zHome, the Nation's First Zero Impact Housing Development, Open to The Public

Posted by David Van Skike on September 21, 2011

zhome.jpgzHome, the nation’s first zero-impact, affordable, multi-family community, located in the City of Issaquah, had its grand opening on September 14th.  

An international public/private collaborative of the City of Issaquah, Howland Homes, Ichijo USA, Built Green, King County, Port Blakely Communities, Puget Sound Energy, and the WSU Energy Program teamed on the project which in addition to the community itself, will feature on- and off-site education including a sustainability center for long-term education about the project and deep green living and building.

The concept for zHome originated many years ago in the conference rooms at GordonDerr.  Former GD land use planner Brad Liljequist, currently Project Manager for zHome, had a revolutionary vision—the idea that deep green building and living could be accessible to the mainstream housing market.  Today, zHome proves that the construction of up-to-date; eco-friendly construction technologies are feasible and possible for typical housing projects.

zHome is now open Saturdays from 10-5 and Sundays 11-5 from September 17 until October 30th.  Tours include expert guides explaining the future of building and how we can deal with climate change, ocean acidification, and deforestation.   You can either walk through on your own or take a tour, which will leave every thirty minutes starting at the top and bottom of the hour.

zHome is located on High Street in Issaquah Highlands, just east of the intersection with Highlands Drive. Take exit 18 on I-90, head north on Highlands Drive, and look for the homes with the solar panels! Lots of free parking is available on adjacent side streets around the project.

Delay In Alternative Fuel Requirements for Public Vehicles

Posted by Anna Nelson, AICP on July 13, 2011

The 2011 legislature passed ESHB 1478 (Laws of 2011, Ch. 353), effective July 22, 2011, which delays a variety of requirements that apply to cities, counties, and the state.  One requirement of interest that is related to electric vehicles is a 3 year delay in the requirement for publicly owned vessels, vehicles, and construction equipment to transition to electricity or biofuel, to the extent determined practicable. Commerce has until June 1, 2015 to define what is practicable; however, Commerce is considering strategies to implement these requirements as part of the State Energy Strategy (SES) update currently underway. 

Washington Will Have Nation's First Electric Highway

Posted by Anna Nelson, AICP on March 14, 2011

FHWA Study Preferred Option EV Charging1.JPGThe Washington State Department of Commerce and WSDOT are teaming up to implement the nation’s first “electric highway,” a basic network of public access electric vehicle (EV) recharging locations along Interstate 5. Once implemented, Washington will have the first border to border highway to offer fast charge technology. The project supports the West Coast Green Highway ,  an initiative to promote the use of cleaner fuels along I-5 from British Columbia to Baja California.

In addition, Washington is creating the nation’s first electric vehicle-friendly scenic byway along U.S. 2, a 120-mile route from Seattle to Wenatchee.  Eco-tourism opportunities will be promoted at several tourist destinations including Stevens Pass Ski Area ; Leavenworth’s Sleeping Lady Resort and Icicle Ridge Winery where drivers will be able to “fuel up” while enjoying the location’s activities.

 

Puget Sound All Charged Up

Posted by Katie F. Cote, AICP on November 19, 2010

Lately, several articles in Puget Sound area newspapers  have covered the announcement of new public charging station locations throughout the Puget Sound.

The public charging station is the most visible element of electric vehicle infrastructure, and will play an important role in helping would-be EV drivers overcome their “range anxiety.”  Several mid-sized Puget Sound cities including Kent, Issaquah, and Sea-Tac have taken the lead in adopting zoning regulations to address electric vehicle infrastructure by introducing charging stations, signs, and parking regulations.  Several of these municipalities have based these decisions on the nation's first model zoning regulations issued by Puget Sound Regional Council and the Department of Commerce. 

This first of its kind model ordinance, was created by a team of land use planners and attorneys at GordonDerr, with help from LightMoves, Plug-In America, and a multi-disciplinary technical advisory committee.

Where Do I Plug In My Electric Car?

Posted by Anna Nelson, AICP on September 20, 2010

electric car.jpg

Katie Cote also contributed to this post

The Joneses down the street just bought an electric car and you think you might want one too, but where do you plug it in?  The Washington State Department of Commerce and Puget Sound Regional Council recently issued A Guide for Local Governments in Washington State for Electric Vehicle Infrastructure.  This document provides model development regulations and guidance for the installation of infrastructure to charge your electric vehicle.  A survey of current electric vehicle consumers was conducted during the preparation of this document.  The survey showed that the vast majority of charging takes place at home (81%), with workplace and public charging reported by 10% and 7%, respectively.  For charging at home, Level 1 or Level 2 charging is most likely.  Level 1 requires a 15- or 20-amp breaker on a 120-volt Alternating Current (AC) circuit and standard outlet.  Level 2 is expected to become the standard for home and requires a 40- to 100-amp breaker on a 240-volt AC circuit.