Check out the above flyer for details on One Green Home’s upcoming Weatherization BBQ! Our goal for the evening will be to assist Oliver residents in securing grant money for their homes, be it for weatherization, pest control, lead abatement, or energy audits. These forms can get complicated– so use us as a resource! And, if you haven’t been able to obtain any of the application materials, we’ll have some available for you.

Feel free to stop by next Thursday (the date is subject to change, but no worries, we’ll keep you posted)– and come hungry!

Our model home at 1515 N. Bond St. is now equipped with a smart meter– and we’ve got the entire installation process on film! For those of you who are unfamiliar with what a smart meter is and how it works, here’s the gist: a smart meter is an advanced (typically electric) meter that monitors the energy consumption in your home with more detail than a typical meter. It also allows you to access the collected data through an online network sponsored by the parent energy company (in our case, BGE). The idea is that, with access to this info, homeowners will be more conscious of the energy they use, and that their utility bills will decrease as a result.

For more info on BGE’s smart meters, or their PeakRewards Program, visit their site here.

Check out some pics from our paintball outing with some of Oliver’s teens! And keep an eye on our site for similar events in the coming months.

We all know that gardens improve air quality and promote communal activity– but take a look at the above Home and Garden doc (courtesy of our LEED green rater) and learn how to make your gardens even greener. Xeriscaping (using the drought-tolerant plants listed) and designing to conserve water are, of course, hugely important. But also keep in mind, if you’re looking to be a “sustainable” landscaper, its always best to choose plants native to your area– not only are they more likely to survive, there’s less gas being spent to transport them to your locale.

We ourselves will be following the above doc closely as we near the end of the LEED certification process and begin landscaping the small lots behind our homes– at the moment, it looks like juniper is our shrub of choice.

You recall our recent post on the Sprinkler Bill in consideration at City Hall yesterday, and our plans to protest its passage? Well we did– and we won! Dozens of contractors showed up at around 12pm to voice their upset with the bill, and with the help of Councilman Jack Young, we were all able to say a few words in-council on behalf of Baltimore builders. As always, Lloyd Williams very eloquently took the lead (check out the above pic), passing out flyers and speaking directly to council members about the detrimental impact this bill would have on renovations throughout the city. His words clearly had an impact, as council members quickly decided to exempt gut rehab projects and table the bill (potentially indefinitely).

Keep in mind, however, that this bill could be reintroduced in the fall. If this happens, and we are able to band together again, we at One Green Home have little doubt we will be able to prevent its passage– especially knowing that we now have friends at City Hall who support us and our point of view.

If you’d like to read the materials we handed out in session, click here. Congrats to everyone involved– and see you in the fall!

As per the above neighborhood newsletter entry, this month’s Youth March will be rescheduled for the 25th. Thought you missed it and want to participate? Contact Yvette Chambers and download a permission slip via this link.

This coming Monday city officials will be considering mandating the installation of sprinkler systems on all townhomes undergoing more than 30% new/re-construction. This would significantly increase the cost of renovations– possibly by up to $15,000– and would also introduce the danger of electrical fires in adjacent homes that have not undergone significant wiring upgrades.

Members of the One Green Home and Verde Group (builders, contractors, friends) will be convening at city hall to protest late morning/early afternoon on Monday the 14th. We will be armed with flyers and enthusiasm, and all are encouraged to participate.

If you’d like to read the bill in its entirety, click CCB10-0437-AutomaticFireSprinklers.

Yesterday we had several guests at our weekly builders meeting– perhaps one of the more exciting presentations came from a BGE rep specializing in incentives for green builders. Take a look at the above flyer to get a better idea of how much you can get back for building green.

And, keep in mind, if you’re building LEED certified homes, you should be a shoe-in for all of the above. Though BGE doesn’t specifically target LEED builders, the requirements they DO focus on can all be applied under the LEED umbrella– the HERS rating, for example, is a prerequisite for both.

In an effort to engage the youth of the neighborhood, One Green Home at a Time will be sponsoring a paintball outing for some of Oliver’s teens. Lloyd Williams will be personally chaperoning the trip this coming weekend, and a number of our other builders will also be in attendance.

Importantly, credit for this idea must go to the entire neighborhood—during a community meeting, adults voiced their concern for the disinterested and disillusioned teens in the area, who turn to drugs or alcohol as a result of boredom. This is only one of our many efforts to show the Oliver youth that we value their input and participation, and we look forward to continually involving them as we pursue the comprehensive revitalization of the community.

If you’re an Oliver resident and are interested in attending the paintball outing, or know a teen who would like to participate in this or any of our community programs, please contact Yvette Chambers at 410-963-1482—she will have event details (and permission slips) available.

… for one of our houses at least. 1512 N. Bond, our soon-to-be Gold Certified home built by Lloyd Williams, is almost ready for its final LEED inspection (despite the recent Manual J/D fiasco). Paperwork abounds– the number of “calculators” alone (water management, landscaping, etc) is intimidating. And, as the homeowner move-in date fast approaches, making sure we cover every requirement listed in the “Awareness and Education” section of the LEED for Homes Reference Guide is a top priority– keep an eye on our website to get access to the same Green Homeowners’ Guide we’ll be providing each of our new homeowners.

The finish line is in sight– and it’s only appropriate that our leader, Lloyd Williams, be the first to reach it. Wish him luck!