Yahoo! Green: HOME-GARDEN

Insulation: Save money and gain heat

Loretta White — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 07:25:57 PST

Insulation is the one of the best ways to save money on heating and air conditioning. Considering a third of a home’s annual costs are spent on heating, it’s worth spending a little on insulation to keep that heat inside.

In this series, I will focus on an array of cost saving solutions for effectively insulating your home. By following these tips, you’ll be able prevent heat loss and conserve energy without breaking the bank. You can even receive a 30% tax credit in certain areas.

Where to start

Test your airflow: On a windy day, hold a lit candle or incense stick to these areas:

Dropped ceiling
Recessed light
Attic entrance
Sill plates
Water and furnace flues
All ducts
Door frames
Chimney flashing
Window frames
Electrical outlets and switches
Plumbing and utility access
Any location where there is a possible air path to the outside

If the smoke stream travels horizontally, you have located an air leakage. Areas that leak air into and out of your home can potentially cost you a lot of money. This probably is an indication of gaps and areas where air leaks into and out of your house. It also may be a moisture issue, so it’s always worthwhile to check out.

Types of insulation

Once you have determined where you need to insulate, you have to decide what to insulate with. I recommend using natural insulation products wherever you can. This will decrease your energy costs while protecting your health and home. Typically natural products have a 10% higher “R-value,” and the material will last the lifespan of the building, whereas typical insulation will deteriorate faster than the structure.

Interior environments can be densely polluted with toxic chemicals and adding natural products reduces the harmful VOCs. Wool insulation actually removes many toxic gases like formaldehyde from indoor air, while man-made insulation products emit those gases. Natural products can also be installed without protective gear, as it is safe to handle and nontoxic to both the installer and occupant for years to come.

The U.S. Dept of Energy has a cost-to-savings calculator. This tool can help you determine what to invest in and why.

Following is a list of insulation options:

Natural insulation -- These are internationally code-approved methods and are available in many formats.

a. Plant or bio-based

i. Soybean oil-based
ii. Vegetable based: More comfortable, efficient, and healthier than traditional products.

b. Natural fiber

i. Cotton
ii. Cattails
iii. Cellulose fiber
iv. Perlite
v. Vermiculite
vi. Wool: Wool absorbs, retains, and releases moisture without effecting thermal properties, or the performance. It is healthy and breathable, and it helps relieve mold issues in damp-climate, like here in the Northeast.
vii. Natural caulk

Radiant barrier -- This is an acoustical product as well as a sound barrier increaser.

a. Natural radiant barrier
b. Traditional radiant barrier

Loose fill insulation

a. Natural loose fill insulation
b. Dryer lint can be saved to close openings
c. Jeans: Old, shredded jeans and clothing is used to make loose insulation commercially too.

Ridged foam insulation or foam board -- 2.5 times as effective, but more expensive.

a. Natural versions: perlite, vermiculite
b. Styrofoam

Blown-in insulation

a. Natural vegetable based
b. Traditional

Rolls and batts

a. Traditional
b. Wool thermal batts

Natural rolled insulation blankets

Foam-spray-expanding -- My favorite, easy to use and can spend ½ hour using-no mess or cleanup like other methods.

Don’t forget other heat-loss reducing actions such as Weather Stripping, Caulking, Plastic Wrap, and Door Snakes which are easy to make and inexpensive to buy. They do a great job of reducing air flow and can be moved from door-to-door easily.

Installation

The idea of “the more insulation used, the better” isn’t always true. Air flow is needed to reduce moisture build up that causes mold and other problems. Take advantage of free online courses or go to a local home improvement store for training (or a refresher) when doing any major insulation work.

Types of natural insulation

Black mountain sheep wool
Bio-based blown-in insulation
Many natural insulation products
Foil -- natural foil board insulation
Natural radiant barrier
Natural rolled insulation
Natural loose fill insulation
Old, shredded jeans

Click here to find an Energy Star location in your area. Please tell me what you think and add your stories and tips.

About the author: Loretta White is a highly respected member of the global manufacturing industry and brings over 20 years experience in consulting. Loretta lectures on: Sales, Business Development and Green Business practices and is a published author on sustainability techniques.

More from ecomii:

Sleep better in your own bed

Lori Bongiorno — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:37:33 PDT

(Photo: Getty Images)

You don't have to spend a fortune on bedding to get a good night's sleep. Taking good care of the pillows, comforters, and sheets you already own will help you sleep like a baby and also save you money because you won't have to replace them as often.

Prolonging the life of bedding is also a plus for the planet. Fewer resources are needed to make and ship replacements and it will also put less strain on landfills.

Below are some tips for making the most of what you have:

Pillows:

Cover your pillow in two layers to protect it from dust, dirt, and body oils. The first layer should be a case with a zipper and then put a traditional pillowcase over the zippered cover.

You can throw polyester, feather, and down pillows into your washing machine. Use the delicate cycle. Be sure to check the seams on down pillows first so that feathers don't leak out. Good Housekeeping columnist Heloise suggests washing two at a time for balance.

Pillows can go in the dryer on a low setting. Fluff often. You should add tennis balls in with down or feather pillows to help plump them up. They'll take a long time to dry.

Hand-wash foam pillows and let them air dry to prevent foam from breaking apart in the dryer.

Sleep experts recommend replacing pillows every one to three years, but you can hold onto your pillows as long as they are in good shape.

How do you know when it's time to make a trip to the store? If your pillow is lumpy, bumpy, has to be fluffed up for support, or stays folded when you fold it in half, then it's time to invest in a new one, says Heloise.

Use old pillows as bedding for pets instead of sending them to the dump. Check with your local animal shelter to see if they can use old pillows.

Comforters:

Use a duvet cover to protect your comforter and wash it regularly.

Shake out your down comforter once a week to keep the down from bunching up. Airing it outside occasionally will keep it fresh.

Goose down can lose some of its airiness when you wash or dry clean, so spot clean whenever possible. You can wash most down comforters, but double-check the label to make sure it doesn't need to be dry-cleaned. Plan on washing it or getting it professionally cleaned every one to five years.

Wash your comforter in an oversized washing machine at a laundromat instead of stuffing it into a residential washer. Don't forget to check the seams first so you don't lose a bunch of feathers.

Use a low dryer setting and place some tennis balls in with your down comforter so that the fill moves and doesn't bunch up.

Sheets:

Stay away from laundry sheets and fabric softeners. Why? They dull colors, and it's difficult to get rid of the residue they leave behind. (They'll also make your towels less absorbent.)

Don't use bleaches or detergents with optical brightens because they can weaken and discolor your sheets. Using a delicate detergent and rinsing well will keep your sheets soft.

Heat weakens fiber so don't wash in hot water or use a super hot dryer.

Washing sheets and towels together leads to pilling, so remember to separate them.

Get special tips for laundering silk sheets.

Cut up old sheets (and towels) to use for rags instead of throwing out.

When you do replace and what should you buy?

Plan ahead and keep your eye out for sales. Try buying the best quality products that you can afford so they last longer. Affordable organic cotton bedding is getting easier to find.

Check our Consumer Reports' sheet ratings and learn about different kinds of fabric and thread counts.

Environmental journalist Lori Bongiorno shares green-living tips and product reviews with Yahoo! Green's users. Send Lori a question or suggestion for potential use in a future column. Her book, Green Greener Greenest: A Practical Guide to Making Eco-smart Choices a Part of Your Life is available on Yahoo! Shopping and Amazon.com.

Check out Yahoo! Green on Twitter and Facebook.

Ya gonna eat that? Worms will

Mike Kahn — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:15:00 PDT

The cool thing about vermicomposting (that's composting using worms) is that it doesn't have the smell usually associated with traditional composting, so, you can easily store your worm bin indoors or in your garage. So a worm bin can be an easy and space-saving alternative to a compost.

Pre-made worm bins come in various sizes, or you can make your own. Start your worm bin now and in a few months you'll have rich soil perfect for gardening.

Step 1

To be honest, I was a bit nervous to set up a worm bin, but with a little bit of learning it was a straightforward and fun process. My worm bin came with easy to follow instructions, both for putting the bin together (just a few components to snap together) as well as for making a comfortable home for the worms.

If you want more detailed info about building your own worm bin and worm bin management, take a look at Worms Eat My Garbage by Mary Appelhof.

Step 2

Most worm bins consist of stacked trays that have holes in the bottom. You start the process by using only one tray in your worm bin. Worms live in this tray where you put food scraps for them to eat.

The holes at the bottom are initially covered with cardboard so the worms don't fall through. Once the worms have eaten enough food to fill one tray, a second tray is stacked on top of it, and new food scraps are place into this upper tray. The worms will migrate through the holes up to the top tray to eat their new food source.

Then the bottom tray is removed and harvested for the rich soil (technically worm castings). This process usually takes several months.

Step 3

The initial worm bedding is where the worms will live and your food scraps will be buried. Worm bedding can be made out of many materials -- shredded black-and-white newspaper, decaying leaves, coconut fiber, wood chips, peat moss, etc.

My bin came with a compressed block of coir (coconut fiber) that I soaked in a bucket of water where it expanded and broke apart. The material was then laid down evenly in the tray.

Step 4

Here comes the fun part! Worms! Even if you buy a pre-made worm bin, you'll probably need to buy your worms separately.

You can start off with 1 or 2 lbs. of worms (about 1,000 worms per pound). Worms are a bit pricey at over $25 a pound, but it's a great investment. My worms arrived within two days packaged in some bedding material.

The next step is to spread the worms even in the worm bin. Here I am holding a clump of worms (break it up guys!). I was a little squeamish at first, but I got over it. Worms are cool!

The process of putting the worms in the bin is done in the sun or under lights. This is because worms do not like light and so within 10 minutes or so they will all bury themselves in the bedding material.

Step 5

The next step is to spread some food scraps over the surface of the tray as "starter food." It's important not to overfeed the worms during the first week as they acclimate to their new home. Otherwise, food scraps may become moldy and will need to be removed from the bin.

Over time you should be able to feed the worms about 1/2 pound of garbage per day, but they are not picky about being fed every day and the number of worms can be adjusted for your household's needs.

One cool thing about vermicomposting, is that when managed properly, the process does not smell because an aerobic process is used (oxygen present). Worm bins can even be kept inside the house. This is opposed to many compost piles that use an anaerobic process (no oxygen) that can give off quite a stench.

Step 6

The last step is to cover the tray with moist cover material. I used a few layers of newspaper and sprayed it down with a spray bottle. The paper cover can be replenished if the worms start to eat, which they might! Another cover option are burlap sacks.

The cover keeps out flies, allows the food and bedding to retain moisture, and keeps the worms in the darkness they enjoy.

Now you are all set to have fun with your new pets and feel good about keeping tons of food waste out of landfills while creating rich new soil in the process.

The worm bin featured in this essay is a Wriggly Wranch purchased from a municipal program in San Mateo County, California. Check with your city and county for possible worm bin subsidies as well as classes. If they don't have them, encourage them to get it started!

Photographer Mike Kahn is passionate about sustainability and happy to be a new worm "wrangler." He runs the Green Stock Media photo agency. All photos by Mike Kahn / Green Stock Media.

More from The Daily Green

Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc

How to save at least $250 on your heating bills this year

Lori Bongiorno — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:16:09 PDT

(Photo: Getty Images)

Worried about rising heat bills now that there's a chill in the air? There's plenty you can do to trim your costs if you're willing to take on a few simple home improvement projects.

It's worth it when you consider that heating accounts for about 28 percent of the average home's energy use. So even small improvements can add up to big savings.

The order you tackle projects is important. Go for the cheap and easy fixes first so that you can get the most bang for your buck and then move onto the more involved changes.

The important thing for homeowners is to think through the improvements they want to make, says Lane Burt at the Natural Resources Defense Council. These are Burt's suggestions on what to think about before heading to the hardware store:

Concentrate first on sealing leaks and tightening up the building shell, so warm air isn't leaking out.
Then make sure your ducts are sealed, so the heat you pay for actually gets to you.
Then you can take a look at the efficiency of your heating system to ensure that you are keeping your home as comfortable as possible for as little money as possible.

Below is a step-by-step guide to making changes that will have an impact on your wallet. Yes, you'll need to make small investments for most of the suggestions on this list, but the payback is relatively quick and the benefits last for multiple heating seasons.

Control your thermostat

We know you've heard this before, but that's because it's fairly easy to do and makes a big difference. Your best bet is to invest in a programmable thermostat, and use it properly. Figure you'll save around $60 during the heating season every year.

Whether you choose to upgrade your thermostat or not, turn it back as much as you can when you're away or asleep. Set it at 68 to 70 degrees when you're at home or awake.

The DOE calculates about a 1 percent savings for each degree you lower your thermostat over an 8-hour period.

Additional savings:

Close heat registers in rooms you rarely use. Just make sure the thermostat isn't in one of these rooms, says Burt. You can also add pop-up heat deflectors to direct air, according to Popular Mechanics. This should save you around $20 this winter.

Seal air leaks

Use caulk, spray foam, and/or weatherstripping to stop the air you're paying to heat from seeping out. You can find materials at any hardware store. Learn how to find leaks here.

Worried that you don't know what you're doing? Don't. It's hard to do it wrong, says Burt. When you're sealing a hole, it's going to be better when you're done than before you started, so don't hold back. Just in case, here are some instructions.

Count on saving around $80.76 a year (or $40 this winter) if you seal the large air leaks in your house.

Additional savings:

Close the fireplace flue when it's not in use, about 14 percent of the air leaking out of a house flows through the chimney.
Installing door sweeps will save you around $2.15 per door per month, according to Popular Mechanics. Count on saving about $10 to $12 for each door during the heating season.

Seal and insulate HVAC ducts

You'll probably want to hire a professional to handle this task, but it's worth it when you consider that you can save around $140 a year (or figure $70 this winter).

Add insulation

You don't have to insulate your whole house to reduce heat loss. Starting with your attic is relatively simple and can save you an estimated $116 a year (or $58 during the heating season). Don't forget the pull-down stairs!

Additional savings:

Insulate switch plates and electrical outlets. Popular Mechanics suggests installing inexpensive foam electrical outlet gasket covers behind drafty switch plates and electrical outlets on exterior walls. Estimated savings: $1 to $4 per month.
Apply plastic sheets to your windows. Inexpensive window insulation kits are available at hardware stores.

You'll save even more money if you learn the specifics about your home. The best way to find out is to conduct an energy audit. You can do this on your own, but you'll get the best results from hiring an independent contractor.

Check out Yahoo! Green on Twitter and Facebook.

Is danger lurking in your living room?

Cameron Bard — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:21:52 PDT

Recent EPA studies have shown that air pollution inside homes can be a shocking two to five times higher than outdoor levels. But what kind of pollution are we talking about, and where is it coming from? Well, you might be standing, sitting, or looking at it right now.

The following guide will help you identify polluting agents lurking in your home and the best ways to avoid or take care of them. So get ready to clean up your home environment, while doing some favors for the planet at the same time.

Your walls have fumes

If you have recently painted your living room you may be in danger. Most paint contains volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, which are emitted as gases.

VOCs include an assortment of chemicals such as the known cancer-causing agent methylene chloride. Concentrations of VOCs can be 10 times higher indoors than outdoor because of the lack of ventilation.

The scary part is that the VOCs emitted while painting, or even from a paint can in storage, can attach themselves to your carpet or furniture and continue to pollute your home.

Paint solution
Fortunately there are a few simple solutions for avoiding run-ins with the sickening chemicals most paints contain. The best solution is to avoid VOC paint from the beginning.

Mainstream paint brands like Benjamin Moore and the Sherwin Williams Co. offer low or zero VOC paints, and there are many other brands who have been offering them for years, such as AFM’s Safecoat.

You can read more about earth-friendly paints here. Also, when painting, it’s always a good idea to open a window when you can to allow fresh air in, and stale air out.

The fireplace that warms you

Your living room fireplace can warm up the winter, but it can also fill up your house with carbon monoxide and other dangerous fumes.

A dirty chimney, closed damper, or an open flame doesn’t allow the fire to properly ventilate and can cause health problems in your home.

Fire solution
Always make sure that when starting a fire you have the damper open, and that it stays open until the embers have completely stopped burning. Every winter season you should have your chimney and flue inspected for any cracks or debris.

Buildup in your chimney can allow fumes to seep into your home, or even worse, can start a chimney fire. Also, make sure you have a glass covering or door over your open flame. This will help keep the wood burning more efficiently and keep excess carbon monoxide out of your lungs.

The carpet beneath your feet

Whether your carpet is a hand-me-down from your grandmother or brand new from the store, it probably has more bad things in it than you realize. If you have recently purchased your carpet, it has most likely been fitted to be flame-retardant, stain-resistant, moth-proof, and bacteria-free. But the way manufactures “protect” you from all of this is by loading tons of chemicals and preservatives into the carpet.

Remember the dangerous VOCs from the wall paint? Well, carpets have them too, as well as 4-PC, associated with respiratory problems, and benzene, formaldehyde, ethyl benzene, styrene, and acetone, all known carcinogens that can cause cancer and reproductive problems.

Flooring solutions
So how do you stay safe from threats such as fires, while staying healthy in the meantime? The first best step is to get rid of the carpet. You may have beautiful hardwood floors under those wall-to-wall carpets, which are a lot easier to keep clean and don’t have any of the same chemicals.

If you must have a carpet, look to buy those made of either natural fibers, such as wool, or from recycled materials. Interface Global, a leading carpet manufacturer, has designed FLOR, an environmentally conscious line of recycled and chemical-free modular carpeting. As a bonus, the modular design allows you to replace only a part of their carpet at a time. Interface’s dedication to lowering its own carbon footprint through energy efficiency and waste minimization is icing on the cake.

If you already own a carpet and can’t digest the thought of throwing it away or replacing it, the American Formulating and Manufacturing Company has designed a carpet sealer to prevent the outgassing of the harmful chemicals.

The furniture you sit on

In your home, some of the most significant polluters are your sofas, chairs, and tables. Furniture that is made from pressed wood also uses adhesives that contain high concentrations of urea-formaldehyde (UF) and other types of formaldehyde resins.

These resins can begin to slowly seep into the air over time and have been linked to asthma problems with children.

Furniture solutions
The rule of thumb when buying furniture is, if it smells -- don’t buy it. Most furniture will have some sort of formaldehyde on it, whether from the adhesive or from flame retardants, but you can inquire about which resins in particular the furniture was made with.

Phenol formaldehyde and methylene resins emit much less toxins in the air than say UF, so choosing a wood product with these is better than most. Also, you can buy a veneer or water-resistant coating to put on your furniture, which will reduce the emissions of toxins.

Remember though, unless the furniture appears to be certified natural, it will contain some level of chemicals regardless of the strength of odor. It’s because of this that your best option is to buy from a green furnishing company such as Furnature and Vivavi. These two companies have designed lines of sustainable furniture and fabrics that promise to be chemical free.

Safe home, healthy planet
Now don’t be afraid of the dangers lurking in your living room: Yes, they can be scary, but now you know what to do about them. A clean home environment will not only reduce your family’s exposure to harmful elements; every healthy choice you make in your own home will go a long way in protecting the planet’s health, too.

So kick your feet up and rest easy knowing your home is as safe as can be.

More from ecomii:

Check out Yahoo! Green on Twitter and Facebook.

These homeowners pay almost nothing for heating and cooling

Editors of E / The Environmental Magazine — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 10:53:08 PDT

(Photo: Enertia Building Systems)

EarthTalk is a Q&A column from E / The Environmental Magazine

Dear EarthTalk: I recently saw a reference to "Enertia houses" that require little in the way of external sources for heating or cooling. Do you have any information on this housing design? -- Alan Marshfield, via email

Enertia is a brand name for homes designed and sold in kits by North Carolina-based Enertia Building Systems (EBS). The idea essentially marries the concepts of geothermal and passive solar heating/cooling into what amounts to a highly energy efficient hybrid system. Architectural inventor Michael Sykes coined the term "Enertia" in the 1980s to describe the innovative homes he was designing that would store solar and geothermal energy and make use of it for most if not all heating and cooling needs.

Under such a system, solid wood walls replace siding, framing, insulation and paneling, while an air flow channel -- or "envelope" -- runs around the building inside the walls, creating what Sykes terms a miniature biosphere. Inside the envelope, solar heated air circulates, pumping and boosting geothermal energy from beneath the house and storing it within the wood mass of the walls, where it is doled out gradually.

By harnessing the properties of thermal inertia -- the ability of materials to store heat and give it off slowly -- an "Enertia" house maintains a relatively fixed and comfortable temperature throughout the warmer day (when solar heat is collected and stored) and cooler night (when the wood walls give off heat to keep things toasty as the mercury dips).

The heart of the system is a south-facing sun space within the envelope that is dominated by windows and which therefore soaks up lots of solar energy, filling the house's wood walls with thermal energy that in turn radiates into the primary living space. The entire house functions like an electric heat pump -- moving warm and cool air around to accommodate the comfort needs of the occupants. It works even throughout the seasonal changes of the year -- with minimal to no fossil fuels consumed or pollution generated.

In one Enertia house in North Carolina, the only power bill the owners typically pay is $35/month for electricity. They also have a back-up in-floor radiant heating system powered by natural gas for long cloudy stretches or unusually cold weather. Gas bills for heat typically total $150 for the year, meaning the owners' total annual outlay for heating, cooling and electricity is less than $600 -- some $1,000 less than traditional homes in the same zip code are paying, according to data from the U.S. Department of Energy.

EBS markets several different designs for its Enertia houses, but all share the basic premise of primary interior living space heated and cooled by air channeled in from a south-facing "buffer zone" envelope and from below grade. Smaller houses in the line top out at about 2,000 square feet over two floors of living space, while larger ones encompass some 4,000 square feet of living space over three floors. Depending on the model, you could spend anywhere from $66,000 to $292,000 for a complete plan and building materials kit. The rest -- including the selection and cost of the land and the labor to build the house -- is up to you.

Got an environmental question? Send it to: EarthTalk, c/o E / The Environmental Magazine, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; submit it here or by email. Read past columns here.

Check out the recent book Earthtalk: Expert Answers to Everyday Questions about the Environment

Friend us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.

More from The Daily Green

Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc

How to find cash hidden in your house

Cameron Bard — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 10:46:02 PDT

You don’t have to look under the floorboards to find the cash that’s hidden in your home. Many of your ongoing monthly costs come in the form of energy -- you know, those bills that keep showing up every month.

We can show you how to take control and reduce your carbon emissions in each room of your home -- and discover that hidden cash.

If you have a few evenings free, become a Weeknight Worker with our simple, easy projects. If you have a little more time to dedicate, become a weekend warrior -- it’s a bit of a bigger time commitment, but you’ll see bigger savings.

Laundry room: Save $60 to $185

Weeknight worker
Did you know that 90% of the energy needed to do a load of laundry goes into heating the water? The easiest way to start saving money in the laundry room is to simply wash your clothes with cold water.

With today’s advanced detergents and soaps, cold water can be just as effective as hot water. Merely pressing the “Cold/Cold” button on your washing machine 80% of the time will save you between $60 and $100 per year.

Weekend warrior
Want to “launder” even more money? Well, add another energy saving twist: Skip the clothes dryer and line-dry your laundry. By avoiding another laundry room appliance you can save up to an additional $85 per year. Adding that savings to the $60 to $100 you saved with the cold-water laundry, you could save anywhere from $145 to $185 every year.

Kitchen: Save $20 to $300

Weeknight worker
Here’s a simple way for you and your family to save money: Use the dishwasher less. Many people do a load every day, but by waiting for the dishwasher to be full before you run it, you could cut your dishwasher use by a third, saving you a total of $21 per year.

Weekend warrior
If you’re ready for extreme kitchen efficiency, it’s time to upgrade those old clunkers. New Energy Star-rated refrigerators and dishwashers use a fraction of the energy that those terribly inefficient older models use.

If you upgrade your older dishwasher and refrigerator to Energy Star models (top freezer for fridges is the best), you could lower your annual energy cost by $85 every year (from $170 down to $85). And if you use the government’s new stimulus money for upgrading appliances, you could receive up to an additional $200 for your new Energy Star-rated refrigerator. That’s a total of $285 saved in the first year alone.

Bedroom: Save $50 to $150

Weeknight worker
Replace just five incandescent light bulbs in your bedroom with CFLs and over their lifetime -- a little over three years if you average five hours of use every day -- you can save $30 per bulb. That works out to about $10 a year per bulb, so by replacing five incandescent light bulbs you can save around $50 every year.

Weekend warrior
If replacing more incandescent light bulbs means saving more money, why stop at just five? You’re a weekend warrior, you’re committed. Why not go for an additional 10 light bulbs: 15 CFLs could save you a total of $150 every year. Heck, replace every light bulb in your home, and cash will pour out of every light socket.

Living room: Save $20 to $225

Weeknight worker
Money is flying out your windows: Leaks can be responsible for 30% of the total heat lost in your home. There’s a simple solution though -- and that’s weather-stripping.

Depending on your window type and air-flow method, you could potentially save $7 to $14 per window, per year in efficiency upgrades. If you weather-strip just three windows in your living room, you can save $21 to $42 every year.

Weekend warrior
Why not weather-strip your entire home? Increasing the efficiency of your windows and blocking the small leaks that allow air to go in and out, you can knock off up to 15% of your annual heating and cooling costs. A typical U.S. family spends about $1,500 on its utility bills every year, so by minimizing air leaks through your windows, you could save around $225 every year.

Adding it all up

So how much cash is hiding in your home? If you follow all of the weeknight worker tips, you can count on saving $152 to $213 every year, and all for a few simple changes and a few hours of dedication. Now, if you put in some serious time as a weekend warrior, you’re looking at annual savings of $805 to $845.

Yes, you’re saving a lot of money. But don’t forget the environmental benefits as well: For example, just one CFL bulb can save over 2,000 times its weight in greenhouse gasses over its lifetime compared to an incandescent. Now that’s big savings.

More from ecomii:

Check out Yahoo! Green on Twitter and Facebook.

Ask Umbra on replacing hot-water heaters

Umbra Fisk, Grist.org — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 21:01:47 PDT

Q. Dear Umbra,

We are a family of five, with three little boys growing bigger every day. Which is the better environmental investment for our family: to replace our existing hot water heater with a solar model, or to switch to an on-demand, “instantaneous” hot water system?

Thanks!
Gillian and Grant
Toronto, Ont.

A. Dearest Gillian and Grant,

Solar hot water is the better choice and would still be so if your children grew not one inch taller. Solar hot water takes advantage of the sun hitting your roof, which hopefully happens regularly without costing you money, nor the Earth anguish. A tankless heater will still use a polluting energy source to heat the water. It is a rare ratepayer who gets electricity from all-renewable sources, and Torontoians (?) seem to have the usual mix of coal, gas, nukes, hydro, and so forth.

All a tankless model does differently from your (I assume conventional) hot water heater is heat water as you need it, rather than storing hot water for hours. Like your tank heater, it uses either an electric coil or a gas fire to do this. A tankless on-demand model is, in the best scenario, a bit more efficient than your existing hot water heater. But it still has all the problems of using a non-renewable resource: pollution, greenhouse gas production, a sufficient power generation and delivery system, and of course reliance on the supply of whatever resource is used. You might be interested in reading my earlier column on tankless heaters.

A solar hot water system, on the other hand, can provide the bulk of your hot water needs without using any non-renewable resources (other than those used to make the equipment). Solar hot water is neither a new nor a highly complex technology, so you need not be a brave early adopter to have a system installed. There are a wide variety of systems (again, see a previous Umbra solar water love-fest) to choose from, and there are often financial incentives from one’s city or state. Toronto seems to have a solar hot water initiative heating up right now, in fact, and here is a list of system suppliers to peruse.

The two potential drawbacks that I see are the initial financial outlay and whether your roof and home are well situated. But you won’t know whether these are actual or theoretical drawbacks for your specific situation until you investigate the systems available where you live, their costs, and the fabulous financial incentives that might be coming your way. Here are some resources from the U.S. government on solar water heaters and how to calculate their costs.

Always choose the sun over the coal mine.

Sootily,
Umbra

Related Links:

Indoor air versus outdoor: Which is cleaner?

Lori Bongiorno — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 10:45:37 PDT

The surprising answer is that the air outside your home is probably healthier than the air inside.

Indoor air can be two to five times more polluted than outdoor air even in the largest and most industrialized cities, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Even in smoggy Los Angeles? Yes.

Martin Wolfe, Seventh Generation's "Scienceman," measured pollution levels in several Los Angeles locations including the side of a freeway, behind a natural-gas powered bus, inside private homes, and more. The result: The outside air in LA is twice as good for you as the air inside your home.

You can see the testing process for yourself in the entertaining video below.

We spend about 90 percent of our time indoors, so it's worth making small changes to improve the air whenever you can. Below are some tips to help you breathe easier when you're at home.

Think twice about what you bring into your home:

Air out dry-cleaned clothes before hanging them in your closet.
Stay away from commercial air fresheners. Many contain synthetic fragrances that can aggravate allergies and asthma. Instead, find the source of the odor and fix it.
Switch to less toxic household cleaning products or follow in grandma's footsteps and use items right out of your pantry. For example, use Alka Seltzer to clean your toilet, glass baking dishes, and more.
Choose low-VOC paints, sealants, and glue. A wide variety of affordable options that work well are available at most home improvement stores.
Replace a vinyl shower curtain with one made from a natural material such as cotton or linen.
Minimize carpeting and look for formaldehyde-free pressed wood furniture and supplies when decorating.

Maintain and clean your house regularly:

Wet-mop or vacuum with a high-efficiency particulate (HEPA) air filter often to limit the chemicals that can accumulate in household dust.
Fix leaks to help avoid formation of molds.
Change your furnace's filters regularly and maintain other fuel-burning appliances.

Keep track of potential pollutants:

Install battery-operated carbon monoxide detectors in your bedroom and other places where you spend a lot of time. Make sure you place detectors in spots where you can hear them, and change the batteries regularly.
Buy a simple radon test kit to determine if radon levels in your home are too high. Radon is a naturally occurring gas that's found in the ground, and it can accumulate in a basement and make its way into your living area.

Let the fresh air in

When it comes to ventilation, there are several options from opening your windows on a windy day to using kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans to employing a whole-house mechanical system. You can ask a knowledgeable professional to explain how you can bring in enough outdoor air to dilute the pollutants in your house and circulate some of them outside.

Check out Yahoo! Green on Twitter and Facebook.

Ask Umbra on drafty houses

Umbra Fisk, Grist.org — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 21:01:12 PDT

Q. Dear Umbra,

I’ve heard that tightening up a leaky house is one of the best energy conservation tactics out there. Energy audits could save an enormous amount of fuel. My wife is very much opposed to this because she places a high value on fresh air exchange. Are there health risks to “tightening the residential envelope”?

David G.
Morenci, Mich.

A. Dearest David,

You can’t teach an old dog new tricks, and apparently it is likewise fairly impossible to stop an older house from leaking at least a bit of healthy fresh air. Most houses which were not tightly built to begin with (usually called “older” and perhaps also “new but shoddy”) have air passing through windows, attics, vents, doors, walls, ducts, and actual holes in the walls. It would be quite a task to thwart each of these air passageways, but doing as much as you can will definitely save you fuel and money.

It might also save you further headaches: In some cases, warm air might be passing partway out of your home, then encountering cold outdoor air, condensing, and forming mold in your walls—just a little example to counter your wife’s unswerving love of your current exchange.

An energy audit will tell you where the major leaks are, and hopefully also give you an indication of the costs and benefits of stopping them. You will also learn about your current ventilation situation. You might be in an unusual situation where your indoor air is for one reason or another poor quality—maybe you have a busted old furnace or a poorly vented stove. Are all your combustion appliances working and vented well? A good energy specialist should be able to diagnose whether problems exist, and tell you how to address them.

If you do decide to go ahead to the indeed wonderfully conserving projects of insulating, caulking, sealing the attic, etc., you can either do it yourself or hire a professional. Should either you or the professional reach such sublime levels of tightening that there is no air inflow, an official home ventilation system should be installed. It is apparently better to make a tight home and have the fresh air follow approved channels than it is to simply rely on the inhale and exhale of your old house.

Energy professionals can test the leakage of your house using such esoteric tools as the blower door, the manometer (tee hee), and the infrared camera. If these items sound exciting to you, contact your local utility or visit the DOE for more information and get started on your energy-saving, conservation-erific house tightening program. I don’t think you’ll regret it.

Warmly,
Umbra

Related Links: