Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association Searches
March 6, 2007
HPBA
Indoor shows, outdoor dreams **HPBA**
Baltimore Sun - Baltimore, MD
March 3, 2007
Susan Reimer
The New Single and Double Loungers from San Diego-based Outback Chair Company:
Fashion-forward Alternatives to the Old-fashioned Porch Swing are Now Available at
Swings and Things in San Diego **HPBA**
Emediawire (press release) - Ferndale, WA
March 6, 2007
Hearth Trends
Hot trends for the fireplace
Energy costs, new products give gas a run for its money
Toronto Star - Toronto, Ontario
Shelly Sanders Greer
March 3, 2007
Today's fireplaces: Is that a flat-screen television or 'fire art'?
Cherry Hill Courier Post - Cherry Hill, NJ
February 6, 2007
Susan Hall
Hearth Industry
Miles Industries Joins NFI As An Advocate
Alternative Energy Retailer magazine - Oxford, CT
March 5, 2007
AER Staff
Alternative Heating
Takoma Park Man Saves Energy, Sets Example in Fight Against Climate Change
Washington Post
March 6, 2007
David A. Fahrenthold
Indoor shows, outdoor dreams **HPBA**
Baltimore Sun - Baltimore, MD
March 3, 2007
Susan Reimer
At just the moment when we think we can't endure another day, let alone another month,
of cold weather, it is home-and-garden-show season.
For the price of a ticket, we are drawn into warm, moist, sweet-smelling and cavernous
buildings where, surrounded by blooming gardens, we can pretend summer has arrived.
Double your pleasure this weekend with the opening of both the Philadelphia Flower
Show - the granddaddy of them all - at the Philadelphia Convention Center and the
Maryland Home & Garden Show at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium.
Between the two, homeowners will find more than enough to keep them daydreaming
until it is time to move life outside again.
"It is just incredible what is going on outdoors this season," said Deidra Darsa,
spokeswoman for the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association in Virginia. "It's as if you
don't need a house anymore."
Here are five inspirational outdoor-living ideas you will see at one or the other of these
shows.
Keen on green
This year, the Philadelphia Flower Show, the oldest flower show in the country, pays
tribute to Ireland with more than 10 acres of gardens, flowers and entertainment, so look
for lots of green - literally.
"Monochrome is one of the trends that is picking up," said Jessica Story, head grower for
Meadowbrook Farm, one of the featured exhibitors. The walled garden Meadowbrook
designed for the show includes a misty, green glen devoted completely to ferns.
"There will be lots of ferns and swaths of shrubbery. Large amounts of one thing, one
color, with small masses of color," Story said.
If you go to the shows, focus on how the professionals use a single color - whether green,
red or yellow - in the garden and the variety of hues and leaf textures that give the
displays both depth and interest.
Gold galore
The show's Irish theme, of course, brings to mind the Irish myths about gold.
Jack Blandy of Stoney Bank Nurseries of Glen Mills, Pa., took that gold and ran with it.
There will be more than 250 varieties of gold plants in his featured exhibit in
Philadelphia.
"There will be an old mill and pond where gold was discovered. But the Irish owners will
find the real gold in the ground in the form of plants in the exhibit," said Blandy.
"Gold in flowers, foliage, leaves, needles and in evergreens. Just about anything you can
think of that is gold."
Gold, said Blandy, is perfect for gardeners who want something to pick up the dark spots
in shade gardens.
"Gold is important for that. Gold hostas are a good way to accentuate the dark corners of
a garden."
Set in stone
"The outdoors is just another room in the house," declared Jeff Kroh, of Kroh's Nursery,
winner of last year's Best in Show at the Maryland Home & Garden Show.
And "hardscaping," as stonework is called, has become the most popular way to set off
that outdoor room.
Homeowners and gardeners are finding any excuse to add a patio, a driveway, a wall, a
terrace, a walkway or a garden path from the huge variety of stone products now
available.
This year, Kroh said, the common square pavers have given way to new, irregular cement
pavers that resemble flagstone, complete with clefts.
"The stones are random and irregularly shaped," said Kroh. "Instead of a 2-year-old's
puzzle of square blocks, you are putting together a high-schooler's puzzle of of all these
unusual shapes."
Heating up
Fire is hot. That will be the bottom line on outdoor living this year: Fire pits, stone
fireplaces, chimeras and decorative propane heaters.
From early spring until late fall, cool weather is no hindrance to outdoor living as long as
there is a heat source.
"[Outdoor heating] started in California cafes," said Tony Ramondi of Barbeques Galore
in White Marsh. "It has now found its way into the residential market."
From a heating lamp that costs a few hundred dollars and warms a 20-square-foot area to
a free-standing outdoor fireplace that might cost $4,000, there is a range of options for
homeowners who want to extend their outdoor season.
Idyllic islands
Outdoor living means being able to entertain outdoors as if you were indoors.
"What people want is an area to sit around, a gathering place, a standing bar area. A
meeting place," said Ramondi.
But it goes beyond a place to put your elbow and your drink. Ramondi builds outdoor
islands that include more than just a mega-grill from Viking or Lynx.
These outdoor kitchens include refrigerators, wine coolers, ice makers, storage drawers,
rotisserie grills and stove tops.
"They are like Lego sets. We can fit them together to satisfy the customer," Ramondi
said.
Ranging in price from a couple of thousand dollars to as much as $25,000, these outdoor
kitchen islands can be customized with stone, tile or stucco.
"People want more out of outdoor living than just having a swing set to send the kids out
to play on," Ramondi said.
The Philadelphia Flower Show
"Legends of Ireland"
Dates: Tomorrow to Sunday, March 11
Place: Philadelphia Convention Center, 12th and Arch streets, Philadelphia
Hours: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays; 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday-Friday; 8 a.m. to 9:30
p.m. Saturday
Tickets: $24-$28, depending on day. $13 for children any day. A family fun pack is
available at $55 for two adults, two children under 12.
Show size: 33 indoor acres, with 10 acres devoted to exhibit space
Featured attractions: Free hourly lectures and demonstrations; a tearoom serving a light
afternoon tea for $26; a marketplace featuring wares by 150 vendors, including flowers,
gardening supplies and floral-inspired furniture; a music lounge; and food.
Judging and awards: Nearly 3,000 entries in hundreds of artistic and horticultural
competitive classes.
On the Web: theflowershow.com
The New Single and Double Loungers from San Diego-based Outback Chair
Company: Fashion-forward Alternatives to the Old-fashioned Porch Swing are Now
Available at Swings and Things in San Diego **HPBA**
Emediawire (press release) - Ferndale, WA
March 6, 2007
The Swings and Things Store at Seaport Village, San Diego's waterfront shopping and
dining complex, features unique hanging chairs from local company.
San Diego, CA (PRWeb) March 6, 2007 -- The good old-fashioned porch swing. It is,
quite simply, synonymous with relaxation. But what about today's homeowners who are
seeking a more modern version of this old favorite to enhance their enjoyment of San
Diego's relaxed, outdoor lifestyle? The Single and Double Loungers from Outback Chair
Company (a casual furniture manufacturer headquartered in San Diego) are exactly what
they want -- imaginative reinterpretations of the traditional porch swing. These distinctive
hanging chairs are now available at Swings and Things, a mainstay retailer at Seaport
Village ever since San Diego's waterfront landmark opened a quarter century ago.
The Outback Single and Double Loungers combine top-quality, UV-treated, waterproof
600x600 denier polyester fabric that is durable and easy to clean with a sturdy frame and
wide, comfortable armrests varnished Indonesian hardwood. For real comfort, the
Loungers feature 1.5-inch thick closed cell foam seat cushions. The Single Lounger's
seating width is 24 inches. The Double Lounger, with a 42-inch seating width, provides
ample room for two to cozy up. Fabric color choices include navy blue, green, burgundy,
sand and camouflage. Both are backed by a 10-year warranty. And they come complete
with mounting hardware plus cup holders for enjoying refreshing summertime beverages.
Swings and Things offers the Single Lounger at $279 and Double Lounger for $399.
The Single and Double Loungers are part of Outback Chair Company's complete line of
remarkably relaxing hanging furniture. Hanging chairs offer a different experience than
hammocks. They are an inspired combination of upright seating with the floating feeling
of softly swaying in a hammock. Since you sit up in a hanging chair, many people find
them to be more comfortable for lounging, reading, chatting with family and friends and
enjoying their favorite cool drinks. Moreover, hanging chairs take up less room.
Consumers can enjoy relaxing in a hanging chair even if they do not have the space for a
hammock on their patio or deck or in a screened-in porch. Hanging chairs can be enjoyed
indoors, too, in family rooms or home entertainment areas.
"Seaport Village is all about fun-in-the-sun and celebrating and enjoying San Diego's laid
back, outdoor lifestyle," said Samantha Olenick, who owns Swings and Things with her
husband, Kevin. "Our store reflects this ambiance. Our products are all about fun and
relaxation." The 500-square foot store sells 250 products from all around the world,
including 40 styles of hammocks, 20 hanging chairs and 12 kids' tire swings. The
Outback Single and Double Loungers promptly became popular products at the specialty
store as soon as Swings and Things introduced them as updated styles of the timehonored porch swing.
"We sell less expensive single and double porch swings constructed in cotton rope. That
double porch swing has long been very popular with our customers," said Olenick. After
reading about the Outback Double Lounger in a furniture trade magazine, she visited with
Jack Bass, president of Outback Chair, and Danielle Abel, vice president, at Outback's
national headquarters and showroom on Trade Street in San Diego. "I was immediately
impressed with the quality and craftsmanship of the Loungers, and I liked Jack and
Danielle right away," Olenick recalled. "I also prefer doing business with a local
company."
The Outback Loungers quickly captivated Swings and Things customers. "Our customers
are fairly affluent and discerning consumers who readily understand and appreciate the
quality and value of the Outback Loungers, which are our highest priced products," said
Olenick. "The Outback Double Lounger has been outselling the cotton rope double porch
swing by two-to-one."
Swings and Things displays the Outback Single and Double Loungers hanging right
outside in front of the store, one on each side of the front door. "People visiting Seaport
Village love to sit in the Loungers and relax while enjoying the view of the water. At
busy times, they even line up to try them," said Olenick. "We allow customers to sit back
and relax for while before one of our sales staff steps outside to chat with them and
answer questions."
Outback Chair appreciates having Swings and Things as a local dealer. "Our hanging
furniture -- including chairs, loungers, recliners and hammocks -- is sold by casual
furniture retailers, pool and spa dealers, lawn and garden centers, hardware stores, and
gift boutiques and specialty stores all around the country," said Danielle Abel, vice
president, Outback Chair Company, Inc. "It is wonderful to have our hanging chairs
available locally at such a premier location in our adopted hometown." Abel and Jack
Bass, natives of South Africa, founded Outback Chair Company in 1997 and relocated
the business from the East Coast to San Diego in 2005.
Interviews: Samantha and Kevin Olenick at Swings and Things and Jack Bass and
Danielle Abel of Outback Chair Company are available for media interviews.
Photos: Swings and Things store photos and Outback Chair Company product images are
available to members of the media upon request.
Upcoming Tradeshows for Outback Chair Company: Outback Chair Company is
exhibiting its hanging furniture, including the Outback Single and Double Loungers, at
the following tradeshows: Hearth, Patio & Barbeque (HPBA) Expo, March 15-17, 2007,
Booth 567, Reno-Sparks Convention Center, Reno, Nev. and the National Hardware
Show and Lawn & Garden World, May 8-10, Booth W1765, Orange County Convention
Center, Orlando, Fla.
About Outback Chair Company, Inc.: When selecting casual furniture, discerning
consumers seek exceptional value: imaginatively designed, well-made furniture that
provides genuine comfort at a sensible price. For these consumers, and the retailers who
serve them, Outback Chair Company manufactures and distributes the most complete line
of remarkably relaxing hanging furniture. Suspended from the ceiling of a porch or
swaying gently from a frame out back on a patio, by the pool or in the garden, Outback's
hanging furniture -- including chairs, loungers, recliners and hammocks -- offers lofty
comfort that raises relaxation to serene heights. Founded in 1997, Outback Chair
Company (www.outbackchair.com) is headquartered in San Diego, Calif.
###
Hot trends for the fireplace
Energy costs, new products give gas a run for its money
Toronto Star - Toronto, Ontario
Shelly Sanders Greer
March 3, 2007
For the past 10 years, gas fireplaces have been the most popular choice for homeowners
because of their efficiency. But now, with soaring energy costs and the many new
products available, gas has some strong competition.
"Last year there was a big swing back to wood-burning fireplaces – so much so, we sold
out of our popular models by mid-November," says Doug Davie, president of Kastle
Fireplace Ltd. "We're providing the fireplaces for a subdivision in Collingwood and the
average house there has three. Fifty per cent of them are wood burning and 50 per cent
are gas."
Kastle says there are "incredible products" now like the wood-pellet stove, which burns a
multitude of fuels such as corn, chestnuts, peach pits, cherry pits and wood pellets. They
are providing farmers with another market for excess corn, a renewable resource than can
reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Davie says that in the U.S. last year, the wood pellet
stoves sold out entirely.
Flame-out-of-log technology is another product Davie shows customers. The ceramic
burners are concealed in traditional looking logs. Inside, gas is pumped into sand,
permitting a random, natural looking flame. However, unlike the more traditional directvent gas fireplaces and inserts, which can heat rooms efficiently, the gas-log technology
is more for aesthetics.
"The direct-vent inserts can save money for heating but they are more expensive than
gas-log fireplaces," Davie explains. "Gas logs are not efficient and consume a fair bit of
gas. They also draw air from the home. Direct vent is sealed combustion, no air is
exchanged from the inside to the outside and air is not drawn from the home."
Davie says the approximate cost of a gas log fireplace would be $2,000 installed and the
cost for a direct-vent insert is about $3,700 installed.
One growing trend is to install a plasma TV on the wall above a gas fireplace. However,
as Brenda Donner, an interior decorator in Markham points out, "a gas fireplace can
lessen the life expectancy of the TV if it's above the fireplace. But people want that look
and I think are prepared to take the chance that it might mean they have to get a new TV
sooner than later."
To combat the excess heat issue, Canadian-owned Town and Country Fireplaces sells
only low-heat gas fireplaces. Their newest log set – Tranquility River Rock – features
small river rocks and white sand with the flame rising through the rocks. This is one of
four log sets available and these can all be interchanged within the six models and four
firebox panels offered to customize fireplaces.
Jan Herald, vice-president of Town & Country Fireplaces in Ontario, says his company
has the largest direct-vent fireplace on the market, and it won the Most Innovative
Product Award at the recent IDEX/NeoCon Show in Toronto. Called the TC54, it is 54
inches wide and 42 inches high.
"Its size gives a very realistic feel," says Herald, who adds that these are luxury fireplaces
with a luxury price. The Tranquility River Rock, as a two-sided fireplace, sells for $8,000
to $10,000 installed.
Town & Country also launched a new remote control, unlike anything else on the market,
at the Toronto Interior Design Show.
It's called the Maestro Control System and Herald says it has "the entire operating system
inside the remote control."
All of Town & Country's fireplaces from now on will include this remote, which provides
functions such as daily and weekly programs, the ability to vary flame height, a child
safety lock, thermostat settings and a sleep timer.
You can also turn the fireplace off or on for the season using the remote, and there is a
large digital display showing the current temperature and functions you're using.
Herald says the technology is so advanced that some repairs can be handled by a
technician using the remote.
Lynelle Madison, a designer who appears regularly on the W Network's The Decorating
Challenge, runs her own company Design InVision, where she helps clients create
fireplaces to enhance their homes.
One of the new products she particularly likes is called Inflame, a vent-free fireplace that
can be placed in any room of a house.
"It's environmentally friendly, humidifies the area and comes with an aromatherapy kit.
Using a canister of gel or corn oil, it produces a 25- or 30-centimetre crackling flame.
And Inflame works well with shallow or deep mantels," she says.
"You don't need gas lines and you can customize the inside. For a traditional look, you
can use river rock and for an ultra sleek, contemporary look, you can use fireballs."
Once the fireplace is in place, the mantel and surround must be chosen.
"I'm seeing more over-mantels where the mantel goes right to the ceiling," Madison says.
"Some people have a large brick pattern for a traditional look and others go for something
like black onyx to the ceiling, with no mantel, for a more modern feel."
She says that although the internal surround is usually tile or granite, some people are
choosing to customize their fireplace with stone, mirrors, red onyx and even a semitranslucent material that can be lit from behind.
Donner is seeing a lot of interior design clients choosing natural materials such as stone,
glass tiles and even stainless steel for surrounds.
"The look is very personal," she says. "A lot of clients are liking a clean, simple style."
Bette Jane Jelly, who runs inside.out.design in Toronto, says that "whether you are
looking for centuries-old traditional, modern or classic, ensure the details are in keeping
with the look you want to achieve for the style of your home.
"Be selective in choosing timeless colours – black, brown, grey, sand, cream or white,"
she says. "You don't want to be replacing the hearth and surround just because you have
tired of the colour in a few years' time."
Today's fireplaces: Is that a flat-screen television or 'fire art'?
Cherry Hill Courier Post - Cherry Hill, NJ
February 6, 2007
Susan Hall
Since caveman times, we've been mesmerized by fire. And, despite the dangers, bringing
fire into the home seems to calm us.
Dealers say manufacturers have made great strides in the past few years in producing
fireplaces that are more energy efficient and also more closely resemble a wood-burning
hearth.
And these days you can find fireplaces that mimic a flat-screen TV, resemble "fire art"
and produce other effects.
The trick is to find the fireplace that's right for you.
Natural draft fireplace -- This is the traditional wood-burning fireplace with a flue. It
produces the biggest flames, is the most expensive to build and is the most inefficient.
Air for combustion comes from the room. It draws heat out of the house and sends it out
the flue, along with about 90 percent of its energy.
Direct-vent fireplace -- With a pipe to the outdoors and a glassed-in gas fireplace, these
systems, in effect, never open the fire to your house. The pipe-within-a-pipe system
brings in air for combustion through an inner pipe and vents exhaust through an outer
pipe. It can go directly through the back of the unit or above to the outside.
"You won't get roaring fires in these," says Tom Raver, owner of Fireplace Distributors
Inc. in Louisville, Ky. But it can more closely resemble a wood fire than gas logs of years
past.
It will provide heat to the room and create a certain ambience that many people want.
Many customers want to take off the front glass screen, which would negate the wholly
enclosed system, he says. Manufacturers design decorative screens for the front glass,
which can become extremely hot, as can the mantel above the fireplace.
Vent-free fireplace -- Controversy rages about these gas products, which take air for
combustion out of the room and also return exhaust there.
They're designed to burn so efficiently they produce only carbon dioxide and water,
eliminating the need for venting. Their efficiency, however, depends on proper
installation. Included is an oxygen depletion sensor, which turns off the units if oxygen
levels fall too low.
Because they don't require venting, they can be installed anywhere. However, they're not
acceptable for bedrooms or bathrooms, according to Doug Ball, owner of Louisville's
Grate Balls of Fire, because they produce so much heat. "One can easily heat 1,000
square feet," he says.
Their flame quality still is considered less realistic than that of a direct-vent, however.
This is one of the least expensive options.
Indoor air quality becomes an issue with these units.
When Consumer Reports magazine tested vent-free units, it found a unit properly sized to
the space posed no acute health hazard. It recommended a vented unit when anyone in the
family has respiratory problems and, in any case, recommended having a carbon
monoxide detector and keeping a window open when a unit is operating.
In the North, where houses are more tightly built, most building codes don't allow them.
Electric fireplaces -- Yes, you can buy a fireplace in a big box at a mass merchandiser,
take it home and set it up, often without any tools. Electric fireplaces, "are 100 times
better than they used to be," Raver says. These units usually are used in apartments or
condos with no room for venting. You won't get the most realistic flame, however.
Gel fireplaces -- Using isopropyl alcohol or ethanol, these units are hyped as the "green"
alternative, because the fuel comes from corn, potatoes or other plants. Ball says he has
sold some of these units, though the fuel tends to be expensive.
Miles Industries Joins NFI As An Advocate
Alternative Energy Retailer magazine - Oxford, CT
March 5, 2007
AER Staff
National Fireplace Institute (NFI), the certification agency for the hearth products
industry, has added Miles Industries Ltd., a North Vancouver, British Columbia-based
manufacturer of Valor gas fireplaces, as an NFI Advocate.
Miles Industries joins more than two dozen hearth product manufacturers in support of
the NFI program, the agency says. The program represents the industry's shared
commitment to promote excellence through certification of hearth specialists. It includes
review courses and exams, offered at over 100 locations across the U.S., on how to
properly plan and install hearth products and venting systems.
"We think it is an important move on our part to promote national training standards,"
says Mike Powell, Miles Industries' general manager. "I think the dealers need a common
training source like NFI, which provides cohesiveness to training and qualifications."
Takoma Park Man Saves Energy, Sets Example in Fight Against Climate Change
Washington Post
March 6, 2007
David A. Fahrenthold
Mike Tidwell's electric meter was spinning in reverse.
He was standing outside his Takoma Park house watching the metal disk count down.
"I'm selling it to Pepco right now," he said one day recently.
Mike Tidwell has overhauled his house in Takoma Park to minimize emissions of carbon
dioxide, a greenhouse gas. Here is a look at some of the energy-saving features.
Tidwell, an environmental activist concerned with climate change, has outfitted his home
with energy-efficient appliances, a corn-burning stove and solar panels. Now, the twostory house sometimes produces more electricity than it needs and sends the surplus to
Pepco's distribution system.
Across the Washington area, homeowners alarmed about utility rates and greenhouse
gases are seeking to slash their power use or produce their own energy from renewable
sources. Among them, Tidwell and a handful of others have succeeded in creating homes
that require only minimal energy from power plants and fossil fuels.
What they are doing -- not going off the grid, but often going without its power-- is not
cheap or easy. But they want to prove it is not impossible.
"I'm not living in a cave and freezing to death," Tidwell said. "The point is, this is doable."
It is difficult to track exactly how many homes in the area have been overhauled to
reduce energy use or produce renewable energy. Utility companies said at least 19 homes
in the area are able to make more energy than they use.
Interest in such projects seems to be growing, albeit from very low levels. At Chesapeake
Wind & Solar, a Jessup company that installs solar panels, business has doubled every
year for the past three years. The company installed more than 100 sets last year in the
mid-Atlantic region.
"We just pick up the phone and answer it, or answer an e-mail, and we experience this
growth," said Jeff Gilbert, chief technical officer.
Some homeowners are making changes to avoid higher utility costs: Pepco and
Washington Gas have raised rates sharply, and Baltimore Gas and Electric is planning an
increase in June.
But often, the goal is to combat climate change. The average American house contributes
more than twice as much greenhouse gas -- pollutants that trap heat in the Earth's
atmosphere -- as the average car, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
Tidwell said he started changing his house in 2001 after he had a "personal, spiritual,
professional, emotional transformation" about global warming. Tidwell, who had been a
freelance writer for publications, including The Washington Post, became an activist. His
house, once an ordinary 1915 bungalow, has become perhaps the closest thing to a "zerocarbon" home in the area.
Tidwell and his then-wife started with a $7,500 home-equity loan. They replaced
incandescent light bulbs with more costly compact fluorescent bulbs, which work in the
same fixtures and provide the same light but use a third as much energy. They bought an
EPA-designated "Energy Star" refrigerator, which cost $150 more but used less than a
third as much power.
For heat, they replaced a natural-gas furnace with a $2,400 stove that burns corn kernels.
Because corn consumes carbon dioxide as it grows, burning it doesn't release new
greenhouse gases, he said. The corn, of a type used for animal feed, is grown in Mount
Airy and brought to Takoma Park in a truck that burns soy-based biodiesel fuel. In town,
the corn is stored in a 25-foot-tall silo owned by a community cooperative. In especially
cold months, Tidwell has to get a load once a week.
One recent chilly day, there were flames eight inches high in the stove as kernels tumbled
slowly down a tube and into the fire. A thermostat in the next room read 70 degrees.
"That is 100 percent corn," Tidwell said.
On his roof, Tidwell put an array of photovoltaic solar panels to produce electricity. He
received grants to help pay for the panels and installed them himself, holding the cost to
about $3,400. He also got a deal on panels that heat water: $1,000, or about half current
prices, for a set pried off the roof of a departing Clinton administration official.
Even with those changes, Tidwell's house doesn't supply all its power. He still gets about
half of his electricity from the grid and about 40 percent of his hot water from a backup
natural-gas system. He pays about $200 extra a year to buy power generated by
windmills -- enough "clean energy," he said, to offset the fossil-fuel energy he uses for
his house and car. The money goes to a kind of brokerage, which passes it on to the windpower producer.
The lights in Tidwell's house, which he shares with his school-age son and a housemate,
are kept off in daytime to save energy. All the heat comes from the stove, on the first
floor. When the corn runs out, so does the heat. If he doesn't plan ahead, that can mean a
late-night run to the silo. But Tidwell said he is proud that the place is so close to normal.
"There are people who say it cannot be done," said Tidwell, who holds open houses every
two months to show people what he is doing. "I've done it, and I've done it on a budget,
and I have a great life."
Other homeowners across the area have made similar changes. In the Kalorama
neighborhood of Northwest Washington, Chris VanArsdale, 39, a real estate developer,
added solar panels and wall insulation made from sucrose and soy. The insulation cost at
least twice as much as conventional fiberglass, he said, but it does more to keep the house
warm or cool, depending on the season. His wintertime gas bills dropped from $700 a
month to about $100, he said.
In Arlington County, Scott Sklar uses solar-panel arrays, a small wind turbine and even a
small hydrogen fuel cell to power his house and a two-story building out back.
"I don't want to have high utility bills, I don't want to have outages and I don't want to
pollute the planet," said Sklar, 55.
He uses the house as a kind of showpiece for his business, which advises business owners
on ways to cut back on energy use.
But, for now, low-carbon homes can come with very high price tags. Electricitygenerating solar panels can cost as much as $30,000, and water-heating panels can top
$9,000. The District and Maryland provide financial help, but reimbursements cover just
a fraction of the cost.
The cost and the difficulty of finding contractors have frustrated a group of Mount
Pleasant residents who are seeking to put solar panels on their roofs. Anya Schoolman, a
member of the Mount Pleasant Solar Cooperative, said the group e-mailed about 50
contractors. Two called back, she said.
"It's both more expensive and harder than I thought," Schoolman said.
And nature isn't tremendously helpful. Sklar said his windmill works, but others in the
field say the area generally has too little wind to generate reliable power. The area also
lacks the solar-power potential of the Southwest.
"We have a lot of people come to us and say, 'I want to be off the grid.' And that's just not
going to happen around here," said Jason Holstine, who runs the Amicus Green Building
Center in Kensington. Residents will always need backup power, he said.
But Holstine said that shouldn't discourage area residents from taking intermediate steps,
such as installing energy-efficient light bulbs and appliances. He recommends that
customers hire an "energy auditor" to inspect their homes and find ways to save energy -and possibly make some of their own.
"It can cover an awful lot of conscience," he said.