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Posts Tagged ‘green living’

The Top 3 Recycled Products You Can Use In Your Home

June 28th, 2011

The news and certain television shows are where you've probably seen it. The way to go is keeping an environmentally friendly home. A lot of money can potentially be saved as well. Just how expensive it can sometimes be to purchase energy efficient products for your home, such as solar panels or appliances, is where the problem lies. You don't have to break the bank to be environmentally friendly though. Certain products that do their part in helping preserve the environment can be purchased at low cost.

You can see a good example of this with respect to paper products. Despite assumptions that paper products consist only of items you eat food off of, there are other products that can be bought. If you regularly use printer paper to print off work or school-related projects, why not purchase paper that has been recycled for subsequent use? This list can include such things as the expected plates and tableware products but also other products like tissues and napkins. Not only will you be using environmentally friendly products in your home, but you won't even be breaking the bank to do it since these products are almost identical in cost to their non-recycled counterparts.

In the same vein, how about office supplies? Many plastic and metal office products can be recycled. While you may not have any say in what products your employer's office uses, many people also have home offices today. Why not make sure to buy only the recycled variety?

While most people immediately think of paper products when discussing recyclables, did you know glass can be recycled as well? Drinking glasses and bottles are a great example of recycled glass products, but they're not the only ones. Some plates and dishes are made out of glass. Plus, the next time you replace the windows in your home, you can always request the new windows be made from recycled glass.

A variety of different shapes and sizes are consequently available in which to purchase recycled products. You as an American may most easily recognize paper products, but you can also look into other relatively inexpensive products made from recycled material. Helping the environment doesn't have to cost you an arm and a leg. People just need to be able to spot office supplies, glass and other products as recyclable in order to make use of them. You just need to be cognizant and constantly on the look-out, and before you know it, you too can be purchasing products that are ready for a second (or even third) use.

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Solar Panels: A Bright Idea and Cool Tax Benefits

June 22nd, 2011

No need to worry about your electricity bill anymore (maybe). More and more homeowners are employing solar energy in order to save themselves some money. It could potentially save you a lot, as well be amounting to an environmentally friendly option. Tax rebates, freedom from sales tax on solar panel-related equipment and more: Imagine it. What's not to love?

The federal government has been trying to implement incentives for more responsible energy use for the past five years. The first tax break of its kind was the Energy Policy Act in 2005. People who opted for renewable energy were awarded it. Today's world has definitely changed a lot, since there used not to be many incentives to induce people to switch to renewable energy before this act, if any at all.

Homeowners can receive a tax credit of up to $2000 or 30% of what they invested in purchasing solar panels as a result of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 alone. It was extended back in 2008 to cover almost any home in the United States that primarily makes use of solar energy, although it originally only benefited homes in existence from 2005-2007. Homes built through January 2009 were included.

In addition to this act, in 2008 the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act was passed. It provides even more tax incentives for using solar energy, including panels. While it extends the Energy Policy Act of 2005, it also adds more credit for people who intend to do home improvements in 2009 or beyond. This bill removes the $2000 tax credit maximum in favor of the 30% rebate on investments in solar energy. In some instances, it is even retroactive.

The state level might also extend tax incentives for installing solar panels. The list includes, but may not be limited to, New Mexico, Florida, Vermont, Minnesota, Washington, New York, Texas, Virginia, Arizona and California. Tax rebates and the reduction or elimination of sales tax on solar panel equipment costs are some state benefits that exist. You should definitely consider it if you want to be environmentally friendly. Professional installation packages or do-it-yourself kits are available, depending on your needs. The tax incentives alone are a good reason to switch, as well.

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Energy Efficient Appliances and You

June 21st, 2011

Lately, you may have been seeing a lot more commercials trying to advertise the purchase of energy efficient appliances. Even though these commercials praise the money you can save on utility bills, you may have noticed just how much more expensive their purchase prices actually are than regular appliances. People who want to consider purchasing an energy efficient appliance should first learn what owning one actually entails.

If you've done any research on energy efficient appliances thus far at all, Energy Star is a name you're probably familiar with. Used to rate consumer products that claim to be energy efficient, it is an international standard. As a joint program of the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and the U.S. Department of Energy, it originated in the United States. Many other countries have subsequently adopted its standards for use in their own energy programs, although it was first created in the United States in the early 1990s.

Appliances listed with the Energy Star logo use 20-30% less energy than federal standards require, in general. This can save American families about one-third off of their energy bill without sacrificing other features that have been deemed important like the style of the product itself.

All Energy Star-approved appliances have to meet the strict guidelines set forth by the EPA and the U.S. Department of Energy. When you purchase an appliance with an Energy Star logo, you can be assured that it has gone through rigorous testing and has met these standards before being placed on the market for sale. Appliances come in the form of stoves, dishwashers, refrigerators, microwaves and more.

Quite a lot of energy was saved by Americans in 2009 alone, equating to 30 million cars' greenhouse gas emissions. Nearly $17 billion was additionally the amount Americans saved on their utility bills. You can probably see how these statistics make a good case for purchasing energy efficient appliances. Even if you note that your individual savings might take awhile to add up and make the cost of purchasing a more expensive but energy efficient product worthwhile, the overall savings of United States consumers in general, coupled with the eco-friendly statistics listed above, should be enough to convince you the purchase is a good idea.

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Energy Efficiency by Means of Water Heating

June 14th, 2011

If you want to make your home more environmentally friendly, you've got a lot of options. Tinted windows are a great way to lower energy bill costs during the warmer months of the year. Another option is to choose only glass, paper products and other recycled household items. Solar panels on a home's roof can also reduce your current energy costs.

Your choice of water heating can also have an environmentally friendly impact on your home. You have a lot of options when the time comes to choose a water heater. You need to both find a water heater that heats a sufficient amount of water for your household and also one that will save you money efficiently. Size and fuel sources are also things that need to be factored in.

First, you need to know the difference between water heater types. Conventional storage water heaters are the large, bulkier kind that offers a storage tank of hot water. Demand water heaters are also known as tankless or instantaneous water heaters, because they heat your water directly without use of a tank. Instead of creating heat directly for handing out hot water, heat pump water heaters move the heat from one spot to another in your home. Solar water heaters simply use solar heat to create hot water. And tankless coil and indirect water heaters make use of your home's own space heating system to achieve the same effect.

Make sure you also come up with criteria by which to selection the water heater that's best for your own personal situation. Make sure you know what type of energy source or type of fuel the water heater in question uses. Cost and availability also need to be taken into account. Don't forget to consider the heater's size, as well, particularly if the space in your home is limited. Comparing the energy efficiency between new and old water heaters is also something you will want to know.

In choosing a water heater, it is important to decide what type of heater is appropriate for your household's needs. It is also advisable to factor in a set of criteria before your purchase. Doing so will ensure you buy the correct and most energy efficient water heater for your individual needs.

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What It Takes to Make a Home Green

June 13th, 2011

What do you have to do to make a home green? The answer is simple for some people. Ways that people assume will get their house the green label are by using recycled materials and finding ways to lower your energy bill.

That's taking a simplistic viewpoint of it, though. Made up of the nation's leaders in a variety of different industries, the United States Green Building Council (USGBC for short) also keeps tabs on the various sustainable practices in use today. It focuses on ensuring people can live and work in environmentally friendly building projects. In USGBC's own mindset, it takes more than performing a few sustainable practices to create a high-performing green home.

Instead, LEED, also known as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is the nationally accepted benchmark for buildings that are considered green. It is a home rating system that encourages the design and construction of green homes, and it originally launched in 1998. Its rating system uses eight different categories. Worth one or more points, each category has a certain number of credits. Based on the number of points they scored, Untied States homes are given a certification rating by LEED.

What are the categories, you might ask? Innovation and design process are where points can first be awarded. Points can also be obtained for the home's location as it relates to a surrounding community. There are points for sites that are sustainable and being fully used, additionally. Water efficiency, materials and resources and energy and atmosphere are all ways your house can gain more points. The level of energy efficiency in a particular home in the latter category is also a way for points to be awarded. The relevant education given to a homeowner or any other resident living in the building is also a final way points can be awarded.

You now have a basis from which to judge the accuracy of statements made when someone tells you their home is green. Maintaining a few sustainable practices is not enough to make a home green. The more balanced and impartial set of standards, in particular, come from the USGBC and LEED ratings to ensure just that.

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The Growing Advantages of Home Window Tinting: 3 for the Ages

June 13th, 2011

It's likely you've seen it on cars. A popular method of maintaining privacy while driving around town is window tinting, to be sure. What is a little less known is that you can also tint the windows on your home. Opting to tint your home's windows brings with it a few advantages, actually.

It's first and foremost a healthy option, in addition to protecting your privacy from the nosy neighbor or a passerby. The sun's exposing rays are not good for you at an excessive level. A prime example from healthcare providers is when they advise you not to go outside without first applying sunscreen. So too can the sun's harmful rays get to you and your family, even while you're in your own home. Just sit and watch TV with a window nearby on a sunny day and you'll be affected. A good way to add to your family's relaxation and protect them from harmful ultraviolet rays is home window tinting.

Second, home window tinting can also protect the interior of your actual house. Sunlight is notorious for fading all manner of colored things. It can fade wallpaper, carpet, drapes, furniture and other things. It can also cause wooden furniture to warp and adversely affect electronic items. This happens partially from sunlight but also from the heat it generates. Home window tinting both reduces the harmful effects of the sun's rays on your cherished household items and reduces the heat at the same time.

Lastly, it is an environmentally friendly option to choose. Tinted windows decrease the need to turn on your air conditioner on a hot summer day. That, in turn, will end up reducing your monthly heating and cooling costs. In time, what you save on air conditioning even might just pay for the window tinting itself.

Tinting your windows is, for a number of different reasons, a wonderful option to choose as a result. Decreasing your family's discomfort is one reason. Protecting your home's interior is another reason. Saving money in an eco-friendly way is yet another great reason. Any window warrant you had with the original installer may end up being voided as a result of your decision to tint your windows, so this is also something to keep in mind. Before tinting the windows of your home, it is always a prudent decision to make sure you've read the terms of your window installation contract and make note of both the consequences and benefits before proceeding.

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Is Water Heating Eco-Friendly?

May 30th, 2011

If you want to make your home more environmentally friendly, you have got lots of options. To decrease the amount of air conditioning they need to utilize on hot, sunny days, some people purchase tinted windows. Another option is to decide only to buy glass, paper products and other recycled household items. Other people still think about installing solar panels on their house's roof to reap the benefits of the free energy available to them.

Your house can be made more environmentally friendly by means of your water heating choices. When choosing between the myriad of water heater options, as well, there is a lot to consider. You need to both find a water heater that heats a sufficient amount of water for your household and also one that will save you money. This includes choosing the correct size and fuel source for your individual needs.

First of all, you need to know the distinction between water heater types. The largest and bulkiest kind of water heater is the standard storage water heater. Demand water heaters are also known as tankless or instantaneous water heaters, because they heat your water directly without use of a tank. Heat pump water heaters move the heat from one spot to another in your home rather than creating heat directly for handing out hot water. Solar water heaters easily utilize solar heat to create hot water. And tankless coil and indirect water heaters make use of your house's own space heating system to achieve the same result.

You should also have several selection criteria in place to help you choose which heater is most appropriate for you. You should look into the fuel type or energy source the water heater utilizes. Its availability and price are also important factors. If you've restricted space for your water heater, size must also be taken into account. Lastly, you will want to know how much more energy efficient your new water heater will be compared to your current one.

It is essential to decide what kind of heater is appropriate for your household's needs, when choosing a water heater. It is also recommended to factor in a set of criteria before your purchase. As a result, there should be no reason not to be able to buy a water heater that's both energy efficient and meets your own personal housing needs.

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Energy Efficient Light: Now There’s a Bright Idea

May 27th, 2011

Lighting is one of the most essential functions of a modern day home. It is also one of the most overlooked. It is crucial to completing basic, everyday tasks after the sun goes down. It also gives us a sense of safety and security. On top of this, it has the ability to affect moods and our own, personal comfort.

Lighting also affects our budgets, in terms of its consumption. We Americans spend anywhere from as little as 5% to as much as 25% of their annual electric bills on lighting in our homes alone. That's a decent amount of money you could be making use of elsewhere, if only you could find a way to more efficiently use light. Here are some basic and simple tips to achieving energy efficiency in your own home.

In order to save energy used to light your homes, follow these two basic steps. Reducing the amount of electricity that light bulbs and fixtures consume throughout your home is one method. Lowering the wattage in the light bulbs you purchase is one of the ways that this can be accomplished. You will ultimately reduce the amount of electricity you actually use by replacing existing light bulbs or entire figures with those that provide light almost identical to over sometimes even brighter than the ones you originally had. A good start in the right direction includes replacing inefficient incandescent bulbs with incandescent halogen or compact fluorescent bulbs.

You can become more energy efficient with respect to your writing a second way by reducing the length of time that the lights in your home are on. You can shorten the time you actually have lights turned on in your home without too much difficulty. Dimmers or similar lighting controls are an easy way to accomplish this. It's never a bad idea to be the first in your family to set a good example by explaining the importance of turning off lights around the house when they're not in use or needed.

There you have it. You were probably aware of these methods of energy conservation already. Light bulbs are also relatively cheap, and the increase in cost of purchasing more energy efficient light bulbs is almost certainly made up by their longer life spans. In addition, any hardware store employee should be able to explain the more intricate differences between certain types of energy efficient light bulbs and fixtures. There's no excuse not to implement a more efficient lighting plan now in your home. Plus, the extra money you save on your electricity can always come in handy.

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Directing Some Lights Towards The Solar Panel Technology Choice

August 29th, 2010

Without a doubt, solar technology is the wave of the forthcoming future. Solar Energy development can be an extremely simple method to fully understand. The solar, or photo voltaic or pv, cell collects power right from the suns rays. A photo voltaic cell is a semiconductor unit which is created utilizing photo voltaic materials. It contains absolutely no liquids or chemical substances, with no moving pieces. Pv cells change sun energy straight into source of electricity.

A solar panel typically is made up of a series of single cells, which are maintained by a system that allows the actual cells to operate in unison. The power which is captured with the solar panel is usually held in a battery pack. Solar power systems create direct current (DC) energy. Quite a few solar panel technology systems have inverters within them which in turn allows for direct current (DC) electrical energy to be converted to alternating electric current (AC). Most consumer items such as kitchen appliances as well as electronic devices are powered by AC.

Unless you have a huge field of acreage to be able to accommodate a large selection of solar panels, it's improbable that you'll be in a position to power your entire house using solar panel technology. However, you can actually power one particular room within your house by using a modest selection of panels mounted to the roof top of your own home. Multiply the actual wattage of every particular electronic gadget by the amount of hours you imagine to make use of them on a daily basis. That combined range shall be your benchmark, or maybe the smallest amount your system must be able to generate.

There are a variety of possibilities to individuals who are looking at changing over to solar panel technology. A common set up that can be used to power your personal computer and a few various other smaller things are offered for about $1000.00. Needless to say, the cost increases depending on the actual generating capability of your structure. In many regions, the price of a set up structure costs somewhere within the area of $10.00-$12.00 per watt.

Solar Energy is one of a few genuinely environmentally friendly solutions which can be employed when it comes to electric as well as power generating. Every hour of each and every day, sunlight blankets our world with more than enough strength to support our global electricity requirements for a calendar year. When the technology driving solar power increases, individuals are going to be unable to refrain from the urge to transfer.

Plenty of means are being given to the particular growth and development of solar energy technological innovation. Almost all of the main oil and also electricity organizations have got whole sections focused on solar energy. Analysts and technicians are spending a lot of time attempting to grow the actual technological innovation today that may significantly improve conditions in the world down the road. It is no hidden secret that individuals can not continue on down the trail we are on. Fossil fuels really are not a viable option with regard to energy source manufacturing.

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