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Top 10 Tips for Making Your Home Green

Top 10 Tips for Making Your Home Green. Ethan Hirsch-Tauber November 27, 2006. What is Green?. Green = Sustainable A home that has the least environmental impact as possible Minimizes energy use Minimizes water/resource use Healthy. Why Green?. Lower Utility Bills Increased Comfort

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Top 10 Tips for Making Your Home Green

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  1. Top 10 Tips for Making Your Home Green Ethan Hirsch-Tauber November 27, 2006

  2. What is Green? • Green = Sustainable • A home that has the least environmental impact as possible • Minimizes energy use • Minimizes water/resource use • Healthy

  3. Why Green? • Lower Utility Bills • Increased Comfort • Healthier to Live In • Good for Environment • Good for Family • Right Thing to Do!

  4. 1) Lighting • Switch to Compact Flourescent Lightbulbs (CFLs) • If every American familychanged out 5 light bulbs: • Save about $100/year • Reduce greenhouse gas by 1 trillion pounds(1,000,000,000,000) • Reduce U.S. energy demand by equivalent of closing 21 power plants • Look for

  5. More Lighting • Warm or soft light: more like traditional incandescent • Cool or daylight: bluer, may be harsh

  6. 2) Programmable Thermostats • Advantages • Automatically adjust your home's temperature settings. • More convenient/accurate • Contains no mercury • Save up to $100/year • Reduce greenhouse gas emissions • Choose ENERGY STAR

  7. 3) HVAC • Get a professional tune-up once every two years • Cost: $100 to $140 • Savings: 5% to 10% of bill • Air filters • Check every month • Clean, replace as necessary

  8. More HVAC • Seal all ductwork • Leaks cause discomfort and high bills • Use duct mastic or mastic tape • Have new units sized properly • Choose efficient equipment: • At least 92 AFUE, 13 SEER • Direct vent • CO Testing

  9. 4) Plug Air Leaks Air sealing:Sealing gaps where air can pass into or out of your home. Your system must work more in a leaky house because there’s more air to “condition.” On hot and cold days it costs more to maintain a comfortable temperature in a leaky house.

  10. Blower Door Test • Blower door test uncovershidden leaks in home • Open fireplace damper: 8% • Use HERS rater • www.natresnet.org • $200 to $400 • Worth every penny!

  11. 5) Check Insulation • R-value • Resistance to heat transfer • Fiberglass: R-3 per inch • Recommended levels: Ceiling: R-38 Wall: R-22 Floor: R-25 Basement: R-19 • NO GAPS!!!!!! • NO SQUISH!!!!

  12. 6) Buy ENERGY STAR • Refrigerators • Save 15%-20% vs current models • Save 40% on 2001 models • Clothes Washers • Save 50%, plus water savings • $110/year versus 1994 models • Other Appliances: Dishwashers, HVAC • Windows, Doors, and Skylights • Low U-Value and SHGC • Home Electronics

  13. 7) Go Low-Flow • Faucets • 1.5 gpm • Aerators can lessen this to 1 gpm • Shower heads • 1 to 2.5 gpm • Shut off valve • Toilets • 1.6 gallon per flush compare to up to 4 • Save 22,000 gallons/year for 4 person household • Dual flush • Look for leaks: blue dye test or always running

  14. 8) Optimize H2O Heater • Insulate water heater • $15 will pay for itself • Turn temperature down • Max. 120 degrees • Prevents scalding • Lowers bills • Not unsanitary • Insulate hot water pipes • Consider solar hot water, tankless, and on demand

  15. 9) Plant a Tree • Shade in summer • Reduce cooling bills by 20% • Could save you $100 month! • Shade your air conditioner too • Up to 10% savings • Use drought tolerant plants • Windbreak in winter • Reduce heating bills by 10 to 20%

  16. 10) Use Low-VOC Products • Volatile Organic Compounds • 1,000 times healthynormal levels • Look for Green Sealwww.greenseal.org • <50 g/l vs. 250 g/l • Paints, Finishes • Paint store • Cleaning Products • Whole Foods

  17. Bonus) Use Mass Transit • Average home emits 27,000 lbs CO2/year • 25% improvement saves 6,750 lbs • Midsize sedan emits 10,000 lbs CO2/year • Ride a bike! • www.waba.org • Use Metro • www.wmata.com

  18. Rehab Advisor www.rehabadvisor.pathnet.org

  19. Federal Tax Incentives • Through Dec 31st, 2007 • Home Improvement: 10% up to $500, includes windows (only $200), doors, roofing, insulation, various HVAC • PV and Solar hot water: 30% up to $2000 • Also cars and fuel cells • http://www.energystar.gov/

  20. Additional Resources • ENERGY STAR • www.energystar.gov • Southface Energy Institute • www.southface.org • PATH • www.pathnet.org • Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative and SunTrust Bank have a loan program for high efficiency HVAC: Call 1-888-SUNTRUST • Maytag offers rebates for ENERGY STAR clothes washers, dishwashers and refrigerators • Bosch offers rebates on clothes washers

  21. Additional Resources Ethan Hirsch-Tauber D&R International etauber@hotmail.com (202) 406-0020

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