Green @ Home

Posts Tagged ‘green home’

The homebuilders are lining up to be licensed in delivery of new housing programs: EnerGuide Rating System (ERS), EnergyStar and R-2000. The ERS determines the home’s level of energy efficience on a scale from 0 to 100. Yet, the ERS and R-2000 standard are tools for supporting such initiatives as EnergyStar for New Homes, PowerSmart New Homes, Built Green, Yukon GreenHome and Novoclimat.

Homes built to the R-2000 achieve a minimum energy efficiency of rating 80 on EnergyGuide scale. This
translates to a home that uses approximately 30% less energy than average. According to survey by EnergyQuality Corp. nine out of ten buyers will be looking for energy efficient features in their next home. Also, these 90% of respondents said they agree to pay more for home that delivers these features.

This season our government decided to ban some chemicals for using them as herbicides. Apparently, that drives people to find some solution to solve annual dandelion invasion issue. This time we found mechanical gadget, called Weed Puller, simple and effective – place head over the weed, step down to full depth, twist and pull weed out. After, using handle, just slide plunger that ejects weeds after pulling – exactly the way good guys reload their pump shotguns in the action movies. Done, in approximately 15 seconds.

Free of charge you will have  additional benefit – the tool aerates soil for a healthy lawn with no substantial divots and without damaging the turf.

Cost – comparable to the gallon of old good “killing-them-all” weed spray.
The time effort – the same as to spread the killing stuff out.
Physical exercise and chemical-free breathing for sure are priceless.

Burning natural gas produces fewer emissions than burning petroleum or coal, but as any other burning it’s far from being green. Not talking about drilling the globe and disrupting wildlife by distributing pipelines.

Nevertheless, natural gas is still considered as the cleanest fossil fuel. That explains why every second  home heated by natural gas is considered much greener than those staying warm with electric or oil furnaces.

So should you invest in natural gas appliances? For sure, yes. Unless you switch to oil-free and grid-free living and run home on self-produced wind, solar, thermal and earth energy, natural gas will be the cleanest and greener solution.

Efficiency of appliances beats electric devices too.

Natural gas stoves vs. Electric – are  three times more efficient.

Natural gas dryers vs. Electric – are two times more efficient. (Though, why don’t switch to clothesline, your DIY solar clothes dryer, at particular season)

There is no doubt that the natural-gas-run ACs are existing and consuming twice less energy than electric. And the last but not least – gas-fired water heaters generally put less time and energy to heat more water.