Member Profile

Why everyone is confused about gas and electric cooktops

Twenty years ago, I promoted gas appliances to my clients as the best option.  Gas was and is much better at heating the pot than electric options.  As a green builder, I ensured that the cooktops were well-ventilated and we had "make-up" so any toxins from the gas combustion would not be an issue. The issue now is that...

Radon Control starts with a good design

The need for vapor control below the house The #1920sMakeoverATL is a Passive House renovation in Atlanta, GA.  Not only does Atlanta have lots of rain and humidity, causing the ground to be wet most of the year, but it also has high concentrations of Radon in the soil.  Any high-performance house is required to have Radon controls...

#GreenInfluncerATL group members connect at #IBS2022 in Orlando

I was chatting with the Mitsubishi Electric team at the Internation Builders Show when I ran into Corbett Lunsford.  He was about to give a presentation at the Aprilaire booth, which was on the opposite side of the show.  He knew where the booth was, and I planned on going there later that day, so I followed him there. While...

Disaster Ready Homes + How Some Regulations in Atlanta have unintended additional positive outcomes

#GreenInfluencerATL group members Grace and Corbett Lunsford interviewed YouTube superstar Matt Risinger about disaster-ready homes in Austin, Tex.  They were kind enough to allow me to react to it. As I watched the video, I thought about all of the crazy things that we have to do in Atlanta to deal with watershed...

Top chefs prefer induction cooktops over gas cooktops

We only interviewed one chef; however, all attendees agreed that induction cooking was superior to gas cooking. Sub- Zero/Wolf/Cove hosted the first-ever official meeting with the #GreenInfluencerATL group at their Buckhead showroom.  Realtors, Architects, and Builders were all in attendance and were surprised about how well the...

Mitsubishi Electric - Plant and Training Facility Tour

In order to go All-Electric and power your house with the sun, the HVAC system needs to be electric as well.  Mitsubishi Electric is the leader in high-performance HVAC systems that are ALL Electric.  There is only 15% (or less) market awareness about how mini-split heat pumps work.  If we are going to offer these solutions to...

Time to take our heads out of the sand

I just posted this on LinkedIn since Russia just invaded Ukraine, and I started having flashbacks to other conflicts that were avoidable as well.  Many of them would not have even been considered if we were not dependent on Fossil Fuels. Here is the unedited version of what I wrote: As a #marinecorps vet, I know we have the...

What is Drawdown GA?

One of the sessions for Greenprints 2020 (an annual event that The Southface Energy Institute hosts) was about Drawdown GA.    Drawdown GA is a plan to help GA reduce CO2 looking at 21 High-Impact 2030 Solutions.  We had some breakout groups as well and covered topics such as: Electricity: Cogeneration Rooftop...

What is Drawdown GA?

Sounds like something out of a Western movie. Drawdown GA is a plan to help GA reduce CO2 looking at 21 High-Impact 2030 Solutions. Here is a good page that describes what some of those solutions are and events where you can participate in solutions for our...

Making Green Sustainable... Again

I've been a building since the 90's and a green builder for close to 20 years now.  I enjoyed a nice increase in business in the early 2000's during that green bubble before the crash in 2008.  We still build using the same priciples, however have noticed that our clients don't really seem to be demanding high performance...