September 27, 2010
Energy Audit Tours with Matt Brown of Life Cycle Solutions
Join Matt Brown, of Life Cycle Solutions for an Energy Audit Tour in the neighborhood. Get the inside scoop on why energy audits are important, useful, and can reduce your bills. The energy audit tour will take you around the common areas of a typical co-op and a sampling of apartments in the building. You will learn how to examine the boiler room, hallways/stairways, entrances/exits, and the rooftop for energy efficiency – Matt will explain the major building systems that either directly use energy, or indirectly cause the use of energy, such as heating systems, domestic hot water, building envelope, lighting, water fixtures, and appliances. We’ll be looking at the existing equipment, see how the different systems work together, and try to find ways to improve the building’s energy efficiency. SIGN UP – tours are at 11am and 12.30pm, and cost $15 per person. Matt will provide a copy of his energy audit report to participants before hand so they can see what to expect when they go through the process. Check out Matt’s Video Action Clip in the blog below, explaining how easy it is to Tune Your Radiator!Open House Green Buildings Tours
GreenHomeNYC hosts the NYC Green Buildings Open House on Saturday, October 2nd, for the For the 8th consecutive year! The NEW New York is complementing a day of Green Building Open Houses located throughout the five boroughs. Guests can visit a variety of green buildings, accompanied by the owners, designers, and engineers who built them. Since 2007 GreenHomeNYC’s tour has been organized as the New York City edition of the National Solar Tour due to our role as the New York City Chapter of NESEA. NESEA is a regional membership organization that promotes sustainable energy solutions by advancing a multi-disciplinary network of professionals, sustainable energy solutions for the built environment, and proven results in the field. Visit this link to see what open houses will be open in your neighborhood and around the city.
The solar installation atop the Monti building generates more than the amount of electricity needed during the day and sells it back to the grid. During the weekends, the almost the full amount generated is sold back as most of the commercial tenants are not using their offices during that time!
September 26, 2010
Tour LEED-Gold Building, Sit in Sustainable Furniture
What does a LEED-Gold building look like? Are there windmills? Do you have to use a bicycle to generate electricity for your breakfast toast? As part of The NEW New York, the developer of Third + Bond, a 44-unit condominium anticipating LEED-Gold and EnergyStar certifications, will be offering tours. The project is just a few weeks short of final completion and includes two gorgeous model apartments decked out entirely in sustainable furnishings from Pratt Institute students, faculty and alumni. Designed by Rogers Marvel Architects, Third + Bond is a modern adaptation of the traditional brownstone. You might have read about Third + Bond on the 145+ weeks its been a guest column on Brooklyn’s best real estate blog, Brownstoner.com. Or you might have seen it highlighted in the New York Times, Metropolis, Interior Design, Yanko Design, New York 1, or even New Tang Dynasty TV! Along with a discussion about what was done to make the building qualify for LEED-Gold and EnergyStar, Pratt students will be on hand to talk about their sustainable furnishings and what it means to think sustainably about furniture. From the cardboard dining room table chairs to the specially designed “Gowanus oyster” wallpaper, you gotta see it to believe it!
There is a suggested $15 donation for the tour with all proceeds going to GreenHomeNYC. Hudson won’t turn away people who don’t pay but sure would like to help raise some money for the all-volunteer GreenHomeNYC. There is LIMITED SPACE for this event so check out our schedule page and sign up today!
September 25, 2010
DIY radiator tuning with Life Cycle Solutions
Check out these simple ways to make your radiator more efficient.Life Cycle – DIY Radiator Tuning from greenhomehyc on Vimeo.
September 23, 2010
Tree Planting and Tree Give Away with NYRP
ALSO Happening on October 2nd, with our Friends over at the New York Restoration Project : New York City residents can attend a MillionTreesNYC Tree Giveaway and pick up their own free tree, which can be planted on private properties such as front and backyards, commercial properties, community gardens, and faith-based centers. This program is an excellent way to begin or continue greening your neighborhood! New York Restoration Project is a non-profit organization dedicated to reclaiming and restoring New York City parks, community gardens and open space. Check it Out!
September 21, 2010
Maiden Voyage of Jerko the Gowanus Canal Water Vacuum
One of our fantastic tours : Floating on one of New York’s most environmentally disturbed waterways and powered by vikings, ‘Jerko the Gowanus Water Vacuum’ is a salvaged houseboat that has been transformed into a laboratory and showspace for do-it-yourself sustainability projects. From its parabolic solar tea maker (created from broken mirrors and a dumpstered satellite dish) to its living machine (made out of pickle buckets, wetland plants and pvc), this rough and ready design collective marries do-it-yourself garage engineering with sustainable design principles. The crew of Jerko The Gowanus Water Vacuum will set out on a maiden voyage through New York’s most legendary canal. See the Schedule of Events to sign up for fascinating tour of this unique Brooklyn House Boat. 1:30pm: The fleet arrives/christening celebration 3-5pm: Jerko onboard tours, sign up. Where: 2nd St b/w Bond and the Canal
September 18, 2010
Kids Activities – Build a Solar Car, and More!!
All kids are welcome! Visit Solar One located near the middle of the Block Party who is hosting green kids activities. There will be insect drawing for the young ones in the morning; seed bomb building for young teens and solar car construction and racing. Solar car building and racing is limited to 15 so make sure you sign up! See the Schedule of Events page for more information. Recycle-A-Bicycle will run crafting activities for kids on a drop-in basis. Making art out of old bicycle parts is a fun way to re-purpose the bits of “cannibalized” bikes that RAB can’t use for rebuilt bikes!
September 16, 2010
Recycle, Reduce, Reuse
One of the first steps to green construction and a greener lifestyle is finding ways to lower consumption through reusing materials, recycling goods, and reducing needs. Not only does it help provide a source for new creations but it diverts resources from the landfill. At The NEW New York, we have a number of vendors showcasing businesses that can help you do just that. Check them out.
Wearable Collections
Can you believe that millions of pounds each year get tossed out of our closets? About 6% of our waste stream. Wearable Collections provides a no cost, turn-key solution to recycling clothing within residential buildings in NYC. We handle all the logistics from placement of bins and promotion within the buildings to scheduling weekly pick-ups. Bring your clothes! Recycle them at the Block Party!
Lower East Side Ecology Center
E-Waste PICKUP for FREE! The Lower East Side Ecology Center is bringing their E-waste community based program that allows residents to dispose of unwanted or broken electronics in an environmentally responsible way. They will be accepting computers, monitors and peripherals (printers, keyboards and mice) as well as TV’s and cell phones. For more information on what the collection will accept please visit their site here. Bring your bring unwanted electronics to our e-waste collection!
Build it Green! NYC
Build It Green! NYC, is New York City’s only non-profit retail outlet for salvaged and surplus building materials. Their warehouse has everything from panel doors to high end refrigerators and shutters to movie props. Build It Green is keeping materials out of the landfill, and offering deep discounts on their resale. If you haven’t visited their warehouse in Long Island City, no fear, see them at the Block Party and learn more.
Recycle-A-Bicycle
Recycle-A-Bicycle is a community-based bike shop and non-profit organization that provides educational/job training programs and encourages environmental stewardship and everyday bicycle use. On average, RAB salvages 1,200 bicycles each year from the waste stream, diverting a total of 36,000 pounds of waste from NYC’s landfills. Bring you unwanted bikes! Recycle-A-Bicycle will be accepting bike donations for their education classes, and job training programs.