Archive for January, 2009

Water, Ice and Solar

Friday, January 30th, 2009

So as the snow falls again, I am looking forward to Superbowl Sunday. No it has nothing to do with the football game, it is just that the temperature is supposed to go above the freezing mark for the first time in weeks (though it seems like longer). I have been dong mostly research on assorted things for the buildings for the last week. I met with a friend and window rep on Tuesday. While waiting, I opened up the building to hear rushing water. Since the water was turned off, I couldn’t figure out where it was coming from. Unfortunately, the water meter has failed and there was a lake of frozen ice in the basement. I managed to turn the valve off and stop the flow, and was glad to see that there isn’t really much water all things considered. Luckily it was in the basement, which I believe has drainage, and nothing in it to get damaged by the ice. I am hoping that the warmer temperature will stay long enough for the ice lake to go away. I am glad that we made this appointment, or the water could be running still.

The other issue that I have been working on is the solar power. I am planning to meet with Cleveland Public Power, but first I have called the Illuminating Company. Why am I so interested in the Illuminating Company? As a part of First Energy, we may be eligible for a rebate for a large portion of the cost of solar panel installation. As a municipal power company, Cleveland Public Power is exempt from mandatory participation. Furthermore, while First Energy offers net metering as a normal course of business, CPP has to still work out the details. We will have solar panels somewhere on this project, just how much or where remains to be seen.

Here are the incentives. If we can get on the Illuminating Company’s supply, then we will be able to add net metering. In addition, we would be eligible for a rebate of $35000 for the system The problem lies in that since this is a non-residential program, we have a minimum of 10 kW for this system. That means that we have to have a rather large system, which may mean putting a portion on the roof and some in other area of the project (like a carport). Furthermore, a 10kW system runs about $90,000 installed. Now, there are federal tax credits and there is an accelerated depreciation schedule making the payback on the system about 5 years. All the while, we will be saving on electricity and in the beginning even selling it back as we are sure to produce more in the summer than we will be using. While it sounds like a no-brainer, we do still have to come up with the $90,000 to move forward. The roof space is barely large enough to accommodate the size system that we need to qualify for the rebate, and there are chimneys and vents involved. This will take some creative designing. I am looking to see what new technology may be out there that might be slightly more efficient. While I would prefer to install the roll out, self stick, panels that are perfect for a metal roof-their efficiency isn’t high enough. They look good and are inconspicuous (a concern for a historic renovation), but would have to cover most of the site to get the kW that we are looking for. I have to say thanks to Alan at Dovetail Solar for walking me through the requirements that we are looking at. If you are going to the IX Center for the Pro remodel show this weekend, check out one of their seminars. Watch for updates as I work my way through this process.

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Any retailer who cherishes growth must act now.

Tuesday, January 27th, 2009

I knew that Coca Cola had researchers. But beyond scientist hunched over chemicals and Bunsen burners thinking up things like Coke Zero and New Coke, they research trends and marketing. Soda is big business. So big, in fact that Coca Cola has a Retail Research Council that recently organized a forum in Bejing. They chose the topic more thatn a year ago and it was “Responding to the Growing Concern for the Environment.” Two things came out of this forum: Environmental concerns are critical to retail; and retailers want to learn more about environmental concerns and share their best ideas. They have published their report on the forum. The executive summary states:

Consumers are increasingly concerned about their own environmental impacts, those of the products they buy, and those of the companies at which they shop. These concerns focus on physical impacts such as global warming and on broader social issues such as how their purchasing actions and choices affect the livelihoods of people in other countries. Food retailers have an opportunity to respind to some of these customer concerns, and in ao doing, generate trust and loyalty among consumers.

Good news to me. I guess that we are all starting to realize that we are in this together. The three main areas that were addresses were: Reducing waste, reducing carbon and developing sustainable agriculture.

We have all heard the mantra: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Few people realize, however, that those three items are in order of importance. First, we need to reduce the amount of stuff we create so it never enters the waste stream to begin with. Then reuse everything we can to reduce demand for new products. Lastly, we recycle the old into new. What the forum was addressing was the environmental and actual business cost of dealing with waste. By rethinking how we deal with waste, we can make an impact. We are beginning to see retailers work with suppliers to reduce packaging. Less packaging, less waste. Furthermore, less packaging means less weight; less weight less energy to transport. Recyclable packaging is becoming more and more important.

We are all concerned about energy. Unfortunately it is the rising cost of energy that has prompted this concern. Still, however we got here, this concern is now reaching all levels. Retailers are beginning to see how important it is to conserve and recapture energy. Refrigerated cases are becoming more efficient. Condensation is being recaptured for waste water. New energy efficient stores are becoming the norm, not the unusual. The rising cost of energy has ade it imperative to create shopping environments that are both pleasant and efficient. Who needs cases to be lit up all hours? Now all types of refrigerated and freezer cases can be lit up only when customers are in proximity. Restrooms don’t need to have lights on when not in use. These simple ideas are becoming more and more common place. Truck fleets are being upgraded and better maintained, and schedules are being rewritten to make use of efficiency-all steps that reduce the inherit carbon footprint of the things we buy.

Sustainable agriculture is an idea whose time has come. Organic no longer means spotty produce that can only be found in health food stores. Every major retailer I know is offering some type of organic produce. Many are adding entire health food and organic sections. Furthermore, we as consumers are beginning to demand it. This demand has spawned the collaboration between suppliers and retailers; between farmers and suppliers. Growers who are committed to more sustainable techniques that protect the fertility of the soil and conserve potable water are being recognized. The rise in third party certification for all types of goods is simple evidence of these facts: organic, shade grown, bird friendly, Fair Trade.

All of this is good news. Even better is the that this news is coming from the big boys. Not only was the entire conference a Coke project, there were many heavy hitters in attendance. Not only were there addresses by industry leaders and government officials, but corporate leaders were cited and citing examples of what they were doing about this issues. Say what you will about Wal-Mart, they are developing a way to make bails of shrink wrap so they can be recycled. They are recycling old Wal-Mart vests, reducing packaging, treating waste water in some countries and starting entire recycling programs in others. ASDA is working toward zero waste by 2010 and reducing consumer packaging as well. UKROP is composting organic waste, diverting millions of pounds of waste from the landfill. They are big on bag reduction and offer discounts for reuse. They also introduced a mesh bag that uses less material to create. Food Lion, Giant Eagle, Krogers, SuperValue, Sobeys…the list goes on and on. Everyone is getting on board one way or another.

My favorite quote came from Sir Terry Leahy of Tesco’s:
“Any retailer who cherishes growth must act now.”

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Cleveland is “Getting It”

Monday, January 26th, 2009

I had heard about the kick off event of Cleveland Conserves at City Hall last week. I went, expecting to see the mayor make a speech and some grandstanding by local government officials as to what we are doing as a city. I was entirely wrong!

The folks over at Cleveland’s Office of Sustainability put the event together. I arrived early to see rows of tables filling the rotunda of City Hall. As I watched, displays began to be set up. There were for profit vendors as well as non profits and departments of city and county government on hand. The displays were informative and the workers approachable. I was excited to see all types of information available. There was practical information for consumers as well as engineers and consultants for construction. This is exactly the type of cross section that we are looking to represent in our Education Center of the Eco Park.

First, let me give a shout out to Adrew Watterson and Frances DiDonato from the Office of Sustainability. They were scurrying aobut making sure that everyone was where they were supposed to be, but still managed to take a minute to chat with me. While I couldn’t stay for the entire event, there were a lot of people there, and everyone was having a good time. Kudos!

This was a great opportunity for me. I was able to talk with Joyce at the Cuyahoga County Office of Sustainability. I can’t wait to see what she can help me with on the buildings. I also had a chance to talk with representatives from Cleveland Public Power. Our site is supposedly serviced by CPP. However, behind us lies the Ecovillage Townhomes that are serviced by the Illuminating Company. Why is that important? The Illuminating Company is part of the First Energy group and in addition to offering net metering, there are a host of other incentives that can be had by adding renewables to our energy plan. We expect to add solar panels to the building and want to have access to the same incentives as our neighbors. We shall see what CPP has to say when we get a chance to meet. I was assured that they were extremely interested in adding renewable energy to their portfolio. I also managed to talk to Katherine Holmok at URS. They just finished their proposal for the city for the watershed area near our building. It was very interesting, as one reason we are big on managing our our rainwater is the overflow of sewers in that area.

I talked with the city reps about recycling, too. I am still irate that I don’t have curbside recycling at my house. It isn’t for me, because I take my recycling to the drop off, but for my neighbors and friends who don’t. I am sick of seeing couches, doors, mattresses and the like piled up on the tree lawn every week-all destined for landfill. The roll out may take as much as 6 more years to implement. I thought Mayor Jackson wanted us to be the greenest city in the nation…The cool thing about the city program is that every home will get two cans: one for garbage and one for recycling. That is it. This will severely limit the ability of people to just toss out anything on garbage day. It spawns creative re-use and recycling of materials. It is also cheaper! However, the roll out is stalled for now. The money to buy more cans for homeowners just isn’t there. I say that it is once more a case of short term thinking. Buying the cans now is an investment that will pay for itself in no time. Still, for Clevelanders who often take a short term outlook, it is hard to convince, especially in an election year.

Some of the other cool people that I met were TCP. TCP is the regional leader in CFL bulbs in the region. They have a program to sell bulbs and aid the NE Ohio USO. They also have programs to help schools raise money by selling bulbs. If you haven’t already switched to CFL bulbs, check out the site and get some practical info. I met some guys from the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Food Policy Coalition. These guys are great. They work to promote healthy, equitable and sustainable food systems right here in our local area. Check out their site and see how you can get involved. There was yummy food by Spice of Life Catering Co. who has a local fresh food approach to cooking. Bon Appetit is a food services company that services mostly institutions and they do a great job of providing delicious nutritious food as an alternative to the usual cafeteria fare. Their booth was mobbed! I also saw Honey Hut giving away ice cream. A local legend, these guys recycle nearly everything!

Overall, I was quite impressed! This event was a great learning environment for Cleveland residences. I hope that we can have more!

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Up on the Avenue

Monday, January 26th, 2009

If you are a Clevelander, then you probably know all about the Avenue project. The Avenue District Project is a three-phase project to promote redevelopment of the E. 12th and E. 13th Street corridors into a mixed-use development. They are striving to create an urban neighborhood district that is actually downtown. It is a project that could be vital to strengthening our urban core. At the end of E 12th sits the old Holiday Inn. I had the opportunity to tour the new incarnation of this hotel as a DoubleTree Hotel.

First off, let me say that I am always a fan of local and independents when it comes to business. I would prefer to support a locally owned business whenever possible. That being said, I was so impressed with the friendliness of the staff and the great makeover that was done at this location that I felt I needed to post about the experience.

The new lobby is done in cool modern colors. A new coffee shop is being added and is scheduled to open very soon. The bar was great! They used honeycomb tiles and dark woods to create an atmosphere of a modern “gentleman’s club” that is sophisticated without being stuffy. I think it would be a great place to entertain clients or relax after a rough day. The restaurant looks just as inviting. The guest rooms are the same high quality standards of all DoubleTree properties. The bedding was so soft that I felt like taking a nap right then. The meeting rooms and ballroom are perfect for a training or other gathering. I was told that the outdoor space was to be renovated as well, if our Cleveland winter ever ends. The topper was the chocolate chip cookie. Every guest receives a warm signature cookie upon arrival. I must say that this was the BEST chocolate chip cookie I have had in years! Centrally located with access to all kinds of downtown activities, I hope they do well. They are a great addition to the area hotel scene. If you are looking for a place to host an event, contact Carrie Borisa or Jackie Angel at 216-928-3200. They were thorough and friendly. I am sure they will take great care of you.

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Do one small thing; make your money count

Saturday, January 24th, 2009

There are so many great things going on in Cleveland these days! While they are not all new, many may be new to you. First off, they have finally settled on the site for the new Convention Center. This process has been going on far too long for my liking, and since the money is already figured out, I am glad that they have managed to strike a final deal and get the project rolling. The new site will be at the public mall space downtown and will save nearly $110 million over the Tower City site. I was personally hoping for Tower City, as it would inject some new life into the aging Tower City Mall-and the rapid transit station is already there-encouraging public transport use between downtown and travelers from the airport. Still, glad that will be underway soon!

Cleveland recently allocated some funds to collecting old cell phones. I have long advocated recycling when it comes to old cell phones, and now we will have a way to do it that will benefit our local community. The city is will be setting up drop off boxes at a variety of public locations, such as firehouses. The program will roll out at the end of the month and will benefit the Department of Aging. The Dept of Aging works to enhance the quality of life for our senior population. Unfortunately, our seniors seem to be the easiest segment of the population to forget. Moreover, they often have few spokespersons and can be the least connected of any demographic group. I am glad to see the city take this step forward in raising money for senior programs. Do your part and recycle your old cell phones. It won’t be that long before we all will be making use of the services this department offers. I have spoken with Ray Odom, and he will be happy to provide a drop off box for us to have at our new offices. Since that won’t be for a while, contact the department if you would like to have a drop of box at your location. Their phone number is 216-664-2833. We can all do one small thing to help the environment and our own community-this could be yours.

Speaking of doing one small thing, the West Side Catholic Center is taking donations for new socks, underwear, mittens, hats and the like. The WSCC has partnered with many local groups (I heard about it through Plexus) to collect items for this drive. This time of year they are in need of these items, especially for kids. next time you are out and about, pick up a couple of extra pairs of socks or a pack of T-shirts and drop them off at the West Side Catholic Center at 3135 Lorain. They could really use them!

My 2009 goal are to use my consumer dollars for the maximum impact. I want to support local businesses whenever possible, and make it a point to spend my money with businesses that want to make an impact. Now that we have a new business location, I will need to be ordering some new business cards soon. I am often amazed at how many cards are given out and tossed, or pamphlets shoved into greedy hands at shows to be discarded right onto the floor or street. Add to that the issue of Cleveland not having a comprehensive recycling program and printing can be a huge source of landfill waste and toxic chemicals. I was so pleased to see that two of my favorite companies are getting greener everyday. eBlueprint has some great green options now. They can print on recycled paper. They have a new bio board, too. Mandy Phelan tells me they are 100% biodegradable, even with the ink. They have a comprehensive Green Plan as well. Add to that their great customer service, and you have a winning combination. Be sure to ask them for the recycled paper, though as it isn’t automatic.

My other favorite printer is Jak Prints. They have a cool, hip office and can print on nearly anything. I was so pleased to find out some of the things they have been doing to help the environment. They have received Rainforest Alliance and FSC certification. They offer 100% recycled paper, soy and vegetable inks, and organic cotton for shirts. They now even have outdoor vinyl banner material that is biodegradable! Their house stocked paper is 30% recycled. They use no chlorine bleach to whiten papers. The coatings they use are water based, too so they are earth friendly. But beyond all that, they Re use whenever possible. Vendor boxes are reused, so new boxes don’t have to be made. Packing material is reused for packing customer orders. Screens are reused, even mended to save on production. All cool stuff. Add to that, the cool design staff and the possibilities are endless!

Now for my disappointments. I am currently refusing to spend money at Starbucks. While they have an overall commitment to the environment, in Cleveland they do not recycle. For a company that is so progressive, to not recycle the hundreds of milk jugs they go through every day is unfathomable. They have fair trade coffee and organic options, but a company this large could really be making an impact if they ONLY carried organic or fair trade coffee. I will be opting for Equal Exchange as my coffee of preference and supporting local companies like City Roast (West Side Market), Civilizations (Tremont), Lucky’s (Tremont) and the Gypsy (Dtroit Shoreway). Keep your money local and help the CLEVELAND economy. Besides, if you ask, I am sure they will add organic and fair trade options if you ask (some already do.)

Alas, I am cutting back on my favorite burrito house, Chipotle. I am a huge fan of their giant burritos and could easily eat there everyday. I wish they had a locally owned competitor that I could turn to. The reason that I am cutting back is their lack of recycling. I have had to take water bottles with me and recycle them at home. In this day in age, I have decided to give as little money as possible to companies who won’t work with me to help the environment. When I asked them about recycling, I was told that they recycled cardboard. Who doesn’t? I could almost forgive them if they were in Cleveland-but this time was in Lakewood, the progressive suburb. If they don’t recycle there, where will they?

Have a favorite local company? How about one that is doing good for the environment? Send me your comments! Our dollars count, let’s spend them wisely.

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Kcast, Planet Green and Home & Garden Show

Thursday, January 22nd, 2009

I joined a social network a few months ago. It is called Konstructr. Konstructr Network is an online community for real estate development, design, and construction profession to discuss the industry and share ideas. I have met a great group of people who are working to change the face of the building community in a positive way. I met many of my online peers from this site at Greenbuild in Boston, last November. Vik Duggal is an entrepreneur and leader in social networking that is centered around building sustainably. He started a podcast of interviews, called Kcast. I have enjoyed listening to others in the industry talk about what they are doing and their thoughts on the future of green building. Last week I was privileged to be invited to be interviewed for his Kcast broadcast. The great thing about this broadcast is that it is approachable and understandable, but not dumbed down. You can hear my interview if you are interested. I especially liked the broadcast on Greenwashing.

We have been at quite a few events lately, and I am always excited to hear about great things that other people are doing. There is a store in Rocky River called “Planet Green.” They are a retail location that sells a great selection of green products. Check them out and see some of their organic apparel or green cleaning products. They also sell the products from A Piece of Cleveland! While they have only been open for a year, they are about to open a new store. To find out where, you will have to go to their anniversary party on the 31st. Call them at 440-333-9333 to find out more. If you are going to the Cleveland Home and Garden Show, check out their new Green Pavilion. Planet Green will be there, as well as a host of other interesting stuff. m There will be 40+ local vendors, local and organic food demos, Eco Fashion shows, Educational activities and children’s stuff. It should be a great time!

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Fresh Fork for Fresh Food

Wednesday, January 21st, 2009

One of the laments that we have had since moving to Cleveland is grocery issue. There are few great grocers near us, and while we like the market, the produce often leaves us a little flat. This year I joined a food buying group (kinda like a co-op), and get a monthly supply of nut butter, oil, pasta, dried beans, flour and dried fruits. I try to grow my own veggies and such in the summer, but I seem to have a brown thumb. Needless to say, I was thrilled when we met the folks from Fresh Fork Market at a CIvic Innovation Lab event this morning. Bud was so excited, he wrote this post for me:

A new local company has been created to link consumers with local farmers via the internet. Fresh Fork Market was initially started to enable local restaurants to buy directly from local farmers at wholesale prices and has been very successful. According to Trevor Clatterbuck (from the restaurant side) they have over 40 local farmers participating in the program; fewer in the winter time and more in the summer. These local farmers provide items including grass fed beef and seasonal vegetables and fruits. The service has since broadened to include homeowners who wish to purchase local produce and meats, which is really exciting! I personally adore Cleveland’s landmark Westside Market, but have been disappointed to see very little produce come from local farmers (most of it seems to come from South America). The Fresh Fork Market website even lists farmers who offer organic items! This is a terrific way to support the local economy while obtaining the absolutely freshest ingredients. Although their website, still requires a restaurant name to process the new account, I’m sure if they get enough individuals signing up they will retool the page – I didn’t get freaked out and quit, I just wrote “personal” in the restaurant category. I can’t wait to see what kind of products I’ll be able to buy!

Bob Gavlak is in charge of the supplier/farmer side of Fresh Fork Market. He has provided a list of important notices regarding the program:

1. We only have pick-up/delivery on Fridays. This means that when you want to get an order, it needs to be placed through the system by Wednesday nights at midnight. We need this lead time to make sure the grower or producer can get the product as fresh as possible.
2. On Friday and Saturdays you may notice there isn’t a huge product selection. This is because on Thursdays the inventory for the growers is set to ‘0’ to make sure they go in and update and don’t just leave product up on the site that they may not have anymore.
3. You can pay by credit card through the system (100% safe!) or just bring us a check when you come to pick up your product. If you want to pay by cash or check, simply click the “Pay on Delivery” option while checking out.
4. Delivery is an option, but if an order is below $80.00 there will be a $15.00 delivery charge. If you would like to just stop by and pick up the order, please send me an email and let me know what time you would like to pick it up on Friday. This will make sure someone is in the office.
5. Remember, there is more than just beef on our site! Make sure you check up on different items like eggs, lettuce, other greens, pasta, lamb, goat cheese, and many other products to be added soon!

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Some local stuff…

Tuesday, January 20th, 2009

I have been so obsessed with what we are doing lately, that I have not mentioned some of the other cool things that are going on around the city. So this is just a quick update to mention some other stuff that is happening to make Cleveland a great city.

Green City Blue Lake is a an interesting group that promotes sustainability in the NE Ohio area. They have a great website, and host interesting gatherings to promote sustainability. They maintain a comprehensive calendar of events that are hosted by a wide spectrum of groups and people. Check it out, I am sure that there is something that will interest you!

If you are interested in food (and who isn’t) the Cleveland Food Co-Op is hosting Certified Organic CSA:

Check out the New Certified Organic CSA. 2009 brings a cool and convenient opportunity for a direct connection with local farmers: a new certified organic CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) project will be accepting applications for membership in University Circle. Meet with member farmers of Geauga Family Farms and eat healthier in 2009. No cost, open to the public. Call 408-7719 for details and location.

Speaking of CSA, I also got a flyer for Maple Valley CSA’s meetings. They are January 24, 2009 & February 28, 2009; 9:00 am – 12 noon at St. Mary’s Church 401 North st. Chardon, OH. These meetings are for anyone interested in buying from local and sustainable farms. RSVP: (440)-286-7275 maplevalley@windstream.net

This Friday, you will see me at the kickoff celebration of the Cleveland Conserves Campaign, a citywide effort to cut waste, save money, and help the local economy. It will be at the Cleveland City Hall: 601 Lakeside. I just hope they recycle everything from the celebration. It runs from 10am to 2 pm.

I am also planning on attending the NE Ohio Clean Energy Network meeting on January 29th at Progressive Field. They have had a few of these meetings and I have heard positive feedback. I live in an older home, so I am interested in hearing what they have to say about how I can make my house more energy efficient.

I am eagerly awaiting the opening of the Greenhouse Tavern at E 4th. This is a great addition to the Cleveland restaurant scene. The chef is Jonathon Sawyer of Bar Cento fame. He has a great philosophy of buying local ingredients and making his restaurants as green as possible, so I can’t wait to see his new brainchild. Slated to open this winter, I am thrilled to see this cool place open.

Since I get hundreds of emails everyday, I am always on the lookout for local people doing cool things. I went to an event recently that was hosted at The View Ultra Nightclub. I thought I had heard of all the coll and swanky places to go in Cleveland, but I was very mistaken. This place has a great atmosphere. It was like being in one of the hip clubs of NY or LA. Located right downtown, at 618 Prospect be sure to check it out! I also am excited about a new group: the Cleveland Synergy Foundation. Their goal is to bring cool events to Cleveland, thus increasing tourism and awareness of this great city. They are currently working on bringing the Gay Games to Cleveland. Local political activist and Obama Pride Director Lisa Hazirjian was selected to join Barak Obama on his whistle stop tour and inauguration. I have been scouring the news coverage to see if I can see her, but so far I haven’t. Just a cool thing.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is hosting the 2009 inductee ceremony. About time! We are keeping all the stuff and we ARE the Rock Hall, but the ceremony is held somewhere else, like NYC. I am glad that we finally are going to be recognized as the place to hold this event. I am just hoping that we can do it again, without having to spend the big bucks to get it here! Still, it will be a big boost to our national image as well as the local economy. Anything that boosts the local economy is a good thing-just send a note to the mayor to make our recycling program comprehensive by then!

I am always looking for cool events and companies to write about, so contact me in you have a suggestion.

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Rainwater Harvesting

Monday, January 19th, 2009

Today, I am researching rainwater harvesting systems. There are many products available on the market these days, but I am starting with the few that I remember from Greenbuild. What is Rainwater harvesting? It is the process of capturing and reusing rainwater that runs off of a building’s roof. It can be used for irrigation and more. Depending on many factors, like roof compsition and local regulations, it can be used for laundry and showering. We plan to capture the roof runoff and reuse it for irrigation, and possibly to flush toilets. In order for this to work, we need to accurately plan on capturing a month’s worth of rainwater. Some people may be surprised to learn that Cleveland has an annual rainfall that is on par with Seattle. That means a significant amount of rainwater retention capability. We expect to need 6-8 thousand gallons of capacity.

But why capture rainwater in the first place? Managing the run off from a building site can have a huge impact on the local water shed. First off, letting rainwater run into the gutter and using fresh potable (drinkable) water to water landscaping makes no sense whatsoever. Secondly, rain runoff picks up dirt and oils, then enters the sewer and has to be cleaned up before delivering to the municipal supply or watershed. In a city like Cleveland, whose infrastructure is in dire need of updating, managing our own stormwater can help to reduce sewer overflows. We plan to use captured rainwater for irrigation. Furthermore, we plan to remove as much concrete from the site as possible. Concrete caused rainwater to run off site and into the sewer. We plan on utilizing permeable pavers on site. Pavers that allow water to pass through them, allows water to filter through the ground and re-enter the water shed naturally, filtered by the earth itself. Once we work out the logistics, we may need to add a bio swale in order to treat additional run off.

Rainwater Harvesting

Rainwater Harvesting

Here is an image by Construction Resources in the UK that illustrates how the idea works.

We are looking at a variety of companies. They all have advantages and disadvantages, but all work on the basic principal of the old fashioned rain barrel. A tank of some sort is connected to the downspouts on the roof and rainwater is collected and stored in it. My favorite design is the Rainwater HOG. The reason that I like this system is the design of the barrels. They are about 6 feet tall, less than 2 feet wide and only 9 1/2 inches deep. While these 50 gallon tanks may not come anywhere near being large enough for any one structure, the advantage is that they are modular and the system is expandable. They fit together to increase capacity to the necessary size. They can be used upright or horizontally. That means they can stand up along a fence line or retaining wall, or lay under a deck. These great tanks are reusable and recyclable at the end of their life, and are made of food grade plastic. Another system that is interesting is the Rainwater Pillow. It functions like a giant water bed mattress. It is cool in that it can be designed specifically for your situation. This is ideal for homes with a partial basement area or large deck area that is unused. It can even be designed with Cradle to Cradle Specifications. The final type of tank is a rigid solid tank. Bushman makes a variety of sizes in polyethylene. Containment Solutions make a fiberglass selection. These two companies provide similar solutions with one major difference: Bushman is made for smaller applications and meant to be used above ground. Containment Solutions seems to be for larger applications and mainly utilized underground. Our particular project is difficult as it mainly falls between the two. While it is a commercial site, it isn’t a huge site. If we chose a company like Bushman, we would need their largest size in multiple units. These would take up a lot of room on site, unless utilized in the basement. Here they would need to be much smaller, however, in order to install them. While an underground system, like those of Containment Solutions would be easier to implement, it would require immense digging to install. This makes sense in a new construction project, but much less in a retrofit situation.

The last things to consider are usage, access, and peripherals. What you plan to use the water for makes an important impact on the system selection and add-ons. We plan to use it for mainly rainwater collection and irrigation. That means a simple filter could be used at collection to keep out particulates. This also means we would need little access to the tanks themselves as there will be little clean out needed. We intend to add showers to the plan. Shower water can also be collected, as long as biodegradable soaps are used. This however, would mean finer screening and filtration to keep out larger particulate matter. The trade off is a reuse of waste water. In any case, we will likely need pumps to use the water. Outdoor tanks, above ground, would mean that pumps could be avoided for some of the water use, utilizing simple gravity to use induce pressure. Underground tanks would mean pumps are a necessity.

We may use a combination of brands. Additionally, after a year or so of use, we plan to try installing a system in our own home. This project should give us some insight into what will work best for our house. As always, any feedback on rainwater collection systems would be greatly appreciated!

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A Brief Update and History

Monday, January 19th, 2009

Today is the day we honor a revolutionary thinker and inspiration to millions-Martin Luther King. It is not lost on me the irony that our new African American president will be sworn in the day after we celebrate the life of a man who worked so hard that this historic day might one day be possible. I have high hopes for what Barak Obama will do for green energy, global warming and a multitude of other issues.

As for the office, not much has happened in the last week or so. We met with the Detroit Shoreway Development Corporation twice. The first was a group meeting, where we had a chance to say hello to members of the office: Marilyn Mosinsky, Economic Development Director; Lilah Zautner, Ecovillage Project Director; and Lisa McGovern, Project Manager. They were very helpful in giving us ideas and helping to steer us in some directions. They are also a wealth of information and hopefully can hook us up with a list of trusted contractors that they have worked with. While we didn’t accomplish as much as we had hoped, I must admit the fault lies with me. When I begin to talk about this project, I can hardly shut up! We met again on Friday with Marilyn and Franklin Piccirillo of the Department of Community Development. We were able to get started on applying for a storefront renovation program. This program is a rebate of some of the money spent to beautify an existing storefront. I have seen other buildings around the city use this program to effectively fix up the their fronts and I am pleased to be a part of it. Being the “go-to guy” for historic review, he also helped us define some of the necessities we will have to meet in order to pass the design review committee. We did discover that the site is on the edge of a historic district. We are also researching other programs to help pay for upgrades to the property. We intend to add solar and maybe wind power and are going to try and tap into both state and federal dollars to make that happen. There are programs for empty buildings, programs for economic development, and programs for historic restoration. We intend to make use of as many of these programs as we can. Additionally, we are planning to apply for grant dollars to help up set up the Eco Education Park. This project is near and dear to my heart. If we do not get supplemental funding, it will have to come out of our own pocket, but it will still happen. However, I think that this is a project that is relevant and necessary in today’s economic outlook and we ant to make it happen sooner rather than later.

After our meeting on Friday, we attempted to find out more about the building. Mr. Piccirillo was sure that building facade was typical of the 1870′s. We had already been to the county archives, and best we could determine, was that the smaller addition building was built in 1887. We discovered this by looking through plat maps and tax records at the archives until we saw a tax increase in the value of the property. The main building was listed as being built in 1885. However, I believe there was an integration of record at that time, or some such thing, as it seems many buildings were listed as being built in 1885. We went to the public library in search of pictures or other information. We were able to discover that the site had changed addresses at least once. We suspect that it may have had an earlier address change as well. The most interesting thing that we discovered, however, was that the earliest mentions of the building that we can find are as a grocery store. You may not know it, but Bud & I both share a history of grocery stores. To find out that our new building probably started of life as a grocers was more than ironic. We believe that it was built in 1875, by a Prussian immigrant named William Wissing. We are planning another trip to the archives with our new research to see if we can expand on what we know so far.

In addition to its origins, these buildings have served as homes to a variety of businesses. There has been a deli, a millinery, and a plant store. Neighbors have told me that it once was a massage parlor. While that seems odd, there is an area of the basement that is lined with cedar and looks like a sauna room. Most recently, at least one storefront was used as an apartment. If anyone can remember other businesses that used these storefronts, be sure to let us know. We like to know the history of the buildings that we inhabit. Additionally, past owners include William Wissing, Bernard Meiring, Elizabeth Van NEil, Mary Biermacher, Dora Wissing, Robert Strebelow, George Pappas, William Henry, Bobby Dumetroff, Alden Heise, John & Bonnie Turner, and Patricia Clement. We would love to find out more about these owners and the property, especially if anyone has old photos. Feel free to contact us if you can help out.

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