Editor’s Note: EarthTechling is proud to repost this article courtesy of the U.S. Department of Energy. Author credit goes to Rebecca Matulka.

If the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon – a two-year competition among university teams to design, build and operate solar-powered houses that are affordable, energy-efficient and attractive — wasn’t challenging enough, one team decided to up the ante by turning its demonstration house into a permanent, two-family home in Washington, D.C. Today the team, along with project partners and community members, celebrated the completion of this three-year-long project and welcomed the future homeowners to their new homes.

Right from the very beginning of the competition, the Empowerhouse team – composed of students from Parsons The New School for Design, the Milano School for International Affairs, Management and Urban Policy at The New School, and Stevens Institute of Technology — decided on a community-based approach to creating affordable ultra-efficient solar housing. To make this a reality, the team partnered with Habitat for Humanity of Washington, D.C., and the D.C. government to build Washington’s first passive house. The highest energy standard, a passive house consumes 90 percent less energy than a typical home.

One of the new homeowners, Layika Culley, and her family cut the ribbon to her new ultra-efficient home in the historic Deanwood neighborhood. (image via U.S. Department of Energy)

In addition to following competition guidelines, the Empowerhouse team also had to take into account neighborhood and city codes when building its 900-square-foot, two-bedroom, one-bathroom demonstration house. The students’ hard work paid off, and the team tied for first place in the Affordability Contest.

After the competition, students worked with DC Habitat to ensure their vision was realized. The demonstration home was moved to the historic Deanwood neighborhood in the District’s Ward 7, and a second story was built, expanding it to a 1,300-square-foot, three-bedroom, two-bath home. Alongside it, DC Habitat and its volunteers built a matching house, making it a two-family home. The construction process was so affordable that in June, DC Habitat announced it was breaking ground on six new energy-efficient townhomes in the Ivy City community that use the Empowerhouse team’s passive house design standards.

Throughout the entire process — from the start of the Solar Decathlon competition to the finishing touches on the homes in Deanwood — students have worked to make sure their Solar Decathlon entry wasn’t just a case study, said Orlando Velez, who worked on the project as a graduate student and then was hired full time by The New School after graduation as operations director of the Empowerhouse Project. They held community workshops on sustainable development and green living, worked with the future homeowners on eco-friendly landscaping and rain gardens, and developed a homeowner’s manual to ensure the new families make the most out of their new energy-efficient homes. “The beauty of this project is we are creating a home, not just an exhibit space,” said Velez.

Editor’s Note: EarthTechling is proud to repost this article courtesy of the U.S. Department of Energy. Author credit goes to Rebecca Matulka.

If the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon – a two-year competition among university teams to design, build and operate solar-powered houses that are affordable, energy-efficient and attractive — wasn’t challenging enough, one team decided to up the ante by turning its demonstration house into a permanent, two-family home in Washington, D.C. Today the team, along with project partners and community members, celebrated the completion of this three-year-long project and welcomed the future homeowners to their new homes.

Right from the very beginning of the competition, the Empowerhouse team – composed of students from Parsons The New School for Design, the Milano School for International Affairs, Management and Urban Policy at The New School, and Stevens Institute of Technology — decided on a community-based approach to creating affordable ultra-efficient solar housing. To make this a reality, the team partnered with Habitat for Humanity of Washington, D.C., and the D.C. government to build Washington’s first passive house. The highest energy standard, a passive house consumes 90 percent less energy than a typical home.

One of the new homeowners, Layika Culley, and her family cut the ribbon to her new ultra-efficient home in the historic Deanwood neighborhood. (image via U.S. Department of Energy)

In addition to following competition guidelines, the Empowerhouse team also had to take into account neighborhood and city codes when building its 900-square-foot, two-bedroom, one-bathroom demonstration house. The students’ hard work paid off, and the team tied for first place in the Affordability Contest.

After the competition, students worked with DC Habitat to ensure their vision was realized. The demonstration home was moved to the historic Deanwood neighborhood in the District’s Ward 7, and a second story was built, expanding it to a 1,300-square-foot, three-bedroom, two-bath home. Alongside it, DC Habitat and its volunteers built a matching house, making it a two-family home. The construction process was so affordable that in June, DC Habitat announced it was breaking ground on six new energy-efficient townhomes in the Ivy City community that use the Empowerhouse team’s passive house design standards.

Throughout the entire process — from the start of the Solar Decathlon competition to the finishing touches on the homes in Deanwood — students have worked to make sure their Solar Decathlon entry wasn’t just a case study, said Orlando Velez, who worked on the project as a graduate student and then was hired full time by The New School after graduation as operations director of the Empowerhouse Project. They held community workshops on sustainable development and green living, worked with the future homeowners on eco-friendly landscaping and rain gardens, and developed a homeowner’s manual to ensure the new families make the most out of their new energy-efficient homes. “The beauty of this project is we are creating a home, not just an exhibit space,” said Velez.

Editor’s Note: EarthTechling is proud to repost this article courtesy of the U.S. Department of Energy. Author credit goes to Rebecca Matulka.

If the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon – a two-year competition among university teams to design, build and operate solar-powered houses that are affordable, energy-efficient and attractive — wasn’t challenging enough, one team decided to up the ante by turning its demonstration house into a permanent, two-family home in Washington, D.C. Today the team, along with project partners and community members, celebrated the completion of this three-year-long project and welcomed the future homeowners to their new homes.

Right from the very beginning of the competition, the Empowerhouse team – composed of students from Parsons The New School for Design, the Milano School for International Affairs, Management and Urban Policy at The New School, and Stevens Institute of Technology — decided on a community-based approach to creating affordable ultra-efficient solar housing. To make this a reality, the team partnered with Habitat for Humanity of Washington, D.C., and the D.C. government to build Washington’s first passive house. The highest energy standard, a passive house consumes 90 percent less energy than a typical home.

One of the new homeowners, Layika Culley, and her family cut the ribbon to her new ultra-efficient home in the historic Deanwood neighborhood. (image via U.S. Department of Energy)

In addition to following competition guidelines, the Empowerhouse team also had to take into account neighborhood and city codes when building its 900-square-foot, two-bedroom, one-bathroom demonstration house. The students’ hard work paid off, and the team tied for first place in the Affordability Contest.

After the competition, students worked with DC Habitat to ensure their vision was realized. The demonstration home was moved to the historic Deanwood neighborhood in the District’s Ward 7, and a second story was built, expanding it to a 1,300-square-foot, three-bedroom, two-bath home. Alongside it, DC Habitat and its volunteers built a matching house, making it a two-family home. The construction process was so affordable that in June, DC Habitat announced it was breaking ground on six new energy-efficient townhomes in the Ivy City community that use the Empowerhouse team’s passive house design standards.

Throughout the entire process — from the start of the Solar Decathlon competition to the finishing touches on the homes in Deanwood — students have worked to make sure their Solar Decathlon entry wasn’t just a case study, said Orlando Velez, who worked on the project as a graduate student and then was hired full time by The New School after graduation as operations director of the Empowerhouse Project. They held community workshops on sustainable development and green living, worked with the future homeowners on eco-friendly landscaping and rain gardens, and developed a homeowner’s manual to ensure the new families make the most out of their new energy-efficient homes. “The beauty of this project is we are creating a home, not just an exhibit space,” said Velez.

AP Photo/Dean Fosdick

Gardening-Salty Soils

This May 24, 2012 photo shows a Rosa rugosa (beach rose) flourishing in sandy, salt spray-laden soil on Whidbey Island near Coupeville, Washington.

Posted: Monday, December 10, 2012 12:15 am
|


Updated: 11:58 pm, Sun Dec 9, 2012.

Salt can leave a bad taste in lawns and gardens

Associated Press |

0 comments

Salt in the soil can be deadly for lawns, trees and gardens, robbing plants of their ability to absorb water. Salt-tolerant varieties are available, however, and ground laden with soluble toxins can be flushed clean to depths below the root zone.

Regular soil testing is the best way to determine salt levels, said Richard Koenig, associate dean and director of Washington State University Extension.

“The problem is common in the Desert Southwest (with irrigation buildups), along roads cleared with de-icers and near oceans, where you get wind-blown sea spray,” he said.

Salinization frequently appears as white-crusted soil on the ground’s surface or stunted vegetation, particularly in low-lying areas.

“Another characteristic symptom is brown and brittle plants,” Koenig said. “People often refer to (soil) salinity as ‘chemical drought’.”

Anyone who has tried to sprinkle salt from a wet shaker knows how readily salt stores water, said Leonard Perry, an extension professor with the University of Vermont.

“Rock salt exhibits the same property in the soil, and absorbs much of the water that normally would be available to roots,” Perry said. “That’s especially a problem in the spring, when plants are coming out of dormancy and their roots are the most active. Salt competes with plants for that water.”

Saline soils cannot be reclaimed with chemical amendments, conditioners or fertilizers, according to horticulturists with Colorado State University Extension.

But there are methods for reducing or eliminating salinization in the root zone. These include:

— Detoxifying the soil by flushing. “If you have a way to wash the soil using excess water that is not high in salt, then you can leach them down deeper into the soil,” Koenig said.

— Improving drainage. Mulching to prevent evaporation and retain water in the soil also helps. Hose salt spray and pollutants off plants and lawns after heavy storms.

— Using raised beds filled with fresh soil that provides some control over salinity, pH and compaction. “That elevates your soil and lets you leach it out of the beds,” Koenig said.

— Adding windbreaks — snow fences, hedges and trees — deflects sea spray.

— Removing and replacing soil covered with road salts. “But unless you can replace the cause of the problem, like moving plant sites farther from roadways, the problem will persist,” Koenig said.

— Growing plants that tolerate soil salinity. “Some plants simply grow better than others in salt,” Perry said. “If salt concentrations are heavy, going from perennials to annuals might help.”

Plants that are particularly salt-sensitive include carrots, onions, strawberries, beans, cabbage and most tree fruits. Salt-tolerant plants include asparagus, Rosa rugosa (beach roses), sumac, prickly pear cactus, columbines and daylilies. Beets, squash, zucchini, chrysanthemums and many evergreens are moderately tolerant, meaning they can survive brief storm surges but should be screened from persistent salt spray.

“Lawns usually aren’t as much of an issue, but you will see some browning and damage near roads,” Perry said. “That’s where barriers help.”

Look to native plants as salt-tolerant indicators when doing any seaside or roadside landscaping.

___

Online:

For more about managing saline soils, see this Colorado State University Extension fact sheet:

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/crops/00503.html

© 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

More about Soil

• ARTICLE: Give roots elbow room by pruning
• ARTICLE: Even when it rains, don’t forget to water. Maybe.
• IMAGE: GARDENING WITH CHARLIE: The correct way to plant a tree

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Posted in
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Monday, December 10, 2012 12:15 am.

| Tags:


Soil,

Soil Science,

Richard Koenig,

Leonard Perry,

Soil Salinity,

Environmental Soil Science,

Land Use,

Agricultural Soil Science,

Salts,

Lawn,

Irrigation,

Agriculture,

Chemical Drought

Most Read

• Obituaries for Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2012
• Obituaries for Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012
• Obituaries for Friday, Dec. 7, 2012
• Obituaries for Saturday, Dec. 8, 2012
• Police blotter for Saturday, Dec. 8, 2012

AP Photo/Dean Fosdick

Gardening-Salty Soils

This May 24, 2012 photo shows a Rosa rugosa (beach rose) flourishing in sandy, salt spray-laden soil on Whidbey Island near Coupeville, Washington.

Posted: Monday, December 10, 2012 12:15 am
|


Updated: 11:58 pm, Sun Dec 9, 2012.

Salt can leave a bad taste in lawns and gardens

Associated Press |

0 comments

Salt in the soil can be deadly for lawns, trees and gardens, robbing plants of their ability to absorb water. Salt-tolerant varieties are available, however, and ground laden with soluble toxins can be flushed clean to depths below the root zone.

Regular soil testing is the best way to determine salt levels, said Richard Koenig, associate dean and director of Washington State University Extension.

“The problem is common in the Desert Southwest (with irrigation buildups), along roads cleared with de-icers and near oceans, where you get wind-blown sea spray,” he said.

Salinization frequently appears as white-crusted soil on the ground’s surface or stunted vegetation, particularly in low-lying areas.

“Another characteristic symptom is brown and brittle plants,” Koenig said. “People often refer to (soil) salinity as ‘chemical drought’.”

Anyone who has tried to sprinkle salt from a wet shaker knows how readily salt stores water, said Leonard Perry, an extension professor with the University of Vermont.

“Rock salt exhibits the same property in the soil, and absorbs much of the water that normally would be available to roots,” Perry said. “That’s especially a problem in the spring, when plants are coming out of dormancy and their roots are the most active. Salt competes with plants for that water.”

Saline soils cannot be reclaimed with chemical amendments, conditioners or fertilizers, according to horticulturists with Colorado State University Extension.

But there are methods for reducing or eliminating salinization in the root zone. These include:

— Detoxifying the soil by flushing. “If you have a way to wash the soil using excess water that is not high in salt, then you can leach them down deeper into the soil,” Koenig said.

— Improving drainage. Mulching to prevent evaporation and retain water in the soil also helps. Hose salt spray and pollutants off plants and lawns after heavy storms.

— Using raised beds filled with fresh soil that provides some control over salinity, pH and compaction. “That elevates your soil and lets you leach it out of the beds,” Koenig said.

— Adding windbreaks — snow fences, hedges and trees — deflects sea spray.

— Removing and replacing soil covered with road salts. “But unless you can replace the cause of the problem, like moving plant sites farther from roadways, the problem will persist,” Koenig said.

— Growing plants that tolerate soil salinity. “Some plants simply grow better than others in salt,” Perry said. “If salt concentrations are heavy, going from perennials to annuals might help.”

Plants that are particularly salt-sensitive include carrots, onions, strawberries, beans, cabbage and most tree fruits. Salt-tolerant plants include asparagus, Rosa rugosa (beach roses), sumac, prickly pear cactus, columbines and daylilies. Beets, squash, zucchini, chrysanthemums and many evergreens are moderately tolerant, meaning they can survive brief storm surges but should be screened from persistent salt spray.

“Lawns usually aren’t as much of an issue, but you will see some browning and damage near roads,” Perry said. “That’s where barriers help.”

Look to native plants as salt-tolerant indicators when doing any seaside or roadside landscaping.

___

Online:

For more about managing saline soils, see this Colorado State University Extension fact sheet:

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/crops/00503.html

© 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

More about Soil

• ARTICLE: Give roots elbow room by pruning
• ARTICLE: Even when it rains, don’t forget to water. Maybe.
• IMAGE: GARDENING WITH CHARLIE: The correct way to plant a tree

• 
  Discuss
  
• Print
  
  
  

Posted in
Weather,
Lifestyles

on

Monday, December 10, 2012 12:15 am.

| Tags:


Soil,

Soil Science,

Richard Koenig,

Leonard Perry,

Soil Salinity,

Environmental Soil Science,

Land Use,

Agricultural Soil Science,

Salts,

Lawn,

Irrigation,

Agriculture,

Chemical Drought

Most Read

• Obituaries for Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2012
• Obituaries for Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012
• Obituaries for Friday, Dec. 7, 2012
• Obituaries for Saturday, Dec. 8, 2012
• Police blotter for Saturday, Dec. 8, 2012

AP Photo/Dean Fosdick

Gardening-Salty Soils

This May 24, 2012 photo shows a Rosa rugosa (beach rose) flourishing in sandy, salt spray-laden soil on Whidbey Island near Coupeville, Washington.

Posted: Monday, December 10, 2012 12:15 am
|


Updated: 11:58 pm, Sun Dec 9, 2012.

Salt can leave a bad taste in lawns and gardens

Associated Press |

0 comments

Salt in the soil can be deadly for lawns, trees and gardens, robbing plants of their ability to absorb water. Salt-tolerant varieties are available, however, and ground laden with soluble toxins can be flushed clean to depths below the root zone.

Regular soil testing is the best way to determine salt levels, said Richard Koenig, associate dean and director of Washington State University Extension.

“The problem is common in the Desert Southwest (with irrigation buildups), along roads cleared with de-icers and near oceans, where you get wind-blown sea spray,” he said.

Salinization frequently appears as white-crusted soil on the ground’s surface or stunted vegetation, particularly in low-lying areas.

“Another characteristic symptom is brown and brittle plants,” Koenig said. “People often refer to (soil) salinity as ‘chemical drought’.”

Anyone who has tried to sprinkle salt from a wet shaker knows how readily salt stores water, said Leonard Perry, an extension professor with the University of Vermont.

“Rock salt exhibits the same property in the soil, and absorbs much of the water that normally would be available to roots,” Perry said. “That’s especially a problem in the spring, when plants are coming out of dormancy and their roots are the most active. Salt competes with plants for that water.”

Saline soils cannot be reclaimed with chemical amendments, conditioners or fertilizers, according to horticulturists with Colorado State University Extension.

But there are methods for reducing or eliminating salinization in the root zone. These include:

— Detoxifying the soil by flushing. “If you have a way to wash the soil using excess water that is not high in salt, then you can leach them down deeper into the soil,” Koenig said.

— Improving drainage. Mulching to prevent evaporation and retain water in the soil also helps. Hose salt spray and pollutants off plants and lawns after heavy storms.

— Using raised beds filled with fresh soil that provides some control over salinity, pH and compaction. “That elevates your soil and lets you leach it out of the beds,” Koenig said.

— Adding windbreaks — snow fences, hedges and trees — deflects sea spray.

— Removing and replacing soil covered with road salts. “But unless you can replace the cause of the problem, like moving plant sites farther from roadways, the problem will persist,” Koenig said.

— Growing plants that tolerate soil salinity. “Some plants simply grow better than others in salt,” Perry said. “If salt concentrations are heavy, going from perennials to annuals might help.”

Plants that are particularly salt-sensitive include carrots, onions, strawberries, beans, cabbage and most tree fruits. Salt-tolerant plants include asparagus, Rosa rugosa (beach roses), sumac, prickly pear cactus, columbines and daylilies. Beets, squash, zucchini, chrysanthemums and many evergreens are moderately tolerant, meaning they can survive brief storm surges but should be screened from persistent salt spray.

“Lawns usually aren’t as much of an issue, but you will see some browning and damage near roads,” Perry said. “That’s where barriers help.”

Look to native plants as salt-tolerant indicators when doing any seaside or roadside landscaping.

___

Online:

For more about managing saline soils, see this Colorado State University Extension fact sheet:

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/crops/00503.html

© 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

More about Soil

• ARTICLE: Give roots elbow room by pruning
• ARTICLE: Even when it rains, don’t forget to water. Maybe.
• IMAGE: GARDENING WITH CHARLIE: The correct way to plant a tree

• 
  Discuss
  
• Print
  
  
  

Posted in
Weather,
Lifestyles

on

Monday, December 10, 2012 12:15 am.

| Tags:


Soil,

Soil Science,

Richard Koenig,

Leonard Perry,

Soil Salinity,

Environmental Soil Science,

Land Use,

Agricultural Soil Science,

Salts,

Lawn,

Irrigation,

Agriculture,

Chemical Drought

Most Read

• Obituaries for Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2012
• Obituaries for Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012
• Obituaries for Friday, Dec. 7, 2012
• Obituaries for Saturday, Dec. 8, 2012
• Police blotter for Saturday, Dec. 8, 2012

AP Photo/Dean Fosdick

Gardening-Salty Soils

This May 24, 2012 photo shows a Rosa rugosa (beach rose) flourishing in sandy, salt spray-laden soil on Whidbey Island near Coupeville, Washington.

Posted: Monday, December 10, 2012 12:15 am
|


Updated: 11:58 pm, Sun Dec 9, 2012.

Salt can leave a bad taste in lawns and gardens

Associated Press |

0 comments

Salt in the soil can be deadly for lawns, trees and gardens, robbing plants of their ability to absorb water. Salt-tolerant varieties are available, however, and ground laden with soluble toxins can be flushed clean to depths below the root zone.

Regular soil testing is the best way to determine salt levels, said Richard Koenig, associate dean and director of Washington State University Extension.

“The problem is common in the Desert Southwest (with irrigation buildups), along roads cleared with de-icers and near oceans, where you get wind-blown sea spray,” he said.

Salinization frequently appears as white-crusted soil on the ground’s surface or stunted vegetation, particularly in low-lying areas.

“Another characteristic symptom is brown and brittle plants,” Koenig said. “People often refer to (soil) salinity as ‘chemical drought’.”

Anyone who has tried to sprinkle salt from a wet shaker knows how readily salt stores water, said Leonard Perry, an extension professor with the University of Vermont.

“Rock salt exhibits the same property in the soil, and absorbs much of the water that normally would be available to roots,” Perry said. “That’s especially a problem in the spring, when plants are coming out of dormancy and their roots are the most active. Salt competes with plants for that water.”

Saline soils cannot be reclaimed with chemical amendments, conditioners or fertilizers, according to horticulturists with Colorado State University Extension.

But there are methods for reducing or eliminating salinization in the root zone. These include:

— Detoxifying the soil by flushing. “If you have a way to wash the soil using excess water that is not high in salt, then you can leach them down deeper into the soil,” Koenig said.

— Improving drainage. Mulching to prevent evaporation and retain water in the soil also helps. Hose salt spray and pollutants off plants and lawns after heavy storms.

— Using raised beds filled with fresh soil that provides some control over salinity, pH and compaction. “That elevates your soil and lets you leach it out of the beds,” Koenig said.

— Adding windbreaks — snow fences, hedges and trees — deflects sea spray.

— Removing and replacing soil covered with road salts. “But unless you can replace the cause of the problem, like moving plant sites farther from roadways, the problem will persist,” Koenig said.

— Growing plants that tolerate soil salinity. “Some plants simply grow better than others in salt,” Perry said. “If salt concentrations are heavy, going from perennials to annuals might help.”

Plants that are particularly salt-sensitive include carrots, onions, strawberries, beans, cabbage and most tree fruits. Salt-tolerant plants include asparagus, Rosa rugosa (beach roses), sumac, prickly pear cactus, columbines and daylilies. Beets, squash, zucchini, chrysanthemums and many evergreens are moderately tolerant, meaning they can survive brief storm surges but should be screened from persistent salt spray.

“Lawns usually aren’t as much of an issue, but you will see some browning and damage near roads,” Perry said. “That’s where barriers help.”

Look to native plants as salt-tolerant indicators when doing any seaside or roadside landscaping.

___

Online:

For more about managing saline soils, see this Colorado State University Extension fact sheet:

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/crops/00503.html

© 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

More about Soil

• ARTICLE: Give roots elbow room by pruning
• ARTICLE: Even when it rains, don’t forget to water. Maybe.
• IMAGE: GARDENING WITH CHARLIE: The correct way to plant a tree

• 
  Discuss
  
• Print
  
  
  

Posted in
Weather,
Lifestyles

on

Monday, December 10, 2012 12:15 am.

| Tags:


Soil,

Soil Science,

Richard Koenig,

Leonard Perry,

Soil Salinity,

Environmental Soil Science,

Land Use,

Agricultural Soil Science,

Salts,

Lawn,

Irrigation,

Agriculture,

Chemical Drought

Most Read

• Obituaries for Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2012
• Obituaries for Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012
• Obituaries for Friday, Dec. 7, 2012
• Obituaries for Saturday, Dec. 8, 2012
• Police blotter for Saturday, Dec. 8, 2012