ecoProach Blog

Enery Upgrade California & San Mateo County

EcoProach, and our parent company Chandler Building & Development, is proud to assist the County of San Mateo in preparation for the Energy Upgrade California program. Currently, the program is in the planning stages and we are aiding in the establishment of various marketing strategies for home performance contracting.

What is home performance contracting you ask? It starts with viewing your home through building science. Building science is more than just architecture, but making sure your house is running like an efficient machine—a “whole house.” It should be energy efficient, cost-effective, safe, comfortable, durable, and, most importantly, healthy. According to Affordable Comfort, “as homes became tighter and the equipment more complicated, it often takes skilled detective work and special diagnostic equipment to really determine what is happening in a house or whether your work has solved the problem.”

Energy Upgrade California is a tiered rebate program that rewards the homeowner through PG&E rebates correlating to the amount of energy retrofits the homeowner completes. This program not only presents an immediate benefit to the homeowner in the form of a better living environment and monetary rebates, but also aims to boost the local economy by utilizing community-based contractors.

What an honor to be a part of another amazing energy incentive program!

Let's Get Low, Low, Low-Flow

Toilets, faucets, showers, dishwashers, garden hoses, and washing machines.

Low flow products have gotten a bad reputation for not “getting the job done.” However, those days are long gone as creative designers revamped their products’ flow issues. Toilets flush all deposits and have the innovative design of pushing or lifting the handle depending on the amount of water and pressure required. Showerheads, once cursed for their lack of pressure in low-flow models, now feel quite luxurious and even come in the rain model! Dishwashers and washing machines, even garden hoses are jumping on the low-flow, energy efficient bandwagon.

The best part—not only are individual homes installing the energy and water efficient amenities, but some businesses as well, such as the admirable and eco-conscious Monterey Bay Aquarium. So, the next time you need a need appliance that uses water, check for the Energy Star logo, which is a guarantee of a good, green product!

Efficiency First

ecoProach is proud and excited to be a member of Efficiency First, an organization devoted to advocating positive, energy efficient changes to building codes and products. This non-profit trade organization is concerned with not only implementing environmentally friendly home upgrades and retrofits. Efficiency First seeks to change nationwide building policies and increase employment in the building industry. How do they intend to reach such a lofty and inspiring goal? Through employing a triad of Home Performance Public Policy objectives emphasizing national incentives, financing, and industry standards spelled out in their mission statement:
“Our mission is to be a voice for the Home Performance industry, and to advocate for policies that will create the foundation for a sustainable and scalable home retrofit market. We will accomplish these goals by promoting a combination of industry standards, financing and performance-based incentives, through collaborations with legislators, government agencies, public utilities and professional organizations. We believe that a public-private market must exist where programs drive demand to a well-regulated private sector that will compete on efficiency and innovation.”

Nationally, we are supporting the Retrofit for Energy and Environmental Performance (REEP) legislation, currently pending in Congress, creating more financing for homeowners to perform environmentally friendly retrofits and upgrades, as well as creating and supporting industry standards, such as Energy Star appliances.

Locally, ecoProach and Chandler Building & Development founder and CEO Will Chandler is involved with Efficiency First’s endeavors to bring PACE Bonds to Santa Clara County. These bonds help offset the large cost that can be associated with installing energy efficient upgrades and retrofits. For more information regarding the PACE Bond program, check out Edition 2 of our quarterly newsletter!

Sun Tunnels

Turn off the lights! We’ve all heard it; many of us are doing it more and more often to reduce energy consumption and save some money in our electric bills. However, there are just some areas of the home that never seem to get enough natural light: bathrooms that don’t have windows (and ladies, they do say natural light is the best for applying make-up), kitchens left in the dark ages, and long hallways out of horror movies. Have no fear of the dark! There is a new type of skylight called Sun Tunnels.

Sun Tunnels, developed by Velux (an Energy Star Partner), are various-sized cylindrical tubes rather than a flat sheet of glass, are the easiest to install skylights on the market, and do not admit the heat associated with natural light. The pitch adapters allow the tunnel to efficiently gather sunlight all throughout the day. Thoughtful designers incorporated portions to be painted to blend in with the roofline and ingenious designers introduced reflective materials to the tube to allow more natural light with less needed space.

Velux has developed two different models-the rigid and the flexible. The rigid design is available in Pitched or Low Profile and is ideal for areas of the roof that require a longer tunnel. They are constructed out of highly reflective materials to bounce more light into the home. The Pitched (TMR) sun tunnel “skylight features an innovative one-piece pitched metal flashing that is designed to keep out the elements while providing the optimal angle for gathering light from all directions.” The Low Profile (TGR) sun tunnel skylight differs by having one-piece low profile metal flashing designed specifically to blend into the roofline.

Similar in design, the flexible models also are available in Pitched or Low Profile design and possess mirrored rings around the base of the dome, allowing for maximum light reflection to travel the tunnel into the home. The flexible tube is perfect for making its way through attics and into the main living spaces of the home. As with the rigid models, the Pitched (TMF) and Low Profile (TGF) models differ in the location and angle of the dome top of the sun tunnel tube.

Isn’t it amazing what people can develop to help keep our homes energy efficient and save us money? One installed Sun Tunnel skylight can make a world of difference in the dreary sections of a home and bring in some more sunny Vitamin D, for healthier, happier, more cost-effective lives.

South Bay and Peninsula Farmers' Market Roundup!

Trying to “Think Globally, Act Locally” more often? A great way to act locally is to explore your neighborhood Farmers’ Market. Not only do Farmer’s Markets provide an amazing variety of locally grown and often organic produce, but it also stimulates the local economy and decreases the shipping costs and carbon footprint created by larger-scale groceries. Another great aspect: most market vendors allow you to sample the fruits and veggies before you buy!

In addition to fruits and vegetables, there are usually vendors selling tasty honey, fresh fish, scrumptious baked goods, cut and potted flowers, organic coffee, and even ready-to-eat food! So, grab your shopping bags and some cash and head to a Farmers’ Market for a tasty lunch, a bouquet for your desk or table, and some amazing fresh food for dinner!

Below is a Roundup of several Peninsula and South Bay Farmers’ Markets. For more information, check out the California Farmers' Market Association, the California Certified Farmers’ Market, the Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association, and The Urban Village.

The Roundup (by city):
Campbell
When: Sundays, 9:00-1:00, Year Round
Where: Campbell Avenue between Central & 2nd Streets

Cupertino
When: Fridays, 9:00-1:00, Year Round
Where: Cupertino Square, Wolfe Road & Highway 280

Fremont
When: Fridays, 2:00-6:00, May-December
Where: Grimmer and Fremont Blvd

Los Altos
When: Thursdays, 4:00-8:00 PM, May-September
Where: State St. and 2nd

Los Gatos
When: Sundays, 8:00-12:30, Year Round
Where: Montabello Way & Broadway Extension

Menlo Park
When: Sundays, 9:00-1:00, Year Round
Where: Chestnut Street parking lot across street from Trader Joe's

Milpitas
When: Sundays, 9:00-1:00, Year Round
Where: 525 Los Coches

Mountain View
When: Saturdays, 9:00-1:00, Year Round
Where: Caltrain Station 600 W. Evelyn

Palo Alto
Palo Alto Community Farm Shop
When: Wednesdays, 4:00 PM-6:00 PM, April-October
Where: Front of City Hall, 250 Hamilton Avenue
Stanford
When: Fridays, noon-5:00, April-October
Where: Tressider Union -456 Lagunita Drive
Palo Alto Downtown
When: Saturdays, 8:00-noon, May-December
Where: Gilman Street behind the Post Office

San Jose
Alum Rock
When: Sundays, 9:00-1:00, Year Round
Where: 57 N. White Road
Blossom Hill
When: Sundays, 10:00 AM-2:00 PM, Year Round
Where: Princeton Plaza Mall-Koozer & Meridian
Evergreen
When: Sundays, 9:00-1:00, Year Round
Where: Evergreen Village Square
Japantown
When: Sundays, 8:00 AM-noon, Year Round
Where: Jackson Street between 6th & 7th Streets
Santana Row
When: Sundays, 11:00 AM-3:00 PM, Year Round
Where: Santana Row, Stevens Creek & Winchester
City Hall
When: Tuesdays, 3:00-7:00 PM, April-September
Where: South 5th Street behind San Jose City Hall
Cambrian Park
When: Wednesdays, 4:00-8:00 PM, May-October
Where: Camden and Union Avenues
Downtown
When: Fridays, 10:00 AM-2:00 PM, May-December
Where: San Pedro Square
Kaiser Friday
When: Fridays, 10:00 AM-2:00 PM, Year Round
Where: Kaiser Santa Teresa
Berryessa Farmers' Market
When: Saturdays, 9:00-1:00, Year Round
Where: 1376 Piedmont Road
Santa Teresa
When: Saturdays, 9:00-1:00, May-September
Where: Santa Teresa Blvd. and Camino Verde
Willow Glen
When: Saturdays, 8:30 AM-12:30 PM, May-November
Where: Lincoln Avenue and Willow Street

San Mateo
San Mateo Tuesday
When: Tuesdays, 4:00 PM-8:00 PM, May-October
Where: 194 W. 25th Avenue
San Mateo Wednesday
When: Wednesdays, 9:00-1:00, Year Round
Where: College of San Mateo parking lot

Santa Clara
Kaiser
When: Thursdays, 10:00 AM-2:00 PM, Year Round
Where: Kaiser Hospital
Santa Clara
When: Saturdays, 9:00-1:00, Year Round
Where: Franklin Mall, Jackson & Benton

Saratoga
When: Saturdays, 9:00-1:00, Year Round
Where: West Valley College, Lot 3

Sunnyvale
When: Saturdays, 9:00-1:00, Year Round
Where: Murphy Avenue between Washington & Evelyn

Be Clean, Be Green!

Across the nation, people are making conscious decisions regarding their interactions with the environment. Energy audits are performed to determine ways to improve the home and reduce energy consumption, solar panels and low energy light bulbs are installed, and recycling bins utilized.

Another method gaining in popularity among Americans: changing to eco-friendly cleaning products. As large-scale stores like Target begin to carry more and more green cleaning lines in a variety of price ranges, more and more consumers are making the switch to these products. Target now stocks such names as method, Seventh Generation, Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day, and Dr. Bronner's. Mainstream lines, such as Clorox Green Works, have launched eco-alternative cleaners guaranteed to work just as well as their traditional product, but lacking the harsh chemicals that negatively impact the environment. If you are lucky enough to reside near a Trader Joe's, they carry their own brand of cleaning products--including a powder laundry soap made from coconut!

Not only are most typical household cleaners chemically harsh, they are poisonous, corrosive, and pollute our water and air. Many tout 'antimicrobial,' but the effects of overusing antimicrobial agents are never explained. Germs are constantly evolving. By using such cleaners, you may be initially removing the unwanted germs, but they will adapt to become more resistant to the harsh chemicals. Some more interesting facts from the World Watch Institute:
*Cleaning products were responsible for nearly 10% of all toxic exposures reported to the U.S. Poison Control Centers in 2000, accounting for 206,636 calls. Of these, nearly two-thirds involved children under six
*According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the air inside the typical home is on average 2-5 times more polluted than the air just outside, and in extreme cases 100 times more contaminated, largely because of household cleaners and pesticides.
*The Janitorial Products Pollution Prevention Project reports that 6 out of every 100 janitors in Washington state have lost time from their jobs as a result of injuries linked to toxic cleaning products, particularly glass and toilet cleaners and degreasers.
*In a 2002 U.S. Geological Survey study of contaminants in U.S. stream water, 69% of streams sampled contained persistent detergent metabolites, and 66% contained disinfectants.

By having the green products placed in the same location as harsh chemical cleaners, it provides the convenience and ease for the consumer to make the eco-friendly choice. Gone are the days of special ordering products or making special trips to specialty stores (which just used valuable gas and time).

So the next time you run out of your usual cleaning products, make sure to recycle the bottle, and grab the eco-friendly option from the shelf next time. Many are comparable in price, in the same location, and allow you to feel better about yourself. Every little bit helps!

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