Archives

March 31, 2010

Extra Incentive For Maryland Residents To Go Green?

Maryland could soon join D.C. and Virginia in offering residents an extra incentive to make their homes more energy efficient. According to a blog post by the University of Maryland’s Clean Energy Director Lisa Piccinini, the state legislature is considering a bill that would offer loans to homeowners and businesses to pump up insulation, replace old appliances, heating ducts or even leaky windows.

To determine which projects will be necessary, homeowners will first need to complete a home energy audit. Based on the results of the audit, homeowners may apply for loans from banks, non-profits or The Maryland Clean Energy Center. The loans will be tacked on to the home’s property tax in the form of a surcharge repayable over a term not to exceed 15 years. If it passes, the bill could go into effect as soon as June 1^st.

March 30, 2010

Your Kitchen Installation Questions Answered!

Planning a kitchen makeover but unsure of what’s involved? Our kitchen expert Jerry Stephenson is here to help.  After beginning his career as a cabinet maker, Jerry joined the Long Kitchens team in 1999 and now manages hundreds of kitchen installations a year. Here are some of the top questions clients ask him while preparing for their new kitchen:

1. How long will it take?

JS: That depends on the type of countertop selected. If the new kitchen is getting a high definition laminate countertop, the job will take between two and five days.  If the new countertop is made of stone or acrylic solid surface, the countertop fabricator needs to first make a template after the cabinets have been installed. In this case, the remodel usually will be completed in about two to three weeks.

Read more…

March 27, 2010

Take Part In My Earth Hour!

Can one hour help combat climate change? The folks at My Earth Hour say it can. For one hour each year, people across the world turn off their lights to save energy and show their support for the planet. What started as a grassroots movement in 2007 had become a global phenomenon by 2009. From Times Square to the Las Vegas strip to the Eiffel Tower to the Kremlin, nearly one billion people in more than 80 countries went dark together in one of the largest mass actions in history.

This year promises to be bigger than ever! On Saturday, March 27^th from 8:30pm-9:30pm local time, The Four Seasons, George Washington University and Bloomberg will join residents across the D.C. region in demonstrating their support for a more energy efficient world. Click here to join the movement or just grab your friends and a box full of candles!

March 25, 2010

Have You Heard About The Virginia Energy Star Savings Program?

Good news is on the way for energy-savvy residents of Virginia! New conservation-friendly proposals will soon make it easier for you to replace that old refrigerator or even upgrade your home with the latest renewable energy technologies.

The Virginia Energy Star Savings Program is scheduled to begin in April 2010 as a one-time incentive to residents to kick that old appliance to the curb.

The funding comes from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, which the state has tapped to fund several other ambitious grants as well, including $15 million to fund rebates on renewable energy installations (solar and small-wind systems) and another $15 million to help residents pay for energy-efficiency improvements such as heating and cooling systems, windows, doors, insulation, lighting, and programmable thermostats.

Check out the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy for updates on the funding and for information on how to enroll.

March 23, 2010

The Empire State Building Leads They Way…Again!

At the time of its construction in 1930, The Empire State Building amazed the world by proving that a building could be built both that tall (102 stories) and that quickly (one year and 45 days). Today, the iconic office building in Midtown Manhattan is grabbing headlines again for proving that energy-efficient upgrades can both save energy and improve the bottom line too. As part of a total renovation, building owner Tony Malkin asked Serious Materials to retrofit the building’s 6,514 windows with the same technology those of you with Long Windows already have in your homes.

Among the impressive feats the Serious team pioneered for the project was a way to recycle the glass from the existing windows and to complete the work without ever leaving the building.  Using a 5,000 square-foot-workshop on the fifth floor, the Serious Materials team will remove the existing glass, add new spacers, produce new super-insulating glass, add suspended coated film, and add special gas fill. The new windows will then be reinserted into the existing frames.

Once complete, The Empire State Building will become one of the most energy-efficient commercial buildings in the United States.  The building will save $4.4 million per year in energy costs and 105,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide over the next 15 years, according to solveClimate.com.  All that savings, Mr. Malkin says, will soon translate into profit. The windows will pay for themselves within three years and the improved comfort of the renovated floors are expected to help attract higher rent too.

For more information, check out some of the media’s coverage of this historic renovation:

Inc. Magazine: http://www.inc.com/articles/2010/03/serious-materials-greens-empire-state-building.html