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Outside Magazine, April 2007

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The Shelter
A Perfect Retrofit
Not ready to build from the ground up? No worries: Costs for earth-friendly home improvement have finally come down to earth—and the dividends pay off for years and years. Here's how to update your current spread with the sleekest new green technology.

By Florence Williams


	(Chris Philpot)

Let There Be Light
A hit in Australia, Solatubes are like big paper-towel tubes that concentrate sunlight into your living space. They're reasonably priced, easy to install, and just plain cool-looking. Ten to 14 inches in diameter, the shafts bring in natural daylight to reduce your need for electric bulbs. Upgrade Cost: From $300 Where to Buy: solatube.com Payoff: About 700 watts per hour during the day, for an annual savings of roughly 1,500 kilowatt-hours, or $120

Water Logs
In British Columbia alone, five billion board feet of well-preserved timber await harvesting in dam reservoirs. The Sawfish, from B.C.-based Triton Logging, is the world's only deepwater logging submersible—a sort of Paul Bunyan meets Jacques Cousteau. Triton's salvaged products—including Douglas fir, western red cedar, lodgepole pine, and hemlock—range from raw planks to flooring and are certified by the Rainforest Alliance. Upgrade Cost: The same as, or up to 10 percent more than, their virgin counterparts Where to Buy: tritonlogging.com Payoff: You save a forest

Sheep's Clothing
Prince Charles is doing it, and now you can, too: Insulate your house, attic, or addition with old-fashioned, renewable sheep's wool. The batting costs more than its cotton-candy cousin, but it insulates just as well and will last forever if protected from insects—plus you'll never get shards of fiberglass under your skin. Your choice whether to wear the kilt. Upgrade Cost: $1.32 per square foot (2 inches thick) Where to Buy: goodshepherdwool.com Payoff: Natural fibers contain no formaldehydes or VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and are mold-resistant



	(Chris Philpot)

Invisible Sun
Now you can buy integrated photovoltaic panels that fit right into your roofing tiles, windows, and skylights. The panels come in semitransparent or opaque glazes and can serve as shades, thus reducing your cooling costs. Upgrade Cost: $65 invested for every three watts Where to Buy: us.schott.com/solar Payoff: Clean power that initially costs more but slowly pays you back over a 40-year life span

Recycled Kitchen
KlipTech's PaperStone is a high-performance countertop material made from 100 percent recycled paper and cashew oils. It comes in 13 colors, and costs less than fine stone and composite materials. Upgrade Cost: $25 per square foot Where to Buy: kliptech.com Payoff: A sleek surface that doesn't emit VOCs and is 100 percent post-consumer recycled

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Contributing editor FLORENCE WILLIAMS wrote about ultrarunner Pam Reed in October 2005.

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