Green Changes in Boulder’s Building Code
by Osman Parvez ---- We have a ways to go before we balance our use of resources. However, I think that resource conservation and renewal is finally becoming a mainstream issue. Still, to get to where we need to be, we must continue to refine our standards. Last month, Boulder City Council adopted numerous changes to the city’s Green Points Program and Building Code. The changes involve new commercial construction and residential remodels/additions and will go into effect on March 2, 2009. According to the press release, commercial energy efficiency requirements increase by 30 percent… Several new requirements were also [...]
Xcel Brings Intelligent Electricity to Life
by Osman Parvez ---- We like things smart in Boulder. Walk around our city and you'll bump into plenty of bookstores and well stocked libraries. Our coffee shops, bike paths, and buses are filled with bookworms and laptop toting smarties. Heck, we may even be the most intelligent city in America (according to Forbes). Now, get ready for smart electricity. Xcel Energy has selected Boulder as its first SmartGridCity and the new system has already started to come online. Earlier this year, Xcel announced that they would test an upgrade to their infrastructure and last month, the first of 15,000 [...]
Bring on the Sun
by Osman Parvez ---- Beginning today, a revised statue goes into effect extending and clarifying your rights to install renewable energy devices in Colorado, even in HOA governed communities. A previous law from the 1970's applying to solar panels has been extended to wind generators. Most interestingly, the new law defines "energy efficiency structures" that cannot be banned outright by HOAs, including Awnings, shutters, trellis, ramadas, or other shade structures. A garage or attic fan and any associated vents or louvers An evaporative cooler ("swamp cooler") An energy-efficient outdoor lighting system such as those that use fluorescent bulbs, solar recharging [...]
$2 Billion Green Project in Aurora?
by Osman Parvez Welcome to the future of real estate. The Rocky Mountain News is reporting on a possible $2 billion dollar green project in Aurora. It's in early stages, but this massive project could one day encompass nearly 3,000 housing units, 1.7 million SQFT of retail, and 2.8 million SQFT of office space. With Renewable Choice handling wind power deals for companies like Whole Foods and Vail Resorts, plus many small and growing local firms focusing on solar and alternative energy products and services, our region seems focused on becoming a player renewable energy. From the article, The company [...]
Recent Articles – August 4th
by Osman Parvez What's a Super Slab? Imagine a $2 billion high speed toll road stretching from north of Ft. Collins to south of Pueblo. Ray Wells is busy planning to make it a reality.. For the third year in a row Forbes magazine has ranked Denver-Boulder as the best city in America for singles. Let's see, Louisville was recently named the best affordable city to raise a family. Ft. Collins was given the distinction as being the best place to live by CNN/Money magazine. And we're still best for singles too. Here's the article. File this under Green Destinations. [...]
Solar Math
by Osman Parvez From New West, here's a followup to our post on the rising popularity of solar electric systems. The post breaks down the business case for solar in a commercial building, including a hypothetical 10KW system installation. According to the article, an $80,000 commercial installation will cost $24,500 after Xcel Rebates and Tax Credits. Depreciation may kick in an additional $4,000 of value per year in the first 5 years. With about $1,000/year saved on the electric bill, payback occurs in about 5 years. This doesn't include the potential marketability advantage of having an active solar powered building. [...]
Rising Sun
by Osman Parvez Looking for company on a training ride, our friend Ray stopped by the house this past weekend. Although my bathroom scale thinks otherwise (lies!), theoretically I'm training to ride my first century (100 mile bike ride) with him this summer. Ray Tuomey is the Marketing Vice President for Namaste Solar Electric, a Boulder-based, employee-owned solar electric company that designs and installs renewable energy technologies in homes and businesses in our community. Namaste has been involved in many local solar panel installations in Boulder, including a recent project for the Boulder Homeless Shelter saving the organization up to [...]
WIR Lieben Sie PLATZ Haus
by Osman Parvez The Daily Camera is featuring a tale of Boulderites making an unusual effort to construct their dream home in Fourmile canyon. When I visited Germany a few years ago, the quality of construction was plainly evident. Every building had solidity that stunned. Even windows, doors, and fixtures were of extremely high quality. When Germans build a home, they clearly build it to last. And now YOU can order yourself a German Chalet right from the factory. In the passionate pursuit of their dream and knowing Germany's near obsession with building quality, Ralph Meier and Maryanne Bruno placed [...]
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Testimonials
We can highly recommend Sophie. Her attention to detail and communication skills are great. Our home was in area that most realtors are not familiar with, but Sophie took extra time to get to know the neighborhood in order to give us quality service. She also brought in a professional photographer to make our home look its best. Even though the listing was in winter, the house sold quickly. With Sophie’s business and people skills, we have no doubt she will be a top realtor in the area.
Osman was a refreshingly honest realtor. He stressed through the entire process that his goal was to make me happy with my home purchase. I greatly appreciated the fact that he never shied away from pointing out the negatives as well as the pluses of different places while leaving the final decision up to me.
