I want to go green! Any ideas?

thomas_jones · 04-24-2009, 01:40 AM

Grampa Bud · 04-24-2009, 06:56 AM

I've got a lot of ideas and even more questions. Did you get the dates mixed up and are looking for green face paint for a Packers game or Saint Patty's Day?? Are you referring to recycling programs ?? Are you looking for Solar water heating or solar lighting or Grid tie electric systems or Off Grid electric systems or...........????

gma2rjc · 04-24-2009, 08:06 AM

Welcome. You'll find lots of great ideas on the 'Green Home Improvement' forum. Look in the index.

If you have some suggestions you don't see in any of the threads, feel free to add them.

martinigirl · 04-24-2009, 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thomas_jones

I want to go green! Any ideas?

Thomas, the first thing is to make sure the companies that you are interested in aren't "greenwashing" you into believing they are green when they really aren't. This is really tough because everyone is on the bandwagon right now. And just because they say they are green, doesn't neccessarily mean they are. Do your research!
I recommend reading this fabulous book that encompasses all green aspects (not just design) "World Changing: A User's Guide to the 21st Century", by Abrahms, and foreward by Al Gore.

As far as design and construction goes, you can research products and construction methods on several websites, such as USGBC.org
and Green Building pages . I also regularly watch the Planet Green Channel (check you local provider for channel info), as well as Sundance channel for the latest tips on building and products. If you have any questions on specific products, let me know. I am an interior designer in So. California that specializes in green consulting and product selection!
Have fun with your project!

**Scuba_Dave** · 04-24-2009, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thomas_jones

I want to go green! Any ideas?

None.........

rltarch · 05-26-2009, 10:49 PM

Hey Thomas - going green means a lot more than just what you do with the envelope and the mechanicals...I wrote an article about that a while back that might be of interest to you: http://www.rtastudio.com/Learn-more/...ergy-costs.htm

Richard Taylor, AIA
www.rtastudio.com

Grampa Bud · 05-27-2009, 10:11 AM

Well Master Thomas, You certainly have brought the bugs out of the woodwork so to speak, now can you fill us in on what it is YOU would like to do?????????

ramona1210 · 07-02-2009, 01:22 PM

Best "Green" tip I know of - Paint! Insulated paint is a fairly new product to the remodeling scene and its benefits in terms of energy efficiency are pretty impressive. I like this little blog. It's short and concise.

**Scuba_Dave** · 07-07-2009, 10:25 AM

OP hasn't been back to the site since he signed up

Leftyho · 07-18-2009, 12:43 PM

Hi,

Natural Lighting or daylighting is a way to save energy while making your home a cheerer place to live.

mboxwell · 07-18-2009, 04:23 PM

I would totally agree with that. A few years ago I converted my basement into office space. I piped in sunlight using a sunpipe and it worked fantastically well: during the day - even in the depths of winter - the sunpipe provided enough natural light to the underground offices to not need additional lighting.

When the sun shone, the lense reflected rainbows over the walls and floor - wonderful!

So whereever you are in the house, there is no excuse - you can have natural daylight. It saves energy, it is natural light and it vastly improves your living and working environment.

Now there's an interesting link. No real information, like the specification of the system he built for $206 (if all he did was power his shed, you could buy the bits off the shelf for around $70-90)... and the photograph of the home with a solar panel is definately not linked to anything the author has claimed to do.

How do I know? It's a solar hot water panel whilst the text is talking about solar electricity. D'oh!

ricki65 · 01-19-2010, 04:20 PM

Found this web site promising energy efficient window replacements, they are using acrylic film to reduce heat loss, home insulation, and energy bill. Looks interesting.

funnyguy · 01-21-2010, 03:21 PM

Some little green things we're doing:

Switching to pine kitty litter (you can spread it under trees, shrubbery, smells better, too).
Washing and reusing baggies (can't stop using them just yet).
Switching to low energy light bulbs.
Timer on hot water heater.
Landscaping and vegetable gardening using organic methods.
Vermicomposting kitchen waste and paper/cardboard and using for fertilizer.
Doing everything possible to limit garbage produced.
Reading news and magazines online rather than buying printed form.

It all adds up, particularly if a lot of people do it, too.

operagost · 01-26-2010, 05:03 PM

I wouldn't reuse baggies because I can't see them being airtight after use and washing. They're designed to be thrown away, and as such, they are very thin. This is kind of the same "problem" caused by bottled water manufacturers recently "going green"; they make their bottles thinner now to "reduce landfill space usage", but ironically that makes it harder to reuse them.

If your water heater is sufficiently insulated, a timer isn't going to save any money because it will not have cooled down significantly by the next time someone demands hot water. More effective solutions include insulating the hot water lines in the basement, reducing the water temp to 130 degrees F, wrapping the tank or replacing it with a more insulated tank*, and switching to an "on demand" system.

* Who the heck has all these uninsulated tanks? Mine is 20 years old, and it feels just barely warm only on the top.

speedtree · 03-15-2010, 10:01 PM

I have a question about the on-demand water heaters. I have an older electric water heater that works but isn't quite large enough and our electric in PA just went up 30% so I'm considering replacing it with a gas one.

I read that with lots of usage in small amounts, the on-demand type may not be as cost effective as a tank style. Is this true, does the type or style of usage matter much when comparing the on-demand vs the tank style? The on-demand are about double the price but if they are more economical I might consider it especially with the 30% tax credit possibility.