Media Room - COSC in the Media

COSC Plans "Day of Sustainability" Training Sessions

Business Record

August 13, 2010

The Center on Sustainable Communities (COSC) will host a “Day of Sustainability” in West Des Moines on Oct. 6 in support of that city’s sustainable building initiatives.

“The courses will appeal to not only building professionals, but also homeowners and others eager to learn about the benefits of sustainable building,” said Lynnae Hentzen, COSC’s executive director. Instructors from RDG Planning & Design and the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship will also participate in the event.

COSC was recently named a U. S. Green Building Council education provider, which means that courses it offers are now approved for credit toward the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) credential maintenance program.

“The Fundamentals of Green Roofs in an Urban Environment,” the first of several COSC workshops to be approved for continuing education credit hours, will be offered during the Day of Sustainability, which will be held at West Des Moines City Hall.

Offered free of charge, the daylong seminar will begin at 9 a.m. with “Integrating Sustainable Storm Water Management Systems,” which will explore the impacts of a rainstorm’s “first flush” and teach techniques for reducing runoff and improving water quality. Then, after a networking lunch, “The Fundamentals of Green Roofs in an Urban Environment” will review case studies and the substantial sustainable benefits of green roof designs.

Those interested in attending are required to register and should contact COSC’s Leslie Berckes at (515) 707-2787 or Leslie@icosc.com.

Staying Green: West Des Moines' Sustainable Approach Continues

West Des Moines Living Magazine

By Michael Swanger
July 2010

“Nothing in nature is exhausted in its first use.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson

Sustainability, or “going green,” is becoming a culture in West Des Moines as residents, businesses and government are uniting to find ways to protect the environment
for years to come.

From the city’s popular “Curb it!” recycling program, to affordable green homes, to an increasing demand for ecologically sound cleaning products, examples of sustainability abound.

In this month’s cover story, we explore these and other methods of sustainability, while directing you to resources for “going green.” Along the way, we hope to dispel the myth that, “green” is too expensive, while showing just how mainstream it has become.

A Model Home

Last month, the City of West Des Moines, HOME Inc. and Center on Sustainable Communities (COSC) celebrated the completion of the West Des Moines Affordable Green Demonstration Home located at 927 Maple St. in Historic Valley Junction with an open house and ribbon cutting ceremony to commemorate a unique collaboration for a community-supported new construction home.

The three-year project, from design to decoration, demonstrates the affordability and practicality of a new green home, organizers say. The 1,192-square-foot, three-bedroom, one-bath ranch home with a full basement and two-car detached garage is an example of using processes that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient, while proving to be durable and comfortable.

“The affordable green home is a highly collaborative project that serves a unique purpose in West Des Moines and the surrounding area,” says Mayor Steve Gaer in a written statement. “As we encourage sustainable living options in our city and in surrounding communities, it is important that we not just make recommendations regarding sustainable alternatives but show how different sustainable concepts can work.”

The home includes a number of sustainable features. From its design revised for solar orientation, to its small footprint (less square footage reduces the amount of electricity needed to heat and cool it), to erosion control techniques used during construction to protect the property’s soil from washing away with rain and wind, green was the theme for this home from its inception. Additionally, an Energy Star inspection was completed for insulation installation and air sealing; recycled materials were used for vanity tops and carpet; a low- flow toilet, programmable thermostat, Energy Star appliances, ceiling fans and energy efficient Windsor “Pinnacle” windows were installed; and thousands of pounds of construction materials (wood, drywall, metal) were recycled.

“When you can actually come and see them and touch them and see how it all comes together in a home, it really brings it home,” says Lynnae Hentzen, executive director and co-founder of COSC in a statement. “And you can real- ize this isn’t so tough, maybe I can incorporate a few elements into my own home.”

Not all the green elements are for energy efficiency, organizers say. Some are to make the home healthier, too. The walls, for example, were painted with low VOC paint to improve indoor air quality.
“The cabinets themselves are made out of sustainable wood. The cabinet backs, which typically are plywood or some type of particle board, are made with a glue that doesn’t have formaldehyde in it, again for indoor air quality,” says Linda Schemmel, West Des Moines planner in a statement on the city’s website.

The home was built in a low- to moderate-income neighbor- hood, organizers say, to illustrate that green can be attainable and affordable for residents within West Des Moines who can least afford high energy bills. The sale price for the home is $110,000 for qualified buyers.

“The house is selling for less than it cost to build, plus the buyers gain additional savings over the years thanks to its efficiencies,” says Siobhan Spain, director of communications for COSC.

Spain and Carrie Boyle, a resource special- ist for COSC, also note that though the home on Maple Street is a demonstration home, they say that green construction practices are becoming more commonplace. Already, plans for construction of another demonstration home to be built next door to the one on Maple Street are underway.

“As demand for green increases, that will help bring prices down,” Spain says.
Boyle concurs.

“Energy efficient materials and appliances might cost a little more up front for now, but people who use them will be better off in the long run,” she says.

'Green' Home Could Set Example

Omaha World Herald

Elizabeth Ahlin | Staff Writer
Tuesday, July 13, 2010

In the midst of a monstrous U.S. oil spill and a precarious national economic recovery, the people of Corning, Iowa, aren’t the only ones who see that energy and personal income are severely limited resources.

But with help from Iowa State University and other groups, the city and its citizens are poised to become a new face of green, sustainable and affordable housing.

“We’ve always thought of ourselves as a progressive community,” said Corning Mayor Guy Brace.
Corning will soon be home to the “Iowa House.” The one-story, 1,080-square-foot, two-bedroom home is designed to be both energy-efficient and affordable — a combination that is seldom achievable in rural areas that have many older homes.

It’s a problem in Corning, where the city has struggled to facilitate affordable housing while also dealing with the dilapidated homes. This project has provided help on both fronts.

“It’s a great program for the community,” Brace said. “It’s allowing us to create some new housing and demolish some of our blighted structures.”

The house’s energy-efficiency will come from its design. Its position will take advantage of sunlight. Its landscaping will preserve water, and its construction will be airtight.

If successful, the house could serve as a prototype for green and affordable buildings across Iowa and elsewhere.

That’s something that Steve Adams of the Iowa Finance Authority would like to see.

“Quite frankly, we’re still living within the oxymoron of affordable housing,” he said. “How do we really have Americans live that dream of homeownership when it really is not affordable to a lot of Iowans?”

The house is the result of cooperation by, among others, Adams’ group, design and architecture students from Iowa State University, the City of Corning, the Iowa Department of Economic Development, the Southwest Iowa Coalition and the Southern Iowa Coalition of Governments.

The home became a possibility after Corning received a $312,000 federal grant. The city also has contributed $31,000, said Martin Olive, the Corning resident who has coordinated the project.
The city has a five-year window in which it can use any remaining funds or income from the program toward building more homes.

The house will be built on half of a double lot that used to hold one deteriorating building. After the old building was torn down, the lot was split into two, and the new home will be erected on one section.

At an estimated cost of $120,000, the home is still on the high end of what is considered affordable in a rural, relatively low-income area like Adams County. When asked, most Corning residents said they considered $70,000 to $80,000 to be a reasonable price for an affordable home, Olive said.

Still, the project brings the basics of green, sustainable design to an affordable level, without the expensive “bells and whistles” often seen in sustainable building, Adams said.

The home was designed by graduate and undergraduate students taking a class taught by Nadia Anderson, an assistant professor of architecture at Iowa State.

The house will be oriented so that its many windows help soak up the sun, she said. Overhangs will block the sun’s rays during the summer but will allow light and heat in during the winter, Anderson said.

Rain barrels on the roof will collect water, and a series of swales, or low spots, will direct water around the house. Rain gardens also will allow runoff to infiltrate into the ground instead of flowing into storm sewers.

Energy-efficient appliances will be installed, but the real key to keeping a house from wasting energy, Anderson said, is to construct a well-insulated, well-sealed building “envelope.”

That’s an area in which local builders and contractors might need some assistance, said Brace.

Projects like Iowa House, which help train local builders, are part of a critical shift toward sustainability, said Lynnae Hentzen, executive director of the Iowa Center on Sustainable Communities.

The house will be built so tightly that a heat recovery ventilator will be needed to preserve indoor air quality, Anderson said. The device connects to the furnace and maintains a constant exchange of air, trapping the heat as stale air is sent outside and using that heat to warm the fresh air coming in.

The City of Corning, which is acting as general contractor on the project, is currently in the bidding phase of the project.

The house probably won’t be ready for sale until next spring, although the city is already accepting names of potential buyers, Brace said.

Anderson, Olive and Adams, among others, plan to track the energy used in the home over at least the first year to see if true energy savings are realized. If over time the savings are significant, the project could help dispel one of the most common objections to green building: It’s too expensive

.
Already, Iowa House is spurring similar projects in the area. The Adams County Board has stepped in to facilitate the construction of a green home in nearby Prescott, and the Clarke County Board is interested in doing something similar in Osceola, said Olive.

“The story for me, is that it’s gone from a conversation at the Iowa Finance Authority to design at the ISU School of Design in Ames to reality in Corning and then Prescott and perhaps Osceola,” said Olive. “This is such a happy ending to this process.”

RENEW IOWA: Building an Affordable Green Home That's Also a Teaching Tool

WHO-TV Channel 13

Megan Reuther | Reporter
5:07 PM CDT, June 16, 2010

You may think you need to spend big bucks to have a green home. But, that's not the case in one metro community. Crews started planning an affordable green home about three years ago in the city of West Des Moines. It's also a teaching tool.

West Des Moines Planner Linda Schemmel says the the three bedroom one bath on Maple Street isn't just any home. She says it's called the West Des Moines Affordable Green Demonstration Home. You'll find it in Historic Valley Junction.

Schemmel says the city worked with builder Home Inc and the Center on Sustainable Communities to build the project in an low to moderate income neighborhood for people to learn about the process.

Lynnae Hentzen with the Center on Sustainable Communities says, "When you can actually come and see them and touch them and see how it all comes together in a home it really brings it home. And, you can realize this isn't so tough, maybe I can incorporate a few elements into my own home."

Schemmel says the home includes elements like natural linoleum flooring, energy efficient appliances and double hung windows to cut down on the need for lights and air conditioning. She says, "With the double hung window, you can open the top and the bottom and get a natural convection current. So, you can cool your home naturally."

Not all the green elements are for energy efficiency. Some are to make the home healthier. The walls are painted with low VOC paint to improve indoor air quality.

Schemmel says, "The cabinets themselves are made out of sustainable wood. The cabinet backs, which typically are plywood or some type of particle board are made with a glue that doesn't have formaldehyde in it, again for indoor air quality."

Hentzen says, "The healthy environment within the home by not using toxic materials, by having good ventilation, those are so essential to the health of your family, and that's a big part of this home."

You can see the home at an open house Thursday from 4 to 8 p.m. The address is 927 Maple Street in West Des Moines. The home is also for sale. It's listed at $110,000, but there are income qualifications. You must only make 80% of the median income.

COSC Note: Interested in buying the home? Contact HOME, Inc. at 515-243-1277 or visit www.homeincdsm.org to learn more.

Public Invited to See Green Home in West Union

Oelwein Daily Register

June 8, 2010

by Jack Swanson

WEST UNION – Center on Sustainable Communities (COSC) is announcing the completion of its Affordable Green Demonstration Home in West Union.

COSC and accompanying project partners will be celebrating with upcoming public open house events at the West Union location.

The new home construction project provided venues for on-site training components in COSC’s Affordable Green Building Training programs. The workshop series’ in West Union instructed homeowners and professionals on essential sustainable techniques for building an affordable, energy efficient, durable and environmentally sound home.

COSC will host two public open house events at the West Union Affordable Green Demonstration Home located at 410 S. Pine St.

The public is invited to tour the home from 4 - 7 p.m., Friday, June 11 and from 9 a.m. - 12 noon, Saturday, June 12.

The open houses present an opportunity to witness the progression of sustainable building efforts in northeast Iowa. Experts involved in the home’s construction and planning process will be on hand to discuss green building techniques homeowners can integrate into new home construction plans and remodeling projects.

In partnership with the City of West Union, Main Street West Union, Fayette County Economic Development, and the Northeast Iowa Community Action Corporation, COSC delivered its Affordable Green Building Training: West Union workshop series in support of northeast Iowa’s disaster recovery efforts and Main Street West Union’s Green Pilot Community initiatives.

This spec home was built by Northeast Iowa Community Action, and will be sold soon. It is a new home built on an infill lot donated by the City of West Union.

“COSC worked with NEICAC to build the home more sustainably so they can start incorporating these techniques into the houses they build,” said COSC Communications Specialist Siobhan Spain.

He pointed out that open house attendees will be able to discuss sustainable aspects incorporated into the home with Mark Kvammen with NEICAC and Jacob Kvinlaug, the instructor for the West Union Affordable Green Building Training series.

Read more of this story in the Daily Register.

Yapp Breaks Myths of Replacement and Historic Preservation

Eastern Iowa News Now

May 10, 2010

Jen Neumann, Community Contributor

Preservationist Bob Yapp likes to call things “crap.”

He calls most vinyl windows on the market crap. He calls a lot of easy fix-it products crap, and most of all, he calls the idea that historic preservation is restrictive and expensive, “crap.”

In an eye opening moment for me at the seminar on Saturday entitled “Old Windows aren’t a Pane, they’re Green,” Yapp addressed the idea that historic preservation and the restrictions it puts on homeowners or businesses is “oppressive” and violates homeowner’s rights.

“Think about the homeowners associations and the covenants in new development,” said Yapp. “That’s far more restrictive than historic preservation.”

This is true. At least in a historic neighborhood you can still paint your house whatever color you want and you can plant whatever you want in your yard without approval from a board. If anything, historic neighborhoods are the perfect place for non-conformists.

This is also true when it comes to window replacement. The standard line that you can get your investment back is one we all buy into. However what a lot of us don’t know is that with some dedication and patience, you can make your old wood double hung windows just as efficient as the new vinyl windows. The other important difference is that you go from a payback of 50 years on replacement windows to about 5 years with modifications to existing windows. Oh, and it keeps materials out of the landfill.

HOWEVER, the one big caveat is that this is not a project for people with short attention spans, or those who need instant gratification.

Yapp showed us many products and shared a resource list with us of products he prefers. He also assures everyone that he takes no money for endorsements and even once walked away from a pretty huge contract with PBS for that very reason.

A Master Craftsman, Yapp breezed through a lot of techniques that were over my head – although there seemed to be a good level of understanding in the room of the projects he described.

He suggests that when glass in a window needs to be replaced, it should be replaced with 1/4 laminated glass – essentially car window glass, for maximum durability. But the real savings is in the putty you use in the glazing process and the weather stripping you can employ. And yes, you still need storm windows. And I’ll bet I just lost half of the people who thought these solutions might be for them.

Yapp did share a method for storm windows involving custom built wood inserts that had an easy clasp system for switching out storms and screens – a method I may very well find appropriate for my own old house.

This was a great seminar for contractors – and very interesting as a weekend hack restorer. I’m definitely going to think hard before replacing any of my windows with new – vinyl or other.

The seminar was provided by iCOSC – Center on Sustainable Communities – which is a very good thing. Check it out, attend a workshop or become a member.

Davenport Competing for National Environmental Award

WQAD-TV, Davenport, IA

May 4, 2010

by John David

DAVENPORT, Iowa - Davenport is staying a step ahead when it comes to protecting the environment. One reason why it's in the running to become one of the most sustainable communities in the country.

Davenport is a finalist in the competition for a Siemens Sustainable Community Award. It will find out May 13th if it takes top honors for midsize communities against Grand Rapids, Michigan and Homer, Alabama.

Much like its officers, Davenport's Police Headquarters also protects and serves the environment. Rain gardens add to the natural landscape and protect the downtown from storm water runoff. One step toward keeping the city going green.

"When that water soaks in, it filters out pollutants, oil, grease and sediment that would otherwise go into the river," said Paul Loete, an engineer with MSA Professional Services.

That was reason enough to begin a Day of Sustainability workshop in Davenport. Professionals to home owners are learning ways to incorporate better storm water practices and green roofs into the community.

"With the last two years of heavy rains, storm water has been a serious problem for us," said Bettendorf Alderman Dean Mayne.

The Police Department roof is setting an example. A variety of plants and vegetation help to soak up the rainwater. There are two immediate benefits: reducing flooding and improving water quality in nearby streams and rivers.

"We're eliminating a lot of the rainfall that would otherwise run into the storm sewer," Loete said. "We're helping to eliminate the surcharge of the storm sewer system."

Closer to ground, even the bricks are designed to promote more drainage and less runoff.

"We just really want to spread the word as much as possible," said Leslie Berckes, Center on Sustainable Communities. "Everyone can learn about storm water management."

That's a philosophy that might just make Davenport a winner.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Green Guide: Individual Acts That Help

Des Moines Register

April 18, 2010

by Kelly Roberson

excerpt

Lynnae Hentzen, 51, West Des Moines

Job: Executive director and co-founder of the Center on Sustainable Communities (COSC)

Her act of green: Rarely does life translate into work as it has for Hentzen. But when she and her family bought their home, they began investigating how to do a green remodel, which led to Hentzen co-founding COSC, a non-profit that serves as an educational resource for sustainable building.

As she devotes her work life to helping people better understand sustainability, Hentzen continues to update her home. She and her husband put in new windows and updated insulation, but perhaps the biggest investment was a geothermal heating and cooling system. The system uses the earth’s internal core to warm and cool the Hentzen home. In the summertime, the family’s utility bill was cut in half. “In some ways, geothermal makes more sense for an existing home because you’ll see a higher payback,” Hentzen said.

Green benefit: Even small changes can make your home’s system run more efficiently. Start by weatherizing doors and windows, scheduling an energy audit with your utility company or investing in a private energy auditor to give you an in-depth analysis. “There are a lot of good, inexpensive resources and options, such as insulation,” Hentzen said. “Even changing the filter in the furnace monthly helps save energy. We spend a lot maintaining our cars to make them run better, but often don’t do the same thing with our homes.”

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Green Guide: Earth-Wise Before it Was Cool

Des Moines Register

April 18, 2010

by Mike Kilen

She would consider it blasphemy if you called her Mother Earth.

JoAn van Balen grew up close to the land in South Dakota, schooled her children on nature on an Iowa farm and built a straw-bale home during retirement in New Mexico.

Today, the birds of spring fly behind her head to the bird feeder on the deck of her Des Moines townhouse overlooking the Raccoon River.

It all fits — a mother of nature.

"I've done so little," she says, modestly. "But I love Mother Earth."

So-called "green living" comes in all shades. Van Balen is one whose affair with nature has endured not only all 40 Earth Day celebrations but the entirety of her 78 years.

"I think the Native Americans left an impression on me," she says of the farm where she grew up near a South Dakota reservation. "They talked of Father Sky and Mother Earth."

If that all sounds a little hippie-dippie, coming from a soft-spoken woman with flowing long white hair, it's not.

"She is not a hippie. It really comes from her connections to nature," said daughter Siobhan Spain. "She doesn't care what is cool."

It's cool to be green today. In her youth, it was a way of life. The family farm was flush with gardens. Hams hung to dry. Vegetables were canned. During the Depression and World War II, food was local and little was wasted.

Van Balen later moved to Des Moines to attend Drake University and married Chuck Spain, an earth science teacher. They had seven children in 11 years and passed on the care and love of nature on a farm south of Norwalk, near Prole.

"It was like a little oasis," van Balen said.

In 1968, she dreamed of a pond on the land, but the couple worried about the children drowning. So they sent them to swim lessons, and by 1974 the pond was done.

Van Balen and her children walked beans during the day, took cooling swims at noon. They worked the gardens in summer and ice skated in the winter. They heard impromptu naturalist lessons in between.

"We would celebrate Earth Day by planting a tree," she said.

Van Balen later divorced and her kids became adults, so it was time to find the art she had come to Drake to study. She moved to New Mexico in 1990.

"Art goes hand in hand with the beauty of the natural surroundings and appreciating it," said her son Pat Spain.

The New Mexico landscape made her spirit soar, and she searched for a piece of land, eventually finding five acres near the Carson National Forest.

Van Balen attended a class on straw-bale homes and found she could construct one on the land for $30 a square foot.

"It was like living inside a nest," she said. "And it was renewable."

She heated the home with wood, solar panels and passive sun. It cost only $100 a month for wood and a bit of extra water beyond what she collected from rain.

By 2001, she faced a choice. Stay on the landscape she loved or be closer to her children, who had settled in Iowa.

She couldn't see sitting in the woods by herself while her family was here, so she moved back. She immediately joined nearly a dozen conservation groups.

Five of her seven children have migrated home to Iowa and, after their father's death two years ago, took over the old farm near Prole. Work is underway to turn it into an organic oasis.

They are planting huge gardens, testing the soils and making plans to keep it free of chemicals and soil erosion, helped by their mother.

"It was close to my heart that they would love the land as much as I do," van Balen said.

Sure, she recycles, conserves resources and speaks out. (During a short visit she gently mentions the waste of all the conservation organizations' mailings and quietly laments the cementing of Mother Earth by developers).

But her most "green" actions are passing on the ethic to her children.

Siobhan Spain now works for the Center on Sustainable Communities (COSC) in Des Moines. Son Pat Spain is planning and outreach coordinator for Polk County Conservation.

The family gathers now on the farm.

The children insisted they would not contribute to the vast "dead zone" of soil and chemical runoff from the land to the Gulf of Mexico, of which Iowa is a large contributor.

The first step: van Balen produced a huge white board to set before the family. Each were to write on it their visions, goals and meaning of the land.

"Circling the nest ... Soul nurturing environment ... Sustainable ... A place where families feel welcome to learn, work, play and refresh ... Our healthy soil producing high-quality food..."

Van Balen, sets the board aside, rises from her chair to make the short drive out to the farm to prepare the land for planting lettuce.

She keeps a prayer handy that she has written, which begins: "Our Father who art in heaven; our Mother who art in Earth."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Green Guide: For Better and Worse: 40 Years of Earth Day

Des Moines Register

April 18, 2010

by Mike Kilen

Forty years ago, green was just a color and the environment was a radical's concern.

Even after Rachel Carson's 1962 book "Silent Spring" introduced startling degradation, there was little collective action.

Then Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson suggested a little "teach-in," which became the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970.

It galvanized an environmental movement, and over the next 40 years much has changed - for better and worse.

In Iowa, citizens became more aware of water and air pollution problems, began buying local foods and explored alternative energy with such zeal that wind now accounts for a fifth of the state's electricity production.

Yet water pollution has worsened in the last 15 years, largely from farmland runoff, says Lynn Laws of the Iowa Environmental Council, and air quality in some areas has declined. More animals and row crops exist on the stressed landscape.

"It goes in waves," says Laws of 40 years of environmental concern. "In terms of individual behavior, if it doesn't affect daily life, we don't put a lot of energy into it. When it starts hurting us, such as increased gas prices, then we change behavior."

Since that first Earth Day, global warming has become a real concern, and some experts say that easy and cheap stores of oil are near their peak before the inevitable decline.

SPREADING THE MESSAGE

Denis Hayes was a graduate student at Harvard when he was asked to drop out and help organize the first Earth Day.

"The environment wasn't stirring things on campus. It was still during the Vietnam War and feminist movements," said Hayes, today the chief executive officer of the Bullit Foundation, an environmental philanthropy group.

But others were stirred, from minorities in communities gutted by freeways or young women raising families next to smokestacks.

"It became clear this was going to start in the community and spread to campus, instead of the other way around," Hayes said.

The result was astounding, as 20 million people participated in Earth Day at schools and in U.S. communities.

"It was the most organized public demonstration in U.S. history," Hayes said.

Within the next year, President Richard Nixon initiated the Environmental Protection Agency, and Congress passed the Clean Air Act.

The Endangered Species Act and Clean Water Act followed, as did a host of regulations throughout the 1970s.

"It's hard to think of any social movement that has had the kind of impact on business, agriculture and the way we lead our lives than the environmental movement," Hayes said.

But he has trouble maintaining optimism today, even after helping organize nearly every Earth Day, celebrated now in 190 countries and in hundreds of events across the U.S.

"We are living on a tradition in this country, the cowboy myth of the lone individual," Hayes said.

"I talk about termite mounds as a social organization with their atmosphere of working for the community as a whole. People look at me like I'm antimarketplace or communist, but it's really a whole lot more like Christian."

In Iowa, with a citizenry prizing land ownership and proud of its independent streak, the environment isn't high on the list of concerns.

In a 2003 Iowa Poll, 3 percent of Iowans thought it a top issue, only topping the 2 percent who were "not sure" what was. In a 2007 Iowa Poll on ways to improve quality of life, "cleaner environment" finished last among a list of options, topped by better-paying jobs.

"I think there are a lot of people like I was for many years, just oblivious," said Margaret Weiner, 69, of Urbandale. "We take cheap oil and electricity for granted, while the demand for oil is rising worldwide. And there is backlash. A lot of people, for some mysterious reason, are denying that climate change is happening."

Weiner started a grass-roots group that meets monthly in Des Moines to plan for a future with dwindling resources.

It's a small but growing movement, many say, that has picked up pace in recent years because of concerns about global warming and energy costs and bad press about food production dominated by large corporations.

"I would hope that people will become more sustainable and resilient," said Lynn Fallon, who works with the Iowa Food Cooperative to match local farmers with consumers, thereby saving energy for shipping food long distances. "We do remember how to produce our own food."

She also sees public opinion shifting as a host of a local radio show with husband Ed Fallon, a longtime environmentalist.

"What's exciting to me is the next generation gets it. My generation, the mid 40s to late 50s, some of them get it, too," she said. "Hopefully, they can be part of the systemic change at the policy level while the young do it at the grass-roots level."

In a bitterly partisan atmosphere, other Iowans are appealing to individual actions to build a sense of community.

Lynnae Hentzen, who helped launch Earth Day in the Junction in West Des Moines five years ago because there were no events to mark the occasion in Iowa's largest metropolitan area, said one can get overwhelmed with negatives talking about environmental problems.

It's not about the "eco-bling" of new green technology, Hentzen says, but simple things our grandparents practiced - growing and buying local foods, conservative consumption and prizing quality over quantity.

Hentzen took her ideas to the community level, starting the Center on Sustainable Communities to educate people on sustainable building.

"But ultimately Earth Day was about getting outdoors. One disadvantage we have in Iowa is we don't have mountains or oceans to remind us how phenomenal our environment is. We've got to remind ourselves with daily actions."

BUSINESSES GO GREEN

It will take more than individual action, however. Business and industry will have to come onboard and, by some measures, it's beginning to happen in Iowa.

In the 1980s, businesses advertised quality to differentiate themselves and today are increasingly promoting environmental practices, said Frank Montabon, associate professor of supply chain management at Iowa State University. "People take quality now as a given, so many are getting into green initiatives," he said.

Recycling, cutting energy and changing product design has led to a public relations advantage and put them out in front of government regulations, his research found.

Iowa businesses are starting to hop on board, said Jeff Carey of Cedar Rapids.

After he was laid off, he studied to become a green consultant to help businesses implement green practices. He started the Web site turniowagreen.com to share information.

"Obviously, a business has to make money, but the idealistic approach is putting people on equal par with making a profit and making sure you do so using environmentally friendly products and services."

The 40th Earth Day is celebrated on vastly different landscape.

In an Earth Day commentary in Environmental Science and Technology, the University of Iowa's Jared Schnoor threw out some numbers, the first set sobering, the second a solution.

In 1970, 3.7 billion people lived on the planet and today there are 6.8 billion; there were 300 million cars and trucks, now there are three times that; and we emit twice as many greenhouse gases as in 1970.

But a solution is also supplied in numbers: Today we have 300 million Facebook users; 183 billion e-mail messages and 3 million tweets are sent each day.

"Why not use grass-roots social networking to organize the survival of our planet on the next Earth Day?" he writes.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cover Story: Build and remodel responsibly

Emily Perry is implementing green building in her 100-year-old farmhouse

by jess knight

Juice

April 14, 2010

Many of us do little acts of green every day. Reusable bags, compost piles, biking to work - but what about where you live? There are probably many areas of your home that aren't running as efficiently as they can, and that's what Emily Perry, project manager for the Center on Sustainable Communities (COSC) aims to educate Iowans about.

Perry, 26, spends her day working with building professionals and experts setting up workshops to teach Iowans how they can make more sustainable living, building and remodeling choices for their homes.

"Building or remodeling a home is very overwhelming," Perry said. "Everything ties together, so if one thing isn't working as efficiently as it could, something else isn't, also."

Perry bought a 100-year-old farmhouse in the Colfax-Mingo area (about 20 miles outside of Des Moines) with her husband last July, and is learning firsthand how a home works as one big unit, not individual entities.

Together, they are working to turn their home into an efficient living space. Perry has big plans to learn how to install new windows this summer, paint rooms with lowVOC paint (volatile organic compounds) and install new flooring. She's already installed low-flow shower heads, put weather strips around the doors and ripped up dingy, dirt-collecting carpet.

She's also planted a garden with onions, potatoes and other veggies, and is planning to plant feed corn for her 65 chickens, which produce eggs and meat for their use. The couple also has plans to plant fruit trees (including a hearty kiwi variety which grows well in Iowa) and berry bushes.

"We want to plant and grow as much as we can so we can feed and support ourselves without having to buy much," she said.

Here are her tips on how to organize the (seemingly) never-ending list of home improvements you may be facing:

- Look at the whole system. Many home appliances, even if advertised as being "energy efficient," may not be working up to their full potential if there are other areas of your home that need work. "An energy efficient furnace may say it works at a 92 percent efficiency level, but if you put it in a house that needs ductwork, it may only be working at about 50-60 percent efficiency," Perry said.

- If you're building, check out COSC's Affordable Green Demonstration Home in West Des Moines. The house was built on a developed site (meaning there used to be a home there, so the new house isn't taking up more green space) within a half mile of parks, shopping and restaurants, has low-flow plumbing fixtures, Energy Star appliances, salvaged countertops and sinks and much more. COSC organizes workshops at each stage of construction (10 in all) so you can see sustainable building from the foundations to the framing to the doors and windows.

- Invest in a home assessment. After purchasing her home, COSC conducted an Existing Home Assessment, where a builder walked through each room of the house and evaluated things on a checklist. "It provides you a baseline of the shape your home is in now, and a list of priority items you should focus on."

- Sustainable building is an investment. How expensive it is to build sustainably depends on the project. If you build an entire home from the start, it'll cost you two to five percent more to build than with unsustainable methods. Individual improvements will probably cost more.

- Insulate efficiently. If you're building a home, consider using ridged-foam wall sheathing instead of plywood under your siding. It's about two inches thick and offers more protection over the studs of your home than traditional methods. It'll keep cold air out and warm air in.

- Shop at the ReStore. Habitat for Humanity's ReStore (2341 Second Ave.) is a gold mine for home repair and building items. While shopping for windows for her back porch, Perry found denim insulation (recycled denim instead of the traditional pink fiberglass stuff) to insulate the floor of her attic.

- Plant trees strategically. Shade will keep your home cool during hot summer months. Plant a tree or bush near your air conditioner to keep it cooler and help it run more efficiently. Trees on the west and south sides of your home will provide optimal shade from summer sun.

- Before ripping out old kitchen cabinets, consider keeping the cases and just replacing the doors and drawer fronts. "If you decide to replace them all together, see if the old ones could be repurposed in the basement or garage as storage," Perry said.

- If you want to include sustainability in your decisions, call COSC. "It's free. We'll connect you with who you should be working with. We're here to serve and help and educate you through that process." Plus, COSC received a grant from the Iowa Department of Economic Development that is allowing them to put on free workshops through May, so it's the perfect opportunity to sign up to learn more.

Center on Sustainable Communities (COSC)

Where: 219 1/2 Fifth Street, Suite A, West Des Moines

Info: 515- 277-6222; icosc.com

What: A nonprofit educational resource center that connects home builders and repairers with local professionals. Based on your priorities, from all Iowa-made materials to low-chemical products, COSC can tell you about options and set you up with the people who can help.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Iowa Town Plans $8.6M Green Renovation of Downtown

BusinessWeek, Des Moines Register, WOI-TV

By Luke Meredith, Associated Press

April 13, 2010

Des Moines, IA - A small northeast Iowa community is ambitiously overhauling its downtown area to make it more environmentally sustainable, hoping to lure new businesses while providing a model other rural towns can emulate.

West Union, a town of 2,500 residents, hopes to begin work this summer on an $8.6 million green renovation of its six-block downtown district. Plans include porous pavement that lets water seep into the ground, a geothermal heating and cooling system, and storm water-filtering elements such as rain gardens and bioswales.

"We truly believe this will be a national model," said Jeff Geerts, a special projects manager at the Iowa Department of Economic Development.

The state gave the effort an early boost last fall with a $1 million grant. The city plans to chip in about $2 million, and other state, federal and private funding should cover the remainder of the fundraising.

Fayette County economic development director Robin Bostrom said nearly all the design and development work has been completed, and officials hope to put contracts out to bid in May. Some work should begin this summer and the entire project is expected to be finished by late 2011.

Town leaders hope the improvements will lure more small businesses to West Union and possibly entice some larger companies, offering them not only a profitable spot to set up shop but a place where employees would want to live.

"A major goal of the project is sustainability, both from an environmental but also a financial aspect," said Bostrom, who is also the Chamber of Commerce director for West Union. "We're not that different from a lot of small communities in Iowa. We're seeing a lot of the growth go to urban areas, so it's a challenge for communities of our size and those in rural areas of the state to undergo initiatives and projects like this."

The renovations will be the first significant capital improvement project since the late 1970s in downtown West Union, which hasn't even had a storm water drainage system.

The city avoided the flooding of 2008 that left a large swath of eastern Iowa under water, but city officials realized then that they needed to upgrade their storm water management plans.

"That kind of blew our blinders off, and we had to take a look at, 'Oh my gosh, storm water management is something that we, in an urban area, haven't really thought about," Bostrom said. "We thought about water as a waste product, something that you get rid off. Not something that was a resource."

Environmental sustainability advocates hope other towns will take notice of West Union's efforts and make similar improvements.

"It's not a big town ... and they've taken on this really big, comprehensive plan to integrate all sorts of sustainable practices throughout all their planning," said Lynnae Hentzen, executive director of the Center on Sustainable Communities, a nonprofit organization based in West Des Moines. "That's the key to anything sustainable, is really getting buy-in from all those involved and all those who have a stake in the decision-making process."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Storm water impact workshop in C.F. Wednesday

Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier

February 15, 2010

CEDAR FALLS - There's still time to sign up for the 2010 Storm Water and Low Impact Development Workshop at 9 a.m. Wednesday in Cedar Falls.

The Black Hawk Soil and Water Conservation District is hosting the event at the Center for Energy and Environmental Education's main auditorium on the University of Northern Iowa Campus.

Seminar highlights include:

Roger Bannerman from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources will present research on sustainable storm water practices and policies.

The Iowa Center on Sustainable Communities will give a group presentation on storm water practices, low-impact development and case studies.

Monica Smith from Robinson Engineering will give a comparative presentation showing the similarities and differences between low impact and conventional storm water management, as well as give an update of the proposed storm water regulations nationwide.

Local storm water professionals will be on hand to discuss the ongoing storm water projects in the Cedar Falls area.

Registration is $50, which includes lunch and parking. Professional development hours certificates will be available upon request. To register, please contact Phil Schuppert via e-mail at Phillip.schuppert@ia.nacdnet.net or phone at (319) 296-3262.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Center on Sustainable Communities Comes to Fairfield

Fairfield Voice

Go Green News

February 5, 2010

On Thursday, February 11th the Center on Sustainable Communities will bring their entire team to visit Fairfield to scout out the city as a potential site for their summer programming.

The Center on Sustainable Communities had a connection with Fairfield from its inception. Lynnae Hentzen, their Executive Director, moved to Iowa in 2004 and wanted to perform a green upgrade on her “new old home”. She had a difficult time finding anyone who knew what she was talking about – until she came to Fairfield and linked up with Joel Hirschberg at Green Building Supply. She was amazed at the wealth of resources in a town that she considers to be the “greenest spot in Iowa”.

She was a stay at home mom for two years, and began thinking about how she could help create a satellite of green buildings in Des Moines and Iowa. She partnered with Beth Hicks and founded COSC, whose annual budget is now over one million dollars and holds award-winning workshops across the state. The mission of COSC is to “serve as a resource to encourage, promote and educate about sustainable building practices among professionals and homeowners.” They are currently running a free 10-session series in West Union for contractors, subcontractors, planners, architects, appraisers, city officials and other professionals to develop a “comprehensive understanding of green building best practices” – and also to support disaster recovery efforts in Northeast Iowa.

Recently, when the City of Fairfield was awarded an Office of Energy Independence grant to upgrade and retrofit their public buildings – Scott Timm, Sustainability Coordinator for Fairfield, began communicating with Lynnae to see if the City could utilize COSC programming to run educational workshops around those projects or other private projects planned for this summer. Now that it looks very likely that the City will forge this partnership with COSC, we would like to invite businesses and community members who have an interest in COSC to attend the monthly Greendrinks meeting this coming Thursday the 11th at 12pm, upstairs in Revelations.

Lynnae remarked, “We’re just excited to see what role we can play to support the initiatives that are going on down there.” This is a fantastic opportunity to create professional development opportunities for a wide range of Fairfield residents, and we look forward to growing our partnership with COSC!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Color This Family's Home "Green"

Des Moines Register

by Reid Forgrave

December 26, 2009

When Porsche Walker looks at her new Habitat for Humanity house not far from the Forest Avenue library in Des Moines, she sees it as something special. It's a home the 21-year-old single mother can use to create a comfortable atmosphere to raise her two daughters.

But when environmental advocates look at Walker's new house - which could become the third house in the state with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, certification - they see it as special for a different reason: It shows "going green" is possible, even for those with a lower income.

"When you look at it, you can't really tell," Walker said. "But when I was at the house dedication, some people who were totally about the environment were there. I was like, 'I guess I'm going green, too.' "

LEED certification is a process that gives a green stamp of approval on a building project. The first such certification program used nationwide, LEED provides an independent review of building projects, ensuring they are environmentally responsible, profitable, and a healthy place for people who are both building the structure and then living or working in it.

Walker moved in last month. Her boxes aren't all unpacked yet. She has started noticing the little things that make her house environmentally special: the fact that she doesn't have to blast her furnace to stay warm in the winter, that the light bulbs are all compact fluorescent, that there's an extra 6 inches of insulation to keep the house airtight.

"You can do this whole green thing in an affordable way," said Lynnae Hentzen, executive director of the nonprofit environmental organization Iowa Center on Sustainable Communities. "The biggest lesson is that it's certainly attainable for anyone. If an organization like Habitat can integrate this into its building practices, it's replicable. Any contractor should be able to embrace these practices for their clients."

LEED certification is an intensive checklist-based program in which all the contractors building a home collaborate to make sure the house is built with a certain number of environmentally friendly, sustainable techniques. LEED certifications come with certain levels. Silver is the lowest, then gold, then platinum. Walker's house got the silver certification.

It's a practice that's gained a foothold among commercial buildings, but is only now becoming popular for homes.

"There's just so much they take into consideration," said Erin Wiggins, a rater for Cenergy, a company that does energy efficiency consulting for new construction and existing homes, including Walker's house. "It's not just the house. It's the land development, the direction it faces, what type of seeding, did you pour concrete or use open pavers, all sorts of stuff."

For Walker's house, a number of sustainable techniques were used to score points for the LEED certification checklist:

- All appliances are Energy Star, meaning they meet efficiency standards.

- Products that go into the house, from the caulk to the glue to the sealants, are low-emissions, which helps with indoor air quality.

- The house was aired out 48 hours after construction was completed in order to disperse odors related to construction.

- During construction, contractors had to reduce the amount of waste. All the material that left the construction site and headed to a landfill, a recycling center or for reuse had to be weighed and tallied.

- Deeper-than-normal, two-by-six framing in the house means there is more room for insulation to cover the walls of the home.

- The insulation used is all low-formaldehyde.

"Lots of people look at the face of the house and that's what's important," Wiggins said. "They don't look under the walls. As soon as we cover the walls, we've covered up just about every energy-efficient element of the home."

Habitat officials didn't have a dollar figure for how much more the LEED construction cost, but they said it wasn't much. Energy savings should make up the difference.

"They did not spend money on granite counter tops," Wiggins said. "That money went into making this house more sustainable."

For Porsche Walker, she's just excited to raise 2-year-old Justyce and 1-year-old Davinity in a house of her own.

Walker was raised by her grandmother since she was 2 weeks old, as her mother was in and out of prison. It hasn't been easy for her to get ahead. She works two jobs - in the annuities department at Principal Financial Group, and on weekend nights as a receptionist at Elsie Mason Manor downtown - while studying for her master's degree at William Penn University.

The best part of her new Habitat for Humanity home is that it's only two blocks from her grandmother's home. And it will save her money going forward on energy bills. "When you think about it, everything is going to be cheaper with my bills, too," Walker said. "That's important. If you're struggling already, why would I want to get into something that'll give me new debt?"

Additional Facts
The Iowa Center on Sustainable Communities has a Web site offering a guide to sustainable building and planning. It can be used to go through the systems of a house and prioritize which sustainable techniques are important to the builder. The builder can adopt the techniques into the building of the home. Find the guide at www.icosc.com/resources_professional.asp.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sustainability Classes Slated in Dubuque

The Telegraph Herald, Dubuque, IA

Sunday, November 15, 2009

The Center on Sustainable Communities is bringing its Rebuilding a Sustainable Iowa program to Dubuque this week at Northeast Iowa Community College's Town Clock Center and the Hotel Julien. Classes include:

Tuesday at the Town Clock Center
* 5 to 7:30 p.m.: Consumer introduction to quality heating and cooling installations. Presented by Cenergy, this workshop teaches how to save money, improve indoor air quality and make informed decisions when purchasing a new HVAC system or maintaining an existing unit.
* 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.: Professional HVAC/Air Balancing Workshop. Cenergy discusses quality installation of high-efficiency heating and cooling systems, with the goal of increasing base knowledge of HVAC systems through practical application.
To register for either class, call NICC Town Clock Center at 888-642-2338, ext. 380.

Wednesday at the Hotel Julien
* 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.: Green roofs in an urban environment. Green roofs, or vegetated roofs, are becoming an increasingly popular choice with a magnitude of sustainable benefits.
* 12:30 to 4 p.m.: Re-Purposing a Building. Iowa State University's Morrill Hall has been sustainable since its completion in 1890. The course is a case study of the rehabilitation of a building on the National register of historic places.

To register for either class, contact Leslie Berckes at Leslie@icosc.com or 515-707-2787.
For more information, contact Siobhan Spain, Center on Sustainable Communities, at 515-707-2783, or e-mail siobhan@icosc.com.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Workshops on Oct. 20 Advocate Sustainable Building Approach

The Grinnell Herald-Register

October 15, 2009

PDF File

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

LIGHTENING YOUR FOOTPRINT: Series of Workshops Share Benefits of Going Green

CITYVIEW, We The People by Matt Miller

Augrst 27, 2009

Foam insulation has been laid at the West Des Moines Demonstration Home, 927 Maple St., to insulate the basement and minimize temperature variances that create moister issues.

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), approximately 300 million American are shifting to the “green culture” and embracing environmental responsibility. On a nationwide scale, that’s a lot of people — nearly most of the country. But locally people, business and organizations are working together to go green right here in the metro area, too.

“Going green is a great way to help not only your community and environment, but it also can have great cost-saving benefits for those who take it upon themselves to be environmentally active,” said Lynnae Hentzen, executive director and co-founder of the Valley Junction-based chapter of Center on Sustainable Communities (COSC). “Going green is a great option for professionals and homeowners alike.”

In partnership with the cities of Des Moines and West Des Moines, COSC is working together to demonstrate and build affordable green demonstration homes. Currently three project partners, The City of West Des Moines, COSC and Home Opportunities Made Easy Inc. (HOME Inc.), are progressing through a 10-week series of workshops highlighting each phase of the construction of the Affordable Green Home Project at 927 Maple St. Officials hope the project sets the example that going green can be attainable and affordable in low- to moderate-income neighborhoods. The next workshop will be held on Friday, Aug. 28, educating participants on framing, roofs and attics.

“The workshops are going great so far,” said Hentzen, noting that up to 25 homeowners and professionals attend each workshop. “We felt that it was important to have these because it demonstrates that the City of Des Moines, City of West Des Moines want to be environmentally friendly.”

According to the 2006 McGraw-Hill Construction Residential Green Building SmartMarket Report, green homes are expected to make up 10 percent of new home construction by 2010, up from 2 percent in 2005.

Environmental benefits of going green include reducing solid waste, conserving natural resources and improving air and water quality. Economically, the effort can reduce operating costs while enhancing asset value and profits. Community benefits enhance comfort and health and minimize on the local infrastructure.

“Energy use efficiency and cutting down on unnecessary waste is our number one goal,” she said. “Our goal is to make homes that are well-built, well-insulated and everything is properly installed. Efficiency is key.”

Although the project was scheduled to be complete in September, those involved believe the project is moving along. Once completed, officials hope to measure the green home’s impact on the environment by tracking energy consumption, resource consumption, waste production, water use and access to community resources.

“We have run some baseline energy audits on similar houses, and we’ll compare them,” Hentzen said. “I believe we’re going to be happy with our results.”

While the workshop series still has seven more sessions to conduct, Hentzen believes residents are coming to grips on what it takes to become environmentally friendly.

“There is so much green out there that it can be daunting for some,” Hentzen said. “We hope professionals and homeowners can incorporate these small steps into lightening your footprint.”

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lynnae's Radio Interview

with Linda Mason Hunter

Download an MP3 file of the radio show

KFMG Radio

April 2009

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You Should Get to Know...Lynnae Hentzen

By Register Staff

Read this article online

Des Moines Register

August 6, 2008

Business description: We are an educational resource center promoting residential green building in Iowa.

Background: Bachelor of arts degree in sociology and a master's degree in business administration.

Notable achievements: My multicultural family. Member of the Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute's 2007-08 class. Recipient of Metro Waste Authority's Individual Environmental Stewardship award in 2007.

Why I do what I do: I believe we can improve our communities through good educational opportunities and sufficient resources to enable everyone to take small steps toward a more sustainable home and lifestyle.

What I do to get away from work: Hang out with my family.

How I give back to the community: I serve on the board of the Iowa Environmental Council and the board of Christian Social Action at Plymouth United Church of Christ.

Words to live by: "Be the change you wish to see in the world." - Gandhi. His words drive me every day.

Best business book I've read lately: I haven't read any business books lately, but I did read Richard Louv's "Last Child in the Woods," and it was great. We all need to get outside in nature more. It's good for the soul, which ultimately supports better business practices.

One thing I would change about the Des Moines area: More commutable bike paths along major thoroughfares.

What Iowa can do to attract more people like me: Stay true to who we are and who we've always been — a grounded, healthy, community-minded place to call home. It's what brought me back.

My mentor: My mom and dad. They taught me to be fair, open-minded and kind and they showed me the world.

My leadership philosophy: Be willing to do anything you ask of others in order to get the job done.

If I could do something else: I would write.

If you want to contact me: E-mail me at Lynnae@icosc.com or call (515) 277-6222.
Back to Top

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Builders learn it's easy to be green

By Micholyn Fajen

Read this article online

Des Moines Register

August 1, 2008

Helping the environment is on the to-do list of builders preparing to construct a Valley Junction home.

The house planned for the empty lot at 927 Maple St. is one of three homes in the metro to be built as part of a Center on Sustainable Communities program. The demonstration homes are being constructed or remodeled in low- to moderate-income neighborhoods to illustrate that going green can be attainable and affordable.

The first of many workshops planned at the Maple Street site was Monday. More than 30 contractors, subcontractors, architects and homeowners participated in the four-hour workshop on reducing construction and demolition wastes, a heavy contributor to statewide landfills.

Lynnae Hentzen, executive director and co-founder of the Valley Junction-based chapter of Center on Sustainable Communities, said the first step with the empty lot on Maple Street is learning how to minimize how much waste ends up in landfills.

"It begins by thinking through the planning so the material you order for a project is exact and you don't end up with a lot of excess," Hentzen said, suggesting builders use bins for on-site sorting. "Those materials can be recycled at the end of the project."

Shelly Codner with the Iowa Waste Exchange presented statistics on how construction debris affects the state's landfills. More than half of construction waste comes from the demolition process, she said, sharing examples of how materials can be reused.

In 2005 on the Iowa State University campus, Codner said, contractors collected the old bricks from the century-old Morrill Hall and crushed them to make mulch. Steel from Iowa State's demolished Storms and Knapp halls and the old dairy farm buildings was sent to a metal scrap recycler and melted down. Ninety-nine percent of the 35,000 tons of concrete rubble from these buildings was crushed and reused as an alternative to limestone.

Dave Hade, co-owner of the Ames-based residential building company Homecrafters of Iowa, offered examples of how on-site sorting can reduce labor costs and waste fees and ultimately help the environment.

Hade's crews break foam sheeting and foam packing material waste into pieces and spread it in a home's attic as base insulation before blowing in loose-fill insulation.

Hade said they also use sheet rock or dry wall scraps to line the driveway before it is paved. Or, he said, it is grated into the soil before laying sod or seeding lawns.

"Gypsum is a natural mineral that farmers use as a soil expander," said Hade.

He said that when the company began sorting and recycling construction waste years ago, it was difficult to find companies to reuse materials.

Hade said they reduce their waste on a house by more than half of what is typically expected when they sort, reuse and recycle.

Interior design associate Leisa Neith, who works for Creative Home Consulting, an interior design company in Urbandale, attended Monday's workshop because going green is hitting home with her clients.

"We've been working in California on a project that dealt with green projects, and it is a big focus for us. But it's time to also get involved with what we are doing locally," Neith said.

She can obtain a wide variety of green products that span from cork or bamboo flooring to 100-percent recycled cotton and polyester towels, sheets and pillowcases.

Back to Top

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Low-income houses to model "green' techniques

By Joe Gardyasz

Read this article online

Business Record

May 10, 2008

Lynnae Hentzen, executive director of the Center on Sustainable Communities, talks with a reporter outside a vacant River Bend house that will become one of three green demonstration homes. Photo by Duane Tinkey

Building a "green" home, one that's environmentally friendly and energy-efficient, doesn't have to be expensive, says Lynnae Hentzen, executive director of the Center on Sustainable Communities (COSC).

COSC is working with the cities of Des Moines and West Des Moines to build two demonstration houses and renovate a third to serve as "learning laboratories" for contractors, nonprofit housing agencies and the public on green building techniques.

"Not only did we want to make sure that green is out there for affordable homes," Hentzen said, "we also wanted to work with selected agencies that are already building in these neighborhoods."

Hentzen co-founded the nonprofit COSC in February 2005 to provide green building education, with a goal of making sustainable construction a common practice statewide. Funded through grants and other contributions, the organization hosts workshops, green home tours and other educational events.

Home Opportunities Made Easy Inc. (HOME Inc.) will serve as the developer and general contractor for the West Des Moines demonstration house, which will be located in Valley Junction. In Des Moines, Community Housing Development Corp. will renovate a city-owned house as well as build a new one. Both will be located in the River Bend neighborhood on the city's North Side.

The initiative was spearheaded about a year ago by West Des Moines Associate Planner Linda Schemmel and Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie.

"We started thinking about it in our (Mayor's Task Force on Sustainability) and tried to figure out what we could do to demonstrate to people what it's all about," Cownie said. "People think of far-out projects in Popular Science, but we want to show them that in everyday life and in affordable housing that it's possible to build green, to remodel green, to have a more environmentally friendly house ... that costs less to operate, not only on a first-cost basis, but a life-cost basis."

The entire design and construction process will be documented to track the costs of the materials and building techniques chosen. The builders will also conduct workshops during construction to demonstrate various energy-saving building techniques. Once the houses are completed this fall, they will be made available for public tours for several months before being sold to low-income families, Hentzen said.

"We'll have lots of elements identified within the home so you can get a better understanding of what it means to do some of these green things," she said.

Among the financial and in-kind sponsors of the project are the Greater Des Moines Community Foundation, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage and Principal Financial Group Foundation. Also involved are Metro Waste Authority, Gilcrest/Jewett Lumber Co., Menard Inc., Windsor Windows & Doors and MidAmerican Energy Co. Hentzen said $92,000 has been budgeted to conduct the educational portion of the program.

In addition to workshops and open houses that will be scheduled at each house, Cownie said the green building processes will be videotaped and made available on the city's cable TV channel (Channel 7).

Each of the new houses will be worth approximately $150,000, but will be sold for less than that by using low-income housing subsidies.

Greg Moeller, a builder with Hubbell Homes and chairman of COSC's builder advisory council, said many elements of green building are "really common sense," such as properly sizing the structure so that lumber isn't wasted.

The process also considers energy-efficiency details, from properly sizing the heating and air conditioning units to taping the ductwork to reduce air leaks.

"Rising energy costs are an incredible burden to our client base," said Pam Carmichael, executive director of HOME Inc. "So we're looking at what makes sense for the houses and makes long-term sense for our clients."

The nonprofit organization works with low-income families who want to buy homes, and builds between five and 10 houses each year, typically on vacant lots within existing neighborhoods.

HOME Inc. will base the West Des Moines house on a house it built in Des Moines, which will allow comparisons of energy costs.

"One of the things we're looking closely at is (whether to install) a geothermal system on a house this size, because it is a very small unit. It may work on townhomes."

Carmichael said her organization plans to incorporate lessons learned from the first house into a second house it will build next summer.

At the same time, Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity is partnering with COSC to build a green demonstration Habitat house near the Iowa State Fairgrounds. The organizations are working with the current Leadership Iowa class on the project.

The project will be open during construction, but a family will move in immediately upon completion.

"We're hoping this actually takes us to a new level where we can be more sustainable and green for our houses," said Lance Henning, executive director of the Habitat chapter. "We've always been at the front end of standards, and we hope this is going to raise the level of what we're doing."

Back to Top

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

COSC on The Iowa Journal

"Green Interiors in Iowa" - Episode #155

Monday, May 5, 2008

Click here to view the show in its entirety

Back to Top

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In Focus: Well-rounded recycler

By Arturo Fernandez

DM Juice

April 16, 2008

Photo by Arturo Fernandez

Emily Karsjens, 24, carries a tub filled with old compact fluorescent light bulbs collected by Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ for disposal. Karsjens, who lives in Mingo, Ia., drives past the Regional Collection Center in Bondurant and stops to drop them off. "Start a collection within your neighborhood or your work and when it fills up take them to be properly disposed of," she said. "Reusable canvas bags have made my life easier, and with this one I don't have to remember to bring it," Karsjens said, referring to her Chico bag when shopping for local and organic foods at Campbell's Nutrition Center. Karsjens also composts at home and recycles any paper, plastic or glass from her office at Center on Sustainable Communities in Valley Junction.
Back to Top

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

COSC on Welcome HOME T.V. show - Central Iowa's Guide for Living

January 6, 2008

Click here to view Part 1

Click here to view Part 2

You can also view Welcome HOME's Video Library here.

Back to Top

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Green projects could take root here, ecovillagers say

Near Fairfield, residents harvest sun, wind, rain; lawns are edible

Des Moines Register

July 12, 2007

Lynn Hicks, Register Business Writer

Read this article online

Fairfield, IA. - About 30 people cool off in Stacey Hurlin's living room as temperatures outside soar toward 90 degrees. Chilled air streams out of the vents, and a ceiling fan swirls above.

The cost of this comfort: almost nothing.

Hurlin lives off the power grid, in a solar- and wind-powered "ecovillage" north of Fairfield that sustains itself by growing organic food, collecting rainwater and recycling sewage. Living richly - with high-speed Internet and flush toilets - can be economically and environmentally sound, ecovillagers say.

"I'm amazed at how easy it is to live off the grid," said Hurlin, who moved to Abundance Ecovillage a year ago. "I'm appalled that it isn't happening more."

As a haven for followers of Transcendental Meditation, Fairfield is fertile ground for such a project. But some homebuilders and sellers say the market for off-the-grid developments is growing in central Iowa.

"Absolutely," said Susan Webster, a Coldwell Banker real estate agent in Des Moines who specializes in selling green homes. "Buyers are out there, but developers are not ready to go there."

Demand for environmentally friendly home developments is fueled in part by rising energy costs and concerns that fossil fuel-hungry homes contribute to climate change.

But there are many shades of green. The best-known project in central Iowa is Hubbell Realty Co.'s conservation communities in Waukee, Grimes and Carlisle, which incorporate native prairie landscaping and stormwater management.

Webster and others believe there is room for projects that go further, even off the grid.

She wants to establish green developments in Warren County, but she's butting against zoning ordinances that require two-acre lots and neighbors concerned about high-density projects.

Developments like Abundance Ecovillage cluster homes into smaller lots and use the rest of the land for common areas, such as orchards, greenhouses and ponds. Smaller yards mean less lawn maintenance and the resulting environmental damage.

Abundance Ecovillage forgoes grass turf for an "edible landscape." Grapevines cover trellises in front of homes. Yards are filled with hardy kiwi, gooseberry, native plum and other varieties selected to thrive in southeast Iowa's hot summers and cold winters.

"It's a radical thing, growing food where you live," said Lonnie Gamble, founder of the ecovillage.

Gamble, an electrical engineer by training, lives a couple of miles away on a farm that serves as a testing ground for the ideas he's incorporated into the ecovillage. He hasn't paid an electric bill in 15 years, he says. He powers his old Mercedes-Benz sedan with sesame massage oil recycled from the Raj spa in nearby Vedic City.

But a green lifestyle needn't be Spartan, he argues.

"Our showers are just as hot, and our beers are just as cold," Gamble said.

He shows off one ecovillage home - a 3,600-square-foot house with five bedrooms and four baths - that uses 100 kilowatt-hours of power a month. A typical home might use 1,000 kilowatt-hours, Gamble said.

The home's annual power bill: $300 a year in propane, used as a backup to solar and wind power.

The secret is conservation, Gamble said. The homes use efficient compact fluorescent and LED lighting and power-sipping appliances. Earth tubes - a low-tech version of expensive geothermal systems - keep the homes cool.

Alternative energy can be economical, Gamble argues, if power is used more wisely.

The ecovillage includes five houses now and has sold three other lots. Gamble envisions 21 homes, plus 10 families in multifamily buildings. Homes, which are built with locally milled lumber, are averaging $100 per square foot to build, Gamble said. That's similar to entry-level homes in the Des Moines area, builders say, and much less than custom building.

Gamble was not a professional developer, and he said the six-year-old project has taken longer than expected.

"It's changed from a for-profit venture to a labor of love," he said. But others have proven that green developments can have solid returns, he said.

Weldon Abarr, co-owner of Iowa Home Crafters, a custom builder based in Ames, visited the ecovillage this month with other members of the Center on Sustainable Communities, a Des Moines-based nonprofit that promotes green building.

He was impressed that Gamble was able to find economical ways to build homes and use alternative energy. But he said central Iowa homeowners need more awareness and education before an ecovillage can take off.

Hurlin, who moved to Abundance Ecovillage last year, said she thinks the ecovillage concept could work anywhere, even in the Des Moines area. She's a recent convert herself: After her last child left home, she and her husband decided they were finished with five acres of mowing and sold their 4,800-square-foot home in Fairfield and moved into an 850-square-foot house.

She plugs into high-speed Internet on her laptop. Thick walls and insulation keep down her bills for propane, which she uses for heating and running the dryer and stove.

She hasn't given up much, she said, and has found unexpected benefits to living off the grid.

"It's hard not to be smug when a storm goes through. We can see the lights go off in the city from here," she said.

Executive Business Editor Lynn Hicks can be reached at (515) 284-8290 or lhicks@dmreg.com

Advice for green development
Lonnie Gamble’s advice for developing green neighborhoods:

• Developers should partner with builders who can build spec homes. Gamble and his partners decided not to build homes, only to provide the land, energy systems and other infrastructure. Some people reserved lots but didn’t follow through, holding up the project. “If you build spec houses, people will buy them,” he said.

• Use the alternative technology yourself before selling it to others.

• Consider building developments inside an urban area to minimize sprawl and enable people to live without cars.

• Plan on a long build-out time and lots of time educating prospects. “People may have a hard time envisioning a pleasant, high density, car-free environment,” he said.

Panora development planned
A New York couple wants to create an off-the-grid housing development near Panora.

Mary Ann and Rob Litchfield hope to break ground next year on farmland they inherited. The initial project could begin with 25 to 50 acres and grow much larger, Mary Ann Litchfield said.

The project, on Iowa Highway 44 six miles east of Panora, could integrate solar and wind power, permaculture — a type of sustainable agriculture and landscaping — and other elements they’ve learned from Abundance Ecovillage in Fairfield and other green developments.

The Litchfields, who are retired in the Finger Lakes area of New York, plan to move to the area and build a straw-bale home from oats grown on the property.

Back to Top

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Group strives to raise profile of green building
Des Moines Business Record

Saturday, May 26, 2007
Jason Hancock, jasonhancock@bpcdm.com

Read this article online

Lynnae Hentzen, executive director of the Center on Sustainable Communities,
in her recently remodeled “green” master bathroom. Photo by Duane Tinkey

When Lynnae Hentzen moved to Des Moines three years ago with her husband and three kids, she wanted to remodel her new home to make it more "green."

"I guess I'm a lifelong environmentalist," she said. "My father was a professor of biology."

But at the time, she said, that type of construction, which emphasizes energy efficiency, resource conservation and indoor air quality, wasn't possible in Des Moines.  "You saw it in commercial and government buildings, but it wasn't available in the residential market," Hentzen said. "That market needed an advocate."

So Hentzen, along with friends Beth Hicks and Chaden Halfhill, formed the Center on Sustainable Communities to try to become that advocate.

"We actually had a kickoff dinner with our families at my house in November of 2004 and the three of us started meeting weekly at La Mie (Bakery and Restaurant) beginning in January 2005 to form our mission and strategy of how we could best serve communities across Iowa," she said.

Now, COSC has a core group of builders, suppliers, lenders, appraisers and real estate agents who see the value of green building and want to help raise awareness of the growing trend in the residential market.

"The reaction has been overwhelmingly positive," Hentzen said. "But there are challenges, as we're asking people to rethink business as usual."

Hentzen, who serves as the organization's executive director, said the best thing about green building is that everyone can find something good about it.

"If you or your child has asthma or allergies, improving the air quality of your home is a big deal to you," she said. "If you're a strong environmentalist, this is obviously going to appeal to you. And if you're just worried about the bottom line, making your home more energy efficient will save you money."

Hentzen and her family have finally been able to begin turning their home green, with the master bedroom and bathroom complete and the kitchen under way.

"You have to go in steps," she said. "If you try to make your home completely green all at once, you will get overwhelmed and do nothing."

Little things can also help make your home green, Hentzen said, such as changing to more energy-efficient light bulbs, sealing duct work and looking closely at the products you buy to see what has gone into making them.

Content © 2007 Des Moines Business Record

Back to Top

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

COSC Executive Director Receives the MWA Environmental Stewardship Award

Each year Metro Waste Authority (MWA) recognizes exceptional organizations and individuals as leaders in environmental stewardship. This year, Lynnae Hentzen was honored to receive this award for efforts focusing on residential green building education and as co-founder of COSC.

Congratulations also go to Lance Henning, Executive Director of the Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity as they are being honored for the success of Habitat for Humanity ReStore and Marianne Gelb, honored for her efforts as a City of Des Moines Park and Recreation Board Member.

Back to Top

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Raise a Glass to a Green DM

Join a Group: Green Drinks

Meet other environmentally friendly folks to discuss issues over a beer

by Tim Paluch, Juice Staff Writer
March 14, 2007

Arturo Fernandez/Juice
Emily Karsjens, 23, works with the Center on Sustainable Communities, and is involved with Green Drinks. Arturo Fernandez/Juice

A new discussion group in Des Moines aims to bring local greenies together to talk about environmental issues over drinks.

Green Drinks is an international organization where people in environmental fields meet up for beer and chat about issues every month in chapters all over the country, as well as Europe, South America, Asia and Australia.

Emily Karsjens, 23, and coworkers at the Center on Sustainable Communities helped start the Des Moines group late last year. The Center on Sustainable Communities is a Des Moines non-profit organization that promotes building environmentally friendly residences in Iowa and connects people looking for green services with companies that provide it.

"Green" services, Karsjens said, can include energy efficiency, buying local products and supplies and using recyclable materials and alternative energy sources.

Des Moines has hosted a few meetings. The local chapter isn't even recognized yet on the Green Drinks Web site, and Karsjens said she hopes someone out there steps up and takes charge of organizing and leading the discussion group.

Green Drinks attendees in Des Moines who meet at 6 p.m. at Raccoon River Brewing Company on the last Thursday of every month - include local business owners, workers in the environmental fields, regular folks just interested in green issues and several architects from RDG Planning & Design, a downtown architecture firm committed to being green.

At the February meeting, Karsjens met a woman involved in a co-op that features only organic products.

"It's nice to hear what products they're all using in their homes and businesses," said Karsjens, who graduated from University of Northern Iowa in December with a degree in ecology and biology.

Green Drinks

What the do: A local networking group for people interested in environmental issues

Membership: Anywhere from 6 to 25 people attend the monthly meeting

How to join: Go to the monthly discussion, held the last Thursday of the month from 5-7 p.m. at Raccoon River Brewing Company.

Back to Top

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Home mortgages starting to favor 'green'

Des Moines Business Record

Sunday, November 26, 2006

By Sarah Bzdega
sarahbzdega@bpcdm.com

As builders, suppliers and government officials have pushed for greater use of green building practices the past few years, many lenders, appraisers and real estate agents have been hesitant to follow the trend.

Some home mortgage lenders, however, are starting to recognize the value of energy-efficiency improvements when creating mortgage packages as demand for these improvements continues to grow significantly.

Wells Fargo & Co.'s third annual U.S. homeowners study, for example, found that given $50,000 for home improvements, 24 percent of respondents would "dream green," by purchasing insulation, double-paned windows, solar panels and energy-efficient appliances. This was the top choice for the 1,361 people surveyed, followed by 12 percent who wanted a state-of-the-art chef's kitchen and 11 percent who wanted a luxury master bedroom suite or master bath.

"It wouldn't have been on top of the list a few years ago," said Lynnae Hentzen, executive director of the Center on Sustainable Communities. "It says a lot about how this is valued."

When considering energy-efficiency improvements, most mortgage companies are creating packages that allow the homeowner to take out a larger loan. This enables the homeowner to fund more expensive improvements, such as replacing a low-efficiency heat system with a geothermal heat pump, which can cost $10,000 to $15,000.

"Normally when buying a home, you are trying to fit the mortgage payment in based on percentage of income," said Curtis Klaassen, manager of the Iowa Energy Center's Energy Resource Station in Ankeny. "Typically guidelines don't consider the cost of energy, so if you have an energy-efficient home, you don't reap any benefits of it in mortgage.

"The idea [with an energy-efficient mortgage] is that a reduced monthly energy cost gives you more buying power. With more buying power, you can usually finance some more money for the home, certainly enough to offset a minor addition for geothermal, which may allow you to buy more expensive features in the home."

By offering these kinds of mortgages, lending institutions could make energy-efficiency improvements more affordable. "A good package could make the difference between someone choosing to take a jump and go to geothermal," Hentzen said, "as opposed to not."

Hentzen and Klaassen also believe that these mortgages are to the lender's advantage, because as energy prices rise, a homeowner with a less efficient system could have trouble affording the monthly mortgage payment.

Many national lenders, including Wells Fargo and Countrywide Financial Corp., have offered energy-efficient mortgages for several years, Hentzen said, because green building has taken off faster in other areas of the United States than in Central Iowa.

Wells Fargo Home Mortgage has offered this type of mortgage for 13 years, said Stuart Tyrie, vice president of Wells Fargo Home Mortgage's National Builder Division. Although it was popular when it first came out, interest tapered off in the 1990s. Now, he said, people are regaining interest as utility bills have risen.

Homes that meet certain energy-efficiency standards, such as the Home Energy Rating System and National Association of Home Builders' Thermal Performance Guidelines, might qualify homeowners to receive a larger loan through Wells Fargo's program. The company also offers renovation loans for these kinds of improvements, and Tyrie said the list of green products people could purchase using these loans has expanded over the past six years.

Mortgage Innovations LLC is one local lending company that has started offering mortgage packages that look at energy-efficiency improvements, especially geothermal pumps. However, Charles Chedester, vice president of the company, said typically the clients that ask to look at it have done some research.

Chedester believes installing geothermal pump is to the homeowner's advantage, because the homeowner begins to see the direct impact of utility bill savings after a couple of years and because having an efficient heating system is an asset when selling the house. Tax breaks and rebates help cover a portion of the installation cost.

But, he said, adding the cost of a geothermal pump to a home mortgage might not always be the best option for a homeowner. "It's a matter of showing how that works and play with the numbers and see what the options look like," Chedester said.

Hentzen also warns consumers to be careful with these kinds of mortgages, which don't reduce interest rates, but rather allow a homeowner to borrow more. Some people, she said, don't need such large loans.

Though most lenders are starting to consider energy-efficient mortgages, they still do not see a value in other aspects of green building such as resource conservation and indoor quality. Part of the problem is that the value of such improvements is not as easy to measure as energy efficiency, which has a direct impact on utility bills.

"A lot of work is going into new homes to make them healthy homes, more green, more sustainable," Klaassen said. "Yet, these features do not have a direct cost impact and many times not a direct financial payback, even though they are more environmentally friendly."

Since 2004, Wells Fargo has worked with the American Lung Association to support its national Health House program, which provides a standard for cleaner indoor environments through builder and consumer education. Tyrie, who is passionate about the project because he has an asthmatic daughter, said some materials such as low-vapor-emission carpeting, insulation and drywall, as well as special air condition systems, are more expensive, but better for the homeowner. Wells Fargo provides some builder training as well as financial assistance to builders to encourage these improvements.

To offer more financial assistance for additional green building practices, Tyrie said, would require Wells Fargo's secondary markets to recognize the investment value of green mortgages.

Klaassen and Hentzen also said it would take a greater demand for more than just energy-efficiency improvements.

"We would encourage homeowners and consumers to ask for it," Hentzen said. "They're not going to take time to put effort into creating these until there are enough consumers asking for it. Work with the lender to see how you can get some creative financing going in order to afford some of these things that you know are going to add value."

Back to Top

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On the verge of going green

Des Moines Business Record

Sunday, October 29, 2006

By Sarah Bzdega
sarahbzdega@bpcdm.com

The Webster family's farm, three miles south of Norwalk, is about to be engulfed by residential development. Construction of the Burl Oak subdivision, which will create 32 high-end homes, has already begun, and to the south, Doug Redenius has platted his property into 48 lots and is considering options for developing it.

Susan and Catherine Webster discovered the situation after they moved back to Iowa to take care of their 81-year-old mother. They couldn't prevent the Burl Oak development, but they contacted Redenius about turning his land into a sustainable community. He agreed to consider this option if they had enough people willing to buy the lots, said the Websters.

Working from the barn on their farm, where the sisters are living while their house is rented out, they have about eight people committed to the project so far.

Preliminary ideas include co-op housing, semi-permeable surfaces instead of storm sewers and shared land for agriculture, geothermal heating and composting toilets. "The goal," said Susan Webster, a real estate agent at Coldwell Banker Mid-America Group Realtors who is working on her ecological broker license, "is to encompass as many ecological aspects as economically feasible."

The Websters are among a growing number of Central Iowans who are interested in green residential construction techniques. Although demand for sustainable building is not high enough to drive stores and developers to make these products widely available yet, several Des Moines leaders have begun to make the public more aware of the green building choices they have when constructing or remodeling their homes.

"It's not a fad," said Chaden Halfhill, president of the design/build company Silent Rivers Inc. and co-founder of the Center on Sustainable Communities. "It's a trend.

"Green building has a great deal to do with lifestyle choice. As consumers continue to revaluate how they want to live, good design decisions help them determine which products and features support the homeowner's goals."

Many homeowners are deciding that they can do less damage to the environment, improve their health and lower their energy bills if they use certain green techniques. According to an article in the March/April 2005 edition of Timeline, residential buildings in the U.S. account for two-fifths of total energy use.

"You truly make a bigger impact on things you do within your home than you can by the car you drive," said Lynnae Hentzen, executive director of the COSC. "You drive your car maybe an hour or two a day and then it's off. The home is on 24 hours a day, seven days a week."

Previously environmentalist organizations have focused on the commercial and government sectors, said Hentzen, because it's easier to work with one business rather than several individual homes. The U.S. Green Building Council has had a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System for commercial buildings for a while; now they are in the process of developing a system for residential building.

Sustainable building encompasses three disciplines, energy efficiency, resource conservation and indoor air quality, but it can involve a combination of choices within these categories.

"There's no prescription of what green is," said Halfhill. "There are different certification programs around the country that provide guidelines, but what I've been learning is that the guidelines are just parameters. You've got to look at the whole, each product, each decision. Throughout the process, there's a discernment."

Incorporating green building features can be as easy as using compact fluorescent light bulbs instead of standard ones. More people are using better insulation and windows, sealing their ductwork with mastic to improve furnace efficiency, and using low or no volatile organic compound paints as well. Others are paying more attention to the orientation of their houses or landscaping features.

"Sometimes people are overwhelmed when looking at decisions," said architect Linda Alfson Schemmel, founder of Design Development Inc. and chair of the West Des Moines Plan and Zoning Commission. "I encourage people to balance it. If you made decisions strictly on green building, you might be doing other things detriment."

Demand
A lecture by Sarah Susanka, a leading residential architect and author of the best-selling book "The Not So Big House," on Oct. 4 was the COSC's first big push to raise public awareness for green building.

"I think the market is there," Halfhill said. "It's small and growing."

The majority of people talking about sustainable development are younger, Halfhill said, but the people actually utilizing the principles tend to be older and have more disposable income.

Hubbell Realty Co. is trying to make green communities mainstream with three developments near completion in Central Iowa. The company has commitments for about one-third of its nearly 300 lots so far.

The main feature in most of the houses within these developments is geothermal heating. Hubbell also follows the U.S. government's Energy Star rating system, using features such as better insulation and higher-quality glass, which Rick Tollakson, president and CEO, said is becoming standard in the marketplace. The company's main focus, however, is on the community aspect, using natural systems for storm water management, such as prairie grass.

Tollakson said next year will be a better indicator of how well homes in these communities will sell, especially after Glynn Village in Waukee opens in November and the prairie grass and flowers start to grow.

"You never know if it's worth the investment until it's totally sold," he said. "I think it's pretty good and the direction all developments will go in the future."

Although the houses are similar to most new houses built today, apart from using geothermal heating, Tollakson said that Hubbell will install more green products such as bamboo flooring and recycled carpet if the homeowner requests it.

Yet, "we find a little bit of market resistance to all of that," he said. "If [homeowners] like maple or oak flooring, that's what they want."

Many green building leaders believe that educating consumers on the benefits of green building and the choices they have is key to increasing demand.

"People who are educated to understand what green building is are more apt to do it," said Joel Hirshberg, owner of Green Building Supply in Fairfield. "It saves energy. It's healthier. Who wouldn't want those things?"

Halfhill said the other challenge is "to communicate consistently what green construction is and helping to educate homeowners about the difference. If the consumer is not informed, they might not get what they're paying for. Consumer understanding increases value."

To help homeowners make more informed decisions about sustainable building, the COSC is working on guidelines for green building and is putting together a database of green homes in the area.

Available products
When Hentzen decided to renovate her home three years ago, she wanted to incorporate some sustainable features. But back then, she couldn't find anyone who knew the green building market well in Greater Des Moines, although she knew sustainable building practices were starting to take place nationally.

"The frustrating thing as a homeowner and even as a builder is you want to be able to go into a store and see a display and touch and feel and ask questions about the items you put in your home," Hentzen said, "It's not the same as looking online."

Many products such as cementitious siding, paints without volatile organic compounds and Icynene insulation are becoming more available, Halfhill said. Yet stores will limit green certified products unless the demand increases.

"Many suppliers can access the distribution chain," Halfhill said, "and will carry it on the shelves as demand grows."

Hirshberg has experienced this firsthand. As the demand has increased in the state, Green Building Supply has grown from offering a few products in 1991 to offering hundreds of products today. Hirshberg said the store attracts a few customers from Des Moines each week.

But the challenges of running a green building supply store, said Hirshberg, may discourage some businesses, especially big-box retailers, from offering more green products. The biggest obstacle is the number of questions people ask about the products, including how it is made, who makes it and what is in it.

"It takes a great amount of knowledge to fulfill people's understanding of what's in these things," Hirshberg said. "But when you have a small niche like us, you can focus on it, get better at it, and eventually everyone starts coming there."

Mark Mattiussi, a lumber buyer for the Woodsmith Store in Clive, said his store has started offering some recycled building materials, low-VOC finishes and paint, and wood that's from a sustainable-managed forest, which have done fairly well. Terry Munyon, president of the Iowa Heat Pump Association, said that in the 30 years he's been in the geothermal heating business, he has seen more wholesalers enter the market, which is a sign of increased demand.

Eventually, Hentzen would like to have a showplace at the COSC's headquarters where people could see and demonstrate new products.

Comparing the prices of green certified products to those of standard products is difficult given the range of products available. There may be a small premium for some green-certified products, while others have been driven down by a greater demand. Also some sustainable building practices come at no additional cost, such as how a home builder orients the house.

Planning the home is more important than the products used, said Halfhill, and resource management is as much a factor as products. He also said that many builders and remodelers in Central Iowa are training and certifying themselves in green building practices in preparation for an increased demand for these kinds of homes.

Still, said Halfhill, "It's going to take a few really strong leaders in this industry to go beyond just changing the product line or providing a little extra service to really educate and inform the public."

Leadership
Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie often cites a powerful statistic: If every home in the United States replaced one standard light bulb with a compact fluorescent bulb, energy consumption would be reduced by the equivalent of 780,000 vehicles a year.

His mission has been to raise awareness for green building in Des Moines by bringing different perspectives to the table and leading by example. Since he formed the Mayor's Task Force on Energy Conservation and Environmental Preservation early this year, the organization has grown from about 15 regular members to almost 50.

"One challenge we have is while there's a circle growing of folks that understand and are interested in this," he said, "we need to figure out how to educated the general population so that all engage."

By the end of this year, Des Moines will become ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability's fourth center in the United States. As part of the program, the city will measure its local greenhouse gas emissions and consider the best ways to reduce it, said Cownie. Some early initiatives include replacing streetlights with more efficient systems and planting 100,000 trees in the city. The city also will help other governments in the Midwest set up programs.

Like Cownie, many leaders in green building recognize the need to get groups with varying perspectives and skill sets to work together.

"'Green building' is more about building relationships than buying a product," Halfhill said, "and the best results come from a team approach focused on the long-term impact of a home on its occupants and its community."

"More people are coming to the table every day and there's a lot of enthusiasm about it right now," said Hentzen, "but it's going to take time, effort and education and steps forward to really get it to move."

Back to Top

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Back to Top

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Back to Top

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Back to Top