Australian PM Julia Gillard announced approval for the world’s largest coal/solar hybrid power plant. Photo: CS Energy

Australian prime minister Julia Gillard today announced the approval of a $104.7 million project to integrate solar energy into one of Queensland’s largest fossil fuel power stations.

The 750 megawatt (MW) coal-fired Kogan Creek Power Station in South West Queensland will be integrated with a new 44 MW solar thermal system, making it the largest project of its kind in the world.

The project, called the Kogan Creek Solar Boost project, will use concentrated solar power technology from French firm AREVA Solar to convert the sun’s energy into super-heated steam which will drive the plant’s turbines along with steam from burning coal. Areva Solar acquired the solar technology, called the Compact Linear Fresnel Reflector (CLFR), when it bought Australian firm Ausra last year.

The world’s first solar/coal hybrid facility, called Cameo Station, was opened last July in Colorado in the United States. The project, valued at $4.5 million, was a demonstration project that used a different concentrated solar technology to Areva’s, this one based on solar troughs. Carbon emissions reductions were estimated at two to five per cent, although project managers are targeting ten per cent in future operations.

Kogan Creek Power Station is owned by CS Energy, a Queensland government-owned corporation that owns and operates four Queensland power stations.

CS Energy chief executive David Brown said, “Already Kogan Creek Power Station is one of the largest and most energy efficient power stations in Australia’s electricity market. By using energy from the sun, we will increase the station’s capacity to meet the growing demand for electricity, increase its fuel efficiency and reduce its greenhouse intensity – avoiding the production of 35,600 tonnes of greenhouse gases annually.

“In simple terms, the solar addition will enable Kogan Creek Power Station to produce more electricity with the same amount of coal,” he added.

Use of the solar thermal technology will provide enough extra electricity to power up to 5,000 Australian homes annually. The amount of emissions saved is the equivalent of taking 11,000 cars off the road for one year.

Construction of the solar integration project will begin in the first half of this year and will be completed in 2013.

CS Energy is providing $70 million for the project, $35.4 million of which has been redirected from a contribution by the Queensland Government to CS Energy’s Carbon Reduction Program. The Australian Government’s Renewable Energy Demonstration Program is contributing over $34 million.

With the impending carbon tax set to be enacted in July 2012, Australia’s power companies are still waiting for details of how their industry will be affected. The Sydney Morning Herald reported last month that Ross Garnaut, the government’s chief climate change adviser, said no compensation would be needed for coal-powered electricity producers. But the same report also mentioned that the government would likely provide compensation in order to prevent plant closures and job losses.

Irregardless of whether or not compensation is provided, power companies are looking for ways to increase their energy efficiency and reduce their vulnerability to a carbon tax.

Mr Brown said, “Projects like this are essential for CS Energy to successfully transition to a low-carbon future and will build the capacity of the Australian solar industry.”

By : Jenny Marusiak

Surface prep: It’s very important to get all the grease, grime and dirt build-up off the surfaces before painting. Use a strong cleanser and a scrub brush and go over the surfaces well. If you don’t, the new paint can’t grab on.

De-glossing: A glossy surface doesn’t allow the paint to properly adhere. A light sanding will help give the new paint something to hold on to. If your house was built before 1978 and it hasn’t been painted in a while, please consult a professional. Many paints pre-1978 contain lead and sanding can release dust into the air.

Painting: There are two types of paint: latex and oil base. Installing them in the incorrect order can result in pealing. When oil based paints dry, they have a durable, slick surface. This is one of the reasons they last for so long. If you don’t break down that surface, latex paint will not adhere to it. After prepping, apply a good even coat of oil based primer/sealer. This will give you a fresh start and allow both types of paints to adhere.

Many contractors are still willing to cut their prices to get new business, it could be a good time to get projects done for a lower price.

For remodeling, it’s a buyer’s market, says Paul Zuch, president of Capital Improvements, a remodeling firm in Dallas, and president of the NARI (National Association of the Remodeling Industry).

During the downturn, Mr. Zuch’s company lowered profit margins in order to stay competitive with not only other established remodelers but also home builders who began to dabble in remodeling when demand almost completely dried up for new homes.

In fact, 80% of the 554 home-improvement contractors who participated in a recent Angie’s List survey said they would slash prices to win a bid — with some saying they’d drop their price by as much as 20%. Angie’s List is a website that collects consumer reviews of local contractors.
Dusting Off Ideas

Today, people feel that perhaps the housing market has hit bottom or is getting close to it, and projects they’ve put off are getting another look, says Abbe Will, research assistant at Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies.

And as the housing market gets on firmer ground, that will also spur more remodeling: Previous research has shown that a large amount of remodeling spending happens when homes are being prepared for sale and right after homes are purchased, Ms. Will says.

But as demand for remodeling increases, expect those contractor discounts to start disappearing.

Remodeling expenditures are forecast to rise at an inflation-adjusted annual average of 3.5% between 2010 and 2015, according to a recent report from Harvard’s Joint Center.

The estimate includes home-improvement spending, but not money spent on home maintenance and repairs. The report predicts a long-term recovery for an industry that experienced a double-digit decline from its peak in 2007.
Beyond the Basics

Most investment in home improvements over the past couple of years has focused on the necessities, Mr. Zuch says. People replaced an air-conditioning unit if it went out, for example, but put off other more discretionary jobs including painting, he says.

That’s beginning to change, though homeowners remain more cautious about overspending than they once were, he says.

“Clients who we were talking to two years ago have called up and said ‘We’re ready to put this back on the front burner and move forward,’” Mr. Zuch says. Some homeowners are now forging ahead with improvements that include kitchen and bath upgrades, he adds.

Homeowners who are taking on more discretionary projects, including whole-house renovations and the creation of outdoor living spaces that include kitchens and entertaining areas, plan on living in their homes for a long period of time, he says.

When the housing market was stronger, people were more likely to move when their home no longer suited their needs, says Angie Hicks, founder of Angie’s List. But these days, many people are improving the homes they’re in so they don’t have to move.

All that said, remodeling demand will vary significantly depending on the market you’re in. Ms. Will says hard-hit areas where many homeowners are underwater on their mortgages, such as Las Vegas and markets in Florida, won’t likely see much of an increase in remodeling for a while.
Prioritize Your Wish List

If you’re thinking of remodeling in the months ahead, start by prioritizing your projects.

“We really encourage consumers to do an inventory of their houses every year,” taking note of the improvements that are needed, Ms. Hicks says.

From there, it’s a good idea to tackle projects in order of importance. For example, “don’t add a deck when you need to replace the water heater,” she says.

Projects that make a home more energy efficient, such as new windows and doors, will likely end up high on the lists of homeowners, Ms. Will says.

If you are planning on selling your home in the foreseeable future, focus on projects that will make a difference to buyers and will bring a good return on investment, Ms. Hicks says.

Upgrades that improve curb appeal, including new doors and landscaping, could help sell your home, she says. It’s also important that everything in the home is in good repair, so fix leaky faucets or replace a furnace that’s at the end of its life before tackling cosmetic improvements, she adds.

Also, keep your home’s features in line with other homes on your block. That will help at resale, when comparable sales in your neighborhood will help set the price of your home. If every home on the block has two bathrooms, adding a third bathroom in your home likely won’t offer a good return on your investment, Ms. Hicks says.

Thanks to AMY HOAK
Write to her at amy.hoak@dowjones.com

The Snyders

Damascus, MD

At some point, one of the existing owners decided it would be a good idea to enclose the original carport and turn it into an extra room. Was it a dinning room, eat-in kitchen area, family room……..no one was quite sure. It also had a low ceiling and concrete floor, which didn’t tie-in to well with the rest of the house. This in turn was connected to what was an extremely small kitchen. The current owners were looking to increase the size of the kitchen along with making room for a separate dining room. The only way to accomplish this, with the limited space allowed, was to remove the closed-in carport and start with a clean slate.

During the design process it was found that the zoning side set-back on the side where the proposed expansion was to go, was pretty close to the limit. This meant that the front edge of the structure was pretty well defined. Based on that, the front wall could not go beyond the existing existing one by more than a few feet. With that in mind we designed it so most of the new portion was at the rear.

The new design had a slightly raised one car garage on the front, the left rear of the main level was large well lit kitchen and the right rear was a large dining room that exited onto a spacious sundeck. The existing kitchen area became a place to house a powder room, hallway and hostess closet.  Beneath the new kitchen & dining room was a spacious home office with a separate entrance and storage area. The exterior of this 1-2 level structure was covered in a natural stone veneer to match the existing house. Having the addition raised in the rear made for some spectacular views. With the garage being slightly forward of the main house, the front roof gable then extended over the entry door, creating a covered porch area. This became a great place to sit and keep an eye on the kids playing out front.

Interior finishes included oak flooring to match, clear pine casing & base trim, ceramic floor & walls in powder room and clear maple cabinets in the kitchen & home office.

The homeowners are very satisfied with the way things turned out and can’t wait to complete the landscaping around there new addition.

The homeowners are quite happy with the end result and really enjoy the new shower. As soon as the funds are replenished they are going to have us back to remodel the hall bathroom.

The first leak found was caused by the home builder not installing the correct flashing at the rear of the garage. Siding was removed and rotted wall sheathing was replaced. After the 5/4″ shirt boards were replaced they covered completely with a textured aluminum wrap. The wrap was then run up behind a couple of courses of siding. Doing this doesn’t allow for water to get in and travel behind the material. It is forced out and can then drain to the ground. Once everything was wrapped and flashed, the siding could then be re-installed.

The second leak was a little more difficult to find, but after a few hours of isolating various areas we were able to pinpoint it to just above the main entrance door. The previous contractor had replaced the door and side lights, but purchased the wrong door and installed it incorrectly. On top of that, the brick sill was sitting higher than the sub-floor, which made the unit sit too high up. Either way, the door had to come out….and so it did. Once out, we could better see what kind of mess we had to deal with. The brick below the door were removed. Some were cut down and re-used, and a slate threshold was installed at the correct height. Rather than having the customer purchase another door, we cut the existing door down to the correct depth. A metal pan flashing was fabricated and installed, where none was before. The opening was modified to fit the smaller door and it was then re-installed. Self adhering flashing was applied around and above the door. The problem with most window and door installations is improper or no flashing. A wet test was then done to make sure everything was water tight before trim and siding went back up.

The third leak is similar to the first but on the front of the garage. The same techniques were used in repairing this area.

The forth leak was also caused by the builder in that rain water was getting behind the siding and staining the garage ceiling and wall. A leak in the same area was due to a roofing contractor incorrectly installing flashing,  at house wall and chimney, a couple of years prior.

Even after repair all of these leaks, the homeowner still didn’t feel confident that this wouldn’t happen again. During the previous repairs, we noticed that where the wall panels came together, there were large gaps. These gaps should have been caulked or covered with a 4″-6″ window/door flashing tape, but they were not. The only way to solve this would be to remove all the vinyl siding and repair all the sheathing gaps……and there were a lot! The other issue was the age of the siding. It had been up for almost 20 years and had began to oxidize and fade. After much debate between both sides, it was decided that everything should come down and be done correctly.

As the siding was stripped from the first wall, it was obvious that we had made the correct decision. Not only were there the gaps at each panel, the panels had holes from boots where they had been walked on, hammered through and just general carelessness.   The vinyl siding was also installed incorrectly, in so many ways! Rotted skirt boards were replaced and correctly wrapped with colored aluminum. All wall panel gaps, doors and windows were covered with flashing tape and new vinyl siding was installed. The house looks almost the same as when we started……almost like nothing had been done. But the homeowners know they made the correct decision and can now sleep better.