As this is the centenary issue of ImagesAZ, the temptation was to reflect over where we came from to where we are today.  But ImagesAZ always dares to be different.  Instead, like the innovators who we have featured over the past three months, we are always striving for the future.  Let’s not reflect, but instead put in place a vision for our communities and what wonderful things could be achieved by the time the ImagesAZ bi-centenary issue is produced in August of 2017.

If you are struggling to grasp a community vision, reflect in your own lifetime, and think of a moment of synergy where you and other individuals have connected to create a result better than any one person could have achieved on his own.  A vision for a community or region, is that same synergy, just on a grander scale.

Now, the little boy in me still wants to talk about flying cars that run on air and robots to perform all household chores when I think about the future, but the stark reality is that this is a wish list rather than a vision.  A vision must be much more closely linked to the issues that we are facing collectively and must have the intent of improving the lives of those within the region.  For a vision to be accepted by enough constituents and for it to gain momentum it needs to be either of pressing enough concern for the majority or introduced by inspired leaders within communities.  Either way, a vision needs to be embraced to be successful.  So as you read through the following pages, ask yourself “what if?” and see what you can do.

The most pressing issue that we in the United States, particularly the North Valley of Phoenix, face right now is energy and the consumption of non-renewable resources.  Our newly-sworn-in President addressed our need to capture the energy of the sun and wind in his inauguration speech.  He has continued to campaign for investing in new technologies to reduce our reliance on oil. And locally, the City of Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon has expressed his plan to make Phoenix the Greenest City in the United States.  He recently introduced a seventeen point Green Phoenix plan to reduce the cities carbon footprint.  When you consider that access to Phoenix from the North is the only direction that is owned by the City of Phoenix, communities in this region could embrace the Mayor’s enthusiasm for green.  By demonstrating that the North Valley is working to parallel the vision of Phoenix, expansion and development to the North could see this area become the most exciting part of Arizona.

What can we do?
Greensburg Kansas was decimated to the ground by a tornado in 2007 and rebuilt as the “Greenest Town” in the United States drawing national headlines during President Obama’s election campaign.  Some may argue that the infrastructure we have is already in place and barring a freak natural disaster, what we have is what we are stuck with. The flipside is that our infrastructure is an excellent framework for showing what a community can do if it was to retrofit with green technology.  From steps as simple as checking insulation through to installing geothermal technology, the North Valley of Phoenix has the opportunity to be a leader in sustainability.

Green is no longer Extreme
The renewed vigor in the green movement has brought with it many benefits.  One of the most evident is the acceptance of partial savings.  In the past, environmental views have carried with it an “all or nothing approach”, leading to the movement being labeled as extremist.  With many new companies introducing technologies to products to improve their efficiency by figures “up to 70 percent”, acceptance of percentage savings is now the norm.

Rich Polito of Ford 360, an Arizona green building company based in the North Valley stated, “Even if you are saving half as much energy as you could, you are still saving.  Investing in all of the technology at once is a large capital investment that is out of the reach of most people, but slowly incorporating the technologies and maximizing the savings in the short term is what people should be doing as they go forward.”

Where to start?
It is said that 80 percent of the energy used in a home in Arizona is contributed to heating and cooling of the home, hot water heating and pool equipment.  Therefore, it seems logical to approach these three areas first when looking to save.  But what people might not be aware of is where their homes are currently losing energy and how a few simple steps can save them money and increase comfort without breaking the bank. 

Beyond the walls and the ceiling, where we assume that the air conditioning ducting is perfect and the insulation air tight, you may be shocked at what you may find.  And if climbing up into the attic is not one of your favorite things, homeowners can now take delight in infrared analysis that can pinpoint your problems from a handheld device on terra firma.  A technician walks through the home identifying areas beyond the walls where poor insulation is causing outside air temperatures to affect indoor temperatures.  The hand held device also shows that vent fans leak outside temperatures into the home if not installed properly as do fire alarms and most other fittings attached to the ceiling. 

This premise can be further emphasized when a blower door test is performed.  A blower door test creates negative air pressure in the home, meaning that the outside air is looking for any leaks that the home may have.  It is shocking to feel air coming in through electrical outlets, light fixtures and other ceiling fittings.  Seals on doors and windows that have corroded or have been improperly installed allow the air to blow in freely.  In April that is not of great concern, but come August, all of those leaks combined are going to have your compressor kicking into gear more often to maintain the even temperature throughout the home.

Ray Olsen of AZ Energy Detective, says that these tests, followed by a few hours of home maintenance can have a homeowner save considerable amounts of energy and increase the level of comfort throughout the home, “People are often amazed at how poorly their homes are insulated.  On several occasions I have found large areas that have no insulation at all.  As homes get older, insulation tends to drift causing more holes.  On top of poor insulation, air conditioning creates negative pressure in a home which means that all of the areas that leak are going to be letting the air in when you are using your AC the most.  It is a vicious cycle and it all leads to less comfort and the consumption of more energy.”  Olsen does not perform the maintenance, but he says that a ladder, a roll of aluminum duct tape and an hour of your time can have you seal the holes in your light fittings. A trip to the hardware store for a couple of bags of insulation and some replacement weatherstripping for the unsealed doors and windows and your homes comfort will increase dramatically.  If you want to take these steps a little further, you can look at window tinting and providing shade protection.

Another benefit of the reinvigorated green movement is the new industries that are thinking outside of the box to become more environmentally friendly.  Swimming pools have historically been viewed as negative to the environment.  Water evaporation and the amount of energy needed to run pool pumps, are both detrimental to the cause of eco-friendly.  This may have all changed in recent months as Shasta Pools and Spas has introduced their BLU eQ technology. “We saw that people were using geothermal heat pumps on ponds in the Midwest. We assumed geothermal heat pumps would have similar applications to the pools in the Southwest. The ground absorbs approximately 40 to 50 percent of the sun’s solar heat, and water does an excellent job of capturing heat. We’ve combined these resources to successfully heat and cool homes in an innovative way. The advantages are twofold; our customers will enjoy improving their quality of life while saving money at the same time” says Steve Ast, Vice President of Sales and Marketing.

Shasta has partnered with Waterfurnace International, a geothermal specialist, and Shea Homes to be the builder offering BLU eQ. At Watson Estates in the Town of Buckeye, Shasta installed their BLU eQ technology on a model home.  The system has been running for nine months and the response has been incredible.  “People remark at how quiet the air conditioning is and how balanced the temperatures are throughout the home,” Ast added.  But BLU eQ is not only for new builds and not limited to Shasta pools.  “Anyone who has a swimming pool has the opportunity to have this technology installed,” Ast remarked.  Depending on the size of the home and the size of the reservoir (pool), this technology has the ability to decrease energy costs by 40-70 percent.

The retrofit system comes with an average price tag of $30,000, but there is good news.  APS has cited this technology as a premiere energy saving design and is offering a 50 percent rebate.  The federal government is also recognizing geothermal technology by giving a 30 percent tax credit.  All of a sudden, having a BLU eQ system installed is more than comparable to a new air conditioning unit and the long-term savings are exponential.  An added benefit is that you can turn off your hot water heater in the months May through September as the system will be creating enough hot water to fill the household quota.  To have this system applied to a pool, there must be a second reservoir such as a Jacuzzi or a significant water feature.  This allows the warm water be returned to the upper reservoir without changing the temperature and cooling properties of the pool.  The rebates that are offered by APS do not include any pool construction.

“This is just our first step in the right direction with making the household swimming pool not just a luxury, but an integral part of homes in the Southwest to help them become more sustainable,” Ast concluded.

Now consider the water features, swimming pools, and lakes and ponds that are found throughout the region.  Their potential for creating geothermal energy could easily keep the community centers and clubhouses running at close to zero cost.  If our community common areas became more sustainable, it would then become the responsibility of the residents to consider following suit.  Whether you begin with an infrared inspection and insulate your home or make a capital investment to replace a costly appliance, begin making your decisions within a green plan.  This is the way of the future, embrace the vision and draw excitement to the region.