Category: Green-building

Could Living in Cohousing Save your Family $100,000?

Submitted by Jon Ippolito, Belfast Cohousing & Ecovillage (Maine) on August 27, 2015

While many intuitively understand the benefits of living in a close-knit neighborhood, some people need numbers to convince them. That’s why members of Belfast Cohousing & Ecovillage on the Maine coast conducted their own study to find out how much money typical residents will save in energy costs and in-kind goods and services. The result?... Read More

Green Tax Incentive Compendium (Jan 2015 – Eastern US)

Submitted by Jerome L. Garciano on January 12, 2015

A few weeks ago the Tax Increase Prevention Act of 2014 was signed into law retroactively extending numerous tax incentives for green building and energy efficiency projects. An updated PDF summary of the incentives is attached.

Designing a Passivhaus Neighborhood in a Blue Ridge Arts Community

Submitted by Rosemary Wyman on December 18, 2014

At Jubilee Cohousing in Floyd, VA, we are hard at work with our cohousing-savvy builder designing our neighborhood and homes. We are ambitiously building an all Passivhaus neighborhood and Common House (ultra-low energy design/construction) and it feels great, like we’re experiencing our own mini energy revolution! 2014 has been an amazing year of happenings. We’ve... Read More

Composting Toilets

Submitted by By Neena Jud, AIA LEED AP on December 24, 2013

I happen to be writing an article this month about my experience with designing a composting toilet facility for a nature preserve in southern Kentucky. So let me take a few minutes to summarize (sorry – it is long): Toilet systems that use water to carry the waste product away have recently come under scrutiny... Read More