Sweden might be the host for Europe’s largest wind farm if the Swedish government approves the proposed plans. The wind farm will be located in Markbygden near Piteå in northern Sweden and will have a total of 1,101 wind turbines.

“This would be Europe’s, if not the world’s, biggest wind farm,” Caj Noren, a spokesman for the board, told AFP. Construction could begin in two-and-a-half years and would be completed after about a decade, Noren said.

Once constructed the wind farm will produce between 8 to 12 terawatt hours per year and would alone meet Sweden’s national wind power target to reach 10 terawatt hours by 2015. The wind farm is expected to cost about 55 billion Swedish Kronor (around $6.9 billion or €4.5 billion) to construct.

The Swedish right-wing government recently announced that they will reverse a nearly 30-year-old ban on building nuclear power plants. Its madness when we can get cheap, clean renewable energy and at the same time create thousands of new jobs from wind farms like this one.

Joey at Greener Visions has established his company with similar ethics and ideals as PaintGreen. We sat down with Joey and asked a few questions:

How long have you been in the building industry?
Green Vision Building & Design has only been operating for about a year. However, the owners of Green Vision have over 20 years of experience in the building industry working for other companies and for there own companies.

What inspired you to take your company "green"?
It really came down to quality. Buck and I both consider ourselves craftsmen, we enjoy completing quality projects that we can be proud of. As we delved deeper into higher quality in our construction we kept running into "green building" techniques, and finally we came to the conclusion that if we built green we also would be building to the highest quality standards available. It's also a nice bonus that our "green work" gives back to the community and the environment in so many beneficial ways.

What do you do differently than other builders?
First we come in as consultants and give you many options and ideas for ways that we (or you) can reduce your houses carbon footprint and energy consumption, within your current project and just in general. We usually start with many possible options and whittle them down to what works with your budget and tastes. Once construction begins you will notice that our demolition process has much less waste than other demolitions as we try to reuse as much of the old materials as we can. Of those materials that are not reused we recycle what we can. Unlike most construction companies we usually have a recycling bin on site along with a garbage bin. During construction we use materials that are sustainable and non-toxic whenever possible (we also work within a customers budget when it comes to materials). We implement building techniques that save our customers energy and money as a result of reduced energy consumption. We pride ourselves in creating a product that looks good, one in which we can be proud to have built and the customer can be proud to live in.

Is it more expensive to build green?
The reality is that "green building" really isn't that much more expensive than standard construction practices. There are certain things, such as solar panels, which are very expensive initially but that are paid off over time in energy savings. However, for the most part, green building isn't more expensive than standard building practices. For example, when we install insulation in a wall, we take time to insure that the insulation is installed correctly, that its not "squeezed" tightly into bays which are too small (as is often done), because this causes the insulation to lose much of its R-value (its ability to insulate). We also caulk joints around ducts, pipes, and other openings which allow air to leak in and out of the building. These better building "green" techniques may cost our customers an extra $200, but they will result in a wall that is in some cases 50% more efficient than the same wall installed without the same attention to detail. So going green really doesn't mean you have to drain your pocket book, and the end result is usually a more energy efficient and more comfortable home.

What is the most common mis-perception in your industry?
See above answer.

How should people contact you?
Call green vision at 619-972-2002 or email myself (Joey) or Buck at:

joey@greenervision.net
buck@greenervision.net

You can also view our website at www.greenervision.net.

www.paintgreen.com

An excerpt from a recent article at www.paintquality.com:
There are two basic types of paint to choose from: water-based paints, often referred to as acrylic emulsions, and solvent-based paints. High-quality water-based paints offer not just an excellent all-round performance profile, they are also a good choice from an environmental perspective. Solvent-based paints, the more traditional type of paint, require users to excercise a degree of caution to avoid potential damage to the environment.
Solvent-based paints are a source of potentially hazardous emissions called Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), a family of substances that easily evaporate into the air to form invisible vapours.
When evaporating, the solvents contained in paint emit VOCs into the atmosphere. VOCs react with oxygen in the presence of sunlight to form ozone – "bad" ozone.
It is important to distinguish between "good" ozone and "bad" ozone.
"Good" ozone occurs naturally in the stratosphere about 10-35 kilometres above the ground, which protects the surface of the earth from harmful ultraviolet rays and acts to protect plants, animals and humans from its various harmful effects.
"Bad" ozone occurs at ground level, forms through the chemical reaction between VOCs, oxygen and sunlight, and is an irritant for the mucous membranes. It can also cause nose, eye, and throat irritations; and can lead to shortness of breath, coughing, and asthmatic symptoms.
This "bad" lower-atmosphere ozone can also damage vegetation – plants, trees, bushes – and such impacts negatively on those dependent on nature for their livelihood. This ozone also has a corrosive effect on certain man-made materials: for example, it accelerates the deterioration and fading of certain paints.
A further major consequence of VOC emissions is global warming – VOCs play a significant role with respect to the creation of the greenhouse effect. Further, some chemically very stable VOCs participate in the destruction of the stratospheric ozone layer (the "good ozone"): this is the famous hole in the ozone layer.
San Diego Paint Contractor: PaintGreen
"Blazing the Green trail for other San Diego Paint Contractors to follow."
www.paintgreen.com

Ceram-X is a local San Diego company that manufactures a line of top-quality elastomeric paint. Their paint comes with a 25 year warranty, is environmentally friendly, A-1 fire rated, and creates a thermal barrier that will reduce your energy bills.

I talked to the guys at Ceram-X and learned that how much energy saved is determined by several factors, including the color chosen. Unlike most elastomeric paint, their ceramic base will actually repel dirt, rather than attract it.

Elastomeric paints are much more costly to apply than traditional paint, but are a great product for a long-term paint solution.

We are happy to have another high-quality paint to be able to offer our San Diego-area clients.

Properly insulating your home to maximize it's energy efficiency and comfort level is important. A truly efficient home will have several strategies in place to lower power consumption. One strategy can be to use a special, high-quality paint that will actually insulate your home.

A ceramic-based paint made locally in San Diego promises to be able to do just that. Ceram-X brand paint offers a 25 year warranty as well as several other advantages over "normal" paint.

We just found out about this paint, and will let you know more about it once we have a chance to test it out. Stay tuned for more...

www.paintgreen.com

A large source of environmental pollution produced by painters is the plastic we use. It's cheap, readily available, and easy to use. Most painters will go through rolls and rolls of plastic to cover floors, furniture, bushes, and windows to make sure are no drips or overspray.

While it is essentially unavoidable to use some plastic while painting, we've increased our reliance on re-usable canvas dropcloths. We've cut the amount of garbage we produce to about a third of what is use to be.

Reducing the amount of garbage we all produce is important, especially in light of news like the garbage island twice the size of Texas that is floating around just North of Hawaii: http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2008/04/14/ntm.garbage.island.cnn
and
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&refer=home&sid=a14k5rGoGenk

A picture is worth a thousand words...

At PaintGreen, we drive what amounts to hundreds of thousands of miles a year. We realized that our driving is probably the largest impact we have on the environment. By becoming smarter with our vehicles, we can dramatically reduce the "footprint" our business creates.

We have contracted with TerraPass, a California-based company to reduce the environmental impact of our driving. TerraPass offers a way to reduce the driving footprint for both companies and individuals. Check them out at www.terrapass.com.

More ways to improve your car's environmental impact according to the EPA:

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/driveHabits.shtml

1.

Drive Sensibly

Aggressive driving (speeding, rapid acceleration and braking) wastes gas. It can lower your gas mileage by 33 percent at highway speeds and by 5 percent around town. Sensible driving is also safer for you and others, so you may save more than gas money.

2.

Observe the Speed Limit

While each vehicle reaches its optimal fuel economy at a different speed (or range of speeds), gas mileage usually decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph.

As a rule of thumb, you can assume that each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.20 per gallon for gas.

Observing the speed limit is also safer.

3.

Remove Excess Weight

Avoid keeping unnecessary items in your vehicle, especially heavy ones. An extra 100 pounds in your vehicle could reduce your MPG by up to 2%. The reduction is based on the percentage of extra weight relative to the vehicle's weight and affects smaller vehicles more than larger ones

4.

Avoid Excessive Idling

Idling gets 0 miles per gallon. Cars with larger engines typically waste more gas at idle than do cars with smaller engines.

5.

Use Cruise Control

Using cruise control on the highway helps you maintain a constant speed and, in most cases, will save gas.

6.

Use Overdrive Gears

When you use overdrive gearing, your car's engine speed goes down. This saves gas and reduces engine wear.

A common problem I see as a painter is homeowners with a bunch of old paint in the garage. Who knows when it was used or what color is in the can, but it would be great to get rid of it.

Don't throw it away!

Old paint can be donated, reused, recycled, or as a last resort... properly disposed at a licensed facility.

It is illegal to dispose of paint in the trash or down storm or sewer drains, because paint can contaminate drinking water and ocean water. Special collection programs have been established to accept paint for recycling or proper disposal.

Here in San Diego County, there are several locations that accept old paint. You can find the closest location to you at http://www.sdcounty.ca.gov/deh/chd/hhwfacilities.html

Reuse Options
If you have leftover, unwanted paint in good condition, consider contacting a local charity, high school drama department, or church to see if they will accept paint for reuse. Examples of nonprofit organizations that may be interested in leftover paint include local Habitat for Humanity chapters and Keep America Beautiful affiliates.

Recycling Options
Local paint reuse and recycling programs collect paint from residents and commercial businesses. The paint is then taken to a company that will then recycle it into recycled-content paint. This type of paint is created through two processes - reprocessing and reblending.

Reprocessed paint is mixed with virgin materials, tested and then packaged for distribution or sale.

Reblended paint is remixed, screened and packaged for distribution or sale. Typically reblended paint comes in only a handful of basic neutral colors. It has a much higher percentage of recycled content paint then reprocessed paint, which may influence its overall quality. Reblended paint can be used for interior/exterior painting, graffiti abatement, and local improvement projects.

When disposing of paint:

• Read the label and follow for the manufacturer’s instructions for proper disposal.
• Check with your local recycling or household hazardous waster coordinator regarding acceptable practices in your community for the disposal of dried latex paint.
• Empty containers may be thrown in the trash. A container is considered “empty” if no paint can be removed with a brush or by holding it upside down.

NOTE: Latex paint manufactured before August 1990 may also contain mercury. Some older paints may contain high levels of lead, as well. Although the Consumer Products Safety Commission banned the use of lead in consumer paints in 1978, older homes, especially those built prior to 1978, may have lead-based paint on interior surfaces. According to EPA, lead-based paint dust and chips are dangerous if swallowed or inhaled, especially to small children and pregnant women. For more information about lead-based paints or a list of businesses that can test homes to determine if a home has surfaces painted with lead-based paint, contact the National Lead Information Clearinghouse at (800) 424-LEAD.

Jon - Owner

I recently came across an environmentally friendly hardware store called Plan It Hardware. www.planithardware.com

They offer green alternatives to almost everything you could find at a regular hardware store.

I'm excited to enhance the environmental friendliness of PaintGreen by utilizing some of the products this awesome store offers!

Jon - Owner