Sustainable Holiday Celebration - TONIGHT

Good friends, Good Food & Wine, Unique and Affordable Gifts, tonight at the 2nd annual Sustainable Holiday Celebration presented by Sustainable Midlands.

We will celebrate Sustainable Communities by coming together to shop locally, support local producers, artisans and non-profits that all make our community wonderful and unique! Some of our favorite sustainable restaurants and caterers, Mr. Friendly’s, Solstice, Spotted Salamander and Rosewood Market will be there to dazzle your taste buds. Cellar on Greene will offer a cash wine bar.

Visit www.sustainablemidlands.org for more information. We'll see you at 701 Whaley across from Olympia Mills today (Nov. 29) from 4:30p to 8:30p.

Scoring Home Energy Use, the 2011 Car Fuel Guide, and More Big Solar

Ten states and communities have been chosen as the sites for a new federal Department of Energy program that “scores” homes on an energy rating scale of 1 to 10. Appraisers, brokers and others in the real estate industry will be closely watching these projects – especially if it adversely affects the price of existing homes compared to new, energy-efficient ones.

More information on-line here.

The sites are Charlottesville, Va.; Allegheny County, Pa.; Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard, Mass.; Minnesota; Omaha and Lincoln, Neb.; Indiana; Portland, Ore.; South Carolina; Texas; and Eagle County, Colo.


The federal initiative is one of the outcomes of Vice President Joe Biden’s “Recovery Through Retrofit” program that seeks to improve the energy efficiency of the nation’s housing while providing new green jobs for the construction industry. Other components include an FHA-insured financing program so homeowners can pay for the improvements, training requirements, and a series of recommended best practices for energy efficiency and indoor environmental quality.

The pilots end in late spring 2011. Later in the year, DOE expects to launch the Home Energy Score nationally, based on the findings from the initial programs. NAHB plans to closely monitor the program and submit comments on all its component parts. See more details in the story running in the Nov. 15 issue of Nation’s Building News.

For more information, please contact Calli Barker Schmidt at 800-368-5242, ext. 8132.

SC Energy Office now accepting applications for BPI and HERS certified building analysts

The South Carolina Energy Office is assembling a list of pre-qualified home energy raters (HERS and BPI) in anticipation of possible residential energy efficiency incentives. This list will be made available to homeowners and others seeking energy audits through any of several financing programs and will also be accessible through the SC Energy Office website.

The SC Energy Office is not the employer and will not employ or reimburse BPI or HERS professionals who are engaged and reimbursed by homeowners, contractors, or others. To obtain necessary form and instructions, please visit www.energy.sc.gov and click on “news” or call 803-737-8025.

Simple Ways to Save Energy and Money wltx.com | Columbia, SC News, Weather and Sports |

Thanks to Sustainable Midlands for a great event last night. I hope everyone in attendance picked up some good information. If you weren't there, the bottom line of the evening was this: If you want to reduce your energy bill, don't spend big bucks on what you think is the problem in your home, take the time to have a professional energy rater test your home and see EXACTLY what is wrong and what to fix. Visit www.columbiagreenbuilders.com for more information and to find energy raters and professionals that can do the big-ticket items for you.



Read the WLTX News story here: Simple Ways to Save Energy and Money wltx.com | Columbia, SC News, Weather and Sports |

Green Products Verses a Green System

The green movement has inspired many companies to promote environmentally friendly products. Individually, the majority of these products are superior to their more-traditional alternatives. For just a few dollars more, you can get ‘green’ products that have more benefits than items used in the past. For the most part, installing these green products will make your home more energy efficient and help do your part in improving our environment.

A house is a complex system that has an endless array of parts making up the whole. Today’s house is far more complex than early cabins constructed by the frontiersman solely for protection from the elements. Research in building science has shown the many dangers of improper home construction. The complexity of the current building codes arose from the past litigation for these incorrect construction practices.

Before you decide to purchase any of the new green products out there, understand how your current house is set up and how it might be affected by these new products. There are many dangers out there to installing a product that might upset the balance of your current system.

An energy rater should be the first person consulted. They have the ability to inspect and test your current home, letting you know what modifications will provide the most return on your investment. Their recommendations will include modifications that may need to be done to avoid any dangers and work with your current system.

Many of the new green products available today have the ability to increase the efficiency and comfort of your home. Just make sure you do the proper research to insure that these products will work with your current system and not against it.

Article submitted by Stan O'Brien of Paradime Construction, Inc.