green home

I ran across something interesting this morning regarding a declining housing market, mortgage turmoil, and building "green". It appears that Countrywide Home Loans is trying to do their part to help correct this downturn in the housing market, as well as do something for the environment. Countrywide Home Loans is offering a .125% decrease in the interest rate on the purchase of a "green home".

The relative recent development of thin film photovoltaic solar panels is now deployed in solar roof shingles which seems to gain popularity.

The Jack Johnson's and the Radioheads are not the only ones trying to make a difference.  Stereo equipment manufacturers are developing new technologies to drastically reduce power consumption of stereos, while you're playing 'Sleeping through the Static' and 'In Rainbows'.  Special circuits that reduce power and heat are now being included -- keeping $'s in your pocket, and helping our environment at the same time.

If you live in a big city the air you breathe while outside maybe as detrimental to your health as trying to land a handstand on a Sustainable Skateboard. What you didn’t know is that the air you breathe while inside your own home maybe even worse, 10 times as worse!

Energy Star qualified ventilation fans with lighting use 70% less energy on avg. than standard models, saving $120 in electricity costs over the life of the fan. They are also more than 50% quieter than standard models  But, which ones are the most efficient?  How do you purchase the right size?  See the Energy Star list broken down, and the most efficient models surfaced in this article.

I look forward to the day when our children and grandchildren look at us like we are idiots when we tell them that once we had to keep 40+ gallons of water heated 24/7/365 just "in case" we needed it. Also check out this comparison / review of different tankless water heater brands: http://www.comparethebrands.com/compare/90

Ever get the feeling that if you went outdoors and looked at your electric meter, the numbers would be spinning right before your eyes? Electric rates may not be rising as fast as oil or gas rates, but wouldn’t it be nice if we could heat our homes and run our appliances for free? That’s asking a little too much, of course, but there are alternate sources of energy: wind, water, geothermal, and solar, to name just a few. So what will it cost you to change your house over to solar?

What if your mortgage lender offered to help you finance some simple improvements to your new, or existing, home that would improve its overall efficiency and at the same time reduce your energy bill so that even with the additional mortgage expense, you still came out ahead each month?If this scenario sounds like something you’d like to pursue, you may want to learn more about Energy Efficient Mortgages, also known as EEMs, and find out if they could be an approp

This brand-new household environmental calculator is the first of its kind — it shows not only the carbon but also energy, water, wastewater, trash, and stormwater runoff footprints of your home and lifestyle. In addition, it recommends projects based on your specific inputs that can save you money, reduce your environmental impact, or in many cases both at the same time! The Impact Calculator also calculates a score called the Low Impact Living Index™, or LILI™, that encapsulates in one number your overall environmental footprint. Please give it a test drive!

Awnings are back, and they can be hip for a remodel or your new home.  Better yet, they can save you energy and that equates to a better environment.  This is a two article series on the benefits of awnings, and some of the unique styles that are now available!

Unfinished furniture is a green choice because of its durability and real wood manufacturing. Add waterbased stains or paints and buy local, and you've got a beautiful green choice!

This is great news for the homeowner or contractor who wants to do the green thing but has been balked by complex rating systems or the lack of a connection between consumer and builder. Saint Paul Colllege in Saint Paul, Minnesota, is partnering with the builder of the first LEED Platinum certified remodeled home in America (and Minnesota GreenStar Gold-rated) to cut through the pedantic clutter and train remodelers and contractors to rehab homes into sustainable houses.

An article comparing price, efficiency and the environmental impact of different solar panels.

 

How do you preserve your landscaping as you enter a remodel project?  The cost of replacing it, and the energy required to do so is not at all good.  There are many things you can do.  Here are 5 things, and a link to 10 others that are really practical and helpful...

Do you run your pool for the same duration in the winter as in the summer?  If you do, find out just how much more you are paying than those who don't in this article.  GetWithGreen.com reviews a product called TightWatt that cuts electricity usage automatically to your pool system based on seasonal changes!   This product is as hot as the Cyber-Rain product.