|
Zarda Group Boosts KCK
Growth
Kansas City, Kan., continues to grow, thanks in part to Zarda's
Development Group. This local land development company, headed by
Tim Zarda, currently provides homebuyers an opportunity to live in
four distinct communities in Wyandotte County.
Delaware Ridge and Delaware Highlands are two sister communities
consisting of 1,100 home sites. Homebuyers can choose from either
new single-family homes starting in the $190s or multi-family homes
starting in the $130s.
When the recent school bond issue passed, Zarda's Development
Group also donated 30+ acres of land in the new community to the
Bonner Springs school district and because of the positive response
to the all-electric homes in the development Zarda recommended that
the new school follow suit.
"We've had a positive response about the fact that the
multi-family homes in the community are all-electric," Zarda said.
"It seemed like a good fit to make the school energy-efficient, as
well."
Zarda also provides homebuyers the opportunity to live near the
Piper School Campus in a moderately priced community called The
Highlands at Piper. The community consists of new multi-family homes
starting in the $120s and new single-family homes starting in the
$190s. All of the 160 multi-family homes will be all electric which
will provide significant energy savings to the homebuyers.
In addition, adjacent to the Piper School Campus homebuyers can
live in an impressive development called Northridge at Piper Estates
which will consist of over 600 single-family homes with current
inventory starting in the $250s.
"The BPU has been great to work with" said Zarda. "Before we even
put a piece of ground under contract, we contact them to hammer out
the details. We believe in the add-on heat pump program that the BPU
sponsors." "It gives our communities a competitive advantage over
the competition and creates a win-win formula for the development,
the builders, the homebuyers and the environment," Zarda said.
BPU Build Green
Conference Set for April
The third annual BPU Build Green Conference will be held April 10
at the Reardon Convention Center in KCK. The conference will share
information about green development and encourage energy efficiency
in Wyandotte County. The keynote speaker will be Mayor Reardon.
Other scheduled speakers include Paul Mohr from HUD, speaking about
building "Energy Star" housing; Blake Elliott and Frank Costanza of
the Smokey Hills Wind Project, whose presentation will cover wind
energy coming to BPU; Steve McDowell of BNIM Architects, who will
address green building at work; and J.P Blackford of the American
Public Power Association, who will share some easy steps for energy
efficiency.
What does the New Energy
Bill Mean to Me?
The Energy Bill (Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007)
passed in the House and was recently signed into law by President
Bush. Requirements of the bill include the following:
- Fuel economy of cars and light trucks must average at least 35
mpg by 2020, saving 1.1 million barrels of oil per day in 2020 and
192 million metric tons of greenhouse gas.
- Increase the 7.5 billion gallon mandate on alternative fuel
production in the United States to 36 billion gallons.
Conventional biofuels must generate 20 percent fewer greenhouse
gases than gasoline, with advanced and cellulosic fuels emitting
50 and 60 percent less.
- All light bulbs must use 25 to 30 percent less energy by 2014
and 60 to 70 percent less energy by 2020. New standards for
dishwashers, washing machines, refrigerators and freezers also are
included.
- New standards for federal buildings include required
improvements in existing buildings, green building standards for
new construction and a Zero Net Energy Initiative for all
commercial buildings to average zero net energy by 2050.
- Energy efficiency provisions will promote the federal
government's purchase of energy efficient products and use of
alternative fuels with low carbon emissions. A variety of state
and local grants have been reauthorized to address emerging energy
priorities. An Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant
Program has been created for cities and states.
- Support is provided for research for technological
improvements in energy generation through solar, marine,
geothermal and hydrogen energy, as well as energy storage and
battery development.
- A mandate is included for research and development of methods
to capture and store carbon.
- Provisions are included that ban oil companies from engaging
in market manipulation or providing false information about price
in wholesale petroleum markets, with new civil and criminal
penalties for companies that break these laws.
- U.S. global cooperation and collaboration in the research,
development, commercialization and export of clean, efficient
technologies is promoted by the new law.
- A provision creates a training program to train a quality
workforce for "green" collar jobs, filling the three million
potential new jobs created by a national investment in renewable
energy.
- States are encouraged to carry out transportation projects
that reduce air pollution.
- Loan limits to help small businesses develop energy-efficient
technologies and purchases are increased, while new information
about reducing energy costs is provided to these businesses.
- A "smart" electric grid will be created to modernize and
strengthen the reliability and energy savings of our electric
supply. A "smart" grid uses computer technology to more
efficiently and cleanly deliver electricity.
Expanded Program Helps
Homeowners Reduce Fuel Costs
Kansas Housing Resources Corporation (KHRC) has expanded a
statewide initiative to help more Kansans save energy and reduce
home heating costs. The initiative, called the Kansas
Energy Efficiency Program (KEEP), allows homeowners to
obtain lower interest loans to purchase energy-efficient heating
systems and make other energy conservation home improvements.
"Eliminating KEEP's income requirements means even more families
can make long-lasting, energy conscious upgrades to their homes,"
said Christine Reimler, KHRC's homeownership manager. "KEEP lowers
utility costs, conserves energy and helps families stay warm over
the winter."
KHRC also has increased the maximum loan amount homeowners can
receive. KHRC now will fund half of loan amounts up to a maximum of
$10,000. Sunflower Bank funds the remainder of the loan, and total
loan amounts could be higher as determined by Sunflower.
The zero interest rate on KHRC funds translates into a lower
blended rate than would be obtained through a normal second mortgage
loan. Funding for KEEP is $2 million and is part of Governor
Kathleen Sebelius' Warm Homes Project.
Home improvements allowed under KEEP include:
FAQ: The End of the
Light Bulb as We Know It
The incandescent light bulb will be phased off the U.S. market
beginning in 2012 under the new energy law just approved by
Congress. Here's a primer on the light bulb phase-out and what it
will mean to you:
Why are they taking my light bulbs away? Moving to more
efficient lighting is one of the lowest-cost ways for the nation to
reduce electricity use and greenhouse gases. In fact, it actually
will save households money because of lower utility bills. Ninety
percent of the energy that an incandescent light bulb burns is
wasted as heat. And yet, sales of the most common high-efficiency
bulb available-the compact fluorescent (CFL) -amount to only 5
percent of the light bulb market. The changeover in the United
States will begin in 2012 and phased out through 2014. Some
manufacturers may phase out earlier.
How do I save money, when a CFL costs six times as much as an
old-fashioned bulb? Each CFL costs about $3, compared with 50
cents for a standard bulb. But a CFL uses about 75 percent less
energy and lasts five years instead of a few months. A household
that invested $90 in changing 30 fixtures to CFLs could save $440 to
$1,500 over the five-year life of the bulbs. Look at your utility
bill and imagine a 12 percent discount to estimate the savings.
I've heard that CFLs don't really last as long as they
say. Turning a CFL on and off frequently shortens its life,
which is why the government's ENERGY STAR program says to leave them
on for at least 15 minutes at a time. Also, if you have dimmable
light fixtures, make sure to buy CFLs labeled "dimmable." All CFLs
that carry the government's ENERGY STAR label are required to carry
a two-year limited warranty, so contact the manufacturer if your
bulb burns out prematurely.
I've heard that CFLs have mercury in them--isn't that bad?
The amount sealed in each bulb is small-one old-fashioned
thermometer had about 100 times as much mercury. However, it's wise
to contact local trash collection for disposal instructions. You can
return any CFL to any IKEA store for recycling, and the
Environmental Protection Agency and Earth 911 have sites you can
search for other recycling programs near your home.
But if you break a CFL, you'll have a toxic spill in your
home. Maine's Department of Environmental Protection has
developed the best advice on the procedures to follow if a CFL
breaks. Don't use a vacuum. Using a drop cloth might be a good new
routine to develop when screwing in a light bulb, to make the
clean-up of any breaks easier.
Isn't there efficient lighting without mercury? Yes. By
2012, the chances are good that consumers will have many more
options to replace incandescent bulbs. Manufacturers already are
deploying advanced incandescent bulbs that are efficient enough to
stay on the market after 2012, although they are not yet as
efficient as CFLs. Even more exciting are the developments with
light-emitting diodes (LEDs), which are jazzing up holiday lighting.
LEDs last even longer than CFLs and will make bulb buying more like
an appliance purchase than a throw-away item.
Source: Lavelle, Marianne; "FAQ: The End of the Light Bulb as We
Know It," U.S. News & World Report
|
