Here’s an interesting story: a company is hoping to be build a new town in New Mexico. Only thing is, you can’t live there. It’s a ghost town.

The town (currently called the Center for Innovation, Testing and Evaluation) will have all the amenities that a real city would have, including houses and businesses. Everything would be fully functional with utilities. It would even have a mall (not filled with merchandise presumably)!

So why on earth is this town being built? For research of course! Pegasus Global Holdings will use the town to test energy efficient and green home innovations. MSN Real Estate gives an example of what might take place there:

If it all sounds too crazy, here’s a down-to-earth example: Say scientists want to see if a new kind of smart thermostat can make an entire neighborhood more energy-efficient. They could hand out the thermostats to homeowners in Albuquerque and check in on their meters for the next year. But the results would depend on a lot of factors out of the researchers’ control, such as how warm or cool individuals like their rooms to be or the houses’ insulation quality. And if the experimental system doesn’t work, the scientists would have disrupted people’s lives and maybe increased their utility bills.

But nobody would live in the center’s buildings. Computerized systems would mimic human behavior such as turning thermostats up and down, switching lights off and on or flushing toilets, but they would do so under the scientists’ control. A research team could install the thermostats in a block of the center’s two-story suburban houses, then run multiple long-term scenarios, manipulating the imaginary residents’ behavior to see what the energy use is under different circumstances.

Oh, and since there will be researchers and scientists there to run things in the imaginary city, they’ll be staying in facilities underground.

Although building an entire city that no one lives in might seem odd, having this sort of research space might lead to all sorts of discoveries with energy efficiency in the home. What do you think?

Image courtesy of pascalbovet.com on Flickr.

Considering adding solar panels to your home? To be sure, it can be a great way to reduce or perhaps even eliminate your household electricity costs, while also making a small dent in the amount of energy generated by less environmentally friendly methods. But that addition comes with a cost.

The question is whether that cost is a worthwhile investment. So how long might it take to recoup that investment? Well, our friends at Building Moxie dove into that very issue, with help from guest writer Brittany Mauriss. She explains that, for an “average-sized home,” a typical solar panel system could cost anywhere from $15,000 to $30,000, which could take anywhere from three to 10 years (or more) to recoup.

Of course, that’s simply an estimate. Factors such as the direction the panels face and the region in which your home is located will affect how much energy they generate and how much money you’ll save — or even make, if your panels generate more electricity than you use. Energy.gov has an interesting map that shows approximately how much energy you can generate depending on where in the United States you live.

Mauriss also points out the many tax credits that are available to homeowners to install solar panels. You can find information about federal tax credits on ENERGY STAR’s website, and don’t forget to check for additional credits from your state and local government.

[photo courtesy of CoCreatr via Flickr]

While green building and environmentally consciousness slowly catches on across the U.S., Masdar City (in the United Arab Emirates) is leading the way in sustainability by becoming the world’s first carbon neutral city.

Located outside the city of Abu Dhabi, Masdar City is six square kilometers and it’s  part-habitation, part-science experiment. Construction of the project started in 2006. When finished, the city will rely 100 percent on solar energy while providing space for 45,000 to 50,000 citizens and 1,500 businesses. So far, buildings have been strategically erected around perimeter of the city to block hot desert winds while solar panels have been built to create a canopy that shades parts of the city.

To get around, citizens will rely on electric vehicle and mass transit railways. The city will utilize a solar-powered desalination plan for water management. Biological waste will be used as fertilizer or incinerated while plastic and metal materials will go through recycling streams.

Domestically, while we’re thinking about simpler ways to live green by using energy efficient appliances and building materials, a city on the other side of the globe plans to limit its carbon footprint to zero.

Now, that’s inspirational.

Crazy Rooms (That We’re Crazy About) From New York Magazine
Shelter Pop
“This week’s issue of New York focuses on extreme design…and we’re extremely excited. Check out our five favorite spaces.”

Do You Dance While You Iron?
DIY Life
“Everybody, at some point, has busted a move while cleaning. These people were kind enough to share their methods on YouTube. ”

America’s Most Decadent Kitchens
MSN Real Estate
“Forbes compiled a list of some of the most luxurious kitchens in homes now for sale, with help from Realtor.com, Trulia.com, Sotheby’s International and Coldwell Banker.”

How Much Can You Save with Green Remodeling Tax Credits?
Calfinder
“Happy Earth Day, folks! In honor of the 41st anniversary of this greenest of holidays, I’d like to share a breakdown on energy-saving home improvements, and the federal tax incentives that make them affordable.”

April is Earth Month, an expansion of the more traditional Earth Day celebrations that take place in April. In the spirit of the holiday, here are some quick tips and ideas for things you can do at home to go green now.

A few tips from Re-Nest:

• Reduce vampire energy by plugging your electrical appliances into power strips and turning the strips off when not in use. Not only will this save energy, it will save you money (check out this chart for proof).
• Shop locally. Check out your area’s farmers market and try to buy items from local sources to reduce the environmental impact of transporting your goods from the other side of the world.
• Start a vegetable garden. A great way to start being mindful of your consumption is to watch your food grow. Need help starting? We have some tips here.

And some more from Top Green Products:

• Change air conditioner filters at least once a month.
• Start a compost bin.
• Water grass only when necessary, and do so in early morning.

The Green Living guide at About.com offers some somewhat less common advice:

• Don’t buy something today
• Tune up your car
• Buy organic food

[photo]

As we mentioned last week, Marvin is sponsoring a series of post at Inhabitat full of great green-living and remodeling tips from a variety of experts on specific niches within the broad world of “green.” The newest post in the series features an interview with our friend Sarah Susanka, who shared some great tips on remodeling a home with an eye toward making it more livable and efficient.

While conjuring up comfort in the home seems like a basic principle, it’s a far more complex process for architect & remodeling guru Sarah Susanka, who believes that comfort can significantly influence the sustainability of your personal abode. With her mantra of “build better, not bigger,” Susanka promotes quality over quantity when remodeling a home. Through transforming your living space into a more beautiful and comfortable environment, Susanka says that any home’s occupants will automatically take better care of their space in a more sustainable way. We sat down with Susanka to get the low-down on how to do more with less when revamping your space.

Read the full interview here.

We at MLuxe often learn from and link to the popular green-design and sustainability blog Inhabitat. It’s a great resource for anyone looking to make his or her home a little more earth-friendly without sacrificing style or cutting-edge technology. Because Inhabitat is such a popular resource on the Web, Marvin Windows is excited to partner with the site to produce an upcoming series of interviews with a great lineup of green-home experts.

The series will include interviews with interior designer Zem Joaquin, architect and author Sarah Susanka, energy-efficiency expert David Johnston and Marvin Windows product planner Christine Marvin. Last week, the series kicked off with a great list of tips on “greening your home” from architect Eric Corey Freed. From the article:

Greening your home can provide numerous financial, health and environmental benefits; from making your air healthier, to cutting down your energy bill, to lowering your carbon footprint. Most people like the idea of “greening” their home, but many are daunted by complex technical information and don’t where to begin. Happily, eco architect and green building expert Eric Corey Freed has stepped in to distill the process of greening your home into 5 easy steps: increasing insulation, get a thermostat, conserve water through smart technology, overhaul your roof and upgrade your lighting. We sat down with this organicARCHITECT to take notes on his 5 steps to a greener home – read on for the full scoop!

image courtesy of Inhabitat

We live an a world with an astonishing amount of food choices. You can eat an apple, or pick up a ready-to-heat apple “pie” at the gas station, for example. As we get further and further from our food sources, and even from the simple act of home cooking, it gets harder to know what in your food is, well, food. Nutrition experts may argue over the healthiest things to eat, but one thing is pretty clear: overly processed food isn’t good for you or the planet.

For help in making healthy (and perhaps by extension, green) food choices, Darya Pino, Ph.D, made a humorous flow chart at Summer Tomato to help you figure out if what you’re shopping for is food. It’s tongue-in-cheek, but it does make you think. Take a look, have a chuckle and make healthy and green food shopping choices!

We spoke to designers, architects, builders and others in the home and fashion industries. As we had those conversations, some topics kept cropping up.

So, here’s what the experts are talking about: the top trends for 2011 in home building and design.

Trend #1: New Life for Old Materials

It’s more than merely recycling. It’s finding ways to turn substance into style — by taking raw material from one source and repurposing it in a completely unexpected way.

From metal tiles made of reclaimed airplane parts to countertops and wall panels made of recycled glass bottles, these innovative reworkings are adding creative flair – and sustainable substance — to homes across America.

---

Trend #2: Designing For Yourself
Americans are staying longer in their homes. With that comes a desire to make their homes fit their lifestyle. People aren’t designing a home to be as bland as possible for the next buyer – they’re designing it for themselves, to be lived in to the fullest.

In keeping with this, architects and designers say there’s a new definition of value. It’s not about the lowest price.

It’s about quality, durability and getting the style and the performance you want from the products in your home, whether that’s a sofa or a picture window.

---

Trend #3: Natural Materials
If it sprouted from the earth, designers are finding a way to use it in homes.

Flooring is one area where you might find a surprising substance under your feet – like palm, for example. How about wallcoverings made of banana trees? Ceiling tiles of jute? And while not as exotic as these other materials, sustainably grown pine can be found in window frames and other structural elements.

These products deliver beauty and durability along with their eco-friendly origins. The use of natural materials is still in its infancy in mainstream housing – but expect to see them more and more in the future.

---

Trend #4: Trad-Mod
As the name suggests, these are traditional elements with a modern twist – a little sleeker, a little surprising. Examples include streamlined living and dining room sets, silk chandeliers and casement windows that simulate the look of a classic double hung.

---

Trend #5: Relaxed Outdoor Living
Forget the elaborate outdoor kitchens of a few years ago. Outdoor living is still important to American homeowners, but they’re going for a more relaxed, low-key version. Think fireplaces and fire pits, comfortable outdoor seating and dining areas, interesting lighting and simple counter space.

And to connect indoors and out, energy-efficient patio doors – either sliding or swinging — are a must.

---

Trend #6: Energy Efficiency and Sustainability
No list of home trends would be complete without these topics – and they only get more important every year. The largest annual study of American homebuying preferences, by AVID Ratings, found that four of the top 10 desired home features involve energy efficiency. So, alongside such features as walk-in closets and kitchen islands, American homebuyers want:

• Energy-efficient windows
• Energy-efficient appliances
• High-efficiency insulation

Sustainability includes conserving water, maximizing natural heat and light, and using low-VOC materials (volatile organic compounds). Quality and durability are also part of the sustainability picture. Well-built, high quality home products last longer — and don’t end up in landfills.

---

Many thanks to the experts who shared their 2011 predictions. Special thanks to

Christine L. Albertsson AIA, CID, NCARB, Albertsson Hansen Architecture, Ltd.

Kurt Gough, A-AIA, Shelter Architecture

Susan Nackers Ludwig, Residential Architect

In honor of our last post of 2010, we’ve decided to round up our most popular posts ever. Below are the top 10. Enjoy and we will see you next year for more great home living information! Thanks for reading this year.

• Built Around You: Laundry in a Closet
• Remodeling Using ‘Quality Over Quantity’
• Unusual homes: Cool conversions
• How To: Grow Tomatoes Upside Down
• Space-saving ideas for small spaces
• Built Around You: Stylish Bathroom Overhaul
• Small on Space, Big on Style
• New Uses for Old Windows
• Amazing Windows Created By Amazing Artists
• myMarvin Architect’s Challenge: Lake Cottage