California leads venture funding for electric vehicle technology

December 7, 2011

- Jerry Hirsch

California is fast becoming a global center for electric-vehicle innovation and jobs.

Businesses in the state collected $467 million in electric vehicle venture capital investment during the first half of this year, or 69% of the global total, according to a study by Next 10, a nonprofit founded by Silicon Valley venture capitalist F. Noel Perry.

California also is now tied with Michigan, the traditional center of the U.S. auto industry, in the number of patents filed for electric vehicle technology. Both states generated 300 patents for electric vehicle technology from 2008 to 2010.

Globally, California trails only Japan and South Korea in electric vehicle patents and leads other nations, including Germany, Taiwan and France, Perry said.

Employment also is taking off. Tesla Motors has hired 300 workers in California so far this year, bringing its national workforce to about 1,400. It plans to double its employment next year, with most of the jobs coming to an auto factory in Fremont that it is refurbishing to launch production of its Model S electric sedan in 2012.

“We have a huge hiring plan for next year,” said Arnnon Geshuri, Tesla’s vice president of human resources.

Tesla’s growth is starting to trickle to vendors and contractors. Geshuri said Tesla is busy upgrading and building more office space at the Fremont factory.

“That means we will need more carpet, tables and desks, and that has an economic effect on the trade groups that provide those services,” he said.

Other companies, from small electric drive manufacturers to businesses that install electric vehicle charging stations commercially and in homes also are growing rapidly, with many having doubled their workforces or grown even faster this year.

The growth is important because it is one of the few areas of expansion in a struggling state economy, said, Tracey Grose, a vice president of collaborative economics who prepared Next 10’s report.

To be sure, the venture capital being spent in California represents just a fraction of what the auto industry is putting into electric and hybrid vehicle technology. Nissan, for example, is spending more than $1 billion on just one project: a new factory to build battery packs for its electric Leaf sedan in Smyrna, Tenn.

And the industry is not without its setbacks; last week electric vehicle start-up Aptera Motors shut its doors, putting its staff of 30 out of work after the Carlsbad company ran out of funds.

But “venture capital and patents give us a look into innovation and are a leading indicator of emerging industries,” Grose said.

California’s status as the nation’s biggest auto market -– and electric vehicle market -- and a tech savvy population of early adopters have made the state a friendly environment for companies investing in electric drive technology, said Jordan Ramer, chief executive of EV Connect, a Culver City company that installs public and home charging stations.

To continue this article, click here.

Homes Powered by the Sun: Sell For More, Becoming New Standard

by Phoebe Chongchua

PhoebeChongchua.com 

They might be a costly addition to your home at first but solar panels are boosting a home's resale value, according to a study earlier this year by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Homeowners may recoup their full investment from the installation and then some, when their home is sold.
Over a period of approximately a decade, about 2,000 solar homes in California were analyzed by researchers and compared to about 72,000 comparable homes not solar powered.

Here's what the study found that estimates for average photovoltaic (PV) premiums among a large number of different model specifications coalesced at a $17,000 price increase for a relatively new "average-sized" (based on the sample of homes studied) PV system of 3,100 watts (DC).

According to the report, the PV energy system is rapidly growing, especially in California where (at the time of the report) almost 100,000 were installed in mostly residential properties.
However, the report authors indicate that, "Although this research finds strong evidence that homes with PV systems in California have sold, on average, for a significant premium over comparable homes without PV systems, the authors recommend that extrapolation of these results to different locations or market conditions be done with care".

Studies like this one may be influencing builders. KB Homes announced this month that the company is making solar power a standard feature in its homes that are being developed in Southern California beginning next year. This development will apply to 28 home communities, an increase from just 10 communities in March.

To continue reading this article, please visit: RealtyTimes.com

LED Holiday Lights: 6 Need-to-Know Tips

By: G. M. Filisko

LED holiday lights vs. old-fashioned bulbs: 6 tips to help you decide which is right for you.

1. LED holiday lights save you money. LED lights use at least 90% less energy than traditional holiday lights, according to the U.S. government’s Energy Star program.

That results in a $50 energy savings for the average family during the holidays, says Avital Binshtock of the Sierra Club in San Francisco.

Put it into perspective: The amount of electricity consumed by one 7-watt incandescent bulb could power 140 LEDs—enough to light two 24-foot strings, says Energy Star.

2. But LED lights typically cost more than old-fashioned holiday lights.

• GE 100-bulb string of Energy Star-certified LED white lights: $18.97 at Lowe’s

• GE 100-bulb string of conventional white lights: $8.97

But shop around because a growing number of retailers are offering sales on LED holiday lights and, if you can’t find a sale before the holidays, you can certainly find one after. Plus, prices will surely go down as these lights gain traction.

3. LED holiday lights last and last. LED bulbs can keep your season bright for as long as 100,000 hours, says Cathy Choi, president of Moonachie, N.J.-based Bulbrite, which manufactures LED and regular bulbs. That’s substantially longer than the life of your old holiday light strings.

4. You can string a BIG strand of LED lights. Safety wise, you shouldn’t connect more than three traditional light strings, but you can connect up to 87 LED holiday light strings, totaling a whopping 1,500 feet, Choi says. So blow your neighbor's display away by cocooning your house in lights:

• You won’t have to buy as many extension cords.

• You can take your holiday lighting display further away from the outlet.
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5. LED lights reduce the risk of fire. They stay cooler than incandescent bulbs, according to Energy Star.

6. How about that hue? Some people stick with their old lights because they don’t like the brighter hue that white LED holiday lights emit. But Choi says manufacturers now offer a “warm white” bulb that more closely mimics the glow of an incandescent light. Be sure to read the label to choose a bright or warm white and to ensure what you’re purchasing isEnergy Star-certified.

Colored and color-changing LED holiday lights are more vibrant than conventional lights, making your display easier to see from the street, Choi says.

7 Tips For Improving Your Credit

Here’s how to clean up your credit so you get the least-expensive home loan possible

Getting the loan that suits your situation at the best possible price and terms makes homebuying easier and more affordable. Here are seven ways to boost your credit score so you can do just that.

1. Know your credit score

Credit scores range from 300 to 850, and the higher, the better. They’re based on whether you’ve paid personal loans, car loans, credit cards, and other debt in full and on time in the past. You’ll need a score of at least 620 to qualify for a home loan and 740 to get the best interest rates and terms.

 You’re entitled to a free copy of your credit report annually from each of the major credit-reporting bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Access all three versions of your credit report at www.annualcreditreport.com. Review them to ensure the information is accurate.

2. Correct errors on your credit report

If you find mistakes on your credit report, write a letter to the credit-reporting agency explaining why you believe there’s an error. Send documents that support your case, and ask that the error be corrected or removed. Also write to the company, or debt collector, that reported the incorrect information to dispute the information, and ask to be copied on any materials sent to credit-reporting agencies.

3. Pay every bill on time

You may be surprised at the damage even a few late payments will have on your credit score. The easiest way to make a big difference in your credit score without altering your spending habits is to diligently pay all your bills on time. You’ll also save money because you’ll keep the money you’ve been spending on late fees. Credit card or mortgage companies probably won’t report minor late payments, those less than 30 days overdue, but you’ll still have to pay late fees.

4. Use credit carefully

Another good way to boost your credit score is to pay your credit card bills in full every month. If you can’t do that, pay as much over your required minimum payment as possible to begin whittling away the debt. Stop using your credit cards to keep your balances from increasing, and transfer balances from high-interest credit cards to lower-interest cards.

5. Take care with the length of your credit

Credit rating agencies also consider the length of your credit history. If you’ve had a credit card for a long time and managed it responsibly, that works in your favor. However, opening several new credit cards at once can lower the average age of your accounts, which pushes down your score. Likewise, closing credit card accounts lowers your available credit, so keep credit cards open even if you’re not using them.

6. Don’t use all the credit you’re offered

Credit scores are also based on how much credit you use compared with how much you’re offered. Using $1,000 of available credit will give you a lower score than having $1,000 of available credit and using $100 of it. Occasionally opening new lines of credit can boost your available credit, which also affects your score positively.

7. Be patient

It can take time for your credit score to climb once you’ve begun working to improve it. Keep at it because the more distance you put between your spotty payment history and your current good payment record, the less damage you’ll do to your credit score.

G.M. Filisko is an attorney and award-winning writer who keeps a close eye on her credit scores. A frequent contributor to many national publications including Bankrate.com, REALTOR® Magazine, and the American Bar Association Journal, she specializes in real estate, business, personal finance, and legal topics.

 Published: February 25, 2010 By: G. M. Filisko

Read more: http://buyandsell.houselogic.com/articles/7-tips-improving-your-credit/#ixzz1fDyL0AYX

Santa Barbara Property Sales - October 2011

Carpinteria

(REO)$185,000 4634 Ninth St

$192,000 5951 Birch St 1

$200,000 5936 Birch St 1

$203,000 7015 Gobernador Cyn

$282,000 6048 Jacaranda Way F

(REO) $350,000 1260 Franciscan Ct 11

$385,500 1413 Sterling Ave

$420,000 1484 Noma St

$520,000 4655 Aragon Dr

$615,000 1098 Linden Ave

$645,000 1477 La Jolla Pl

$1,100,000 7410 Shepard Mesa Rd

$424,792 Avg. Price
$367,750 Median Price
12 Sales

Goleta

(REO)$210,000 31 Dearborn Pl 34

(REO)$230,000 5516 Armitos Ave 79

$258,000 7105 Monique Ct

$300,000 6864 Silver Fern Ct

$325,000 7636 Hollister Ave 259

$363,000 534 Mills Way

(REO)$380,000 7017 Marymount Way

$425,000 107 Cardinal Ave

(REO)$460,000 688 La Roda Ave

(REO)$474,000 581 Poppyfield Pl

$480,000 5134 Calle Real B

$520,000 6245 Momouth Ave

(REO)$525,000 62 Touran Ln

(REO)$545,000 121 Santa Ana Ave

$557,000 523 Inwood Dr

(Reo)$632,000 7952 Winchester Cir

(Reo)$635,000 5155 Tabano Way

(Reo)$650,000 7938 Winchester Cir

$660,000 7319 Greensboro St

$687,000 5083 Parkwood Pl

$715,000 5304 Orchard Park Ln

$740,000 4976 La Ramada Dr

$750,000 5133 Walnut Park Dr

$825,000 6828 Shadowbrook Dr

$830,000 455 Orange Blossom Ln

$930,000 6784 Sueno Rd

$1,048,000 416 Mills Way

$561,259 Avg. Price
$545,000 Median Price
27 Sales

Montecito

$253,000 1125 Westmont Rd

$792,500 755 Circle Dr

$890,000 1355 Santa Clara Wy

$944,000 696 Cowles Rd

$1,060,000 116 Palm Tree Ln

$1,200,000 1368 East Valley Rd

$1,200,000 677 Orchard Ave

$1,550,000 950 Arcady Rd

$2,210,000 660 Randall Rd

$2,300,000 433 Alcala Ln

$3,300,000 275 Olive Mill Rd

$1,427,227 Avg. Price
$1,200,000 Median Price
11 Sales

Santa Barbara

$198,500 220 W Canon Perdido

(REO)$313,000 325 Ladera St 4

$325,000 1233 Richelle Ln G

$331,500 2113 Castillo #A

$340,000 1231 Stonecreek Rd D

(REO)$365,000 3663 San Remo Dr #5a

(REO)$375,000 1305 Cacique St

(REO)$375,000 2626 Calle Real

$380,000 551 E Montecito St

$380,000 557 E Montecito St

(REO)$383,000 1600 Garden St 18

$395,000 577 E Montecito St

$401,000 1709 Sycamore Cyn Rd

(REO)$405,000 433 E Micheltorena St

$410,000 535 E Montecito St

(REO)$425,000 431 E Carrillo St

$426,000 565 E Montecito St

$445,500 579 E Montecito St

(REO)$460,500 3943 Camellia Ln

$470,000 1010 N Nopal St

$475,000 222 Reef Ct

$483,500 452 Fellowship Rd

$485,000 221 Reef Ct

$485,000 2824 Miradero Dr

(REO)$485,000 418 E Sola St

$487,500 573 E Montecito St

$540,000 818 W Mission St

$560,000 823 Alberta Ave

$600,000 3508 Madrona Dr

$600,000 2525 State St 23

(REO)$605,000 305 Sherwood Dr

$615,000 202 San Nicolas

$638,000 515 W Quinto St

$682,500 227 Los Alamos

(REO)$690,000 832 Vales St

$715,000 4004 Via Lucero Unit 4

(REO)$715,000 3997 Foothill Rd

$717,000 1127 Bath St

$730,000 1576 Eucalyptus Hill

$736,000 342 Oliver Rd

$740,000 521 Carriage Hill Ct

$745,000 4018 Via Diego

$750,000 7 St Ann Dr

$750,000 316 W. Ortega #3

$753,000 1132 Crestline Dr

$775,000 1424 Pacific Ave

(REO)$777,000 218 Las Ondas

$780,000 3124 Argonne Cir

$798,500 1109 Las Olas Ave

$858,000 764 Casiano Dr

$867,000 1609 Garden St

$880,000 3677 Eileen Way

$895,000 4868 Vieja Dr

$987,000 3752 Lincoln Rd

(REO)$1,050,000 2020 Las Canoas Rd

$1,100,000 958 Arbolado Rd

$1,220,000 3084 Calle Mariposa

$1,250,000 707 E Valerio St

$1,379,000 1635 Oramas Rd

$1,400,000 1717 Mission Ridge Rd

$1,500,000 2660 Puesta Del Sol

$2,059,000 100 E Constance Ave

$3,580,000 1709 Overlook Ln

$720,113 Avg. Price
$610,000 Median Price
63 Sales

Summerland

$388,000 3960 Via Real

(REO) $500,000 2576 Lillie Ave

$3,415,000 745 Sand Point Rd

$1,434,333 Avg. Price
$500,000 Median Price
3 Sales

Total:

$739,621 Avg. Price
$610,000 Median Price
116 Sales
24% Reo Sales

Natural Holiday Decorating Tips

For many of us, December brings the holidays, and whether it’s Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, or Christmas that’s celebrated, family and tradition are always in the forefront.

To celebrate, we can add some festive touches from our own natural landscape and bring the sense of calm and serenity we usually feel in our gardens inside our homes during this often-hectic time.

Here are some quick and easy ideas using collected branches, seeds, plants, leaves, fruit, and other natural items to extend the garden’s bounty into the winter holiday season.

One of the simplest things to do is to decorate the house with fresh greenery from your garden. Greenery gathered from your own garden will be much fresher than any that you can buy. Just remember when gathering live greenery from your shrubs and trees you are actually pruning the plants so carefully consider which branches to cut and which ones to leave.

• You can use the greenery to create garlands, wreaths, swags, and to add to centerpieces and flower arrangements.
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• Door ornaments are quick and easy to make from evergreen branches. Wrap a sturdy wire around the ends of branches of several types of evergreens for contrasting color and texture. Then add a large bow to cover the attachment point. You can also substitute rope or raffia for the ribbon for a more natural look.
• Use winter berries from your shrubs such as holly, pyracantha, and toyon to add to your garlands and wreaths.
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• To add unique color to your decorations, attach shiny, red, and gold apples to your wreaths and garlands. Cranberries, citrus, and pomegranates also look great in holiday decorations.
• Gather dried pods, pine cones, dried wildflowers, and twigs and display them in a basket. They can be used as they are, sprayed with gold or silver paint, or sprayed with potpourri oil. You can also put a dab of glue on each point of the pine cone and sprinkle them with glitter.
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All different sizes of candles, from votives to pillars, can be scattered with metallic painted pinecones and branches of leaves to make a decoration for the mantle.

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• For a simple Hanukkah centerpiece, you can light nine assorted candles (to represent the nine candles on the Menorah). Scatter colorful clementine or other tangerines from your garden, dreidels, and chocolate gelt with the candles. That way, between dinner courses, your family and friends can snack on a tangerine or chocolate and the children can play with the dreidels.
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• Add some sparkle to your decorations by including glitter or small mirrors.
• Use fruit for decorating your holiday table. Pears and small apples are great for spray painting with metallic colors or in your favorite holiday color.
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• Oranges, lemons, or apples sprinkled with cinnamon or cardamom and stuck with whole cloves make fragrant pomander balls and are a great rainy day project for the whole family.

Judi Gerber is a University of California Master Gardener with a certificate in Horticultural Therapy. She writes about sustainable farming, local foods, and organic gardening for multiple magazines. Her book Farming in Torrance and the South Bay was released in September 2008.
Click here for more ideas on the care 2 website

Green still adds value

Even in a volatile market, green office buildings post significantly better returns than their less-environmentally friendly competitors. Those are among the findings from a recent study by Nils Kok and Pier Eichholtz of Maastricht University in the Netherlands and John M. Quigley of the University of California at Berkeley. Using data from more than 25,000 commercial buildings on the listing site of the CoStar Group, the authors determined that buildings holding either the Energy Star rating from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or the LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council had rents that averaged 3 percent higher than comparable office buildings in the same market. In 2007, effective rents—the rent multiplied by the occupancy rate—for green buildings averaged 7.5 percent higher; by 2009, the rent premium had dropped to 5.1 percent. The authors note that some of this variation could occur because green buildings are often newer and larger than competitors.

The study, “The Economics of Green Building,” also determined that between 2004 and 2009, green buildings listed on CoStar sold for about 13 percent more than comparable properties. “This strongly suggests that property investors value the lower risk premium—perhaps the insurance against future increases in energy prices—inherent in certified commercial office buildings,” conclude the authors.


-REALTOR magazine, Sept. 2011
*photo courtesy of paradigmsforprogess

Doing a remodel? Not know what to do with your old materials?

Santa Barbara's Demo 2 Design specialize in architectural reuse. Materials may include doors, windows, plumbing and lighting fixtures.
Marborg and Demo 2 Design have recently teamed up. Now your materials from deconstruction can be picked up from your site, diverting it from the landfill and giving it the chance of another life in someone else's home.
Click here for hours of operation or to shop Demo 2 Design's inventory.

Carpinteria Bans Bad Bags

City Council Votes to Go All Reusable All the Time  

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

by TYLER HAYDEN

Plucking a hefty jewel from Santa Barbara’s supposed crown of environmental stewardship, the Carpinteria City Council voted on Monday evening for an across-the-board ban of single-use paper and plastic bags. The unanimous decision makes Carpinteria the first South Coast city to ban such bags and, once formalized, the ordinance will be the strictest of 14 similar laws throughout California.

All Carp businesses, from supermarkets and drug stores to restaurants and mom ‘n’ pop shops, will be required to stock and sell reusable totes as disposables phase out. Big retailers like Vons, CVS, and Rite-Aid will have three months to comply once the ordinance is enacted; smaller businesses, six months. The restrictions likely won’t apply to plastic produce bags at grocery stores, and there’ll be exemptions for those who can’t afford reusable bags. “I don’t think it’s going to be very difficult, and I think our community is ready for it,” said Councilmember Gregg Carty before casting his vote. “Let’s go.”

Carpinteria retailers distribute an estimated 1.5-million single-use bags annually, but that was up to 2.5 million before Albertsons stopped offering paper and plastic in April, a self-imposed move that was part of a corporate pilot program. While sales did dip at Albertsons for the first three weeks, people eventually embraced the idea. Most jurisdictions allow the use of recycled paper bags in one form or another, but the council — taking staff’s cue that paper bags are the 10th most collected item during coastal litter cleanup efforts — nixed them as well.

Long known to choke animals and landfills, pollute waterways, and wreak general havoc on delicate habitats, single-use bags have nevertheless enjoyed relative immunity from state and federal regulation, leaving cities and counties to draft their own laws. Those efforts have been tempered by the Coalition to Save the Plastic Bag, an industry-backed group that sues jurisdictions for not conducting environmental reviews before imposing bans. But a recent state court ruling in favor of Manhattan Beach and against the coalition determined that environmental review wasn’t required. The legal precedent put the Carpinteria city attorney’s office in a position to back the restriction without fear of lawsuit.

The city staff’s extensive report advised that the council not ban plastic and then impose a fee on paper, which Los Angeles County did and is now being sued by a South Carolina-based bag manufacturer. The report also recommended that stores under 10,000 square feet in size be allowed to carry single-use paper bags, but a letter from the California Grocer’s Association expressed concern over favoritism, so the council was convinced to make the rule uniform.

No one spoke out against the bag ban before the unanimous vote, instead lauding Carpinteria for having the foresight — and what many called the “bravery” — to move forward. The supportive remarks were met with audience applause. “I think we’ve all finally come to a place where we realize this is an issue, that it is a negative impact to the environment,” said Kathi King of the Community Environmental Council, “which is more than I can say for some of the other jurisdictions where I have been beating my head against the wall for a long time.”

Sandy Lejeune with the Surfrider Foundation, who’s spoken before the Santa Barbara City Council on the issue more than once, touched on the impact of rogue bags. “It costs a lot of money to clean up bags that don’t get disposed of properly,” he explained. “Every piece of plastic that’s ever been made is still out there. It doesn’t go away,” he went on, remarking that plastic only photodegrades, never biodegrades, meaning it eventually becomes so small fish eat plastic particles mistaken for plankton, introducing the toxic substance into human food streams.

Former Carpinteria mayor Donna Jordan, speaking on behalf of Carpinteria Beautiful, which has spearheaded the area’s reusable movement for years, stated, “Single-use bags are a disaster not waiting to happen, but happening … It’s really time to break the habit. We’ve tried education, tried persuasion, tried setting examples for people, but it just hasn’t been enough.”

As staff finalizes the ordinance over the next two to three months, Carp government employees will be speaking to and working with area businesses to ensure the switch goes as smoothly as possible. A public hearing will also be held. If all proceeds according to plan, Carpinteria will be sans-single-use by spring and summer of 2012.