There's No Place Like (the smart, green) Home

Tag: Adhesive Fluorescent Paper

Let’s leave the ruby slippers and the yellow brick road behind for now, and go directly to emerald-green counties, cities, towns and villages. Let’s zoom in on the Lower Hudson Valley, where eco-efficient thinking and practices in the construction industry have resulted in a much-overdue movement toward better living conditions and a cleaner, safer environment for all our citizens.

Everything seems to be coming up green now. And contractors know that green building and home materials make good sense and good business. It’s catching on, they say, more and more.

Undoubtedly, it has taken time. But awareness that our planet’s health and longevity is heading into a realm of catastrophe has caused great concern. Concern has brought action. Action is leading to proposals and policies. And today, there is an environmental responsiveness in which everyone from management of corporations to households and the government itself is involved.

LET THE SUNSHINE IN

The sun produces more energy in one second than all the fossil fuels burned in the course of one year in the U.S. Just as sunshine streams effortlessly through clean, clear windows of a home or apartment, so does the greening principle extend to businesses into homes and everyday life, then into designs for everyday life.

Grid-connected solar “photovoltaics” panels are the fastest growing energy technology in the world, showing 50% annual increases in 2007. This translates into 1.5 million homes with rooftop panels feeding into the electricity grid worldwide. Here in the Lower Hudson Valley, homeowners are using solar power systems to reduce electric bills, heat water, increase their homes’ value, and contribute to a cleaner environment.

To get solar energy working for them, homeowners must first cut energy consumption as much as possible. Their home should be located in such a way that it receives sunlight on solar panels that face southwest, where they will gather the most sunlight.

The world’s largest home improvement company, Home Depot, has teamed up BP Solar to offer homeowners complete turnkey packages, which include consulting, permit approval, custom design service, and installation. It’s an idea that many are warming up to. But there are a number of smaller products, such as garden lights and “juice” producing backpacks that make solar energy available to everyone.

With regard to electricity, the lights are on and there’s somebody home! Just by replacing old light bulbs with compact fluorescent ones (CFLs), homeowners can trim five percent off monthly electric bills. Premium fluorescents that cast a pure white or buttery golden glow cost a little more than bargain basement bulbs, but they last six times longer. Some even look like the traditional round bulbs. The simple switch of just one CFL will save about 300 pounds of carbon dioxide a year.

Energy Star appliances, such as the ones featured at Sears, perform at the same or better level than standard models and use significantly less energy. Savings for the homeowner can be up to 30 percent on electric bills. Plus, manufacturers of new low-flow toilets use advanced computer modeling to deliver more flush power with less water. Some models feature duel-flush buttons that let you opt for a forceful 1.6-gallon flush or a gentle .8-gallon splash.

Unbelievably, the average desktop PC wastes nearly half the power delivered to it. This wasted electricity translates to higher energy bills and unnecessary greenhouse gas emissions. By better managing the power on your computer and finding efficient components such as a flat-screen monitor, homeowners can reduce carbon emissions resulting from PC and server use.