Mahalo to all the wonderful speakers, sponsors, attendees, and to Kamehameha Schools for hosting this great event. This was a Free gathering where Maui locals got to mingle with established Green businesses, and community organizations to become more educated on sustainability for Maui. Local Kahuna Kimokeo gave an early morning traditional blessing for the event and speakers throughout the day, including Gov. Linda Lingle’s Maui representative, George Kaya and Mayor Charmaine Tavares, spoke of the importance of sustainability and its future on Maui.
Attendees to the event also were able to purchase fresh local fruits and vegetables, sample food and food products, and receive information on the art and science of sustainability.
There was more than 30 vendors participating, including local farmers, renewable energy companies, and state and federal agencies. The expo also examined strategies from different companies on how to be sustainable as well as provide advice for individuals on ideas such as composting, community gardens, home wind and solar power production as well as conservation methods.
*All images taken by Maui EcoBroker Meghan Clair at event 2/21/09
The event was presented by the Kula Community Association and the Sustainable Living Institute of Maui and is sponsored by Dowling Co. and First Wind. Mahalos to Ron Montgomery for organizing this wonderful day upcountry!
“Green building seems to be insulated from the recession and is growing.”
The value of Green construction increased five-fold from $10 billion in 2005 to as much as $49 billion this year and could triple by 2013 to nearly $150 billion according to McGraw Hill’s 2009 Green Outlook study. This includes existing homeowners who continue to make their homes greener by using green products for 40 percent of their remodeling work to substantially improve resale values.
This has proven to be very important for EcoBroker Certified® real estate professionals who are trained to market new green property developments and recognize “true” green features in homes. EcoBrokers® have become increasingly sought after by builders and homeowners of green properties to properly market their investments.
To see maui property visit: www.LuxuryGreenRealEstateMaui.com
IT PAYS TO THINK GREEN WHEN INVESTING IN REAL ESTATE!
Contact Meghan Clair, Maui’s First Female EcoBroker, for more information about the Green Building movement in the state of Hawaii!
Barack Obama and Joe Biden have a plan to revitalize the economy.
The following is a re-print of their current vision of homes and mortgages.
January 18, 2009
http://change.gov/agenda/economy_agenda/
DIRECT, IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE FOR HOMEOWNERS, NOT A BAILOUT FOR IRRESPONSIBLE MORTGAGE LENDERS Over the past two years, Americans have lost 20 percent of the value of their homes. In some parts of the country home values have fallen by twice that amount. In combination with a rapidly deteriorating economy, that means more and more families are having a hard time meeting their monthly mortgage payments. At the same time, many states are considering property tax hikes that will burden homeowners still further. And millions of families who have seen the value of their homes fall below the cost of their mortgages need assistance in restructuring their mortgages to stay in their homes.
Barack Obama and Joe Biden’s plan provides direct relief to help America’s homeowners pay their mortgages, stay in their homes, and avoid painful tax increases while protecting taxpayers and not rewarding the bad behavior and bad actors who got us into this mess:
• Instruct the Secretaries of the Treasury and Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to use their existing authority to more aggressively modify the terms of mortgages
• Reform the bankruptcy code to assist homeowners and remove legal impediments to encouraging broader mortgage restructuring: Obama and Biden are also calling for legislation to close the loophole in our bankruptcy code that allows bankruptcy judges to modify the terms of mortgages on investment properties and vacation homes but not on primary residences.
• Enact a 90-day foreclosure moratorium for homeowners who are acting in good faith
• Provide $25 Billion in state fiscal relief to help avoid painful property tax increases: Budget crunches across the nation are putting our local governments in the untenable position of having to choose between raising property taxes and cutting vital services. Obama has proposed $25 billion in state fiscal relief that, coupled with the new emergency facility to address the state credit crunch, will help states and localities continue to provide essential services like health care, police, fire and education without raising taxes or fees.
• Create a universal mortgage tax credit for homeowners: Barack Obama believes we should immediately enact a 10 percent refundable tax credit on the mortgage interest paid by hardworking American families who do not itemize their taxes. This credit will help offset the cost of mortgage payments for at least 10 million middle-class homeowners.
“Changes in certification process get ‘green’ light”
Pacific Business News (Honolulu)
The U.S. Green Building Council is changing its certification process for green buildings through its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program (LEED).
A 30-day online public comment period ended June 22, and the new version, dubbed LEED 2009, is slated to debut in January.
More than 1,500 buildings have received LEED certification since the program was introduced in 2000, and over 11,000 are seeking it, including more than a dozen in Hawaii.
In those eight years, the USGBC has changed the way architects, contractors and developers design and construct buildings. Even structures that don’t pursue LEED certification are increasingly incorporating sustainable practices.
LEED certifications are available in eight categories: new construction, existing buildings, commercial interiors, core and shell, retail, schools, health care and homes. Another category, for neighborhood developments, is in the pilot stage.
LEED 5 key areas:
1.Sustainable site development
2.Water savings
3.Energy efficiency
4.Materials selection
5. Indoor environmental quality.
Points are awarded for specific practices in each area and are verified by an independent third party. Depending on the number of points earned, a building is awarded a Certified, Silver, Gold or Platinum ranking.
LEED 2009 will reorganize the commercial rating systems by consolidating, aligning and updating them into one system that’s “simpler and more elegant and committed to continuous improvement,” said USGBC spokeswoman Ashley Katz. Points will be allocated differently and reweighed, and the entire process will be flexible to adapt to changing technology, account for regional differences and encourage innovation.
Energy Conservation and Energy Efficiency are presently the most powerful tools in our transition to a clean energy future. As depicted in the Energy Pyramid, renewable energy is an important piece of our energy future, but the largest opportunities are currently in energy conservation and efficiency. There are many excellent resources for those researching these options, and a very small list is presented here. Please make conservation and efficiency your top priority, as you work to move your community into our clean energy future.
Benefits of Community Energy
Renewable energy and energy efficiency investments carry remarkable benefits including lower environmental impact, greater price stability, and greater energy security, when compared to investments in fossil fuel generation. In addition to those substantial benefits common to all clean energy solutions, Community Energy has several distinct advantages including:
*Greater economic benefit to local communities
*Increased local awareness and involvement in clean energy
*Communities are strengthened through their collaborative efforts
Maui’s Kaheawa Wind Farm provides 9% of Maui’s Energy
Solar Panal Fields
To learn more about Community Energy visit http://www.nwcommunityenergy.org/
Test Yourself below to see how efficient you are with your own water use.
Follow the link to 100 Ways to Conserve Water
Here are a few samples
#1. Adjust sprinklers so only your lawn is watered and not the house, sidewalk, or street.
#2. Run your clothes washer and dishwasher only when they are full. You can save up to 1,000 gallons a month.
#3. Choose shrubs and groundcovers instead of turf for hard-to-water areas such as steep slopes and isolated strips.
#4. Install covers on pools and spas and check for leaks around your pumps.
#5. Use the garbage disposal sparingly. Compost vegetable food waste instead and save gallons every time.
#7. Monitor your water bill for unusually high use. Your bill and water meter are tools that can help you discover leaks.
#8. Water your lawn and garden in the morning or evening when temperatures are cooler to minimize evaporation.
#9. Wash your fruits and vegetables in a pan of water instead of running water from the tap.
Sugar Cove Renovation in Spreckelsville
Dean Johnston
M.Arch., LEED AP
Principal: Johnston•Cassel Design Studio
Dean designed and built his first passive solar homes in Colombia County, New York, in 1980. Since then he has designed and built custom homes, cabinetry, furniture and sculpture using a wide variety of materials and styles in locations ranging from Vermont to Hawaii. His lifelong commitment to ecologically ethical design influences all aspects of his current work. Dean received the prestigious A.I.A.S. National Research Award in 2002 for his work testing structural bamboo, work that ultimately led to the first acceptance of a bamboo species, Bambusa stenostachya, into the United States building codes.
Johnston-Cassel Desing Studio offers a range of professional design services to meet the individual needs of each client’s project. In addition to complete start to finish design services they also offer their clients a range of specialized services that can be comissioned independently.
-Architectual design
-Master Planning
-Interior Design
-Project Budgeting
-Value Engineering
-Construction Scheduling
-Construction Administration
-LEED AP Sustainable Project Design
-Landscape Design and Farm Planning
-Project Observation/Owner’s Represenative
Johnston ● Cassel Design Studio
info@johnstoncassel.com
808.579.9778
Hawaii is an ideal candidate for alternative energy solutions. It’s an island, meaning any outside fuels must be shipped directly to the state (and each various island). Furthermore, it has an abundance of natural energy gifts – active geothermal energy, powerful wind cycles, easy access to tidal, and a whole lotta’ sun.
It’s no surprise then, that Hawaii has now created a new mandate for new homes built in the state – solar hot water heaters must now be included in any new home construction!
Solar water heaters can lower your Electric usage by up to 85%!!! Read below for costs and discounts for Solar Water Heater Technology
Solar Water Heater
120-gal Solar Water Heating System
System Cost: $5,100
MECO Rebate: $1,000
Fed Tax Credit: $1,230
HI Tax Credit: $1,004.50
NET COST: $1,865.50
Average Electric Bill Savings $75.00/Mo.
Yearly Savings: $ 900.00
Estimated Payback Period 2+ years
WWW.MAUISOLAR.COM for more information!
*Information for this blog provided by www.mauisolar.com *(this is one of many choices for solar technology installation on Maui)
EcoBrokers® In the News…
Here is a article about me from the EcoBroker International Newsletter: 12/22/08
EcoBroker Certified® agents are often recognized for their outstanding community work and no one epitomizes this EcoBroker spirit of involvement more than Meghan Clair of Windermere Real Estate Wailea, LLC in Maui, Hawaii. Clair, a Certified EcoBroker® since October 2007, lives, learns and teaches green building, real estate and sustainable living ideas throughout the community in many ways. She helps write articles for a variety of real estate trade and better living magazines in Hawaii. She has been a prime resource for a number of reports on incorporating green into personal and professional lives. Clair has organized the nationally accredited “Houses That Work” green building seminar on Maui and has volunteered as a team leader for Habitat for Humanity’s green building projects. She has even organized beach restoration and park clean-ups. Additionally, Clair is currently involved in the production of a web-based television show titled “EcoHome,” in which she explains green features in real estate and green remodeling and interviews established green business owners about products specific to the housing and construction industries on Maui. Clair was recently featured in the Maui Weekly, December 17, 2008 article Green House by reporter Jessica Baker. Nice work Meghan! Read the entire article here.
Real-estate moguls know there’s good money in environment-friendly buildings. Here’s how the little guy can play, too. So how do individual investors get in on this latest real-estate boom?
If the workplace is any indication, you could almost believe corporate America really cares about the environment. Goldman Sachs , Hearst, IBM Corp, JPMorgan Chase, and Toyota Motor all have made the move into “green” buildings. Bank of America plans to build a 52-story eco-skyscraper near New York’s Times Square, and Accenture has leased green office space throughout the country.
Sustainable construction is one of the fastest-growing segments of the already-red-hot commercial-building industry. An estimated 5% of all new U.S. commercial construction received the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification last year. And by 2010, 10% of all new commercial construction will be sustainable, according to McGraw-Hill’s 2006 Smart Market report: “The green trend in home construction is still in its infancy, although that’s bound to change.”
Existing construction is getting an eco-lift too. Developers such as Hines and the Durst Organization, and some real-estate investment trusts (REITs), are snapping up half-empty office buildings and renovating them according to green standards. That can often bring 3% higher rents and a 7.5% increase in a building’s value, according to the McGraw-Hill report.
Click here for full article and a video on the BEST GREEN STOCKS to invest in.
To see maui property visit: www.LuxuryGreenRealEstateMaui.com
IT PAYS TO THINK GREEN WHEN INVESTING IN REAL ESTATE!
Contact Meghan Clair, Maui’s First Female EcoBroker, for more information about the Green Building movement in the state of Hawaii!
MClair@Windermere.com