Organized locally by the Cape Fear be seen incorporated in a wide variety of Green Building Alliance (CFGBA) and co- featured buildings. It was a year to learn historic buildings sponsored by North Carolina Sustainable about innovative wall technology, which Energy Association (NCSEA), the goal of the many are starting to use to create comfort- The Annual Solar Homes Tour began several tour is to allow the public to see examples of able, energy-efficient spaces. years ago as an opportunity for people to renewable energy technologies and energy- visit homes that incorporated solar prin- Friday evening prior to Saturday’s tour efficient practices in both residential and ciples in their design. Over time the tour grew CFGBA hosted a pre-tour social downtown commercial settings. in popularity, and more communities started at Bailey’s Park/Toomer’s Alley. New this year participating in the annual showcase. In This year’s Wilmington Area Solar and Green was a complimentary Green Expo of vendors 2007, 13 cities across North Carolina held Building Tour featured nine examples of and community organizations. tours, and an estimated 115,000 people green building practices, renewable energy To learn more, visit www.ases.org/tour or attended tours in cities nation-wide. As cities examples and low impact development www.ncsustainableenergy.org. adopted the event, they made it their own. techniques, ranging in scale from the modest Site 5: John Wallace / Carolina Contractors John and Cynthia Wallace built their new two-story Mediterranean-style house around a south-facing courtyard. Using pre-cast insulated con- crete panels allowed them to re- duce on-site wall assembly time to under 8 hours. (Additional finishing took longer.) Superior Wall panels– in which concrete is bonded to insulation at the factory— give the structure a great “R value,” the measure of insulation’s effectiveness.Year- round comfort is enhanced by use of properly-sized overhangs, high quality windows and doors, contrete slab and tile, and a nar- row footprint to catch breezes. photos by Scott Ogden | B + O Design The Wallace house is slab on grade, built of pre-cast concrete panels, with Sustainable Features: a concrete tile roof. Oriented around a courtyard to the South shaded by mature trees, the house can capture the summer’s prevailing breezes. Passive Solar Elements: Windows are sized to minimize summer sun yet allow winter sun to Orientation warm the interior. West-facing windows are kept to a minimum and are 16” overhangs shaded by porches or future mature landscaping. All rainwater runoff is Porches on West elevation channeled across the front yard to decrease irrigation demand. Window size and placement Energy conservation measures: Rinnai tankless water heaters (2) 90+ furnaces (2) R-30 walls Low-E glass Climate control landscaping: Trees located to shade West elevation when mature Use of sustainable materials: Precast concrete exterior framing, & concrete roofing tiles Pre-cast insulated concrete panels for the first floor arrived by truck and were assembled in place that same day. Pictured here is the second set of 4000-lb. panels being lifted in place by a boom crane. Fall / Winter 2007 Cape Fear’s Going Green 3 3rd annual solar & green tour Site 4: Independent Art Company— Dan Brawley & Dixon Stetler Sustainable Features: For under $300 and a lot of sweat materials are almost all reclaimed and Energy conservation measures: equity, this studio outbuilding and garden recycled from local sources (e.g., beams, replaced an unsightly parking lot. The Operational windows on all sides of metal, doors). This is do-it-yourself “green” building with roof vents for heat in its simplest and most inspired form— escape materials given a second life.