Natural Awakenings

Starting next week, I'll also be blogging for Natural Awakenings Magazine. Here's the link!
http://greenliving.nacincin.com/

Cincinnati Habitat's first green rated home

On June 12th Cincinnati Habitat for Humanity launched the build of its first green rated home. The house, located on 1141 Homeside Ave in College Hill, will receive a green certification from the National Association of Home Builders. The home will also be Energy Star rated along with meeting EPA Indoor Air Plus requirements. Some of the homes features include a 95% efficient furnace, raised heal trusses (which allows for more insulation in the attic), prefabricated floor joists (saves on lumber), and low VOC carpet (better for indoor air quality). The home will also achieve a 52 on the Home Energy Rating System index. This means that the home will be about 50% more energy efficient than a standard, code built home.

The design for the home came from a contest held by Habitat affiliates in Ohio and the Ohio American Institute of Architects Committee on the Environment. Architects around Ohio entered hoping to have their green designs built by Habitat. Allison Beer and Jessica Farmer of SHP Leading Design won the contest and their design is the one currently being built in Cincinnati.

Cincinnati Habitat for Humanity hopes that this project will be the prototype of how they will build in the future. The CHFH Green Building Blog will be posting updates about the build at 1141 Homeside and all of Cincinnati Habitat's green initiatives.



Photo by: Adam Nelson
www.flickr.com/people/adamcnelson/

Directory addition: The Hillside Trust

I've added the Hillside Trust to the green directory. Since 1976, this non-profit has been advocating for the conservation and responsible use of Cincinnati's hillsides.

Follow this link to learn more!

The Hillside Trust

City pushes urban agriculture

Earlier this year, City Council changed zoning requirement in order to stimulate urban agriculture. Prior to this change, zoning codes would not allow gardening to be a primary use of land. Gardening could only be done on land used for residences or businesses. The new zoning code will make it easier for community gardens to develop throughout the city.

Furthermore, the city has made the 2009 Urban Agriculture Pilot Project into a permanent initiative. Under the project, 15 parcels of unused, city owned land were rented out for $1 to a variety of community groups and garden clubs. City Council has made more undeveloped land available for community gardening this year.

Contact Robin Henderson robin.henderson@cincinnati-oh.gov for more information about the Urban Agriculture Project.





Photo by: Manjith Kainickara
http://www.flickr.com/photos/manjithkaini/

UC's bike plan

Many don't know this, but the University of Cincinnati is quietly becoming one of the greenest schools in the U.S. This year's Princeton review named UC to its list of national leaders in environmental practices. It is the only public school in Ohio to receive the honor. UC's commitment to sustainability took shape in 2007 when President Zimpher signed The American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC). Since then, the president's advisory council on environment and sustainability has created a comprehensive sustainability plan for the university. Much of this plan involves the built environment, but one of its most unique aspects is a commitment to alternative transportation, especially bicycles.

In December of 2009, UC drafted the first version of its comprehensive bike plan. The plan outlines a number of initiatives that are meant to increase bicycle use throughout the campus and surrounding areas. The University of Cincinnati Bike Share Program, which began on April 22, 2010, is one of the first steps in the bike plan. The bike share program allows both students and faculty to rent bikes in a similar manner to checking out books at the library. The bikes are free and come with all required safety equipment. All that is needed is a student or faculty/staff ID. Bicycle and monetary donations are being accepted by the program.

Another part of the bicycle plan involves awareness. This means adding bike routes to campus maps and increasing the amount of signage that marks routes. The plan also includes the provision of safety courses and bike related literature for students and faculty. Rights of way outside of school jurisdiction are also addressed. The City of Cincinnati, which also has a new bike plan, has been coordinating efforts with the university in order to add bike lanes and "sharrows" to surrounding streets (e.g. Clifton Avenue).

Adding bicycle related infrastructure is integral to the plan. Showers and changing facilities throughout campus will be added to support the increase in ridership. New bikes racks will also be installed in both covered and open areas. These infrastructure items help support bikers and also add important LEED credits to any building attempting certification through the USGBC.

UC hopes that this plan will not only help lower the school's carbon footprint but will also serve as a social link between the university and the surrounding uptown neighborhoods.

In the coming weeks, I will continue to provide updates on all of UC's sustainability efforts.


Photo By: Joe Dunckley
http://www.flickr.com/photos/steinsky/

Energy Rebates in Ohio Part II: Renewable Energy

The Federal Government is offering a tax credit to homeowners who are willing to install renewable energy technologies in their homes. The credit has been around since 2006 and isn't set to expire until 2016, so there's plenty of time to take advantage of this great incentive.

The Renewable Energy Tax Credit only applies to the installation of the following systems:

- Solar electric
- Solar hot water
- Fuel cell
- Wind energy
- Geothermal heat pumps

The credit is equal to 30% of the cost of the renewable energy system installed. The credit not only includes the cost of the physical system but also the cost of installation and piping/wiring to connect it to the home. If your tax liability is less than the credit in a given year, the difference will be carried forward to the next tax year.

Most of the systems do not have a credit limit, as long as they have been installed after 2008. If your system was installed before 2008, a $2,000.00 limit may apply. The only current exception is the fuel cell technology. The government has set the limit on these systems to $500.00 per half kW.

There are many installation and equipment requirements that must be followed in order to receive the tax credit. All information is available at http://dsireusa.org/incentives/incentive.cfm?Incentive_Code=US37F&re=1&ee=1.