I'm a DIY handyman and licensed electrician. Though I have not done solar panels or installed tankless water heaters, I would not hesitate to tackle such a project if the proper instrutions were provided. Given the proper location and styling, I would even attempt to build a solar heating array for a home (reducing the need for high heating fuel cost), or an electric solar array, or perhaps even a community collective solar array. Picture new communities with their on collective arrays. What a fuel saving and greener world we could have!!!

Where can I find in the US a place to buy green paving -- we are looking to buy a 97 year old house and want to put in a driveway and love the looks of grass driveways?

Hi Ron,

Do you mean something like this porous paving grid that allows the grass to grow through?

http://www.greeninnovations.ca/greeninnovations.php?to=garden-grid&dm=gl&gclid=CMCqtZ_7npACFSFaagodHl_j8w

Anyone have thoughts on environmental pros and cons of a product like this?

Hope Richardson
Editorial Assistant, GreenHomeGuide.com

I'm not crazy about it because they are using virgin material to make it. How about pervious concrete blocks? I'm interiors, and haven't got experience with them, but I think there are some manufacturers...anyone?

Lydia Corser
Columnist, Going Green Blog

I've seen product blurbs for both pervious pavers and for gridded material that allows grass to grow while taking the weight of vehicles. Found a number of them (with recycled content) on BuildingGreen.com:

http://www.buildinggreen.com/auth/productsByCsiSection.cfm?showProducts=all&csiMF2004ID=6974#products

within that page:

http://www.buildinggreen.com/auth/productDetail.cfm?ProductID=2705

(If you don't have a subscription to Building Green, google GridTech, the North American distributor for Netpave by Netlon Turf Systems)

http://www.buildinggreen.com/auth/productDetail.cfm?ProductID=3102

(Ecogrid products from Terrafirm Solutions)

http://www.buildinggreen.com/auth/productDetail.cfm?ProductID=3023

(Salvaverde from Geoproducts Corp.)

http://www.buildinggreen.com/auth/productDetail.cfm?ProductID=239

(Grasspave2 Porous Paving System)

...and others on that page as well.

David Bergman
Columnist, Going Green Blog

Hi All -

Grass Pave is the only product that I am personally familiar with (we are installing it on a project next summer). Things to keep in mind about this stuff are that it is still a completely acceptable structurally sound driving surface (approved by fire dept's etc) and the reason for that is that it still requires all the same prep as a paved driveway. The cost is actually higher than asphalt when all things are included with planting and watering, etc.

Another alternative to this route is permeable pavers, which are basically just what they sound like. Concrete bricks with spaces between them for grass or other planting to grow. Again, the same process is used as you would to do a brick paver driveway, but include the cost of prepping and planting the spaces in between. Very nice looking and a good way to go to avoid using asphalt while reducing runoff. You still have the added embodied energy of concrete, but with a potentially much more durable and low maintenance surface.

Peter Kellner
Columnist, Going Green Blog

I asked a friend of mine who is a landscape architect about green paving. Thought I'd pass along some of what he said. Green pros are that it's good for water infiltration - it retains water instead of creating runoff that overloads sewer systems, etc. These types of pavers also use less material than it would take to pave a whole driveway.

The only potential green downside he pointed out is that if you plant the driveway with the wrong ground cover you'll wind up with an extension of your lawn. For example, if you live in a seasonally dry climate and you have to water your driveway in the dry season - or mow it in the rainy season! - to keep it looking nice, that's not an environmentally sound solution.

So you'd want to get some advice from a local green landscaper about an appropriate low-maintenance ground cover to use. If you're in my neck of the woods (SF Bay Area), you'll want something drought tolerant.

Hope Richardson
GreenHomeGuide.com