Shows
Ask a Sustainable BuilderAnna DeSimone - Energy Efficiency to Net Zero in Stages, Renewable Energy Options, Healthy Home, Financial IncentivesAnna DeSimone is a nationally respected housing expert and lights the way for consumers to make informed decisions in buying, financing, and renovating their homes. She is the author of Housing Finance 2020, Welcome to the Agrihood, and her newest book is "Live in a Home that Pays You Back, A Complete Guide to Net Zero, and Energy-Efficient Homes".
In this episode we’ll talk about healthy homes, renewable energy options, rebates and tax incentives, and how your path to zero energy efficiency can be taken in small steps.
Topics:
Anna's recent book, "Live in a H...
2022-04-1053 min
The Connected CustomerPaul Interviews a Web Designer About Her Business and Provides Business Development TipsIn this episode, Paul interviews Maureen Ciaccio about her web design business. Listen in as we discuss how to get more engagement for her business as well as some tips about effectively creating and building an email list. Maureen owns a web agency and is developing a way for busy business owners to get their website up quickly and have more success with it. She started this for clients in the trades, but it seems quite popular with other small businesses as well.
Podcast Footnote
On every podcast, I mention some tools and services that...
2021-08-0444 min
Ask a Sustainable BuilderDan Kolbert – The House as a System, Building Science, Durability & SustainabilityThe Guest:
Dan Kolbert is the owner of Kolbert Building, a small, longtime building contractor in Portland, Maine.
Dan has written for various trade publications, including Fine Homebuilding magazine, and for the past 10 years has been moderator of the original Building Science Discussion Group in Portland, Maine, where the Pretty Good House idea originated. Be sure to watch for the upcoming book he is co-authoring, to be published in 2022.
Topics:
The house as a system
Upcoming book with co-authors Emily Mottram, Michael Maines, Chris Briley
Energy efficiency in historic home renovation
Energy...
2021-02-1444 minAsk a Sustainable BuilderTom Ricciardelli – Recycled and recyclable flooring. One company’s journey creating a quality product from nearly 100% recycled materials.Tom Ricciardelli – Recycled and recyclable flooring. One company’s journey creating a quality product from nearly 100% recycled materials and paying to recycle it again.
Tom Ricciardelli is President and CEO of SelecTech, Inc., a flooring manufacturer dedicated to using recycled materials and creating products that are, in turn, recyclable. He is also the Chairman of the Flooring Committee at EOS/ESD Association Inc. which works on furthering electrostatic containment in flooring.
Located in Avon, MA in the Greater Boston area, SelecTech is most known for their specialty commercial flooring that solves industry problems. One product is S...
2020-10-2735 minAsk a Sustainable BuilderSara Mallio – Permaculture, Designing the House and Land Together, Five Aspects of Sustainability, Role of the ContractorSara Mallio, of White Oaks Studio in Littleton Massachusetts, is a residential designer with a passion for sustainable design. She is a Certified Passive House Consultant and a Certified Permaculture Designer. A Vermont licensed architect, her firm is first and foremost client focused, making sure that the final design supports the lifestyle the client strives for.
Sara views the building and the land as a whole system, working in symbiosis. Sara’s designs reflect this, incorporating the natural resources and inherent beauty of the land into each design. She works to bring the outside in and the in...
2020-08-3142 minAsk a Sustainable BuilderEmily Mottram – Designing for Energy Comfort and Health, Reducing Cost by Designing for How You LiveEmily Mottram, of Mottram Architecture in Cumberland Maine, is an Architect and Building Science Consultant. Her primary focus is on healthy, durable and efficient home design. She believes in high performance building envelopes, low carbon structures, flexible living spaces, daylight planning design, and creating spaces that inspire people to go out and do the things they love.
A graduate of Penn State with a BARCH, she worked for firms in DC and Maine prior to founding Mottram Architecture in 2009. She is licensed in Maine, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania.
Emily is a moderator for the BS* & B...
2020-08-1535 minAsk a Sustainable BuilderMichael Maines - What to Ask a Green Builder, Certifications and What’s Really Needed for Cost & EfficiencyMichael Maines
With a BS in Engineering from Tufts University, a minor in Architectural Studies and an early interest in building natural, expressive homes, Mike has worked as a carpenter, fine woodworker, contractor, project manager, drafter and as operations manager for one of the premiere Passive House builders in the US where he earned the designation Passive House Consultant. In 2015 he started his own firm, Michael Maines Residential Design.
Mike understands that not every client is interested in building a certified Passive House, so he works with them to find a balance of efficiency and...
2020-07-3045 minAsk a Sustainable BuilderJohn Deans – Embodied Carbon, the Issue of Concrete and Foam, Prioritizing for CostJohn Deans
For almost a decade John Deans was an organizer and campaigner for environmental and progressive causes, including a long stint at Greenpeace USA. He loved fighting the good fight, but found himself increasingly chained to a laptop and cell phone. Yearning to breathe fresh air again and work with his hands, he joined Emerald Builders located in Bowdoinham, Maine in 2017.
At Emerald, John works as a Carpenter and as their Marketing Director promoting their business and ideas about sustainability. What he likes about his job: “There is magic in the process of joining mat...
2020-07-3042 minAsk a Sustainable BuilderIt's About Your Sustainable Building Choices - Maureen CiaccioIf you are gearing up for a custom home or renovation project and you want to understand the lingo and concepts behind building science in a down-to-earth way, then join us as I interview everyday builders, architects, materials suppliers and people who enjoy living in high performance homes. This is a great start to understand sustainable choices in home building and renovation.
It's hard to understand how to talk to a builder when you don't know the lingo. It's even harder when there are so many new concepts and options with sustainable building.
We'll approach choices for new h...
2020-07-2702 min
The Informed PatientReversing the opioid epidemic; emergency care for seniors; online help to improve eating habits: Upstate Medical University's HealthLink on Air for Sunday, Dec. 10, 2017Nurse practitioner Nurse practitioner Theresa Baxter talks about pain control and reversing the opioid epidemic Theresa Baxter talks about pain control and reversing the opioid epidemic. Emergency physician. Emergency physician James Ciaccio, MD, discusses medical emergencies that affect seniors James Ciaccio, MD, discusses medical emergencies that affect seniors. Registered dietitian nutritionist. Registered dietitian nutritionist Maureen Franklin shares a website that can help improve eating habits. Maureen Franklin shares a website that can help improve eating habits.
2017-12-0851 min