WaterSense is Common Sense, by Veronica Blette

Many people find the sound of running water to be soothing.  That may be true if you are in the woods having a picnic beside a babbling brook, but it isn’t when you are entering your house after a day of work. One day last winter I came home and found that the flapper on my toilet had become stuck in the open position, which led to its earnest, yet futile, efforts to fill the bowl all day long.  Not soothing at all to realize that while I was at work focusing on advancing a nationwide ethic of water efficiency, water was running down my drain. My water bill saw a big jump and I was shocked when I pulled information from my local water utility and saw how much water had actually been lost during that day of wasted toilet filling.

Veronica's water bill

Turns out, I wasn’t alone – the average American house wastes 10,000 gallons each year through leaks. How many of us have heard the ghost flush that happens in the middle of the night?  Well, it turns out that those flushes add up!  Across the country, easy-to-fix household leaks add up to more than one trillion gallons of water lost annually, robbing homeowners of 12 percent of their water bill.

Less than one percent of the Earth’s water is available for human use, and managing water is a growing concern in the United States. Using water more efficiently and avoiding waste helps maintain supplies at safe levels now and for future generations.

That’s where WaterSense comes in – we’re trying to make it simple for consumers to save water through water-efficient products, homes, services, and tips for around the house.  Over the past five years, WaterSense has helped Americans save 125 billion gallons of water and $2 billion in water and energy bills.

Besides finding and fixing leaks, there are lots of other things you can do around the house to save water.  Getting started is as easy as 1-2-3…just check-twist-replace!

1. Check toilets for silent leaks by putting a few drops of food coloring in the tank and seeing if the color appears in the bowl before you flush. Don’t forget to check irrigation systems and spigots, too. (Click here for Practically Green’s efficient-toilet suggestions!)

2. Twist and tighten pipe connections. To save even more water without a noticeable difference in flow, twist in a WaterSense labeled faucet aerator or showerhead. (Fix a leaky faucet; Install low-flow valves in all faucets)

3. Replace the fixture if necessary. It may be as easy as replacing a toilet flapper, but if you need a new fixture, look for the WaterSense label, which signifies the product has been certified to save water and perform well. (Upgrade older faucets & shower heads (older than 1994); Upgrade toilets that take more than 1.6 gallons per flush to standard toilets)

Veronica (at left) and her friends -- on the job!

Want to do more? Join my team and thousands of your neighbors by supporting the We’re for Water campaign. Visit the website to take the I’m for Water pledge, “like” WaterSense on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter.

About the author: Veronica Blette leads EPA’s WaterSense program. Veronica has been with the Agency for more than thirteen years and, going forward, will always make sure the toilet is not running before she goes to work.

Have you ever thought of installing a wind turbine at your house?

Or are you worried that it would be impossible, deafening, or cost-prohibitive? And/or prohibited in your neighborhood or not worth the bother?

All of the above?

Our advisor Jeffrey Hollender went ahead and installed one at his home in Vermont. We like to think he consulted Practically Green to clinch his decision! From the PG action:

Read the complete action here: http://practicallygreen.com/install-wind

Here is Jeffrey’s story:

The Wind Turbine is Up at Last, by Jeffrey Hollender

The Hollenders' back yard, with Wind Turbine

It took longer than expected, but my wind turbine is up and generating more C02 free electricity that we projected.  You may remember that back in June I embarked on installing a 10 kw Bergey www.bergey.com/ wind turbine. The Bergey Windpower Co. (BWC) has its origins in research activities at the University of Oklahoma dating back to 1970.  My plan was to take advantage of a new law passed this past summer by the Vermont Legislature that guarantees that any electricity generated by a residential turbine must be purchased by the local utility at $.20 a kilowatt hour. Not a bad deal considering that here in Vermont we pay between $.10 and $.13 for the energy we purchase.

Every time I look out my window and watch that turbine turn, I feel proud to be part of the solution to the single greatest challenge facing our planet. I know the investment is unaffordable to many, but just imagine the impact if everyone who could afford it committed to do the same.

The turbine will cost about $50,000 before rebates and tax credits. There is a cash incentive grant worth $12,500 lowering the net cost to $37,500, and then a 30% federal tax credit that will further reduce the cost to about $25,000. I had expected the turbine to generate at least 8,000 kilowatts a year but based on my first month I’m generating over 1,000 kilowatts a month, or 50% better than I’d planned.

Since I will sell all the electricity I generate back to the grid (something called net-metering) I will receive a credit against the electricity I use of about $2,400 a year. That means that it will take about 10 years to break even on my investment – unless the wind blows harder or the tax credits go up!

Note: Jeffrey co-founded Seventh Generation in 1987 and built it into a household word, contributing an integral component of the modern-day green-living movement. A prolific author, speaker, and blogger, he founded the American Sustainable Business Council to change the rules of business. Follow Jeffrey on Twitter @JeffHollender and join him on Facebook.

Learn more about Jeffrey and about Practically Green’s other advisors here.

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Maybe you’re inspired to install a wind turbine at your house – or at your school, your company, your town! Maybe you already have one? Please share your favorite big-ticket energy improvement stories with us.

Eco Build: Greening Up My New Home, by Renee Heath

I was lucky enough to grow up in a house my dad built.  And my husband was fortunate as well to have a home constructed by his dad’s two hands.  So it only felt right that we carry on the tradition and develop our own property.  Little did we know what we were getting into…all the decisions (and money)!

From flooring types to paint selections and beyond, we’re spoiled with choice in this country.  What has helped us narrow down the options during our construction process are the following two sentences:

• Will this help our family live healthier and greener?
• Can we afford the selection, and if not, does it make sense to spend extra money now to save cash later?

I thought I would share the questions we are still working through to get your brain ticking over and to hopefully get your input as well as to what we should do before breaking ground!

Recycled Materials

New Jersey gets hot summers, cold winters and everything in between.  So we asked ourselves how we can set up for lower energy bills.  Insulation was the first thing that came to mind.  We found that the cheapest option out there is fiberglass insulation.  Economical but scary to think you have to wear gloves and a mask to install it as to not breathe in any glass fibers!  We really like recycled blue jeans and newspapers lagging for inside of the walls.  I still have to compare what the difference in the “R factor” would be compared to fiberglass.

A different option for the roof, we are looking into blown foam insulation made from a soy renewable product.  Then there’s insulating duct work, pipes and water heater, oh my!

Click here for seven ways to insulate your home

Renewable Energy

New Jersey also has the most amount of people per square foot of land than any other state in America!  So we want to make sure we consume the least amount of natural resources as possible.  We are researching three forms of renewable energy: geo-thermal, solar panels and wind turbine.

Geo thermal is a great option for a natural cooling and heating system.  Love using the earth’s consistent underground temperature to virtually heat our home for free!  This will lower our green house emissions for sure!  We know our winters might get too cold, so we are contemplating a wood pellet stove to top up our heat as it emits less harmful pollutants compared to oil or gas.  Programmable thermostat installed is a no brainer but not sure I can convince hubby to go >78 degrees in summer and <68 degrees in winter.

Solar panel water heater is a want at this point and not a must have.  I already know we need to keep whatever kind of water heater we go with around 120 degrees to be green.  And we want low-flow shower heads too!

Wind turbine for electric is another on tier two/nice-to-have right now.  Plus, need to see if my neighbors agree with seeing a large fan spinning around all day and night.

Energy Efficient Products

Heat Map

I love seeing heat maps of houses showing where heat escapes; windows are always a major culprit.  We want dual-pane low-e windows (blocks radiant heat and prevents heat from escaping). Expensive but efficient, so think this is our spend-more-money-now to-save-later option.  Also there are thermal shades/shutters, weather stripping and window treatments, but to be honest, my eyes went crossed at this point!  I am still just getting my head around the NFRC (National Fenestration Research Council) window labeling system!

Any thought on our above options?  I know I took an energy slant as we are in pre-construction phase, but beyond formal building, there are options for fixtures, furnishing and finishing.  Do you have ideas on all-natural carpet, no-VOC paints and formaldehyde free furniture?

Note: Renee is Applegate’s Digital Social Media Manager, and you can follow her on Twitter @reneerants. Full disclosure: Applegate is one of our favorite sponsors at Practically Green; check out their Healthy Green lunch badge and enter their Sausage Contest!!

Does this Back to School season have you thinking about freshening up your interiors? Today’s guest blogger introduces us to makeover experts in Colorado Springs for solutions on materials & finishes that make any room a great place to learn and create – at home, at school at work.

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When I was asked to write an article about interior makeovers for Practically GreenI immediately knew I wanted to talk to Allyson Buck and Sarah Heinbaugh of Interilife Sustainable Interiors.

Just think about the rooms where kids spend most of their time. Many of the design choices we make can have very serious health implications, so it’s really important to choose nontoxic products. Paint, carpets and flooring can offgas dangerous chemicals that you do not want to breathe.  Luckily, there are healthier options, so you can create a great interiorwithout compromising anyone’s health.

Since times are tough economically I asked Allyson which 3 areas would be cheapest, easiest and have the greatest impact.  All of her are amazing for both the design and the health of your interior space — and can be completed without hiring expensive professionals!

Paint – Paint is cheap, easy and covers the largest surface area.  It is the most impactful change you can make to a room.  It’s the first thing people notice when they enter – both the way it looks and the way it smells when it’s new. If you only buy one nontoxic product for your makeover project, this is the one to make.

Allyson recommends using Mythic Paint.  Mythic is a No-VOC premium paint with No-VOC pigments. People are often concerned that Mythic costs more than paint from, say, Home Depot.  However, Allyson says to make sure you are comparing paints of equal quality. Yes, Home Depot paints are about ½ the price of Mythic. But Home Depot paints aren’t premium paints and they aren’t No-VOC. They aren’t going to last as long as Mythic.  They aren’t going to hold up to crayon drawings on the walls, the rocking chair hitting the wall and all the rest of the wear and tear young children put on a wall.

If you compare the price of Mythic to a premium paint such as Benjamin Moore (still not No-VOC) Mythic is actually cheaper. And, you get the added benefit of it not releasing toxic fumes. Who can put a price tag on that!

Mythic paint is so safe you can touch it up while your baby is sleeping in the same room with no fear of toxic fumes.  A few years ago you could only get No-VOC paint in a limited pallet of earth tones.  Now Mythic comes in a wide selection of colors and it can be color-matched to your favorite color from another brand or your décor.

Flooring – The next easiest thing to change is your flooring.  Carpeting holds dust, allergens, heavy metals and anything else you track into your home.  Even the best vacuum can’t remove everything from carpet.   Babies crawl around, play and lay down right next to the particles in the carpet.  They put their hands and all their toys in their mouths exposing them to anything that’s in your carpet.  Experts often recommend hard flooring, especially with young children around.

Allyson says if you use floating, snap together Marmoleum tiles you can change the entire look of your floor very easily and with minimal tools.  They come in a wide selection of colors giving you many options.  And, when your baby grows up and wants something more grown up you can just pull them up and donate them to your local Habitat for Humanity ReStore or sell them on Craigslist so they can be used again on someone else’s project.

Marmoleum is true linoleum, made from linseed oil.  It is certified asthma and allergy friendly.  The top layer of the tiles is Marmoleum and the bottom is cork.  In the middle is MDF which is free of added urea formaldehyde, which is a carcinogen.

Wool area rugs – Allyson says the next easiest & most affordable way to have a big green impact upon your room is by adding 100% wool area rugs.  The rugs they carry and recommend are made by INDI B and have a cotton backing and are naturally dyed.  Wool rugs are very durable and these come in a wide selection of colors and designs.  When you are done with them they are easy to get rid of.  You can sell them on Craigslist or donate them to a store like Habitat for Humanity ReStore.

We love this 5 x 7' rug from IndiB!

Going nontoxic in these 3 areas can have a huge impact upon the design of your nursery without negatively harming your baby’s health.  Allyson says no matter what green design products you use remember that there are no products that are perfect ecologically or socially.  Try not to get caught up in looking for perfection.  Find the best product you can that meets your design needs, lifestyle and budget.

If you are in Colorado you can visit Interilife’s store in Colorado Springs for each of these products and more.  For other parts of the country go to the individual websites for a list of distributors or to purchase online.

Danika Carter is the beauty editor for Greenwala.

There’s nothing like a serious storm to help you appreciate ho-hum conveniences like electricity, hot showers, flushing toilets, chilled food, drinking water, and windows that don’t leak.

Scene in Huntington, Vermont (from The New York Times via the Burlington Free Press/AP)

Practically Green is full of ideas to make life super-efficient, from dual-flush toilets to dual-pane windows to Energy-Star rated appliances and solar-powered or renewably-energized almost-everything. Click here for a comprehensive set of Home Energy actions to consider — and please let us know of others to include.

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Rebecca Sama is the type of person who always has some cool thing in her hand, around her neck, or on her bod. She’s Practically Green’s product specialist, and she’s got a few après-Irene items to consider. They’re all available on PG; simply click on the related action link to peruse and order!

Rebecca’s Better-Safe-Than-Sorry Necessities

• AREAWARE WOOD TORCH

There’s something about a wooden flashlight that makes me smile and always a good to have an LED flashlight on hand should the power happen to go out… no fun to be left in the dark!

Switch to an LED or solar-powered flashlight

Klean Kanteen Reflect Stainless Steel 27 Ounce Water Bottle with Bamboo Cap

• KLEAN KANTEEN REFLECT

And it’s the perfect excuse to add yet another reusable (and irresistable) water bottle to the collection, what with the storm coming and with that shiny finish and cute BPA-free bamboo top…

Switch to a reusable water bottle

• AIGLE RAIN BOOTS

Of course we wouldn’t want to miss out on post-storm puddle-jumping, so we’ll need to ‘boot-up’ with these natural rubber, PVC-free classic rain boots. (Available for kids and grown-ups!)

Purchase eco-friendly shoes

• ALEX ELMAN WINES

And with nothing but rain and 23-foot waves on the horizon, there’s no better time to hole up with a delicious bottle of organic wine from inspirational and renowned wine connoisseur, Alex Elman. (Goes well with the KK bottle?)

Drink eco-friendly wine

Alex Elman herself!

Rebecca blogs at urbansherp.com, where you can see her complete Irene post. Follow her @UrbanSherp on Twitter.

It’s “Cross Off An Action” Summer Spruce Up Weekend!

This week’s Newsletter from CEO Susan Hunt Stevens:

Have you visited your Practically Green action plan lately? You know — that list of healthy green actions that you haven’t done yet, but you REALLY want to do. What a great weekend to pick something, anything that is going to reduce the toxins in your home, save energy (or water!), clear out that stuff piling in your closets, or add a touch of beautiful eco-design to your bathroom, front porch, or walls!

One of many rain barrels at gardeners.com

Here’s what I’m going to do (finally!): Install Rain Barrels

What are some of our “most popular” summer spruce up items?

1. A paint project: give new life to piece of furniture, fix a chipped wall, or that peeling porch.
By choosing a no-VOC, non-toxic paint for this project, like from our partner Mythic Paint, you get great colors, no nasty stuff in your air, and a whopping 75 points!

2. Spruce up that porch with a touch of renewable, sustainable design.
Vivaterra is one of my favorite eco-design sources and I saw this perfect back porch mat made from coconuts husks! How easy is this 10 point action!!

Learn more about Vivaterra from our blog interview with their founder.

3. Get an energy audit.
What? It’s 90 degrees out?! Yes, an energy audit isn’t just key to saving money on heat, but also keeping the cool air in and saving on electricity related to air conditioning.

Waiting for your audit? We added a new action about closing the shades to save energy!

4. Clean out the closet! Your trash is someone else’s treasure.
We all have that nagging closet filled with clothes, furniture, toys, and stuff we don’t use. Clean it out and donate it! To your neighbors via Freecycle, to a charity), or make some extra money on Craigslist or eBay. ReCrib is a new company especially for baby gear; check them out on our blog.

5. Plant a flower basket.
You may feel overwhelmed by the work associated with a garden, but it’s never too late to plant flowers! Want some great ideas, visit our friend Kerry’s section on About.com for inspiration.

Amazing Echinacea from White Flower Farm

Please let us know what you cross off your list! We’ll post your spruce-up photos on our Facebook page next week!

Best,

Susan

PS: We have more great summer spruce up ideas on our blog…

Lightbulbs: A Picture Says a Thousand Words.

Credit: F. Martin Ramin

Steamy hot weather in Boston: it’s easier than ever to realize that the hotter the bulb to the touch, the more inefficient it must be.

We’ve blogged on inefficient bulbs previously (thank you, Brian Clark Howard), and we have three actions that give you points for switching yours to CFL or LED.

Frankly, we’re still conflicted.

Conventional “Edison” incandescents are inefficient, we know that. OUT. CFLs are more efficient, and they aren’t all THAT expensive. But they contain mercury, which is hard to recycle and dangerous on contact.

If price were no object, we’d outfit the whole house in LEDs…. BUT: the price is more what you expect to pay for a pair of decent shoes, not a lightbulb. And the light quality is not perfect — is it, really?

As Practically Green’s Product Editor Rebecca Sama reasons,

Rebecca Sama

“LEDs are superior, but they do have a higher up-front cost. I suspect two years from now, the costs will come down and they will be more mainstream, but for the time being I lean towards explaining the pros/cons of each and letting the consumer/reader decide… it is incredibly exciting to see how the technology is taking off and all the ways that manufacturers and designers are incorporating LEDs into their light fixture designs.”

Last week we pounced on an illuminating (sorry) story by Gwendolyn Bounds in the Wall Street Journal:

“…most of today’s incandescent bulbs will be phased out (some specialty bulbs are exempt) by 2014 and replaced by more efficient alternatives. While cheap at 25 to 50 cents a pop, incandescent bulbs waste nearly all their energy in heat output.

“The light-bulb industry now faces a daunting task of re-educating shoppers who are still in the dark about their choices. A recent survey by General Electric Co. shows three-quarters of consumers have no idea about the new regulation and impending changes.”

The article was illustrated with an infographic that we reprint above, with permission from the iridescent photographer F. Martin Ramin.

More on Bounds here. And here’s tip from her re: the halogen-incandescent option pictured #2 from left in the photo above.

Wendy Bounds

Another point I think is worth making – and which has been lost in this whole debate - is that people don’t actually have to give up incandescent technology if they like that kind of light. They can use new incandescent/halogen bulbs which are currently on the market and meet the new standards. And they are relatively cheap at about $1.50 to $2 a bulb. So for folks who don’t like CFL and can’t afford LED, there’s another alternative that very much is like the bulb they are using now.

What do you think? Have you switched the bulbs in your house? Your office?

Drafty Eye-Sore Window Makeover, by Adria Saracino

My home used to have seriously old windows. They were extremely drafty―it was as if you were sitting in front of an air conditioner. In addition, our windows looked dingy from the inside and out, with peeling paint and rotting wood. Our home was an eye sore, and we all knew it.

Fortunately, we finally installed energy-efficient windows and immediately experienced the benefits of newer windows.

Since this is a topic close to my heart, I thought I would do my part in encouraging homeowners to replace their windows.

Note: PG Editor personally loves Kolbe energy-efficient windows

Did you know windows account for about 30% of a home’s total energy loss and are responsible for up to 25% of a homeowner’s total energy bill? Evidently, inefficient windows make our heating and cooling systems work hard and our wallets work harder. Since today celebrates Practically Green’s “Upgrade your Windows to Dual-Pane with Low-E or Better ” eco action, I thought it would be fitting to make a list of all the reasons we should switch out our windows to more efficient models.

The Top 10 Reasons to Install Energy-Efficient Windows

1. Reduces Energy Bills. Homeowners can save about $130 – $465 a year on their energy bills when they replace their home’s single-pane windows, according to Energy Star (varies depending on location).

2. Improves Resale Value. Though installing new windows is not cheap (it can set you back a minimum of $10,000), you can achieve as high as an 85% rate of return! Added with the cost savings on your energy bills, greening your home in this way practically pays itself off.

3. Offers Tax Incentives. You can claim a tax credit of up to $1,500 when you install energy-efficient windows and/or skylights. See the IRS website for more details.

4. Makes a Healthier Home. New eco windows reduce instances of frost and condensation because they create a warmer interior glass surface. Excessive condensation and fluctuations in temperature can cause mold, which can lead to allergies, sinus infections, rashes/irritations, or lung disease.

5. Provides More Efficient Lighting. Energy-efficient windows can also help you save on your lighting bills and expenditure. Low-E windows have a special coating that protects windows from solar heat gain without losing visibility. Older windows generally have a tinted glaze or shading to prevent solar heat gain.

6. Protects your Interior from Fading. Organic materials are susceptible to fading when exposed to excessive amounts of UV radiation. Newer windows have coatings that can reduce the UV transmitted by up to 75%. This means you can reduce instances of fading in carpets, artwork, upholstery, and wood.

7. Reduces Noise Pollution. Double-pane windows have a special design that can reduce the amount of noise heard from outside while indoors.

8. Increases Comfort. Energy-efficient windows not only reduce how hard your heating/cooling system needs to work, but it also ensures indoor temperatures are comfortable. For example, ever sit next to a drafty window? A situation like this makes it feel colder than it actually is insider your home. New windows without air leaks will make it more comfortable indoors.

9. Makes Cleaning Easier. Specially-designed coatings keep dirt and grime off of energy-efficient windows, making newer windows virtually self-cleaning.

10. Adds Curb Appeal. Since newer windows are easier to clean and come in more modern styles, they can make your home look shiny and new. Many older windows use a steel frame, which can make a home look outdated.

About today’s guest blogger: Adria Saracino is the Business Development Specialist and Blogging Coordinator for eLocal.com, a network of sites where homeowners can find local plumbing, roofing, and electrical contractors. She manages eLocal’s popular Blog-Off series, where homeowners can find insider home improvement answers from industry experts. You can follow eLocal.com on twitter @eLocalUSA. If you are looking for more from Adria, you can find her talking and tweeting about fashion through her personal fashion blog, The Emerald Closet (@Emerald_Closet).

Twitter Party Sponsor Bash

Tuesday, May 17, 9 to 10 PM EST

@practicallygrn

Healthy Green Living in all the Rooms of Your House!

TO HONOR AND CELEBRATE OUR VALUED LAUNCH SPONSORS:

Applegate @applegatefarms

Weleda @weleda

Mythic Paint @safepaint

Alexandra Zissu, Editorial Director, Practically Green; and author, most recently of Planet Home and The Butcher’s Guide to Well-Raised Meat @alexandrazissu

Please use #PracticallyGreen and #giveaway – we’ll have amazing prizes!! (see photos)

With extra special expert guests:

• Laurie David and her group from The Family Dinner: @famdinner
• 

  Weleda Gentle Cleansing Line, Wild Rose Smoothing Lotion, & Wild Rose Smoothing Night Cream

• Lauren Guite, EDF’s Moms Clean Air Force: @MomsCAF
• Sheila Hollender, Seventh Generation environmental health advocate: @SheilaHollender
• Franke James, author, Bothered by my Green Conscience: @frankejames
• Dr. Harvey Karp, HappiestBaby.com: @drharveykarp
• Holistic Moms Network:  Nancy Massotto, Founder: @HolisticMomsNet
• Kimberly Pinkson, Founder of EcoMom Alliance: @ecomom
• Toronto Star home columnist Vicky Sanderson: @vickysanderson
• Adria Saracino, eLocal, a national network of local resources for homeowners: @elocalusa
• Blogger Lynn Stone of SmilingGreenMom: @smilinggreenmom
  

  From Sheila Hollender & Seventh Generation: Healthy Home Starter Kit

  

  From Sheila Hollender & Seventh Generation: Fem Care Starter Kit

Applegate T-Shirts, Coloring Books, and $1 off Coupons

"Lunch Line" DVD, T-Shirt, and $1-off Coupons

Applegate: An amazing USB stick w/order form for 10 FREE products & special recipe cards

Two Gallons of Mythic Paint!

Pick your color from the Mythic Paint fan deck

Chicago Green Home Guru Laura Stukel shares this report about Payback on top household remodeling projects, home-energy upgrades such as Weather Stripping your windows — a perfect project in between hot and cold seasons.  Laura’s examples are based on the Chicago climate.  But the idea of getting remodeling to pay you back applies wherever you live.  See the final paragraph for tips on getting started in your area.

Each year, Remodeling Magazine and Realtor Magazine team up to produce the Cost vs. Value report.  The study looks at regional building permit data to estimate remodeling costs for more than 30 common home improvement projects.  Then, Realtors weigh in to estimate the value these projects add to a home’s market value.  It’s a handy report that gives homeowners some perspective on the best way to spend home improvement dollars each year.

But the report is missing one thing.  What about payback? Many of the project scopes could be tweaked just a little to include some energy efficiency improvements at the same time. It’s a super-smart time to add these steps while drywall is already off and walls are already open – you cut the dust and prices later over doing these same improvements as stand-alone projects. These upgraded projects would potentially add not just value, but offer savings through reduced energy costs.

The following lists show the Top 5 Chicagoland projects based on estimates of remodeling costs recouped at resale as reported in the Cost vs. Value report.

The second list uses energy data compiled by the Center for Neighborhood Technology/Energy, Efficient Windows Collaborative, ENERGY STAR and Keep Warm Illinois to show the top projects based on natural gas savings for a typical/average home in the Chicagoland area.

2010 Top  Chicagoland Home Improvement Projects:

• #1 Steel Entry Door Replacement – Cost recouped:  102.1% – Cost:  $1,218, Resale value:  $1,243
• #2 Garage Door Replacement – Cost recouped:  83.9% – Cost:  $1,291, Resale value:  $1,083
• #3 Siding Replacement (Fiber Cement) – Cost recouped:  80% – Cost:  $13,382, Resale value:  $10,707
• #4 Minor Kitchen Remodel – Cost recouped:  72.8%  - Cost:  $21,695, Resale value:  $15,790
• #5 Deck Addition (wood) – Cost recouped:  72.8% – Cost:  $10,973, Resale value:  $7,986

2010 Top Chicagoland Payback + Value Projects:

#1 Basement Remodel + air sealing + insulation.  Extra energy efficiency costs:  1% (Upgrade to air seal & insulate basement – $1,000-2,000; Tip: be sure to also upgrade home ventilation)

Potential average energy savings: 24%

BuildingGreenTV.com

#2 Attic Bedroom + air sealing + insulation.  Extra energy efficiency costs:  3% (Upgrade to air seal and insulate attic – $1,800-2,400; Tip: be sure to also upgrade home ventilation)

Potential average energy savings: 24%

#3 Window Replacement (wood) + air sealing.  Extra energy efficiency costs:  10% (Upgrade to air seal walls, attic, basement – $1,300-1,700; Tip: The savings comes from the caulk around the windows more than the new windows themselves!  And, be sure to also upgrade home ventilation.)

Potential average energy savings: 24%

#4 Siding Replacement (Fiber Cement) + air sealing + insulation.  Extra energy efficiency costs:  21% (Upgrade to air seal walls and insulate side walls -$3,500-4,500; Tip: The savings comes from sealing leaks in the walls more than the new siding itself!  And, be sure to also upgrade home ventilation.)

Potential average energy savings: 32%

FengShui Society

#5 Steel Entry Door Replacement + air sealing.  Extra energy efficiency costs:  17% (Upgrade to advanced weather-stripping – $250; Tip: Savings comes from buying a well-insulated door and then sealing it with effective weather-stripping!)

Potential average energy savings:  11%

These Chicago estimates paint the picture of how to plan remodeling projects to achieve savings paybacks as well.  To determine the best opportunities for your project  A home energy audit is a great place to start. Also, your local utility can provide information on any rebates or incentives that may apply. Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency can also help. http://www.dsireusa.org/

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If you live near Chicago, lucky you!! We advise you to call Laura asap:

Laura Reedy Stukel, REALTOR, NAR GREEN, EcoBroker Certified. Cell – 773-251-1631 Consulting Services:  Energy Efficiency powered by choice. Ask how you can qualify for a free energy audit to make your current or future home more comfortable, save energy and add value!

Check her out at www.notYETgreen.com. Follow her on FaceBook: Sage Living and on Twitter @NotYETGreen. See her progress on the GE EcoMagination Challenge: http://budurl.com/voteGEeco

Why I love LEDs, by Anna Hackman

How many of you want to switch out your current light bulbs to LEDs, the new cool lighting technology on the block?   Maybe you hate the color of your CFLs.   Perhaps the thought of mercury in your CFLs gives you the willies.  Or maybe your incandescent laden home with its high energy bills are burning a hole in your wallet.  For whatever reasons, LEDs have a bright future.

Why do I love LEDs?  Since 2007,  I became a convert to the LED technology when my eyes saw LED Lighting Fixture’s LR6’s downlight, (Cree has since bought the company.) The color was wonderful, the output was great, and best yet, I can say good bye to my energy hogging incandescent light bulbs and my ugly colored CFLs.  I have been a smitten puppy ever since.

The problem that I see with this new technology is the average Joe or Josephine really doesn’t understand what LEDs are all about.  Reading the Department of Energy’s Solid State Lighting website can give you a headache.   So, let me shed some light on why LEDs may be in your future, highlighting both the advantages and disadvantages of this new technology.

What is LED technology?

LED stands for light emitting diode.

“Basically, LEDs are just tiny light bulbs that fit easily into an electrical circuit. But unlike ordinary incandescent bulbs, they don’t have a filament that will burn out, and they don’t get especially hot. They are illuminated solely by the movement of electrons in a semiconductor material, and they last just as long as a standard transistor.” [Source]

The Advantages of LEDs:

Efficiency:

One of the advantage of an LED is its efficiency. The filament of an incandescent bulb must be heated to generate light.  This results in a lot of wasted heat.  Worse yet,  only 10-15% of the electricity consumed results in the light you see.  LEDs on the other hand use a higher percentage of the energy used to create its light.

Long Life:

According to the Department of Energy, LEDs have the longest life compared to the following traditional lighting:

If you have a high ceiling, LEDs could be a godsend for you.  Since their life expectancy is anywhere from 35,000 to 50,000 hours, you wouldn’t have to change hard to reach lights for a couple of years.

No Mercury:

One of the biggest concerns about fluorescent bulbs is that the bulbs contain mercury. CFLs contain on average 4 milligrams of mercury.  If the bulbs are broken, mercury vapor is released.  Mercury is a potential neurotoxin, and therefore especially dangerous for children and fetuses.

In addition, mercury can leach into our waterways when bulbs are disposed into our landfills rather than recycled. According to Association of Lighting and Mercury Recyclers,

“[g]eneral belief is that most of the breakage occurs in the container, as opposed to at the landfill, due to the fragile glass and compacting that occurs in containers. When these containers are also exposed to moisture from rain or other sources and they leak, or when they are washed out, mercury enters the environment. Studies have shown that when fluorescent lamps break in containers the mercury can hover for days, and eventually migrate downwind and back onto the land[2],[3].”

To put the mercury issue in perspective, the use of fluorescents over incandescent bulbs dramatically reduces mercury emissions from coal fired electrical plants. A worse case scenario according to Energy Star, the broken florescent bulbs could  ”add 0.12 metric tons, or 0.12 percent, to U.S. mercury emissions caused by humans.”

But in my mind, that small percentage is still a concern especially when there is another lighting option available.  Recycling all fluorescent bulbs should be mandatory.  (You can recycle your CFLs at Home Depot, Lowes, and Ikea.  See here for a list of lamp recyclers near you.)

Can be used in Cold Temperatures:

Fluorescent lamps and cold temperatures are not a mix made in heaven.   In order for florescent lamps to work in cold temperatures, the amalgam added lamp will take longer to brighten up.  In contrast, LEDs performance increases as temperatures drops, making it an ideal candidate for use in refrigeration.

Instant On:

One of my biggest complaints about fluorescent bulbs is that they have to warm up before they reach their full brightness.  LEDs on the other hand,  warm up instantaneously.

On and Off Cycling:

Turning on and off fluorescents lessens their lifespan.  According to a report by Rocky Mountain Institute in 2008,

“A study published in 1998 examined CFL performance for five different operating cycles. It found that when the length of time the lamps were on was reduced from 3 hours to 1 hour, the lamp lasted for 80 percent of its rated life. When reduced to 15 min and 5 min, the lamp lasted for 30 percent and 15 percent, respectively, of its rated life.²⁸ ”

Keep in mind: although turning off the bulbs may lessen their life, in most cases, the reduction in energy cost outweighs the bulb replacement.  (See this discussion of how to ascertain your energy savings from turning off your fluorescent bulbs.)  However, the advantages of LEDs are you can turn them off and on without shortening their life.  Just think about a traffic light which has LED bulbs in it.  Notice how the light’s constantly turning off and on?

Disadvantages of LEDs:

I would be remiss to not point out that there are disadvantages to LEDs.  My issues with LEDs are as follows:  Price, Heat, and of course, the Marketing Hype.

Price:

Recently I reviewed Lighting Science’s 60 watt comparable recess light bulb sold at Home Depot.  Although I loved the white halogen type light, would I splurge for multiple bulbs at a price tag of $40 a piece?  I figured the payoff would be about 4 years compared to a dimmable CFL.  However, prices are falling.  When I fell in love with the LR6 downlight in 2007, the cost of the bulb was $125! In a September, 2010 GreenTech Enterprise article, Bill Watkins, CEO of Bridgelux, predicted prices will continue to fall dramatically.

“To outfit a house with LED bulbs today could cost around $2,500, according to Bill Watkins, CEO of Bridgelux, at the ribbon-cutting ceremony that took place at the company’s manufacturing facility here. ”It will be down to $200 in three years,” he added.”

Heat:

Heat is a LED light bulb’s enemy. It converts 20-30% of its power into light but the remainder is converted to heat.  This heat is dissipated through a heat sink.

According to the Department of Energy,

“Excess heat directly affects both short-term and long-term LED performance. The shortterm (reversible) effects are color shift and reduced light output while the long-term effect is accelerated lumen depreciation and thus shortened useful life.”

However, not all heat sinks are created equal.

Fact vs Fiction:

In conjunction with this article, I interviewed three lighting experts about how to find the right bulb for commercial and residential applications. Think part two of the LED story. They walked me through on how to decipher the truth from the fiction.

Basically, not all LEDs produce the same type of light, nor last as long.  It is best to buy lighting from a store where you can return the lights. Test to see if you like the light output, the color of the light, and whether it dims with your switch.  As I mentioned above, I happen to like a white halogen light.  Others may not.

Join the Conversation:

• Have you bought any LEDs for your home and if so, which one do you like?
• Would you buy LEDs at this point in time?
• Are you uneasy about the marketing hype about LEDs?
• If you are a lighting expert, which ones do you recommend and why?

About today’s guest blogger: Anna Hackman is a sustainability consultant, mom of four boys (yes, no lamp allowed in the house), and the editor of Green Talk, a green living website that creates the conversation to live a greener lifestyle for home and business.  She is passionate about green living, green building, organic gardening, recycling, and green business. Tweet with her @greentalk, yak with her on the GT Facebook fan page, or just visit the blog.

Reduce showers to 5 minutes or less, by Shannon Hoffman Hinderberger

Did you know the average American’s shower time is eight minutes? During that time, it’s estimated that a standard shower uses 7-10 gallons of water per minute.

I tracked my showers for six days and discovered my average was around 7.5 minutes. My longest shower during this self-trial period was 12 minutes, and that’s only because I was so tired after being up from 2-4 a.m. with my toddler and I was trying to wake up!

Almost eight minutes seems too long to me. So for the past three weeks, I’ve been using my trusty kitchen timer to time-out 5-minute showers. If you want to get fancy, you can buy a shower timer [see the action on Practically Green for product recommendations, and submit yours], but your kitchen timer or your smartphone probably does just as good a job.

"good ole kitchen timer"

Why is this part of my green action plan so important? Not only is it worth 20 points on Practically Green, but it will help save on water and gas (hot-water heater) bills. If you shower everyday, like me, that means you could be saving up to 140 gallons of water per week.

My husband has always been pretty quick in the shower since he used to be in the Navy and took Navy showers; and my three-year-old is afraid of the shower so he bathes every other day. We use his bath water to water plants and hopefully this summer we will use it to water our garden.

Shannon and her family doing.... not sure.... opening a present in a box?

What are other ways you cut back on water in your house? We also follow the “if it’s yellow let it mellow. If it’s brown flush it down.” Just remember to flush when you have guests over. I was quite embarrassed when the sitter discovered this when she last babysat.

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Shannon lives in Bend, Oregon, where she works all day and blogs in her “spare time” at Working Mom Goes Green.

Mission:

I’m a working mom taking a stand against yucky stuff in my food, cosmetics, etc. and gradually turning my family towards more eco-friendly, natural choices. I’m learning so this is about our journey towards going green. There may be a few stumbles so hopefully you can laugh with me not at me!

Shannon uses Practically Green to keep her on task. You can follow the ups, downs, and inevitable laughs via her blog, Facebook, and Twitter @workinggreenmom. Check out Shannon’s Action plan on Practically Green here: http://practicallygreen.com/see/shanlee.

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manataka.org

Practically Green has scores of enticing Water actions, from Make your own sparkling water to Upgrade toilets that take more than 1.6 gallons per flush to standard toilets. You can check out them all of them here.

If you’d enjoy an infographic for facts on water conservation, please see this excellent recommended link from eLocal.com.

We asked our superb expert friend Jerelyn Wilson of BuildingGreen what she’d like to say on the subject of water conservation, and here’s her post.

Note: Please don’t miss the free links below to BuildingGreen’s related articles – especially the one about the Wilsons’ foot-controlled sink pedal.… and which our ecofabulous contributor Zem Joaquin so elegantly modeled on this blog post. (See Zem’s action plan here! … but we digress.)

foot pedal at Zem's kitchen sink

WATER CONSERVATION AT HOME

By Jerelyn Wilson

Water has always been precious to me. I remember dipping the long handled cup into my grandfather’s spring at his camp in the Bristol Hills of New York State. Sipping from the cup’s white enamel edge, the water was cold and tingling in my mouth. In the kitchen we had to prime the pump before any water came out – us kids always vying for who would get to pull the metal handle down and up five or six times. Even though we knew it was coming, we were always surprised when the water came rushing out.

Tresantiqcollect at etsy.com

In my own kitchen I’m often feeling such a sense of gratefulness that clean, clear water comes out of the tap. Maybe I’ve been to enough foreign countries where drinking water is such an issue that I am filled with awe by the good tasting, drinkable water that comes out of my tap. I don’t take my own tap water for granted. I’m happy to turn the faucet on and off as needed when I’m brushing my teeth. I wash my lettuce in a salad spinner and then water my plants with the gritty water once I take out the inner basket and before I spin the lettuce.

My husband, Alex, writes about green building products of all kinds and he’s often trying out some new product, personally testing it at home. I never know when I step into the shower if the showerhead will be the same as when I washed my hair a few days ago. My favorite water saving product is the foot pedal which we installed at our kitchen sink. They are a bit expensive and we got ours as a tester for free, but if I were building a new house or renovating a kitchen I’d find a way to get it into the plan. I love it. Turning the water on with my foot, or in our case with my left knee leaves both my hands free to rinse the carrots or wash the pots and pans. I can release my knee and the water turns off while I’m scrubbing, then press for the rinse. The funny thing is that when I go to a friend’s house and end up helping with the dishes, my knee automatically presses against the lower cabinet door. I have to laugh at myself.

But the real laugh comes when my daughter has friends over and they try to help themselves to a glass of water. “Hey, Fran, so what’s with your water?” “Oh,” she says, “you just have to snap your fingers.” And as she walks over to the sink she gives a good solid snap with her fingers, while surreptitiously pressing the pedal with her foot. Her friend looks awestruck and of course is unable to duplicate the trick!

There’s no question in my mind that the foot pedal saves water. How much? Well, that depends on the person. You can certainly can conserve water with the typical faucet set up, but the foot pedal makes it really easy.

“In a test performed by Pedal Valves, Inc. at a medical center kitchen, Footworks installed at three sinks saved a combined 285 gallons (1079 l) per day of hot water and 122 gallons (462 l) per day of cold water. The estimated annual savings in water, sewer, and natural gas costs was $1,159. Based on an estimated installed cost of $500 each, this would result in a payback period of less than 16 months. In a residential setting, payback is likely to take several years.”

You can check out two articles on our website, BuildingGreen.com. (It’s a subscription-based website, but I made sure these two articles are on the public side of our content.)

Thank you, Jerelyn!

Pedal Controls Save Water, Time (June 1999)

A Foot-control faucet for convenience and savings (December 2010)

If you’re interested in reviewing the actions on Jerelyn’s plan, click here.

(Note: please forgive the temporary glitch that produces a grammatical error on Jerelyn’s to-do list…. Any guesses? It’s partly on our end, partly because she’d like to encourage other couples to take green actions together!)

Jerelyn Wilson and her husband Alex are the heart and soul of BuildingGreen, which is the Acropolis of the green building world. The company was founded in 1985, so they’ve been around since ancient times. Alex’s famous book Your Green Home (which I suspect may have actually been written by Jerelyn) is essential for anyone who is planning to build — even if it’s just a little powder room closet you have in mind. I rely on BuildingGreen and all its publications for clear, no-nonsense advice, offered with a sly dash of humor. That’s why I called Jerelyn to see if she’d like to write about one of the dozens of home-maintenance items on Practically Green.

But Jerelyn wants to write about her Trash!

Interestingly, Your Green Home only has four pages on household trash. The concluding section is called “Involve the Whole Family in Waste Management.” (My bold.) Guess who is the Trash Mastermind in the Wilson family? You know the answer: The Mom. As in: Jerelyn. She’s proud of her decision to take charge of her household refuse, and I knew we’d get a great story for you. Enjoy!

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ACTION: Track your trash for one week

CATEGORY: Stuff

POINTS: 5

Who on earth would read a book in their precious free time called “Garbage Land: On the Secret Trail of Trash?” Well, that would be me! I was really excited by author Elizabeth Royte’s persistence in following what she threw away along its long path and into the world of “away.” I guess my fascination with her story is rooted in a mantra of mine that my kids got quite familiar with, “You know, there really is no ‘away’!”

Of course what I end up putting in the garbage can for the trash man to pick up is directly related to my recycling and composting habits, and even more significantly to my purchasing decisions.

Tracking my trash has been a very revealing activity – and habit changing, I must say.

I find I often put things in the trash that could be recycled or reused. Excuses? I’m in a rush – it’s quicker, or I’d have to clean it out first – yuck, or I’ve cleaned out some drawer or cabinet and there’s all this random stuff I’d have to spend time figuring out if there’s someone else who’d want it or if it’s good enough for the secondhand shop – my head starts to spin! I just throw it away – it’s so easy. And then, there’s that darn voice of mine: “But, there really is no ‘away.’”

Tracking my trash, paying attention to what I’m putting in the garbage, makes me more conscious on the front end – the buying end. And, that’s a good thing. I have to say I’m finding it easier to reduce the amount of non-recyclable items in my household now that it’s just my husband and me. With two kids in the mix it was much, much harder to control. I gave myself a fair amount of slack. Now that they are off to college (and beyond) it’s way easier. I’m still pushing myself though toward that zero trash place.

Jerelyn's Trash Can

Right now, when I look in my trash bag under the sink, I see mostly plastic things – plastic bags from the broccoli I just used up, an empty tortilla chip bag, the plastic bag from 5 pounds of carrots, a cottage cheese container, a plastic wrapper from a new sponge. And then there’s the inside silver bag from some crackers (I recycled the box), a piece of tin foil, a piece of cotton from a new bottle of multi-vitamins. You get the idea.

I live outside the town limits so I have to pay for my own trash pick-up – it’s $35/month. I found with just my husband and me, we had only about 2/3 of a paper grocery bag in our garbage can each week. It seemed so silly to pay for trash pick-up for so little trash. After talking to Muriel, a friend who is a bit ahead of me on the trash front, I took the leap – I cancelled my trash service! Now anything I can’t compost, recycle, or give away, I have to bring to the dump myself. You can bet I’m really watching every little thing I put in the trash now. By cancelling my garbage pick up, I’m giving myself a new challenge toward zero trash.

Muriel was great. She talked me through the whole deal – she got right down to the nitty-gritty of things that will get smelly before her trip to the dump. For those things she keeps a paper bag inside of a plastic bag (both of which get recycled) in the freezer into which she puts things like bones and any meat leftovers that the dog doesn’t get, butter wrappers, cat food that her fussy cat doesn’t finish up, etc.

Here’s Muriel’s list:

1) glass and metals – recycle

2) newspapers – recycle

3) home compost

4) plastic wrappers and non-recyclable containers – to the dump

5) commercial compost – Residential Compost COW (commercial organic waste)

Number five is the really cool one and the one that allowed the most recent reduction in what ended up Muriel’s trash. I’m proud of my town for this and look forward to using the service.

Specifically tracking my trash this week helped me to identify yet another habit to change. I already bring my own canvas bags to the grocery store (which by the way took a while to figure out how to have the bags on hand when I needed them), but now I’ve decided I’m going to stop using the thin plastic bags for produce. I’ll continue to reuse what I have saved and then I’ll just figure out something else. I know they sell special reusable bags for produce, but first I’m going to see if I can do without. This will be one less thing I’ll have to put in the trash. I’ll let you know how I do!

Harvest Those April Showers…Put a Rain Barrel in Your Garden, by Jan Devereux

Don’t wait for a rainy day to take this recommended action (worth 50 points!): Install a rain barrel this month to collect garden water.

65 Gallon RWS rain barrel (made from 100% recycled HDPE plastic), from Clean Air Gardening

It’s puzzling that using a rain barrel isn’t the norm here. The U.S. has the largest per capita “water footprint” globally, yet for most Americans rainwater is a precious free resource that often goes to waste.

But very soon, all of us will have to become far more water-thrifty, as more than two-thirds of states can expect water shortages in the next five years. Whether you live in soggy New England or the parched Southwest, collecting rainwater for your garden is a simple, low-tech way to reduce your water bill and preserve reservoir water and the aquifer for drinking and other household uses.

The potential savings is huge: some households consume as much as 50% of their annual water usage in the summer for landscaping. Think about it: using treated drinking water in your garden is like spraying money right out the hose – you’re paying to purify that water for drinking, but your plants don’t care so long as it’s wet (in fact, they actually prefer un-chlorinated water). And, don’t worry, rainwater harvested from your roof, whether it’s tin, tile or asphalt shingles, is perfectly safe for watering your vegetable garden.

The sky’s the limit when it comes to how much water you can collect. Just a ½-inch of rain running off a 1,000 s.f. roof yields a whopping 300 gallons of water – one good storm would fill six 50-gallon rain barrels. Attach a barrel to any downspout and it’ll be practically raining pennies.

How to Set Up a Rain Barrel:

The Rain Barrel Guide site offers easy-to-follow instructions on how to set up a rain barrel in your garden. This site also provides an active discussion forum and comprehensive resources on the subject.

A Few Common Sense Tips:

• If you have small children, choose a barrel with a top or lid that you can close securely. An open container of water of any size presents a drowning hazard.

• Choose a location near where you want to use the water. This tip may seem obvious, but you won’t want to carry a watering can or run a hose too far from the barrel.

• Elevate the barrel (set it on top of a concrete block or two), so that there’s enough clearance to place a watering can beneath the lower spigot (most barrels have two spigots). Raising it will also increase the water pressure if you’re running a hose from the barrel into your garden. (A battery-powered pump can be added if you want enough pressure to spray with the hose.) Make sure the barrel sits on level ground, because a full barrel is very heavy and could do damage if it tips over.  

• Place a fine screen across the top of the barrel, or between the downspout and the barrel’s opening and check that your gutters are clean, or else leaves and sediment will collect on the bottom). A screen also helps to prevent any standing water in the barrel from becoming a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

• Direct the hose(s) away from your home’s foundation, especially if the barrel is full and overflowing after a storm.

• If you use a recycled barrel (instead of buying one of the ready-made rain barrel kits suggested below), make sure you know what was originally stored in it. Obviously, you wouldn’t want to use a barrel that had contained chemicals!

A Secondary Use:

My Cambridge neighbor, Genevieve, installed a rain barrel two years ago to direct water away from the corner of her foundation where her unfinished basement always tended to get wet. Water from the problematic downspout now runs through the barrel and out two long hoses, sending the water onto her shrubs, not into her basement. She reports that although this strategy is “not recommended” by contractors, it has been effective in keeping her basement dry three seasons a year (she removes the barrel in the winter to keep it from icing up). Genevieve initially tried to attach soaker hoses to the barrel, but found that the pressure was insufficient.

Product Suggestions:

Clean Air Gardening and The Home Depot both offer a selection of plastic, ceramic and wooden rain barrels in a range of sizes and styles.

If a utilitarian rain barrel doesn’t complement your garden design esthetic, consider one of these products for a more sophisticated look:

Raindrop barrel

“Raindrop” barrel with a built-in watering can designed by Studio Bas van der Veer (Featured by Practically Green on March 24, 2011): http://www.basvanderveer.nl/main.php?p=page&id=13

RC-1 Rain Collector from Hero 365: http://www.hero-365.com/rc-1-features/

(This elegant cistern was featured recently on the Here in This House home design blog. Our thanks to the HTH’s design mavens, Mae Hacking and Elise Jones!)

Overheard at the office: co-worker Jason, grumbling under his breath, “Yeah, I’ve been meaning to get an energy audit. Maybe next month…”

We’re here to help!

At Practically Green you can create your own Action Plan with the actions that you choose from the hundreds of suggestions on our database. Including, Get an energy audit. See, it’s on my Action plan right here! … Okay, I admit: It’s been there since December! Ugh. Why does this sound like such a chore??

I asked expert Laura Stukel to please explain why getting an energy audit is important — and why it’s not as dreadfully onerous as I might imagine. (Laura is a Chicago-area EcoBroker and Energy Consultant; see her site NotYetGreen.com.) Here’s her reply:

Five Reasons an Energy Audit is Better than the Dentist, and Three Ways to Get Started

Admit it, you know where your home lacks energy efficiency. “I always need a sweater in the TV room.”  Or, “The baby’s room gets so hot in the summer.”  You schedule a trip to the dentist twice a year to keep things on track in your mouth.  Why not schedule once for an energy audit? Here are five reasons why an energy audit is better than the dentist:

1.  You can start with the big picture.  An energy auditor looks at your house as a system.  The auditor will give you information that will serve as a home improvement plan.  You’ll know which projects will save you the most money fastest so you can pick exactly where you want to begin.

2.  You hate when you know you are being “sold” on something.  Without an energy audit your option is to guess at the problem and hope you called in the right contractor.  Guess what?  When you ask the window guy why the TV room gets so cold, he’s going to tell you it’s the window.  And if you ask the heating guy, I’m pretty sure he’s going to sell you on a new furnace.  Stop guessing. Stop listening to sales pitches for individual products.  Instead, with the results of an energy audit in hand you’ll be equipped to call just the right contractor, and tell them what you need so you get just the right quote at just the right price.

3.  Many energy audits pay for themselves.  An audit will point out free and low-cost actions you can take to make your home more comfortable and save money.  For example, one of my clients learned they had never learned to lock the windows properly. They saved money just by fully closing the windows each winter and summer!

4.  The right guidance can help you save more money. In addition to planning the work the right way, as mentioned in point #2, auditors are familiar with rebate and incentive programs in your area that might help with project costs.

5.  It’s pretty darn cool!  An energy audit uses technology tools to pinpoint where your home is leaking energy.  In my home, my 2 and 4-year-olds raced through the home as the blower-door test was running (it’s essentially a giant fan that pulls air out of your house and a computer that monitors how much).  We literally felt the drafts under the bedroom doors and it made us all more in touch with how our home works to keep us cozy, and the role we all play in saving energy.

Laura Stukel

So here are three painless ways to get started:

First, check out this great video from the friendly crew at GreenHomes America. They explain exactly what to expect during an energy audit, and the elements that you should absolutely insist upon in an audit.

http://www.greenhomesamerica.com/the-learning-center/video-library/110-home-energy-audit.aspx

Once you know what goes into a good audit, you can find an auditor for your area.  There are two national groups that certify energy auditors:  Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) and Building Performance Institute (BPI).  At the very basic, RESNET certifies energy raters.  BPI certifies contractors that may do audits, installations or both.  Check their directories for professionals in your area:

RESNET - http://www.resnet.us/trade/find-raters-auditors

BPI - http://www.bpi.org/tools_locator.aspx?associateTypeID=CTR&accreditedSearch=Y

Lastly, your local utility company may have resources on low-cost rating resources or incentives to get started. Details vary by utility, so call your local office for information.

And just like the dentist, stop putting it off and schedule this check-up for your house! It’s not going to be as bad as you think!

We have just two favors to ask today:

1) The very idea of having a mobile app of Practically Green is so exciting!! — and if we win the Green Awards we’ll use the prize $ to create it! Please have a look at Susan Hunt Stevens’s rogue video entry and vote for us! Thanks…(yes, you have to register, slightly annoying, but takes two secs)

2) Have you performed a green makeover on a room at your house — or do you know someone who has? A baby nursery? A kitchen? A cabana? Tell us about it! We’re producing a feature for a Major. Women’s. Magazine. (Promise… we can’t say which one yet, sorry!!). Click here for the details, and send your before and after photos to our fab intern Samantha Roach at intern@practicallygreen.com!

News Picks:

Maybe it’s Practically Green’s Boston roots, but I just couldn’t bring myself to write today’s post without featuring some sort of St. Patty’s Day article. Ten Ways To Go Green On St. Patrick’s Day from Ingrid Ostby of Ecorazzi will inspire you to have a truly green holiday. From thrift store accessories to using eco-friendly and natural food coloring, these tips are good all year round!

Harvesting the Power of the Mom Blogger: I guess we’re not the only ones that know the POWER of mom bloggers! This article by Pradnya Joshi of The New York Times displays the amazing depth and influence of the network of mom bloggers on the web. We certainly knew all about the amazing support system of strong and intelligent women, but this article is a good reminder!

Nutrition Keys: Will They Really Help Us Make Better Food Choices?

This is a great piece from Lori Alper of Modern Hippie Mag, and definitely something to think about. As Alper points out, nutrition keys aren’t providing any new information, but they may just change the way we shop. I am definitely a label-reader, but when I’m in a rush, I grab whatever is in front of me, and usually regret it. I’m a big believer that something is better than nothing, and if this system encourages a mother of three to buy the cereal with less sugar, then I’m all for it. What do you think?

My Little Seed: A Story of Eczema and Betrayal: This blog post from Healthy Child Healthy World by Paige Goldberg Tolmach is eye-opening to say the least. Doctors told Paige that her infant son’s eczema was genetic, but the diagnosis simply didn’t make sense. Refusing to accept their word, Paige did a lot of research and discovered that it was her own home that was making her son sick. From his crib mattress to his teething toys, Paige’s son was being poisoned. This article will force you to look into the chemicals your family might be ingesting.

Paige Goldberg Tolmach and her son, HCHW

Multi-Media Pick:

The Urban Farming Guys is the video blog sector of the nonprofit organization Rock Solid Urban Impact.

The Urban Farming Guys is composed of 20 families that uprooted from the suburbs and relocated to inner city Kansas City. Their objective? To teach the youth, and “cultivate the life of the innercity.” With community engagement and sustainable farming practices as their bread and butter, The Urban Farming Guys and Rock Solid Urban Impact are an experiment to keep your eye on. They are revolutionaries living their lives to improve others. Watch their videos and learn what YOU can do.

New and Cool Pick:

USBCELL AA Rechargeable Batteries:

I have a drawer in my house that has the sole purpose of collecting used AA batteries. I’m embarrassed to say I have NO idea how many are in there or how many actually work. I know I should recycle the old batteries, but I just can’t let go! I have finally found something to help. These batteries from Moixa Energy have a built in usb to make recharging easier than ever.

This week's PG Picks by Sam Roach

We love seeing home renovations, but particularly if there are GREEN and HEALTHY features. There is something just so satisfying about seeing something not only made more beautiful, but that also uses resources more efficiently and improves health. While renovations take resources, exploring lower impact options can also be really fun!

For example, when we renovated our home, we worked hard to keep everything we could as original as possible. Except the bathrooms.There was no getting around the fact that they were ugly water hogs with poor ventilation, no insulation, and serious mildew/mold.

So we tried to make the upgrades not only stylish, but green. Here’s how one has turned out!


Yes, we love how it looks. But what we love more is that the toilets are dual-flush, the lights are CFL’s, the shower/faucets are low-flow, the wall tile is recycled glass, the paint is low-VOC, and the ventilator fans are EnergyStar. We also insulated the walls, upgraded the windows and the tub is much smaller than normal so we use less water for the kids baths. And yes, even the toilet paper is recycled, much to my better half’s consternation. It’s not perfectly green (what is?!), but we’ve reduced our water usage by nearly half and these upgrades are a huge part of that.

We bet many of YOU have amazing green home upgrades and we’d love to see your best before and after photos of kitchens, bathrooms, nurseries, bedrooms, living rooms, pantries, laundry rooms or even green garages! We are going to show off our favorites on our blog and Facebook page over the next few weeks, but our MOST FAVORITE will also win a copy of Planet Home, the awesome book by our editorial director Alexandra Zissu and advisor Jeffrey Hollender.

You may also get a chance for your green room makeover to appear on the website of a major national women’s magazine! (Photo quality will matter for this so please send high resolution images and please try and have the same angle for before and after).

Here’s what you do to enter, it’s really simple:

1.  Email us before and after photos of your project.  Use the email intern at practicallygreen dot com.

2.  In the email, tell us what healthy green actions you took in your upgrade because as you know, healthy green stuff can sometimes be invisible.

3.  Make sure we have your contact information–email, phone.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.  And please feel free to share this with your friends who you know have done cool healthy, green stuff!  The deadline is a week from today:  Wednesday, March 23rd!