HANDLING RAINWATER RUNOFF SENSIBLY

Rainwater in our area is mostly sent to storm drains and channeled into the ocean. There are, however, other alternatives to this water-wasting, polluting system of handling storm runoff. Two that we like are rain gardens and infiltrators.

A relatively new concept in landscape design, the rain garden is a two- to three-foot depression, often 300-500 square feet in surface area, that gets filled with permeable materials and capped with deep-rooted native plants. Plant selection is crucial. They need to be able to withstand extremes of moisture (flooding and drought) as well as concentrations of sediment and nutrients, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus, common elements found in stormwater runoff. Good choices are plants from the edge of wetlands such as wildflowers, grasses, sedges, rushes, ferns, shrubs, and small trees. Those with deep fibrous roots tend to have a competitive advantage and provide the most cleaning and filtration benefits to the environment.

Rain gardens not only enhance infiltration but also, below ground, maintain or even augment soil permeability, provide moisture redistribution and aquifer recharge, and sustain diverse microbial populations involved in bio-filtration. Above ground they add pleasing aesthetics, encourage wildlife and biodiversity, contribute to localized flood control, and reduce the need for irrigation.

The combination of the plants and porous planting media often reduces the amount of storm water and pollution reaching creeks, streams, and the ocean by 30 percent or more. The cost of creating a rain garden is small. The ensemble of benefits has led cities and regions across the country to adopt policies encouraging rain gardens.

Another option is the infiltrator chamber that can be configured to create an underground reservoir. Made of high-density polyethylene, often from recycled material, these arches, basically in the shape of an inverted U, are most often three feet across at the base and five feet in length. They interlock to form continuous drainage tunnels. It is advisable to place them on a gravel bed to aid percolation. Frequently, they run 50 feet in length with the capacity to handle large “surge” volumes of storm water and store it until it seeps into the ground beneath. Commonly buried about two feet deep, their ribbed configuration makes them structurally strong enough to take heavy loads like vehicular traffic.

Although not inexpensive to install, infiltrators cost less than permeable paving or drywells while accommodating much larger quantities of storm water. All strategies that retain and percolate storm water into the ground need to pay attention to the permeability of the soil. Infiltrators are often less costly than vegetated roofs or rainwater-collection systems, which are also strategies that keep storm water on-site.

KEEPING COOL WITHOUT AIR CONDITIONING

As we increasingly experience summer weather during winter months, many Southern Californians are deciding to add air conditioning to their homes. The downside is that air conditioning draws significant electrical power that is generated mostly from fossil fuels, thus exacerbating the warming that this equipment is designed to counter, at least indoors. Even when powered by renewable energy, the production of any AC equipment can use a lot of resources. So if not air conditioning, then what other options make sense?

One possibility is adding exterior shading devices over windows that are bathed in the sun’s heat. These devices include fixed eyebrow extensions; trellises (with or without deciduous vines); vertical louvers or fins for east- and west-facing windows; canvas awnings that are fixed, manually adjustable, or even motorized; or mesh solar shades that slide in vertical tracks on either side of the window, which can cut out as much as 80 percent of the heat. These exterior shading strategies are more effective than interior-shading blinds or curtains and can dramatically reduce building peak heat gain while also improving visual comfort by controlling glare and reducing contrast ratios.

Another option is to change the glass in south-facing windows to high-performance glazing, which greatly reduces the need for exterior shading elements. To carry out this change, sometimes just the glass panels in old windows can be swapped out. At other times, the entire window frame and sash need to be replaced to get optimal performance. This latter approach is expensive but does have advantages beyond just keeping unwanted heat out.

Top-performing windows can also attenuate outside noise and keep the place warmer on cold winter days. Putting an operable window in a key location, where perhaps none existed before, can allow residents to open a house to cool early-morning air on hot days, thereby implementing an effective natural cooling strategy.

You might also want to consider adding insulation to your existing walls and attic. In most cases, this is less expensive than installing air conditioning equipment and helps to keep the house not only cool but also quiet (or warm when desired). It definitely saves on heating and cooling bills. There are at least five materials and approaches to insulating existing houses: loose-fill cellulose, dense-packed cellulose, loose-fill fiberglass, dense-packed fiberglass, and injection foam. Application skill is important for achieving a complete, high-performance thermal barrier, so getting the help of a professional is advisable.

A final, low-cost cooling option is to install Casablanca ceiling fans in the main rooms of a house. These don’t lower temperatures, but they do move air, making us feel cooler. If a room has a central ceiling light, a combined fan-light fixture can easily replace it.

Be sure to explore these options before automatically turning to air conditioning.

SOLAR HEAT PUMPS

Harnessing the sun for our electricity, hot water, and space heating is practical and cost-effective whether remodeling or building from the ground up. After maximizing use of the sun, consider going all electric since some or all of your electricity can be site-generated. When pursuing this strategy, it is most cost-effective to reduce electrical loads (LEDs, Energy Star appliances, etc.), as fewer photovoltaic panels will be needed.

Solar heat pumps fit nicely into this strategy. They can heat or cool a home, provide domestic hot water, refrigerate your food, and even dry your clothes. Heat pumps use electricity to move heat from one place to another instead of generating heat directly. Their high efficiency results from their capacity to transfer more energy (heat) than the energy they require to operate. They are rated by coefficient of performance (COP), the ratio of useful heating or cooling provided compared to the work required.

Although they have been around for many years, recent improvements greatly increase their efficiency, achieving COPs in the 2-3 range (compared to 0.8 for efficient gas furnaces or water heaters). Variable-speed motors and scroll compressors in lieu of piston compressors are key recent advances that lower energy consumption, minimize noise, and reduce maintenance. Heat pumps work best in moderate climates.

For the nonscientist, heat pumps conjure up notions of alchemy: extracting heat from already cold outside air and transferring it inside to heat the home, or when it’s hot outside, reversing direction to act like an air conditioner, removing heat from the home.

Heat-pump appliances such as refrigerators, dryers, or water heaters have condensers built in, while space-conditioning heat pumps have two main components: an outdoor condenser and an indoor air-handling unit. In recent years, mini-split or ductless units have become popular because of their small size and zone-heating/cooling capabilities. Many models can have as many as four indoor air-handling units connected to one outdoor compressor. Each zone has its own thermostat for optimum control. It is critical that each unit be properly sized for its space to run at maximum efficiency.

Mini-splits are quick and easy to install and offer great design flexibility. They are especially practical for additions and remodels. Ductless systems offer multistage filtration that can drastically reduce dust, bacteria, pollen, allergens, and other particulates in the air.

Solar heat pump equipment costs the same or slightly more than comparable natural-gas equipment, but when they are run off of sun-generated electricity, the savings add up rapidly. Even if they are run off of utility-generated electricity, the super-efficiency, along with the 30 percent federal tax credit, makes it the more economical choice.

BIOMIMICRY IN HOME DESIGN

Janine Benyus, the scientist who authored the seminal book Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature, suggested designing products and systems by taking advantage of evolution’s 3.8 billion years of R&D. Drawing lessons from nature helps us understand how to live in harmony with nature, rather than how to dominate it, according to Benyus.

The quest for more effective and efficient ways to clean man-made surfaces and fabrics is long standing. Time, money, and environmental cost are always involved. In contrast, many plants seem able to stay clean with nothing more than the occasional rinse by dew or rainwater.

Lotus leaves exemplify this ability. Although they appear smooth, under a microscope they reveal an outer skin of bumpy cells covered by a thin layer of water-repellent wax crystals. These two properties make the leaf self-cleaning. Water falling on the waxy, bumpy surface forms spherical beads that readily roll off; any dirt on the surface clings to the water droplets and is easily carried away with the runoff.

This hydrophobic quality (shedding water) is not unique to the lotus. For example, it enables winged insects like butterflies and dragonflies that are unable to clean their wings with their legs (as many other insects do) to, nevertheless, have clean wings.

Nature’s principles in the self-cleaning lotus leaf are now being utilized in man-made products without depleting or harming the natural world. Examples include self-cleaning roof tiles, self-cleaning paints, soil-repellent fabrics, and treatments for glass. The benefits in all these products are decreased use of water, detergents, and solvents.

Another potentially important area of growth is coatings for solar panels. Researchers at Boston University have estimated that 4 grams of dust per square meter of glass on a solar panel reduces power conversion by 40 percent. Dust deposition in Arizona is about 17 grams per square meter per month, thus cutting a panel’s effectiveness in almost half in just one week of exposure.

Other applications of the biomimicry approach that go beyond hydrophobic surfaces are as follows:

• The GreenShield fabric finish ​— ​a textile coating that adds oil resistance, fire retardation, and anti-microbial functionalities, all while reducing the negative impacts of chemicals and nanoparticles on the environment.

• New window glass developed by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council that is self-cleaning, anti-glare, and energy conserving.

• Bird protective glass that reduces bird collisions by applying a special ultraviolet (UV) reflective coating that appears transparent to humans but is clearly visible to birds, who see a broader UV spectrum than humans.

The world of biomimicry has expanded well beyond man-made surfaces and fabrics with equally impressive advances based on imitating nature without harming it.

COULD YOU BUILD AN ADU?

California is facing a severe housing shortage. One solution is to encourage greater housing density, but such a strategy often generates heated exchanges between neighbors, especially among those who hold sharply differing viewpoints. As of the beginning of 2017, a new California ADU law went into effect that will now allow small second residential units on single-family lots. The goal is not only to create more housing, but also more affordable housing.

What is the framework for these new accessory dwelling units (ADUs), as they are being called? They will be allowed to have full kitchens and bathrooms, can be attached or separated from the main house or even carved out of space inside the principal residence, and can be up to 1,200 square feet in size. These ADUs will not be required to have a utility hookup separate from that of the main house. They can be rented, and most likely will be, but cannot be sold separately from the main dwelling. It is anticipated that these additional units will draw more students, elderly, disabled, and even health-care providers to live in single-family residential neighborhoods.

Height limits, lot coverage, and zoning setbacks will still apply. However, an existing garage within the setback can be incorporated as new living space in an ADU without having to comply with the setback requirement. For each new bedroom that is built outside the existing dwelling footprint, one additional parking space needs to be provided. This extra parking can be in tandem on an existing driveway or provided by mechanical automobile parking lifts.

There are some interesting exceptions to this relatively easy additional parking requirement: It will be waived if the added dwelling/bedroom is (1) within a half mile of public transit, (2) located in a historic district, (3) created within the footprint of the existing residence, or (4) has a car-share parking pod within a block of the AUD (a good reason to encourage car sharing).

This new law is written in such a way that area jurisdictions and planning departments cannot impose restrictions to prohibit or make more difficult the permitting of ADUs. The one exception to this is the Coastal Zone, the swath of land from the water’s edge to 1,000 yards inland.  The Coastal Commission sent memos to local governments to give “advice and guidance about how to harmonize the new law with Local Coastal Programs,” wrote Noaki Schwartz, spokesperson for the Coastal Commission. “While the new law makes it significantly easier for homeowners to convert or construct ADUs, they must still comply with the Coastal Act,” she wrote in an email. “This is why we encourage local governments to amend their LCPs to reflect the new policy.”

REPLACING INEFFICIENT WINDOWS :: ANOTHER OPTION

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, around 30 percent of the energy used to heat and cool our homes is lost through inefficient windows, even though windows often make up less than 10 percent of the surface area of a house.

Swapping out old, single-glazed windows with high-performance dual- or triple-pane units is costly. Moreover, it is often not allowed in historic buildings. Architectural historians insist on maintaining the appearance and character of windows in classic old buildings, irrespective of their performance.

A less costly possibility, rather than replacing inefficient windows, is to install an insulating window film. Glazing films have been around for more than 50 years, with high-performance films only in the past decade. They have evolved along with the great gains in window technologies. Coatings and films have become standard in high-quality windows. The large choice of offerings can yield greater or lesser heat gain, visual clarity, ultraviolet blocking, and insulating values, to name a few of the available options.

The cost of replacing residential windows can easily be $125 per square foot or more. Window films such as 3M’s Thinsulate Climate Control film offers good performance for a fraction of the cost. This type of low emissivity, or “low-E” film, improves the insulation value of a typical single-pane window to approximate a double-pane unit (up to about 92 percent). The emissivity rating can be as low as 7 percent, meaning that 93 percent of a room’s heat is reflected back into the space and doesn’t escape outside. Low-E coatings reduce heat loss in winter and heat gain in summer. As a result, the initial installed cost of $5-$15 per square foot (depending on film type and size of the job), is a two- to five-year return on investment (ROI). The comparable ROI for replacing old windows with high-performance units is 30-50 years.

Some of the recently introduced low-E films have high visible light transmission (visible transmittance of 70 percent), meaning they have basically no impact on views — no darkening and no distortion. Furthermore, these coatings block 99 percent of ultraviolet rays to fully protect furniture, rugs, upholstery, and artwork from fading. Window film application does not require a professional installer. Professional installation, however, is highly recommended for quality purposes and to have the 20- to 30-year warrantee apply. Installation by professionals takes only minutes per window. Full curing of the film takes a few days to a month.

For reasons of energy savings, modest cost, comfort, and fade protection, low-E window films are important to know about.

SUSTAINABLE LIVING YEAR ROUND

Earth day was April 22nd, trees were planted and hugged, beaches were cleaned and everyone’s weekend newspapers were responsibly recycled. What now? Now what actions can an everyday homeowner take to make the built environment healthier, energy efficient, and create a positive impact on the world around us for years to come?

So many things can be done in the home to practice living sustainably and reducing impacts of climate change. Energy efficiency arguably the single easiest and most effective thing a homeowner can work towards “green”. When it comes to saving energy the low hanging fruit is heating and cooling the home. A standard home can lose up to 35% of heat or cool through walls and floors. Because of this, a home’s HVAC system is usually the highest energy user because It must compensate for these losses. Building a sustainable home starts and stops with air sealing. High efficiency appliances, LED lighting, and solar panels are important, but it is much better (and more cost effective) to conserve rather than to invest in alternative energy immediately.

Heat moves in three ways; convection, conduction and radiation. Convection is heat being carried by air, either warm or cold. Conduction is heat moving via transfer through a material. Radiation is the direct heat transfer via open space. In other words, If you can see the heat source line of site you can get radiant heat transfer. This is well explained by the fact that it is cooler in the shade. Most of the heated or cooled in a house is lost through convective heat transfer or air moving through some part of a building that it is not supposed to. For example, if an attic is poorly ventilated and the ceiling is not insulated properly, even the breeziest of houses will get excruciatingly hot in the summertime. If there is air flowing through a blanket of fiberglass (insulation), convection is reduced because it the fiberglass pulls the heat away before it passes through the ceiling or wall. However, if the seal is not good insulation won’t work well. Sealing works well because it addresses heat loss convection which makes the insulation work better. Sealing also works to make the air healthier because the environment is now controlled. Sealing is beneficial in reducing prevalence of indoor allergens too. Proper sealing reduces water vapor. Minimizing moisture passing through walls, floors and ceiling prevents rot and will extend the life of a building. Follow sealing with a great insulation job creates a bulletproof building envelope.

The next step in energy efficient living is installation of an ultra-efficient water heater. The right choice in water heater can save both water and energy. Traditional water heaters heat a huge tank and don’t put any pressure to the pipes. An old style hot water storage tank is why we need to wait a while for water to get hot. We don’t want to run a lot of water out of the tap when we have no water to waste! Do it yourself gurus beware! Many will try to install a new water heater, but it is not for armatures and can be done incorrectly. Leave this upgrade for the professional to solve.If sealing is done correctly, a high efficiency HVAC system will be one of the smallest energy users in the house instead of one of the largest. When shopping for HVAC, look for products that have the Energy Star rating. ENERGY STAR products are independently certified to save energy without sacrificing features or functionality. A good place to look is in the “Energy Star Most Efficient” report. This designation recognizes these heaters and air conditioners that are the most efficient product sampling those that are Energy Star certified.

Energy saving is gained by simply using less. Control plug loads and install ultra-high efficient appliances. Use technology to let your home do this on its own! Lighting can be a large or small part of a home depending on the size and impact. Retrofitting the bulbs with high efficiency LEDs and changing out switches for those that detect motion are easy changes.  Check energy use on bulbs by looking at the energy star rating. Research some of the newer “smart home” technologies to manage your power draw automatically. There is so much available to reduce energy use. For reducing plug loads install smart strips to decrease power used by idol electronics. You know that little blue light always on when your computer is plugged in? Hit a “smart” switch and these “vampire loads” from electronics and chargers disappear. An example of a modern high efficiency appliance is a Condensing dryer.

Sustainable citizens often think “I want to do something super green and they quickly default to a super-efficient but expensive high tech house. You don’t have to go exotic. There is a good argument that you don’t need to get crazy and expensive to do high tech things, just employ the techniques mentioned in this article. If you do want to go ultra-efficient and non- traditional you can consider building with SIPS (structural insulated panel system). Straw bale construction with plaster is a great insulation though not seismically sound enough for compliance with California building code. Insulated concrete forms ultra-airtight and permanent insulation. Foam and steel framing panel systems work well but can be very costly. Always remember as you are building and remodeling that more efficiency equals less solar and more cost savings. Do these simple things to bring earth day into your home and environment every day of the year!

TWO NARI COTY AWARDS IN 2017

Two projects recently completed by Allen Construction won National Awards in the CotY (Contractor of the Year) competition hosted by NARI (the National Association of the Remodeling Industry). This means these two projects won at the regional level earlier in the year and then were forwarded on to be considered for the National award.  In the competition Allen Construction won over all the other projects that won in these regional categories across the country. It is unprecedented to win in two national categories. We are so proud of our team and this accomplishment.

There were 37 different categories in which awards were given and we won in two!  El Toro won in the Residential Historical Renovation/Restoration category.  Halper won in the Entire House Remodel over $1 million category.

The El Toro Project This 1920’s Spanish Revival historic landmark estate, designed by famed architect Arthur E. Harvey, is located in tranquil Ojai. Our clients purchased the estate with the goal of honoring the home’s history and have since registered it as a historical landmark.In addition to restoring the home to its original condition, a major goal of the project was to make the house net zero energy, where the house only consumes as much energy as it produces. Maintaining the original architectural integrity and historic value of the home, while bringing it up to and even beyond today’s energy efficiency standards, presented a unique blend of challenges for Allen Construction. The end result was a beautiful estate and historical landmark that will delight residents and guests for another century. Read more here. 

The Halper project is uniquely an elegant hillside home in the Santa Barbara foothills. The clients modified their recently purchased hillside home to match their personal taste and lifestyle. Originally designed by renowned architect Thomas Ochsner, timeless elegance was the focus for the renovation. Read more here. 

Congratulations to ALL of the employee owners at Allen Construction who spent time working to complete these beautiful projects:

BUILDING NATURE AT SEDGWICK RESERVE

The iconic Sedgwick Reserve is a world-class sustainable research, conservation and education facility located in the Santa Ynez Valley in Northern Santa Barbara County. One of seven reserves of its kind managed by the University of California Natural Reserve System, the reserve is home to thousands of species of plants and animals including bears, mountain lion and rare wildflowers. The reserve also claims the unique title as the “largest rattlesnake research facility in the world”. So remember to wear your ankle covers when you walk the site!

Judy Stapleman, landowner, ecologist and philanthropist came up with the idea for the reserve after noticing that many tracts of land being claimed back from grazing land for “conservation” where often harmful than beneficial to the local environment. When a parcel has been utilized for grazing or otherwise developed (as must of the reserve has) the land is made susceptible to infestation by invasive plant species. Many invasive plants are prolific and often make it very difficult for natives to compete. For this reason conserved land must be managed in a smart, sustainable way to allow native plants and wildlife to thrive again. The reserve is managed in a way that focuses on this delicate balance. With careful management and full time staff care, the large land parcel is now nearly restored to its natural state and completely dedicated to research in biology, ecology and sustainable land management.

Sedgwick Reserve covers more than 6000 acres (around 9 square miles), making it the largest and most diverse reserve of its kind in the country. A swath of land this large with such diverse use r staff is critical. The house is a “24/7 research station” with infrastructure to support sustainable use. There is an old farm house that houses students and researchers as well as a tent campground and old barn. The original structures have been there since the late 1800’s. The reserve has spent the last few years building new key infrastructure to house staff and continue is mission of allowing researchers to come to the site and live side by side with the plants and wildlife they research.

Allen Construction is proud to build for the reserve. Allen’s dedication to sustainable design, durability of building construction and reputation for quality of work made Allen an easy choice for partnering with the preserve to build their growing infrastructure needs. In 2015 Allen completed the sustainably built Tipton Meeting house on the reserve field station grounds. This certified LEED Platinum project is one of the most sustainable buildings in the country. The meeting house is frequented by researchers and student groups for classes and lectures on site at the reserve. The Tipton House, farm house and reserve field station are nearly self sustaining for their energy needs. There is a solar photo-voltaic system installed that easily support most electricity needs at the site on sunny days. However, the field station is home to some higher powered climate monitoring equipment that requires some additional power to be supplied from the conventional grid. “If not for the weather station the reserve would be sending power back to the grid each month” Said McCurdy.

Recently, the Sedgwick board of directors called on Allen Construction to break ground on a new project. Allen will now deliver and install a new module home to accommodate for additional staff members. “The number of researchers on site is growing” said Kate McCurdy, wildlife biologist and full time manager at the preserve. Kate lives full time on site in a sustainable, modular pre-fab home installed six years ago. The residence was placed in order to provide Kate with a private living space away from the throngs of students and researchers using the site year-round. The new modular home will be connected to the solar system once installed. Adding more permanent staff to reside on site will assure proper and continuous management as well as give Kate opportunity take a day off here and there! The new house is fully assembled and ready to deliver as soon as the ground on the site is dry enough for installation. Preliminary site work began mid April and completion is set for June 2017.

SPRING HOME MAINTENANCE TO DO LIST

Want some important tips for home maintenance? The temperature is rising, the days are getting longer and blooming flowers and leaves are clogging up your gutters. These things are the tell tale signs that spring has arrived. Now that the heavy winter storms are behind us, we at Allen Care and Repair have put together some easy and fast home safety and maintenance tips important for all homeowners. Make sure that you take the time to give your property a once over each spring and fall. Know what you can do yourself and when to call in a professional. Always remember, ‘If you don’t know…call a pro!’

The time change came on March 11th this year. When we spring our clocks forward for the year it can be signal to check our home’s fire prevention system. Smoke alarm maintenance is easy to do, but also easy to forget. Use the time change as a reminder to change out the battery in each smoke alarm. Invest in your family’s safety once per year by doing this simple task. As summer approaches its a perfect time to practice your family’s emergency preparedness by developing and practicing a family fire drill. This can be a fun activity for young children and something to continuously reinforce as they grow.

2017 was a record breaking rain and snow year across California. Heavy weather can cause damage to the facade home over time. In the spring as weather is more warm and dry its a good time to check your exterior woodworking for any delaminating, splitting or cracking. If you notice any  degradation of paint coatings or peeling of pain surfaces call a painting professional right away. As paint wares away it invites in wood rot. Once the rot sets in it becomes incredibly difficult and expensive to fix. Rotten wood also invites in termites and other pests. Softer wood is much more appetizing than clean dry wood. So if you see some paint damage and are thinking of putting it of, don’t! A small amount of maintenance now can prevent compounded damage and costly remediation in the future.

Spring is a time to check your roof and roof structures. Storms of winter and windy conditions in the spring can cause trees to lose limbs. Make sure to get a professional roofer to inspect damage. If you have leaks, don’t try to repair them yourself. Often times a leak inside the house can be a signal for a greater problem originating with the roof. It’s OK to safety get on a ladder and inspect your own room, but be SAFE and SMART about it. Call a professional if you have a Spanish Tile roof. Avoid walking on tile roofs as they are slippery and unstable to walk on. They also break easily which can lead to more costly repairs. When inspecting a flat roof, look for clean gutters and drainage areas. Its easy to neglect our roof. Just remember that debris can build up over time. If a drainage system is blocked it can cause water to build up compromising the integrity of the home. Leaks and mold are never a good outcome. So take a look up there each spring and make sure everything is clean and flowing.

GREEN BUILDING IS GOOD FOR BUSINESS!

Green Building is Good for business! Are you dreaming of renovating your business ? You’re in good company. Its widely shown that patrons prefer greener spaces to bring their business. Below are the whys and how’s of turning your dream into a reality from Southern California’s leading green builder Allen Construction.

A Sustainably Built Food & Beverage Location is Good for Business

If you’re in the food and beverage industry, it’s just good business to figure out how to integrate green building into your location. The 2015 National Restaurant Association’s Industry Forecast found that nearly two-thirds of consumers say they’re likely to consider a restaurant’s eco-friendly practices when they decide where to eat. As a result, thinking sustainability about both your location and your food/drink selections can help grow your business. If you’re in the industry, then this 2016 UCLA study has likely caught your eye, which found in their analysis of more than 74,000 wines that organic wines got consistently higher scores from critics.

Allen Construction is the foremost expert on the central coast for Green building and green tasting room renovation. The Alma Rosa Winery tasting room in Buellton, California is an inviting space for the wine lover. Inspired by nature, Wood benches and tables made from recycled Douglas-fir timbers (originally harvested in 1912) grace the main tasting area. Also a thriving olive tree as its centerpiece of this innovative space designed by Blackbird Architects. Other winery renovations by Allen Construction include Stolpman and Byron tasting rooms in the Santa Ynez Valley.

Want to Maximize Building Performance and Project Quality While Minimizing Cost?

The Design-Build Industry of America found that early inclusion of a builder during design concepting—even as early as pre-design conversations—is not only desirable, but necessary for maximizing eco-friendly outcomes, including level of sustainability, high performance, cost, schedule, and quality.

Building or remodeling sustainably is also good for your pocketbook—whether you stay in your home or sell it. If you plan to stay, the average upfront costs of 2.4% are quickly recouped, as you will continue to reap lower utility bills and better health and comfort for your family throughout your home’s lifespan. If you plan to sell, you could also enjoy significantly higher-than-average neighborhood comps and faster list-to-sale time frames, thanks to your home’s sustainable features, according to this 2016 Institute for Market Transformation report. (Likely because more than half of U.S. consumers rank green and energy-efficiency as top requirements for their next homes.)

A Growing Green Residential Market

If you are considering building or renovating your home in a way that lessens your environmental impact, you’re in good company. In fact, a 2015 USGBC study indicates that we can expect the residential green construction market to grow from $55 million in 2015 to $100.4 million in 2018, representing a year-over-year growth of 24%. This is even more impressive when you consider that residential green construction represented just 2% of the market back in 2005.

New 2017 Energy Codes Makes Early Builder Involvement Not Just a Nicety, but a Necessity.

In California, getting a builder involved early is imperative for another reason. California’s new 2017 energy code is significantly more aggressive – by a factor of 30% to 35%. This means that design aesthetics such as window walls that capture stunning views can’t happen without a knowledgeable builder’s input on integrated energy design. Even if you’ve built or remodeled homes in other states, California is leading the way in green building code.

Allen Construction’s History as the Green Building Leader in Southern California

Founded in 1983, Allen Construction’s core mission is to be the most innovative builder by wowing their clients, honoring their people, perfecting their craft, and improving the planet. To this end, Allen employees are consistently encouraged to stay on top of the latest innovations in the building industry and continually hone their expertise—including tackling designs that require complex engineering, new building materials, cutting edge techniques, or sensitive historical restoration.

Allen Construction has a robust portfolio of some of the greenest buildings in the country and a long-standing reputation for delivering meticulous craftsmanship. Recipient of numerous regional and national industry honors, Allen is perhaps best known among those that have worked with the firm for its exceptional customer service. Everyone at the employee-owned company, from receptionist to President, is focused on building lifelong relationships with clients, architects, designers, trades, and suppliers.

“HIGH USAGE” LETTER FROM SCE, EXPLAINED

You may have received something in your mailbox called a High Usage Charge Notification letter. This has showed up at thousands of households throughout Southern California Edison (SCE) service area. Maybe you are one of these homeowners and you no doubt have some questions. This letter was sent out mid-January to households which used more than 400% of their “Baseline Allocation”. Here is what you need to know:

Why did I receive this notification from Southern California Edison?

Your electricity bill is changing. Under the new rules of Southern California Edison customers will be charged a higher rate (up to 100% more) for “High Usage”. This is a per kWh charge for each kWh of electricity use that is over your “baseline usage” amount. The electricity bill

The electricity bill sample here shows how your new bill may look with high usage charges. the Tiered approach is set up to encourage customers to stay below a certain level of consumption to save electricity. The worst part is, you will be compared with your neighbors! These higher charges may take many residential enregy customers by surprise, epseically folks that may have solar or other energy efficiency tools in place to reduce energy use. You may be in a place with a very limited baseline energy allocation.

 What is baseline electricity allocation?

SCE’s Baseline Allocation is a set amount of Kilowatt Hours of energy (KWh) for basic services such as lighting, cooking, heating, and refrigeration. Established by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), the Baseline Allocation is a way for SCE to ensure that  residential customers are able to purchase a basic supply of energy at the lowest applicable rate in effect. Your specific Baseline Allocation depends on three factors: your baseline region, the season (winter or summer), and whether your home’s source of energy is only electricity , or a combination of electricity and gas. Baseline allocation levels were established to provide a significant portion of a customer’s minimal energy needs and encourage energy conservation. The levels were never intended to cover 100% of the average residential customer’s usage! Hence, the much higher energy bills that we are starting to find in our mailboxes.

How is my baseline allocation calculated?

“For SCE customers, it is calculated based on 60% to 70% of the average residential energy usage within specific baseline regions. Residences with electricity as their sole source of energy generally receive a greater amount of Baseline Allocation than residences with a combination of electricity and gas.” source sce.com

Notice in the table below the minimum daily usage rates recently implemented by SCE. This change is coming up as the utility fully transitions from tiered based billing to Time-Of-Use.

So, there you are. Neither the size of your home, number of family members, or lifestyle have direct effect on the amount of cheap “baseline” energy you are allowed to consume. Regardless, it is safe to say that most of us would like to reduce our energy consumption whether as a way of curbing costs, promote sustainability, or just to keep up with the neighbors.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY IS OUR TOP PRIORITY WITH ALLEN A+

WHY ALLEN A+ FOR ENERGY EFFICIENT BUILDING?

Zero Net Energy  – homes that produce as much energy as they use – and Green Building are major focal points at Allen Construction.  This year in particular Title 24 (California’s energy efficiency code) continues to get more advanced. We want to stay ahead of the industry and continue to own the leading edge in green construction.

Allen Construction is rolling out a new program for advanced sustainability called “A+.”  Allen A+ seeks to answer the key questions every client seeing energy efficiency needs to ask. Can my home or office actually give back to their site, producing more than it consumes?  Can we achieve “Net Positive?” i.e. producing more energy than is consumed? This is what A+ is all about.  We are challenging the marketplace to bring us their most advanced green projects.  No other contractor can handle this kind of project and we want to make sure everyone knows it!

With A+ Allen Construction offers “comprehensive and integrated design support” to help our clients, architects and designers create buildings that use the most cost effective energy saving strategies.  Whether an architect needs help bringing a project into compliance with the tough new Title 24 code, or a client wants to go beyond and achieve Zero Net Energy or better, A+ is about bringing together all of Allen’s resources to achieve these goals.

ALLEN CONSTRUCTION A+ SEMINAR SERIES FOR LOCAL ARCHITECTS

The initial outreach for A+ comes via a series of workshops for architects being offered in both Santa Barbara and Los Angeles.  Scott Nyborg, Sustainability Manager at Allen, leads the series. The seminar, held in January, attracted 34 architects in Santa Barbara and 16 architects in Los Angeles.  The 2nd and 3rd classes will be held at the end of February and March.  Feedback from participating architects was very positive.  In fact, there was such high demand for the first class in Santa Barbara, a 4th class was added for April!

A+ brings together Allen expertise in green construction across all Divisions to solve the sustainability challenges for architects.  Allen provides the architects with the following tools:

• Ongoing technical support including energy modeling,

• Cost optimization,

• building assembly analysis and details,

• Renewable energy integration and energy storage design,

• Coordination of  MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing) consultants to help with targeted performance outcomes

• water system design

By offering project consulting services in these subjects, we plan to become the most valuable resource to our design community. The A+ effort will set us apart from other contractors and ensure our role as THE BEST AND MOST KNOWLEDGEABLE GREEN BUILDER in Southern California.