Izumi: Thank you for listening to Home Green Homes. If you found this episode useful, please subscribe and leave a review or share it with someone who cares about better homes and better future. I am Izumi Tanaka and until next time, here's to creating homes that are healthier, more resilient and truly future ready. Welcome to Home Green Homes, the podcast about affordable, resilient and sustainable homes. I am Izumi Tanaka. I am a green realtor, home advisor, and eco flipping enthusiast. On this show, I talk with green building professionals, architects, energy expert, and homeowners who are rethinking what homes can be healthier, more energy efficient, and future ready. Whether you are a homeowner, homebuyer, investor, or real estate professionals, this podcast is here to help you understand how better homes can save money, reduce emission, and add real value. Let's get into our conversation. Thank you so much, Nick for your time today. First of all, Nick, let's hear your background of who you are. know a father. I know you are also a homeowner and you worked in the film industry as an executive producer. So tell your story.

Nick: Yeah, thanks Azumi. I appreciate you having me on. Yes, all of that is true. I was an executive in the entertainment industry for a long time. And then right before COVID, we had our first son and I was laid off from my last position and right at the start of COVID, right at the start of having a kid, it kind of was, found myself at home. at beginning of this, you know, everything that was happening in the world. And then shortly thereafter, like many people in the world decided it was a great time to buy our first home, which we had never done before. We were first time home owners, so we had, we didn't know what we didn't know. We were just doing it based on needing space for our new family. And so

Izumi: Yeah

Nick: We jumped into that it was exciting and we ended up with a great house here in Los Angeles, like a three bedroom, bath. And at time I hadn't fully started thinking about I was still very much in the entertainment industry, head space, but quickly becoming a homeowner. You start creating these lists of things. ⁓ that need to be fixed and replaced and that natural process. I, just coming into a new home, a home built in 1953. And as I'm sure you know, here in Los Angeles, 1953, news to me and my wife, no insulation, lots of single pane windows, just kind of was what it was based on where the world was, what... climate everything was at the time and it made sense. Yeah, so very quickly as soon as we moved in projects, projects happened and a in front of us and slowly I'd been thinking about materials and things like that, just what are the right materials to have? But really it was focused on for my family, for ⁓ having a baby in the environment, like what are the right things to have? Yeah, so it kind of started there and I started transitioning my career from as an entertainment executive to what I really want to be spending my time on and realized climate was something ⁓ that seemed like

Izumi: Thank

Nick: something I could dedicate my time to, but I didn't know what it was. Sustainability became a thing that I could translate into actual job. both these things were happening simultaneously. Being a homeowner while exploring and understanding climate sustainability. So I was very much learning a big picture while trying to practice it as a new homeowner, father, husband, all at the same time. So very much learning, learning I was going.

Izumi: Hi everyone. today I have Nick Grimm He is somebody who found me on my podcast as few years ago ⁓ and we have been talking to each other since then. ⁓ And Nick is a former in entertainment industry and now he is thriving in the field. And, but more importantly, he is a father and homeowner. So I just wanted to hear his experience of ⁓ transforming his home into something that is more sustainable. ⁓ thank you, Nick, for telling me little story. But you first bought the house, obviously you didn't know all the of your home. And what made you become more aware, other I know that you said there were a lot of projects to do. But what trigger you to think about the sustainability elements or the health and comfort ⁓ factors in home.

Nick: Yeah, a little bit of trial and error while also, I mentioned, you was on this sustainability journey education wise. when I'm that stuff, you know, I'm thinking about systems change through a systems lens. So does that mean? Practically it means, ⁓ if I need to replace these windows or my see, stove needs to be replaced or my dryer goes out as a homeowner. It's hard to think about it as just replacing the one thing for the one thing. What I was learning in school was also teaching me, how is that connected to the rest of it? And so then you're very quickly, well, am I going to replace my dryer with another gas dryer? And that doesn't. what are my other options? And then you see your other options and then you see how that connects into everything else. was connected essentially. I'd make on an appliance and it connected to everything else.

Izumi: That's right. So long have you had this house so far ⁓ the COVID? So about five or six years. ⁓

Nick: We moved in in 21. We started hunting house hunting in 2020 and Purchased it and moved in in 2021. first time homebuyers. We didn't know We knew nothing and we just absolutely lucked out with interest rates it being very very competitive. Yeah

Izumi: Yeah. So what have you done so far in the last six years to your home? What are the things that you've implemented?

Nick: So we did our dryer, our 1990s dryer ⁓ out on us. So replaced the dryer ⁓ and washing machine with an all-in-one pump, washer and dryer. replaced our six burner gas cooktop with an induction. ⁓

Izumi: Mm-hmm.

Nick: induction cooktop. ⁓ We've replaced our dishwasher. We're process right now of replacing our 1996 Whirlpool refrigerator, which I will say is, knock wood still of today, still ⁓ plugging along. We'll replacing that soon.

Izumi: You Hahaha.

Nick: And then after that, it'll be our hot water heater and our HVAC. And then this isn't a replacement, but we ⁓ also bought an EV ⁓ installed an EV charger. And did to replace the roof on the house, which was an original ⁓ 1950s cedar shingle and had to put on a new roof with new

Izumi: Mm. I'm

Nick: plywood underneath and then once that was on we installed solar so we have a full solar array that accounts for 100 % of our electricity use.

Izumi: Wow, but it sounds like you didn't take on all these projects all at once and instead you went one by one like when needed to be replaced you need replaced with the ones that are more that are electric more efficient, correct?

Nick: Yeah, that's exactly right. As new homeowner, was ⁓ much replacing what needed to be replaced, ⁓ it individually. And that's part of what we've really learned in the process, ⁓ if we had the opportunity, we'd look at it more holistically and not do it one-on-one, but that's not realistic for most homeowners. Most homeowners are doing it as a replacement, not a holistic process, but so the options were out there for us to do it one-on-one, but we definitely now at this point keep in mind the one-on-one replacement option, how that affects, the picture.

Izumi: Mm-hmm. Right, right. So were you able to utilize any of the financial incentives out there, especially the now pretty much defunct IRA, the Inflation Reduction Act, rebates and tax credits? I think you said 2020, 21, so the IRA didn't really come about to almost 23. So there enough rebates and things that were available for you, maybe not federal, but state and local level?

Nick: Yes, everything we've done, we've been able to utilize luckily. And that's been a huge part of being able to do it. ⁓ I think we actually, if remember correctly, I think we lined up the installation of our roof and solar to the point, like had it all prepped and ready until the credits came into play, became and then had it done.

Izumi: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Nick: And yeah, I we got 30 % off of our solar array, which made it much more financially doable. and I should have mentioned too, by doing our solar, we also replaced our updated, our electric panel. ⁓ And so we got rebates on our electric panel. We got rebates on solar. We got rebates on installing EV charger. Rebates on... or washer dryer for the all-in-one. The appliances, I believe, were all local. whether, if remember either LADWP, ⁓ I know definitely ⁓ one of But bigger ticket items like the roof or the solar was the inflation reduction, federal. Yeah.

Izumi: right. ⁓ tell me how your experience was in terms of processing those rebates and tax based on my own experience and people know. It is extremely to navigate that process of actually getting the rebates done or even finding the appliances that is eligible for those incentives. What was your experience like?

Nick: challenge. Even a real challenge, even for somebody who, know, up to some of the latest ones, fully in sustainability and understanding the logic behind a lot of it. ⁓ It was still a real challenge. I mean, once ⁓ once discovered, you know, once you do one or two, ⁓ know, becomes a little bit easier. But it took a lot of

Izumi: Ahahahaha! Mm-hmm. You Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Nick: effort took a lot of research and understanding. There's layers to the incentives, meaning you can layer on the incentives so you can get both state and federal for some of the same stuff. ⁓ And so it's understanding that have found myself trying to translate a lot of it for friends and family and neighbors and stuff ⁓ having gone through it. And I did the same ⁓ I heard somebody had

Izumi: Right, right. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Right. Mm-hmm, right. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Nick: done what I wanted to do, I had to ask, you know, even feeling like I was it.

Izumi: right, right. ⁓ you said you have a solar panel right now, coming next are water heater and HVAC. So you still have gas.

Nick: I do for those two appliances. I still have gas hot water heater and a gas HVAC.

Izumi: But eventually you are going to replace them with electric ones and will you will use to be net zero with your ⁓ you're generating?

Nick: I guess we could say we are. I I'm always on the cautious side of Net Zero. I think I will feel comfortable saying Net Zero if and when we go the route of having a battery. Because for me, at night, we're generating during the day and on the balance sheet, we are selling back to the grid more. ⁓ I will feel confident and say we're Net Zero.

Izumi: Mm-hmm. Right. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Right. Right.

Nick: if we are able to put that extra generation into a battery and then use that to pull from, then we really But yeah, that'll be it. Those two last appliances, yeah.

Izumi: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah. So that would be your plan overall. And I think you talked about your as well. Once you have a vision for that, tell me about that. ⁓

Nick: Yes, I do. all these things, the list never gets shorter, it only gets longer. the previous homeowners, they created a landscape and it's a different time a lot of it takes a lot of watering. ⁓ And being cautious and aware

Izumi: ⁓ huh. Mm-hmm.

Nick: drought conditions that we're in. Yes, our goal is to essentially go through our whole landscape and everything that's not native with native, replace our grass ⁓ with native And so for us, that only reduces water need for watering, but more it's biodiversity. So, you know, we can actually keep the traditional landscape that we have, the look and the feel and the decorative elements, but just replace it with options that are compatible with the area that use much less water and that bring back a lot more biodiversity and beneficial in that sense. So, yes.

Izumi: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Right. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. So the kids can go out and still play outside, right?

Nick: Totally. our backyard has big lawn, you know, grass. And we'll just, I make it sound more simple than I'm sure it will be, but we will replace the very water thirsty grass that's currently there with a native version that lives on the rainfall. And we'll be started with.

Izumi: Mm-hmm. Right. Right.

Nick: regular water, will essentially live on the rainfall we get.

Izumi: Yeah, yeah, it'll probably take a year or so to establish before you don't need to water. by the way, Congratulations your second baby. ⁓ So, yeah, ⁓ yeah, it must be handful right But as father, what is your, what is your vision for your kids? Like what, I that when you

Nick: Yeah. Yes, thank you. It's three months, so we're very in it.

Izumi: first bought this house, you didn't know much about the home does to us, to human body and all sentient beings. And how was it for you to actually realize what needed to do for the sake of your children?

Nick: Yeah, it was a big element and weren't just replacing our appliances because they were getting old ⁓ or needed replacing. But I love cooking. ⁓ I dinner most a few years ago, our son at the he had environmental asthma.

Izumi: Okay.

Nick: that a lot of common with a lot of kids, but in particular, especially in big cities, urban areas, air quality is in that situation. And I had a quality I forget what it maybe it was fires. There was something that prompted me to get part of my education as well, just to be aware. ⁓

Izumi: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Nick: And I was making dinner one night and, ⁓ you know, the windows were actually closed I hadn't yet turned the ventilation fan on, but had a six burner cooktop ⁓ and was using probably two and it just like, I was about to reach for the fan. I was about to open the window, but before I did, I turned the air quality monitor on, checked it and it was like in the red. It was very just.

Izumi: ⁓

Nick: based on cooking a normal dinner. I turned the air, the circulation fan on and it dropped down. I forget the numbers exactly, but it dropped down, but it was still not great. I opened both windows on ends of the kitchen to get a draft going through. Then it came down to a high-ish regular range. I'm forgetting off the top of my head what it was, but that was a kind of a aha moment. And

Izumi: ⁓ wow. Yeah.

Nick: my son had just been just gone to the doctor and they said he had environmental asthma and you know just do all the things you need to do to help that scenario and it just occurred to me it was like oh well I'm cooking dinner every night this is one of those things and so just accelerated the replacement of six burners

Izumi: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Nick: you know, gas burners in our house, even with the fan on, even with the windows open, like you're still lighting gas on fire inside your house and you don't really think about it. You're just trying to make ⁓ for your family. So it was an option I could make ⁓ it was a no brainer. ⁓ Once you get over the financial part of, I to replace an appliance, but.

Izumi: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Nick: I'm going to do that anyways, I'm doing that anyways, so I'm just going to make the healthy option. So.

Izumi: Right. I'm so glad to hear that, Nick. So as somebody who loves to cook, when you switch from gas burner to induction, know that a lot of people have resistance to switching from gas to induction or even electric. How is that for you? Do you like it cooking on it?

Nick: Yeah. Don't have any hesitation. I love it. I thought it was gonna be a thing. I had always, I think I, like a lot of cooks probably associate the height of the flame with how hot it is. It's just a way of like knowing how hot your pan is without actually having to feel it. It's very visual. There's also an audible element to

Izumi: haha, that's good. Right. Mm-hmm. Yeah, it's visual. Uh-huh.

Nick: it. We don't realize how ingrained that is in our process. Cut to now I've been doing it for a couple years now and I'd never look back. You after you get used to it, you really I mean you have to get used to it but yeah it's a non-issue I still love cooking. ⁓

Izumi: Yeah, Right. Now, most importantly, does ⁓ son's asthma after you've switched from gas stove?

Nick: So not ⁓ one and only ⁓ It's just, it's one piece on whole spectrum of things that add to it, right? So it's, live in Angeles. The air quality in general is not ⁓ great and there's things that add to that. But it was one of the big ones within our house that we control over.

Izumi: Mmm. I see. Mm-hmm. It's

Nick: So just removing that off the table, knowing that that was an option we could, know, ⁓ choice that we can make. But I will say, yes, whether he's grown out of it or, I'm sure how the doctors refer to it, maybe grown out of it, but essentially it's less of an issue now. He has gone through many medications, you know, he's through a procedure for it. ⁓

Izumi: Mm-hmm.

Nick: and things like that, but it's less of an issue now, but specifically, we know that that's not gonna be a part of it. So that's helpful. And for honestly, ⁓ us too, ⁓ yes, our six year old son, but honestly for my wife and I, ⁓ equally not as good for us as well. ⁓

Izumi: Right. Right. Yeah. That's great. Yeah. ⁓ yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Right. Right. That's great. So Nick, what are you most proud of out of all the things that not necessarily just around your house, but you know, what you are proud of as a conscious citizen of this planet?

Nick: Yeah. Yeah, I'm most proud that... I guess of able to take the action that I have control over. You know, it's really hard and sometimes you don't feel like you have agency necessarily always when you hear headlines out in world or you see things happening on a bigger picture. What is really empowering and is being to make those individual choices, take it.

Izumi: Mm. Mm-hmm.

Nick: you don't feel you have agency necessarily always when you hear headlines out in the world or you things happening on a bigger picture. What is really empowering is being able to make those individual

Izumi: Okay. Yeah.

Nick: take agency in those choices, make them, and kind of see the impact. I mean, we can see the impact on our financial statements, our bills, I can do a case study on all the appliances that I've replaced and what it will future be after the HVAC and see the amount of take agency in those choices, make them, and kind of see the impact. I mean, we can see the impact on our financial statements, our bills, on I can run a scenario, I can do a case study on all the appliances that I've replaced and what it will future be after the HVAC and the water heater and see the amount of

Izumi: Yeah.

Nick: gas we stopped using, know the health benefits for both of our sons ⁓ the two of us. gas we stopped using, know the health benefits for both of our sons ⁓ the two of us. ⁓ Yeah, it's kind of all around. So ⁓ a great feeling. It's also very quickly paired with what else can I do? So you celebrate the wins, you feel good about it, but then you're very quickly identifying all the other places where you can So.

Izumi: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Right. Yeah. Yeah.

Nick: It's being okay with the winds. ⁓ yeah.

Izumi: Yeah. Well, so at the same time then, do you find most challenging for you to stay in integrity of your own value in terms of living every day in this climate?

Nick: Yeah, it's a good question because is big part of it. I know who are aware of sustainability, climate, and these things live and wrestle this complexity. I relate it a dissonance, like what you're living versus what's happening. Having agency is great. The biggest though is knowing needs to be done and sometimes feeling limited in our ability to make the level of impact that we know needs to happen and that we can do. ⁓ And for where I sit, that comes down to the financial element. Appliances cost money, you know? We can't, doing it ⁓ as a is a as a father, as you know, would say kind of any average in the world, people can't just go replace all their appliances in their house, ⁓ you despite how bad needed. And to me, that's frustrating. It's realistic, but it's frustrating. So figuring out that and that appropriately is a challenge.

Izumi: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I agree. But you did mention that you were part of a group on Facebook where fathers are exchanging information and people are asking you for ⁓ or advice. Tell about that. I find it fascinating ⁓ because I'm sure that moms exchange like that, you know, but I'm encouraged to hear that father like yourself with young children are really thinking about what's ⁓ better us, including kids. ⁓

Nick: Yeah. Yeah, called DadTown ⁓ and I was just invited in by a friend who, you know, my process, this friend, he's a father. ask advice we're back and forth on, know, he recommended the solar to me. I've recommended EV charging to him and we're kind of back and forth like that. He joined this group as when became a And that's exactly what it is. It's dads all over LA who ⁓ share insight into from parenting to

Izumi: Mm-hmm. you

Nick: Who do you use for a plumber? Who do you use? So it's a bit dad, bit homeowner. And so he had just reached out to me and said, hey, look, everything that you just went through, one, you're a dad. You're now a second dad. And two, you have this knowledge in sustainability and doing this stuff with your house. You should join this group because there's a lot of dads on there asking for the better solution.

Izumi: I see. ⁓ I see. Mm-hmm.

Nick: for everything that I've gone through it seems to be that there's a lot of people out there looking for guidance and perspective on if going to replace X what's the better for family for the climate etc etc so yeah I haven't dug into it fully yet but I'm excited to join and to have joined and

Izumi: you

Nick: be able to help and share experience and the expertise I've garnered ⁓ over the years with others, because really what we need is we need to combine effort from everybody. Yeah.

Izumi: Yeah, ⁓ Right, I agree. now, what you a magic wand and changed something that? What would that be?

Nick: Yeah, I think it would probably, it's not crazy exciting, but I do think that financial lever is, guess it's hand in hand. It's the financial lever to get in, right? Because while the incentives are great, that's usually a percentage off a

Izumi: was me.

Nick: any majority of Americans, families, whoever homeowners out there, while that's great, you're still, there's a big upfront financial barrier. So, and especially you know, we're privileged being semi middle-class. ⁓ And for anybody not there, like it's just not even on, you know,

Izumi: Mm-hmm.

Nick: It's not even a financial option. So it's kind of that. ⁓ the mechanism needs to be different. While the incentives are great, the mechanism needs to be different entirely. and then just as equal, think with that is education, knowledge. Like that's almost just as difficult. I went through such a challenge, even feeling like I'm very versed in this.

Izumi: Yeah.

Nick: So use brother as an example. It's like, he's not as versed as I am, but he's a homeowner and he's a father. And a lot of times he will just ask me like, what should I be buying? And it's like, so I, a lot of times try to think from his perspective, like what's going to help him know what the decision is, what's going to allow him to make the financial decision. And for people

Izumi: Yeah.

Nick: this might not even be on their radar. Like how do they become aware? Like how do they become aware that burning gas in your cooktop and all your appliances in your house is not great for your health? It's also not helping the environment and that there's better options out there. So that level of knowledge, it's a huge barrier for much of this. Huge. So I'm going to have to...

Izumi: But yeah.

Nick: I need two magic wands.

Izumi: Okay. That's great. Well, I agree with you 100%. And I think you are doing great service to your friends who ask you. But I think, like you said, the challenge for both you and me is to let people know that there are better options. If we can increase the demand of those things, know, hopefully prices will come down and become more available. But we have a long way to go, but I really appreciate all really hard work in terms of finding the right options for yourself and your family and willing to share that knowledge and experience with your friends. So thank you so much, ⁓

Nick: Yeah, of course. Thank you, Izumi. I appreciate it.

Izumi: Yeah, thank you. we are recording this on the day Chinese New Year. So let's hope that we would have a wonderful fire is going to transform our into more sustainable world.

Nick: Amazing, thank you, Zoe.

Izumi: Thank you, Nick.