JULIE GARDNER
  • HOME
  • COMPASS
    • WHY COMPASS?
    • COMPASS CONCIERGE
    • COMPASS BRIDGE LOANS
  • LISTINGS
  • ABOUT
    • ABOUT JULIE
    • A DYNAMIC PARTNERSHIP
    • CONTACT
    • PROCESS
    • TESTIMONIALS
    • PRESS
  • PROJECTS
    • BEFORE & AFTER
    • GARDENS
    • OUR TEAM
    • VIDEOS
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • UTILITIES
    • SCHOOLS

Power UP!

5/28/2021

0 Comments

 
After more than 14 months of waiting for a date to install Tesla Power Walls at our home in Oakland, Cliff unexpectedly received a message last Sunday that their technicians would be showing up the next day . . . .

Say what? Frankly, we'd given up hope on ever hearing back. (Tesla, you gotta work on your communication.)
On Monday, two polite young men arrived in a shiny white van, set up a work table, and promptly got down to business, and by midday Tuesday, three gleaming new battery walls were neatly installed in our back garden. While not as beautiful as the blooming rose bushes I had to quickly transplant to accommodate the installation, they're definitely more hip and far more useful. As a practical matter, we won't have to throw away the contents of our freezer whenever PG&E cuts off the power - as is happening with increased regularity during the "fire season." (We used to call that "fall.")

These walls don't come cheap, which is to say that for years, Sellers have wondered if "green technology" was a good "return on investment," and the sad truth is, Realtors didn't see a corresponding price differential for dual-pane windows, Ring doorbells, Nest thermostats, or solar panels. They were nice; they were certainly appreciated, and they definitely helped cut down on energy bills, but just as Buyers won't pay more for a sexy new sewer lateral (that's where the sewer line meets the city main, so NOT so sexy as it turns out), BIGGER dollars came to Sellers for the work one could easily see and quantify: kitchens, bathrooms, gardens, etc. - aka: spaces where families gather and entertain (No one's serving turkey around a charging station.)

However, given that electric cars WILL only increase in numbers and that alternative sources for energy and water WILL be necessary to combat global warming, I'm beginning to wonder if there isn't going to be a shift in what Buyers value, or at least a clearer understanding of the importance of some of these technological improvements moving forward . . . where demand grows, higher prices follow. If nothing else, those who have experienced subsequent days with NO power, should be attracted to properties that circumvent the problem . . . but why stop there?

Green technology is just getting started . . . my millennial neighbors next door installed a machine on their deck that actually pulls water from the atmosphere. I'm not sure how it works exactly, but it clicks on and off with some regularity, so I assume it's doing its job. Cliff and I not only have solar panels (and now walls) attached to our house, dual-pane windows, and heavy insulation throughout, we also collect rainwater in huge vats that hide under our wrap-around porch, which in turn, connect to the irrigation system that waters our lovely but thirsty garden. (These tubs hold 3,000 gallons of water and fill up with just a few good rain showers. Low-tech for sure, but a good solution nonetheless.) Meanwhile, our friends in Piedmont just installed a Tesla roof on their stunning Tudor home. In short, more and more people are hopping on the electric bandwagon and not only reducing their energy bills but doing what's appropriate to help heal the planet.

But if "doing the right thing" isn't a good enough reason to propagate environmental changes, many city governments are requiring "green" improvements with increasing frequency when building, remodeling or renovating homes, including Piedmont. These improvements can be as simple as replacing the lightbulbs OR as significant as redressing the single-pane windows in your house, but whether small or large, all are important components of raising awareness and consumer consciousness while we work towards net-neutral environments. (Too little, too late? I hope not.)

While "green" requirements are still fairly novel (and as of yet, unenforced) the newest rules in Piedmont call for an "Energy Audit" or "Energy Score" as a point-of-sale ordinance, meaning that when you decide to sell, we'll need to order an energy inspection for your home. Unfortunately, Sarah and I have yet to see a score greater than 3 on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the goal) as the footprint of the building seems to be the number one offender: bigger homes use more resources and emit more gases. Given the generally large sizes of the houses in town, coupled with the advancing age of Piedmont's housing stock, that's hardly a surprise, but what to do about it IS the next big hurdle. In other words, we should probably ALL be downsizing. For more information on the "Reach codes" click here.
​
But if you are staying put, think beyond tiles and backsplashes when making improvements to your living spaces. Expand your wish list to include smart "green" technologies that are healthy for you, good for your house, cut down on energy consumption, eliminate gas emissions, and ultimately benefit the community, and the world as a whole. (We're in this together.)

And if losing power has been a repeating occurrence - as it has for many homes in the hills - you might want to think about purchasing a Tesla wall - or two - but get on their waiting list immediately; I suspect there's a long line ahead of you. At least that's been our experience.

How can we help you?
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Subscribe

    Author

    Julie Gardner, has been writing The Perspective for 18 years and has published more than 670 essays on life and real estate. 

    Picture

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010
    January 2010
    December 2009
    November 2009
    October 2009
    September 2009
    August 2009
    July 2009
    June 2009
    May 2009
    April 2009
    March 2009
    February 2009
    January 2009
    December 2008
    November 2008
    October 2008
    September 2008
    August 2008
    July 2008
    June 2008
    May 2008
    April 2008
    March 2008

    Categories

    All
    Business
    Design
    Drought
    Holiday
    Home Maintenance
    Homes For Sale
    Life
    Market
    Politics
    Renovation

    RSS Feed

    View my profile on LinkedIn
Piedmont · Oakland · Berkeley
 510.326.0840
julie@juliegardner.com
DRE# 01431765
​COMPASS

  • HOME
  • COMPASS
    • WHY COMPASS?
    • COMPASS CONCIERGE
    • COMPASS BRIDGE LOANS
  • LISTINGS
  • ABOUT
    • ABOUT JULIE
    • A DYNAMIC PARTNERSHIP
    • CONTACT
    • PROCESS
    • TESTIMONIALS
    • PRESS
  • PROJECTS
    • BEFORE & AFTER
    • GARDENS
    • OUR TEAM
    • VIDEOS
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • UTILITIES
    • SCHOOLS