greenHo.ws

When people think of building green they tend to associate it with extra cost, that doesn’t have to be the case. There are a number of green building techniques that can actually save money.

#1 – Build Small

One of the easiest and most cost effective approaches is to just build a smaller house. Smaller houses require fewer resources to construct and less energy to heat and cool. Often buyers build smaller but use higher quality finish materials.

#2 – The Sun

Orient the building to get the most natural daylight which will reduce the use of electric lights. It also tends to make the house feel more pleasant. You can also take advantage of solar energy to help heat the house. With careful placement and design of the house on the site you can reduce both the heating and cooling bills.

#3 – Roof Color

Depending on your climate zone using either a light colored roof to reflect heat or a dark colored one to absorb heat can help with the predominate temperature extremes.

#4 - Whole-House Fans

The fan will improve indoor comfort by drawing in cooler outside air in the evening and helping to exhaust the hot indoor air. The fans on average uses one-tenth the electricity of an air conditioner.

#5 - Water-Efficient Toilets And Fixtures

Using low flow toilets, faucet flow reducing aerators and low flow showerheads can reduce your annual water usage by over 40% compared to the old style fixtures.

Solar hot water refers to water heated by the sun. The principle is simple, it has been around for many years and can work in virtually any location. Solar hot water doesn’t involve a major investment, around $3000 to $6000 is typical. Solar hot water can cut the average family’s water heating energy costs 20 to 40 percent in general and as much as 90 percent in some Southwestern regions.

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With summer time coming, I thought this would be a good time to start planning. With drought in many parts of the country, it’s not going to be easy to stay green this summer. It will be worth it to try though!

Action 1: water the lawn less. We told you about this a few weeks ago in 6 Tips for Saving Water on the Lawn. The key message is to keep your lawn healthy and it will need less water.

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Interesting tidbits from the New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department.

Green Building

In New Mexico a 2,000 square foot home that is LEED Silver certified, which means that it is at least 40% more energy-efficient than a standard built home, can qualify for a $10,000 tax credit!

Solar

The New Mexico Solar Tax Credit will pay up to $9,000 for state residents and they can also receive up to a $2,000 federal tax credit.

Hybrids

Prius buyers rejoice, any New Mexico resident that buys a hybrid vehicle with a EPA rating of at least 27.5 MPG can save between $600 - $1,000 in addition to their allowed federal tax deduction.

You can feel good and save money.

For details check the following website:

New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department

Vinnie sent me a link today to Sundance Solar. For the most part, it looks like a lot of gadgets without much practical use, which means it went right on the top of my favorites list! I know one of us will try gadgets from Sundance Solar soon, so keep an eye open for a review.

Vinnie’s note did start me thinking about the reasonability of using solar as a power source for a home. (more…)