It was my pleasure to participate recently in an online webinar panel dedicated to hands on experience with WaterSense (you may need to sign up with GreenExpo365 to listen to this – it’s free!).  It was interesting to share nationally about this new program with the other panelists.

I also want to do a shout out to Scott Donnelly and GreenExpo365.  They provide virtual conferences throughout the year on all sorts of sustainability related topics.  I was personally unaware of them previously, but I am really impressed with what they are doing, and that they are providing carbon free learning for folks – it really does make a difference.  zHome will be participating in some upcoming GreenExpo365 sessions so stay tuned – we’ll let you know when they’re coming up!

Don’t miss our awesome new zHome introductory video by the dynamic duo of Sheila Mullen and Valerie Vozza.  This introductory video features Denis Hayes, founder of Earth Day and Bullitt Foundation president.  It was truly an honor to have Denis do this video with us.  People have told me they get goosebumps watching it; don’t miss it!

The Bullitt Foundation is building an amazing new project called the Bullitt Center. I will post on this soon but if you haven’t heard about it, you need to check it out – it’s even more sustainable than zHome, and that’s hard to do!

zHome from valerie vozza on Vimeo.

We’ve had a great opening couple of weeks for our on site education.  We’ve had about 800 folks each weekend, plus several hundred for the Government Confluence, Built Green conference, and a variety of other on site events.  Folks either stroll  through on their own or take a guided tour.  We’ve had an amazing positive response for the project.  Don’t let the numbers scare you, the site absorbs people well and it doesn’t feel crowded even with a 100+ on site.

Be sure to also check out Ichijo’s model homes - they’re awesome!

I just had the pleasure of providing a tour to a group of Taiwanese building scientists and policy experts, including professors from the National University of Kaohsiung and the National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, the CEO of the Taiwan Architecture and Building Center, and researchers from the Architecture and Building Research Institute.  We spent well over two hours going through the ins and outs of zHome. 

zHome was internationally inspired, has an international builder, and it is great to spread the word to key folks in other countries.  If we all work together, we CAN deal with climate change – and even have fun doing it.

OK, we’re nearing completion, and it’s time to get the stickers everywhere. If you would like some free stickers, please email: kellyf@ci.issaquah.wa.us. Please note these are ephemeral art only – they are made of paper and last about 3-4 months only. We avoided vinyl, which is what stickers are usually made of!

Dennis had folks post photos of stickers over on our YouTube page, add yours!

Here’s some of my favorites so far.

Paris 1

Paris 2

Paris 3

zHome at sunset

I just missed the money shot by a couple minutes, but here is zHome in the last few seconds of sun in 2010.  Best to everyone in the coming year – we can do it!

Gary Wood, Issaquah energy auditor, explains elements of a blower door test

I am very proud to say we have had great response to our fall energy campaign.  We partnered with Puget Sound Energy, their HomePrint program, and six auditors to provide audits at no cost to local residents.  We have signed up 130 residents – not bad considering our initial program was for 50. 

Thanks to PSE for their support of our local outreach effort!  You are a GREAT partner!

GordonDerr, one of the premier land use and real estate law firms in the Northwest, does a very cool thing every year. They send out a Thanksgiving card every year to clients, friends, and family, and as part of it, highlight an area non-profit. Card recipients are encouraged to donate to the fund, and then GordonDerr matches their donation.

I was thrilled this year that GordonDerr chose the zHome education effort to be the focus of their card. Donations will be used to support the variety of education efforts the project pursues. For example, to date, we have held 43 classes and events, reaching over 3,000 individuals, all focused on the hopeful message of zHome. We have much more in store coming up, and we can’t wait to share it with you all.

Thank you so much to GordonDerr for their support. They are a class act and we appreciate the huge support this gives us.

This may be better on our Facebook page, but what the heck!

Nick Nied, construction project manager for Ichijo USA, got up at 12:30 at night to catch an albacore tuna to make sashimi for his coworkers. They were very happy about it!

Nick’s Albacore from zHome on Vimeo.

Incidentally, the Environmental Defense Fund lists Albacore Tuna as an “eco-best” sushi fish.

We were in France on vacation this year, and I was interested to see a growing deep green orientation there.  In the past, it has always felt like France was lagging behind Germany, Sweden, and the UK in addressing climate change on the ground.  I could feel a difference this year though – in the street art, growing bio street markets, and green initiatives. 

In Paris, a year long planning process resulted last year in “le Grand Paris“, sponsored by President Sarkozy as a way to reshape the capitol to have a smaller footprint in the coming centuries.  Several new deep green skyscrapers, such as Hypergreen, have been proposed in the last several years.  Just in the last two years, Paris has started a dedicated effort to promote bicycling, and there was a new bike rental program called Velib which was used by lots of folks, including commuters – in a short amount of time it has become a great success. 

zHome at Hypergreen display, Cite de l'Architecture et du Patrimoine

Out in the countryside, PV panels were showing up on roofs.  Folks said the big controversy was the local planning authorities were concerned about the aesthetic integration of the panels on the historic tile roofs.   All in all, really positive signs – you could feel the change in the air.

PV installers' van