Greening your home isn’t just about upgrading the nuts and bolts, it’s also about changing your mindset and daily practices
By Gwen McNamara
GREEN is the color of spring — a symbol of rebirth, re-emergence, and now environmental responsibility.
But how green is your home?
According to the U.S. Green Building Council, one of the nation’s leading authorities on improving the environmental responsibility of the built environment, it’s our structures — our homes, offices, schools, and high-rises — that account for the lionshare of our electricity consumption (72 percent), energy use (39 percent), raw materials use (40 percent) and waste output (136 million tons annually).
What can you do about it? Greening your home is as much about choosing better products and taking advantage of technology as it is about changing our mindsets and everyday practices.
”The green movement is not just an approach from a building perspective,” says Andrew Tucker, director of sustainable design at KSS Architects in Princeton. “It’s about how we live and what we do, use and buy, as much as it is about improving the efficiency and environmental sensibility of our physical environment.”
High Performance Home
To start, homeowners need to get a clear picture of just how well their homes are performing. Janet Lasley, co-owner of Montgomery-based Lasley Brahaney Architecture & Construction, recommends getting an “energy audit.”
”We all can feel air rushing in around a drafty window or under a door, but there are often hidden areas sapping energy and efficiency that you can’t easily see or feel,” says Ms. Lasley. “An energy audit, performed by either your energy provider or a third party company, gives you a clear picture of trouble spots that need addressing, helping to make your home more energy efficient and keeping more money in your pocket.”
Many energy providers, like PSE&G, offer simple home assessments to rate the efficiency and performance of your appliances, furnace and mechanical systems, but Ms. Lasley recommends taking it a step further and seeking the expertise of a company that can perform a more thorough examination using infrared or thermal imaging technology.
Recently, Princeton Air in West Windsor teamed up with GreenHomes America to offer just such an examination. Through its new Home Performance Division, Princeton Air now provides holistic home assessments that take a look at the shell of your home, the systems inside, and how well the two are working together.
”It’s like an MRI or stress test for your home,” says Scott Needham, owner of Princeton Air. “We start with a walk-through, checking all fossil fuel burning equipment to make sure it’s performing safely. Then we affix a blower to the front door sucking the air out and turning your home into a vacuum and use a thermal imaging camera and smoke stick to analyze hot and cold spots and where air is rushing in or out.”
Once problem areas are identified, Princeton Air and GreenHomes technicians make recommendations for improving insulation, repairing leaky windows and doors, and replacing or upgrading furnaces, boilers, hot water heaters and other home systems. Solutions can range widely, from simple weather stripping, to spray foam insulation, solar hot water or radiant heating. And since GreenHomes America is a Building Performance Institute certified contractor, homeowners can receive incentives of up to $5,000 back for using GreenHomes to implement Princeton Air’s recommendations as part of Home Performance with Energy Star, sponsored by New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program.
”Home assessments do cost up front, but the problems they identify can help you save energy and money in the long run,” says Mr. Needham. “Whether it’s for comfort or cost-savings, its one way we can do our part for the environment and reduce our energy consumption.”
Go with the Low-Flow
Today, each American use an average of 100 gallons of water each day — enough to fill 1,600 drinking glasses — according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Such demand is stressing our water supplies and distributions systems, threatening our health and the environment.
To reduce your water use, look for the WaterSense label, a partnership program sponsored by the EPA that makes it easy to save water and protect the environment when shopping for that new faucet or showerhead, or replacing your old, leaky toilet.
”From low-flow faucets and restrictors, to retrofit devices that can give any toilet two flushing options — one setting for .8 gallons per flush, and one for 1.4 gallons per flush — there are a number of simple options that can make a big difference,” says Mr. Tucker at KSS. “Even just changing your daily routine — reducing your shower time or not running the faucet when brushing your teeth — can have a huge impact without purchasing a thing.”
When on the hunt for your next washing machine or dishwasher (or any home appliance for that matter), look for those with a highly efficient Energy Star rating. Energy Star is a joint program of the EPA and the U.S. Department of Energy, helping consumers save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices. Choose a clothes washer that meets Energy Star criteria and you could cut your energy and water use by more than 40 percent, as compared to a conventional washer.
Better Choices, Better Products
Greening your home isn’t just about upgrading the nuts and bolts, it’s also about changing your mindset and daily practices. From cleaning products and home furnishings, to paints and light bulbs, there are many eco-friendly options out there.
”Choosing more environmentally responsible cleaning products means you’re using fewer petro-chemicals,” says Bill Moran of the Whole Earth Center in Princeton. “Many use natural, highly biodegradable ingredients that when they enter our sewers and water sources pose no problems for people or our flora and fauna.”
Mr. Moran recommends checking out products made by Seventh Generation and EcoPath and looking for products that are highly concentrated, reducing how much you need to use and overall packaging.
To save some trees and reduce your dependence on paper towels, try an E-cloth — a chemical-free cleaning cloth that’s reusable and guaranteed for 300 washes — or sponges like Twist, which are 100 percent biodegradable and hold up better than typical cellulose sponge, according to Mr. Moran.
You are what you eat — stick with reusable plates and cutlery, or look for paper products, toilet paper, napkins, plates and cups that are biodegradable and made from recycled content. The same goes for your home furnishings and building materials, according to Mr. Tucker.
”Whether you’re investing in a piece of furniture or undergoing a renovation, it’s important to make sure the wood you’re purchasing is sustainable, or Forest Stewardship Council certified, which means you’re supporting responsible forestry,” he says.
Mr. Tucker also recommends looking for furnishings — everything from mattresses and sofas, to cabinetry and flooring — made from reused and recycled materials, as well as carpets, paints and furnishings that are low- or no-VOC (volatile organic compound).
”Many products off-gas, or release harmful chemicals into the air (think new car smell),” he says. “Staying away from compressed wood products made with urea formaldehyde (the glue that holds fiber board, press board and particle board together) is a good idea.”
Compact fluorescent or LED (light emitting diode) light bulbs can last longer than traditional light bulbs, reducing waste and energy use. Know your recycling rules — check with your municipality or county to find out the full range of what can be recycled and when you can bring hazardous materials like batteries or electronic equipment for proper disposal.
Be River-Friendly
If you want a really green home, it’s not just about what you do inside — the outside is just as important.
How you care for your lawn, handle pests and weeds, fertilize your garden and even take care of your septic system can have a big impact on the environment.
Not sure how to get started? The Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association’s River-Friendly Resident certification program provides a checklist of environmentally sound land stewardship practices.
”Our River-Friendly Resident program is designed to give everyone the tools they need to create a responsible, healthy and beautiful place to live, while helping enhance the environment,” says Amy Weaver, River-Friendly Coordinator at the Watershed Association in Hopewell.
Taking a soil test to find out what nutrients your lawn really needs when fertilizing, using organic fertilizers if it does, trying non-chemical methods to control insects and weeds, and minimizing pesticide use are all ways to keep your yard green while being green, she says.
Consider installing a rain barrel on your downspouts, attaching shut-off nozzles to your hoses, and watering less often, but for a longer time to conserve water. Gardening with native plants can help reduce watering and attract wildlife, while creating a compost pile helps reduce waste and serves as a ready-made source of nutrition for your plants or garden.
”Greening your home is really about greening your life,” says Ms. Weaver. “Take it one step at a time and you can make a big difference.”
Gwen McNamara is a LEED Accredited Professional through the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program.