Despite the fact that electricity costs are rising across the U.S., there is a widely held perception that adding wind and solar PV generating capacity results in undue costs to ratepayers. To frame the ratepayer impact of utilizing renewable energy technologies, we compared retail electricity price increases in the five states with the highest capacity of solar PV and wind with both the U.S. average and the five states with the lowest capacity of solar PV and wind. The results challenge the prevailing perception that renewable generation is expensive to ratepayers. The five states with the highest installed capacity are Texas, California, Iowa, Minnesota, and Oregon. Over the past five years, ratepayers in jurisdictions with high uptakes of wind and solar PV have experienced below-average price increases for retail electricity. In fact, the five states with the largest capacities of wind and solar PV saw an average increase in cost/kWh that was not only significantly less than the U.S. average, but also less than the five states with the lowest adoption of solar PV and wind. [Read this article]
5 States With Most Solar & Wind Energy Had Smallest Increase In Electricity Prices
Date: 12/22/2011 | Source: Clean Technica 
Lennar Announces Entry Into The Pacific Northwest, In Both The Seattle And Portland Markets
Date: 12/19/2011
Lennar Corporation announced today the company is expanding its homebuilding operations into the Pacific Northwest, in both the Seattle and Portland markets. Lennar acquired control of approximately 650 finished homesites in 20 communities, for an undisclosed price, from Seattle-based Premier Communities. A privately-held company led by Ryan McGowan, Premier Communities has delivered more than 1,600 homes in the Seattle area since 1998. Mr. McGowan will be responsible for Lennar’s operations in Seattle. Lennar’s start-up operations in Portland are being led by Ryan Selby, a 22-year Portland homebuilding veteran. Under Mr. Selby’s leadership, Lennar has been able to purchase primarily distressed finished homesites in 11 communities. Homes to be built by Lennar in the Portland area will be focused on first-time, move-up, active adult and luxury homebuyers. Jon Jaffe, Chief Operating Officer for Lennar, stated “We are excited to be bringing our Lennar Everything’s Included Homes to the Pacific Northwest. We have been evaluating the Seattle and Portland markets for more than a decade and believe that this is a perfect time to enter the market with the right opportunity.” With this move, Lennar now has homebuilding operations in 18 states and 44 markets across the nation. [Click here for more information on Lennar’s entry into the Pacific Northwest]
New Yahoo! Real Estate Survey Finds Americans Still Believe Their Dream Home Is In Reach; Top Priority: Energy-Efficiency
Date: 12/15/2011 | Source: MarketWatch
Despite problems plaguing the U.S. housing market such as tumbling values, record foreclosures, and tight credit for buyers, 74% of Americans believe home buying is a good investment. And 81% said it’s still part of the American dream according to a new survey from Yahoo! Real Estate. The survey, which polled 1,500 current and aspiring homeowners, plus renters, found that while few (13%) currently live in their dream home, a majority (55%) feel it’s attainable. The survey found that a “green,” energy-efficient home built with “sustainable” materials tops the ‘most wanted’ list. No longer in desire for home buyers: gated communities, urban locations, and castle style homes. [Read this article]
Being Green Can Help The Value Of Your House
Date: 12/15/2011 | Source: Patch.com
A pressing question has always been, “How does spending the extra money on energy-efficient products help the value of my home?” It is nice to lower heating bills, but how long does it take to recoup the extra expense of some of these products that would aid in investing in them. There is finally a way to capture these improvements and assign them a value in an appraisal. Real estate appraisers finally have a new form that helps standardize the way that energy efficient features are included in their reports. A nationwide survey by the Shelton Group released in 2006 found that “78 percent of U.S. consumers say they would choose one home over another based on energy efficiency.” Most new home builders are adding green features because they know that is what consumers are looking for. Now, especially since appraisers have the opportunity to add value to each upgrade in a consistent manner, return on investment has improved. Beside the high cost additions of heating systems, appliances and windows, there are many low cost upgrades that will help to add value to a home and can now be highlighted in an appraisal. [Read this article]
Are Green Homes Always Better? Depends On Location
Date: 12/15/2011 | Source: U.S. News & World Report
You have the latest “green” appliances, energy-efficient windows, and a cutting-edge heating and cooling system. But if you live in the suburbs and commute to work every day, all those eco-friendly bells and whistles might not matter. You’d still consume more energy overall than an average urban family. “The study shows that just an ordinary energy-inefficient house built in an urban environment is actually going to save more energy in total than even a green, energy-efficient household in the suburbs,” says Jeff Lubell, executive director of the Center for Housing Policy. That’s because the energy suburbanites use to commute to and from work, the grocery store, and the mall cancels out some of the advances in energy consumption found in eco-friendly homes. So while commuter suburbanites shouldn’t be villainized, energy consumption data should provide some food for thought when it comes to creating more efficient, walkable, and eco-friendly communities. [Read this article]
Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Carton Recycling (But Were Afraid To Ask)
Date: 12/15/2011 | Source: Mother Nature Network
Earth911 has launched an entire section of its website dedicated to the ins and outs of paper carton recycling. Teaming up with the Carton Council, the new section is filled with tips and tidbits about the often overlooked recyclable. Yes, the paper cartons that hold your coffee creamer, chicken broth, OJ, soy milk, and pinot are indeed recyclable through most curbside or drop-off recycling programs, although you should always check local guidelines before you add any empties to your bin. And be sure to give ‘em a rinse-out before you do so. According to the Carton Council, 36 percent of American households have access to curbside carton recycling as of October 2011 (an 18 percent increase since 2009) while only .05 percent of milk cartons were recycled in 2008. Americans consume – and dispose of - an average of 17 juice boxes per year. In total, 460,000 tons of aseptic (shelf-stable) carton waste was generated by American juice box-sippers in 2009. [Read this article]
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