A little bit of heaven

Each home, regardless of style or size, includes an attached “garagette,” a three-sided hybrid of garage and carport, which offers ample space for one or two car parking as well as storage. The backside of the garagette is open and leads to a private patio area, providing privacy and space for outdoor living.

There’s a strong sense of community at Oak Haven, one example of which is the communal green house.

This pleasant, airy structure features cleverly constructed wooden planter boxes set in repurposed milk crates and mounted on the green house walls at heights that make gardening a comfortable enterprise with no need for bending or kneeling. Already the planter boxes are filled with an array of thriving vegetables — tomatoes, peppers, squash and beans among them — all planted and tended by individual residents. In the spirit of community, these vegetables are gladly shared and traded between the residents of Oak Haven. The greenhouse also is wheelchair accessible. Outside a rain barrel stands ready to catch and store rain for use in watering the plants, and inside a lightweight hose and nozzle makes it easy and convenient for gardeners to nurture their plants.

All of the homes in Oak Haven enjoy stunning views of the mountains surrounding the Ojai Valley, as well as the convenience of shopping, restaurants and medical facilities nearby.

A leisurely stroll through the streets of Oak Haven reveals its variety of architectural styles, each with its own stamp of individuality. One Southwestern adobe style unit nestles in the shade of a graceful oak tree and is accented by a bright blue front door. Another’s front steps have risers accented with cheerful Mexican ceramic tiles. Many of the homes include such upscale features as skylights, bullnose corners and fireplaces, with Corian or granite countertops adding a touch of luxury to the kitchens and baths. Each home is surrounded by its own lovely and unique landscaping, maintained by each individual owner.

Several of the homes in the development have been featured in the Ojai Valley Green Coalition’s Green Home and Building Tour in 2010, 2011 and 2012. One such home, built by Modular Lifestyles, Inc., which is Energy Star Tier I certified, was designed with maximum energy efficiency technology and a minimum 2.0 kWh PV electric system. This system, along with extra insulation in the ceiling, walls and floors has kept the owner’s electric and gas bills at or near zero each month. One of the first homes built in the development, modeled after a Craftsmanstyle bungalow, also has enjoyed such energy efficiency due to the use of a solar paneled roof and R-42 cellulose recyclable paper insulation.

Although Oak Haven is not exclusively affiliated with any specific dealer— buyers can choose any dealer as long as the architectural guidelines for the community are met — Modular Lifestyles has constructed 10 of the homes within Oak Haven.

“We are the only California builder that offers award-winning solar-powered manufactured or modular homes in California,” said Modular Lifestyles Vice Presiden Steven Lefler. Just one of the options Modular Lifestyles offers is for a low budget entry into solar usage — Solar Ready homes equipped for future installation of solar charger.

City to set standard for neon displays

A compulsory standard on the maximum degree of brightness allowed on LED screens at public venues will be implemented in September to control light pollution, the city's quality watchdog said yesterday.

The standard will regulate permitted light and measuring methods, targeting both LED screens installed outdoors and indoors, based on their locations and sizes.

The new standard is expected to be welcome by residents living in the luminous glare as a large number of LED screen users were found lighting extremely dazzling advertisements to attract customers, the Shanghai Quality and Technical Supervision Bureau said.

Lighting operators should modify or remove the lights if required, or face penalties for breaking the standard, bureau officials said.

Regulations about light pollution lag far behind the development of commercial facilities. The city has a local lighting norm issued in 2004, but it has no legal effect, meaning violators don't face any punishment.

It does not include the brightness of LED screens, which were not widely in use at that time, nor does it specify which government watchdogs should take the responsibility of measuring lights, making residents hard to forward complaints as the Shanghai Greenery and Public Sanitation Bureau and Shanghai Environmental Protection Bureau passed the buck to each other.

Glowing LED screens are more common nowadays with the rapid development of commercial facilities.

Wang Xiaomei, a resident of Hongkou District, has struggled with light pollution for about a year after the opening of One Prime Plaza, a shopping mall next to her residential complex. Huge LED screen changed colors from red to blue and sprayed welcome messages.

Wang said the bed rooms and sitting room were lit bright like daytime from 5:30pm to 10pm every day.

"I have no way but to draw curtains in deep color all the time. In summer, it can become very muggy," Wang said. She said the leaves of the plant on the balcony were also turning yellow at the side, triggering fears that long time exposure to the glowing lights could harm her health.

On the concourse, construction is underway to renovate all bathroom locations and add women's restrooms.  Installation is scheduled to begin shortly on two elevators located on the northeast and northwest sides of the building, which will allow fans to easily access the hospitality areas  in each of the four corners of the Robins Center.

As the calendar turns towards late summer and early fall, the Robins Center court will be refinished and repainted.  At the same time, new LED lighting will be installed (the newest in sports lighting technology) in the ceiling, which earlier this spring received a new look with a fresh coat of dark blue paint.

Also during the fall prior to the start of the basketball season, four video boards and scoreboards will be installed on the facades of the hospitality areas, giving fans live video action, replays, time and score and player statistics.
Click on their website solaronlamp for more information.

Doing Your Own Home Energy Audit

While a professional home energy audit is the best way to determine where your home is losing energy and where you can save, you can conduct your own simple but diligent walk-through and spot many problems in any type of house. This “do-it-yourself” home energy audit will not be as thorough as a professional home energy assessment, but it can help you pinpoint some of the easier areas to address. When walking through your home, keep a checklist of areas you have inspected and problems you found.

This list will help you prioritize your energy efficiency upgrades. Do not assume that just because your home is recently constructed–or even new–that there are no opportunities to save energy. Energy-saving technology has evolved rapidly over the past few years, outpacing training commonly available to many builders, including some of the most reputable.

First, make a list of obvious air leaks (drafts). The potential energy savings from reducing drafts in a home may range from 5% to 30% per year, and the home is generally much more comfortable afterward.

When sealing any home, you must always be aware of the danger of indoor air pollution and combustion appliance “backdrafts.” Backdrafting is when the various combustion appliances and exhaust fans in the home compete for air. An exhaust fan may pull the combustion gases back into the living space. This can obviously create a very dangerous and unhealthy situation in the home.

In homes where a fuel is burned (i.e., natural gas, fuel oil, propane, or wood) for heating, be certain the appliance has an adequate air supply. Generally, one square inch of vent opening is required for each 1,000 Btu of appliance input heat. Burn marks or soot around the appliance burner or at the vent collar, or visible smoke anywhere in the utility room while the appliance is operating, indicate poor draft. When in doubt, contact your local utility company, energy professional, or ventilation contractor.

When your house was built, the builder likely installed the amount of insulation recommended at that time. Given today’s energy prices (and future prices that will probably be higher), the level of insulation might be inadequate, especially if you have an older home.

If the attic hatch is located above a conditioned space, check to see if it is at least as heavily insulated as the attic, is weather stripped, and closes tightly. In the attic, determine whether openings for items such as pipes, ductwork, and chimneys are sealed. Seal any gaps with an expanding foam caulk or some other permanent sealant. When sealing gaps around chimneys or other heat producing devices, be sure to use a non-combustible sealant.

If the unit is more than 15 years old, you should consider replacing your system with one of the newer, energy-efficient units. A new unit would greatly reduce your energy consumption, especially if the existing equipment is in poor condition. Check your ductwork for dirt streaks, especially near seams. These indicate air leaks, and they should be sealed with a duct mastic. Insulate any ducts or pipes that travel through unheated spaces. An insulation R-Value of 6 is the recommended minimum.

Energy for lighting accounts for about 10% of your electric bill. Examine the light bulbs in your house and consider replacing inefficient bulbs with a more efficient choice, such as energy-saving incandescents, compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), or light-emitting diodes (LEDs). When shopping for bulbs, consider the brightness of the bulbs you want and look for lumens and the Lighting Facts label. Your electric utility may offer rebates or other incentives for purchasing energy-efficient lamps. Read the full story at www.solaronlamp.com web.

Wildey's third floor now complete

Even though the Wildey reopened its doors two years ago, the rebirth of the theatre has only been completed recently with the renovation of the third floor.

The renovation of the currently unnamed third floor began in January with the intent to have a similar look to the second floor for multiple uses.

“It helps broaden the appeal with the opening of the third floor because, for some groups, the second floor was just too small,” Bob Pfeiffer, Parks and Recreation Director said.

Work on the third floor began with gutting the room and installing a new subfloor, which once complete, was followed by the construction of a knee-high wall that would give guests an area to congregate and not require as many tables.

The exposed brick was sealed to prevent the 100-plus year-old mortar from flaking and sound deadening caulk was used in between the subfloor and hardwood floors. Bathrooms and the restoration of the dome in the ceiling of the room, which is believed to be original to the building, were all completed.

Completion of the third floor finishes up the historic theatre and opens up more possibilities for the types of events that can be hosted.

The first event to be officially hosted in the third floor was the annual Junior Service Club awards dinner. The room was also used for the Gary Niebur memorial event and the Route 66 sock hop.

“I think everybody who has seen the room is pretty pleased about it. It’s the character of the exposed brick and original wood work that people like,” Pfeiffer said.

When the project started, the goal was to have open, functional space to accommodate parties. It would allow guests to decorate the room as they see fit and keep them in Edwardsville.

The third floor has hosted five events since it has been open without any advertising. This has city officials excited about the possibilities that exist.

“This room is approximately 40 percent larger than the second floor. That allows us to seat more people and have more people for receptions and dance events. There’s a bit of a difference in the characters of the two rooms also. The Marquee room is great for all kinds of events and dances. We think this is a little bit of a step up from the Marquee Room. It has a little bit more luxury to it,” Pfeiffer said.

Even before the renovation was completed, when guests came in to look at the Marquee Room and were told about the third floor, they expressed interest in it.

The only work that remains is the installation of new light fixtures to replace the fluorescent lights to accommodate guests that wish to dim the lights and complete the look of the room and replacing some of the windows.

“When we have a wedding or a party they like to dim the lights and you can’t dim these,” Pfeiffer said.

Pfeiffer is happy with the interest that has been expressed and looking forward to getting more people into the room. Read the full story at www.solaronlamp.com web.

Hampshire Council to fit dimmable street lights

IT’S a controversial cashsaving proposal aimed at boosting Hampshire’s green credentials.

Thousands of street light in Hampshire and Southampton will be fitted with new energy-efficient bulbs as part of a drive from county and city authorities to reduce carbon emissions.

But the new white street lights can be remotely dimmed by up to 50 per cent in a move that could bring down carbon emissions by 27 per cent.

It is a move that has been met with concern from sections of the community who fear less light could increase antisocial behaviour and crime, and pose a risk to public safety.

A trial was carried out by Hampshire County Council and Scottish and Southern Energy in low-crime areas to demonstrate the proposals, while Southampton City Council will hold two further demonstrations on June 18 and 25.

Hampshire is not the only county in the UK to undergo a street lighting replacement and dimming scheme.

Most councils across the country have rolled out similar projects, including authorities County Durham, Hartlepool and Bath. So what is their experience?

Henry Brown, chairman of the Federation of Bath Residents’ Associations, said some sections of the community have criticised North Somerset and Bath Council’s decision to replace its street lights.

He said: “Their aim is to save electricity.”

The light fittings are a rather different design than anything before, and the idea is to get as much light as possible shining down on the pavement.

There have been complaints about two aspects of it.

Some people have regarded them as unsightly. In the centre of the world heritage site, the streetlights are unsuitable in appearance.

And some people have said that the new lights are fairly light, but they are used to the yellowish glow.

“I live in an area surrounded by bars and restaurants and there is a lot of late night noise around here. It would be a concern that if it was dark people would be up to no good.”

Councillor Ray Wells, of Hartlepool Borough Council, said the dimming of LED street lights has proven a success.

He told the Daily Echo: “They take some getting used to, because they don’t spread light over and around, like a traditional light.”

People were concerned about safety, without a doubt. It was the first reaction from constituents. But that has not proved to be the case.

Generally the fears have been exaggerated in comparison to what’s happened.“We haven’t seen a notable increase in crime and accidents.”

“Lights are being replaced on a priority basis, and areas where there is more crime are at the bottom of the queue.”

But Sylvia Hibbs, of Lewes Close, Boyatt Wood, said the dimming of lights in her neighbourhood has already led to car vandalism.

The 72-year-old said: “A neighbour’s car was scratched down the side. Where I live concerns have been raised.”

“We were having incidents before and they were not as bad as this, but when both of my numberplates went I thought it was a bit of a cheek.”

Street light replacement work is due to take place in Bishop’s Waltham in February next year.

Dawn Woodsford of Rareridge Lane, added: “I am against the lights being dimmed. We are pretty fortunate in this area that we don’t get a lot of antisocial behaviour, but we do have some. It’s dim lights that exacerbate the situation.”

Meanwhile RoSPA, the body that promotes safety at work, home, schools and on roads, says local authorities need to carry out risk assessments before switching off street lights.

 Kevin Clinton, head of road safety at RoSPA, said: “Councils should do a very careful risk assessment and be confident that switching off street lights will not lead to an increase in accidents or personal safety issues.”

Street lighting improves safety for drivers, riders and pedestrians. Driving outside of daylight hours is more dangerous, and pedestrians and vulnerable road users suffer from decreased visibility in the dark also.