Archive for Being Green

Apartment dwellers want to live lose to light-rail

June 18, 2010 · Filed under Green Living · Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Great article about the impact of the Light-Rail and how it impacts where people live.

People are willing to pay about 4 percent more a month to rent an apartment within a quarter-mile of a light-rail stop.

That’s pushing vacancy rates down in those communities, and the cost of land near transit is going up, according to a recent analysis of the apartment market by Grubb & Ellis.

“We do have a really young, educated work force that will pay a premium to be near light rail,” said Tom Wanberg, senior vice president of investment services at Grubb & Ellis.

Unimproved apartment land sales in Denver from 2006 to 2010 show developers pay an average of 25 percent more for properties within a quarter-mile of an existing or planned transit stop, the analysis found.

“Five years ago, when you put a property on the market, I don’t remember anyone asking if it was close to transit,” said Steve Rahe, senior vice president of Grubb & Ellis’ multifamily investment group.

Of the 30 apartment communities surveyed along the southeast and southwest light-rail lines, 19 were built after the system was operational.

Proximity to transit ranked second only to geographic location as a driver in resident leasing decisions, the survey found. Common-area amenities were the third-most important.

“People find they can get on light rail and have quicker access to the downtown area or, if they live downtown, out to the Tech Center,” said Gordon Von Stroh, professor of business at the University of Denver. “It’s more appealing to the urban-oriented younger professional that is willing to make some changes and look at transportation from a different perspective.”

The largest demographic group leasing properties near transit stops was college students, with an average resident population of 40 percent, according to the Grubb & Ellis study. Professionals in their 30s ranked second, accounting for 35 percent of apartment residents near transit.

As the region’s light-rail system gets built out, more people are likely to be drawn to apartments near rail stations.

“The more cogs of the wheel that are filled in with new rail lines, the more people are going to want to use transit,” Wanberg said.

In 2004, voters approved a 0.4 percent sales tax to build FasTracks, which includes six new train lines and extensions to three existing light-rail routes.

Since then, the transit agency’s budget for FasTracks has been derailed by escalating construction costs and sharply downgraded long-term sales-tax-revenue forecasts.

Without a tax increase, RTD expects to only have enough money to build about half the FasTracks project by the end of this decade. The remaining lines might not be built until 2042.

Margaret Jackson: 303-954-1473 or mjackson@denverpost.com

http://www.denverpost.com/realestate/ci_15290467

www.LibbysDenver.com

Leave a comment »

Denver Bike Share Program

May 18, 2010 · Filed under Being Green, Current Events · Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Denver has a newly implemented bike sharing program with around 400 bikes, which is miles ahead of the rest of the country. Adopting the program from European countries such as Paris, Barcelona and Rome, Denver has taken one more step to become Green.

Denver B-cycle is a joint program of Denver Bike Sharing, a local non profit, and B-cycle LLC. Denver Bike Sharing has enlisted the help of B-cycle to supply the technology and hardware required to implement a bike sharing system in the Denver area. GPS and other wireless technologies associated with the system allows users to track how many miles they’ve ridden, calories burned and estimated carbon footprint savings earned. You can even use a smartphone to see if a dock is full or where space is available.

Residents and frequent users will be able to obtain unlimited access to the system by purchasing an annual membership online. Alternatively, both residents and tourists with a valid credit card will be able to purchase a weekly or monthly membership online. Daily memberships will be available for purchase onlineor at the B-cycle stations. Stations are still available for hosting as well as sponsorship opportunities.

Membership Options & Fees

The following membership fees are the base fees to use the Denver B-cycle system.

Length of Membership Fee
24 Hour Membership $5
7 Day Membership $20
30 Day Membership $30
Yearly Membership $65

Usage Fees per Ride

Usage fees are designed to keep rides short and promote constant use and turnover of bikes. The longer the trip, the higher the usage fee.

Total Duration
of Ride		 Fee per 30-minute Segment Total Fee
0-30 minutes Included $0.00
31-60 minutes + $1.10 $1.10
61-90 minutes + $2.20 $3.30
91-120 minutes + $3.30 $6.60
Additional charge per 30 minute segment + $4.40 $11.00+

Applicable local and state sales tax of 7.72% included.

If you forget to bring the bike back, it will cost $1,000 to replace. And that’s a direct debit right out of the credit card you listed when you signed up. Lose a B-card? That’s a $5 fee. And it costs $10 to replace a B-cycle key.

Click here to find the closest station to you.

For more information on memberships, visit Denver.Bcycle.com.

To read the full Denver Post article here
Libby’s Denver

Leave a comment »

Second Annual National Cell Phone Recycling Week

April 8, 2010 · Filed under Being Green · Tagged , , ,

This is a great opportunity to get rid of all those extra cell phones that may be sitting around the house.

The second annual National Cell Phone Recycling Week began Monday and will continue through Sunday.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has teamed up with several leading names in the cell phone industry, including AT&T, Best Buy, LG Electronics, RecycleBank, Samsung Mobile, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless, in order to increase awareness about the importance of cell phone recycling to save energy and conserve natural resources.

The retail partners are part of the EPA’s Plug-In To eCycling program, and will be sponsoring promotional activities across the country to encourage Americans to turn in phones for reuse and recycling. The agency has set up a Web site for the program.

“Every recycled cell phone makes a difference,” Maria Vickers, acting director of EPA’s Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery, said as part of the announcement. “The energy saved by recycling even one cell phone is enough to power a laptop for 44 hours.”

http://www.dealerscope.com/article/epa-s-national-cell-phone-recycling-week-underway-25003489/1

Learn more about me at www.LibbysDenver.com

Leave a comment »

Denver Ranks 4th for Most Energy Efficient Buildings

March 26, 2010 · Filed under Being Green · Tagged , , ,

Metro Denver ranks in fourth place among 25 U.S. cities with the most energy-efficient buildings, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Tuesday.

The ranking is based on the number of buildings that earned EPA’s “Energy Star” ranking last year.

The agency said 136 buildings in the Denver area had an Energy Star rating in 2009, with a total floorspace of 31.5 million square feet. Only Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and San Francisco led Denver in the number of energy-efficient buildings, EPA said.

Fort Collins ranks No. 24 on the list.

EPA calculates that Denver’s Energy Star buildings saved a collective $29 million on utility bills last year.

http://denver.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2010/03/22/daily25.html

Leave a comment »

LEED Certification for new Xcel Building

March 20, 2010 · Filed under Being Green

The new office building at 1800 Larimer expects to get a LEED Platinum certification mid-May. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, and is the U.S. Green Building Council’s designation for sustainable, energy-efficient buildings. Platinum is LEED’s top rating.

The 545,000-square-foot, 22-story building located at 1800 Larimer St. is expected to be finished in April.

If 1800 Larimer achieves LEED Platinum, it will be one of only a handful of buildings in Colorado to get the rating. One of the others is the Signature Centre office building in Golden. The 1800 Larimer building broke ground in May 2008, and initially was scheduled to be finished last fall. Estimated total construction cost is $120 million.

Minneapolis-based Xcel Energy Inc. (NYSE: XEL) will be the structure’s largest tenant, taking 350,000 square feet for its Colorado headquarters. Xcel plans to move 1,300 employees into the building in June.

Some of the Green specifics of the building are;

• Floor-to-ceiling glass that will allow for significant amounts of natural light.

• Part of the building’s power will come from Xcel’s Windsource wind-energy program.

• An under-floor air distribution system, designed to save energy and provide good air quality.

• Twenty percent of materials used in the building’s core and shell have recycled content.

• Twenty percent of building materials came from local sources.

• Video-conferencing capability will cut vehicle use and transportation costs, by allowing people to communicate without leaving the building.

• Tenants’ power will be submetered, which will allow tenants to use their own energy-efficiency and conservation practices.

http://denver.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2010/03/15/daily37.html

Leave a comment »

10 Ways to Save on Your Next Energy & Water Bills

June 18, 2009 · Filed under Green Living · Tagged , , , , , , ,

At this moment, the thing on everyone’s mind is, “How can I save money?” The best answer in many cases is to look directly at your own house. Following are a few tips from the Governor’s Office.

1. Set your thermostats! Your refrigerator should be set between 35-40 degrees and your freezer at 0-5 degrees to save you the most money. Most homes only need their water heater set to 120 degrees (lowering the thermostat by 10% on a water heater can save between 3% – 5% in energy costs). For Heating and Cooling, a programmable thermostat is the way to go. In the winter you can set it at 68 degrees while you’re awake and setting it lower when you’re asleep or away from the house (this can save you 1% per degree change!!).

2. Check insulation and air sealing. You can reduce your home’s heating and cooling costs through proper insulation and air sealing which will make your home more comfortable and will compliment your insulation efforts.

3. Install energy efficient lighting. This is one of the easiest things we can all do. By installing Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) you can save 25% to 30% of your energy compared to traditional incandescent bulbs and last 10 times longer! Please recycle all expired CFLs (www.colorado.gov/energy).

4. Install water efficient showerheads. You can save up to 6% on the cost of heating your water by usting water-efficient showerheads that use 1.5 Gallons Per Minute (GPM). For extra credit, you can installl aerators in your faucets which will reduce your water bill.

5. Use cold water! Use cold water at the sink whenever possible (leaving the leaver on the hot psition uses energy to heat the water even though it may never reach the faucet. While washing your clothes, use less energy by using cold water instead of hot or even luke warm water.

6. Use a clothesline. Save the cost of drying your clothes by using the power of thesub.

7. Set the Dryer. If you do use your dryer, use the automatic sensor setting to ensure that you aren’t wasting energy. To maximize energy, dry loads back to bac while the dryer is still hot (don’t forget to clean the lint trap).

8. Buy ENERGY STAR products. When buying new appliances, look for the ENERGY STAR labels which apepar on products that meet strict energy-efficient criteria established by the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (www.energystar.gov).

9. Use the sun’s energy. When the sun is shinning, open only the drapes/blinds on the south-facing windows in the winter to help heat your home and keep the drapes/blinds closed on the south-facing windows in the summer to help cool it.

10. Check your home while heating/cooling. Make sure that furniture is not blocking vents and registers and make sure windows and doors are shut tight. If gaps exist, install weather-stripping or storm windows.

For more information visit www.colorado.gov/energy

Leave a comment »

Spire Denver – Green Living

April 16, 2009 · Filed under Being Green, New Projects · Tagged , , ,

I recently had the pleasure of visiting the new Spire project in the newly minted Theater District. Unlike most downtown high-rise buildings, the Spire truly is affordable living, starting in the low $200s. The floor plans range from 1 bed, 1 baths to the penthouse which can be designed to suite your needs.

Aside from the sleek and modern design, the Spire offers many amenities! The Club Level offers state of the art gym equipment, a yoga deck, pool, hot tub, TV/Showing Room and Grill Deck. The Sky Club, accessible for owners of the top ten floors, is a private club on the 40th floor with a private wine room and entertaining space. For dog lovers, there is an outdoor dog park on the 4th floor where your best friend can unwind.

The Spire is also built Green!! The hot tub on the Club Level is heated with the steam from below Denver’s city streets! There are trash and recycle shoots on each floor in addition to Energy Star appliances included with each unit. On the ground floor of the building the first of many planned bike share kiosks will be available to for bike rentals!

To learn more about the Spire visit www.SpireDenver.com

Leave a comment »

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.