Green Building Resource Center - Residential
Nexus Between Climate Change and Green Buildings
Local Energy Auditors Residential
Top 10 Do-It Yourself Energy Audit Procedures
 Single Family
Owner
- Solar Power Options for Your Homes
With the rising cost of fuel and dwindling natural resources, more and more people are turning to solar power, providing their homes and businesses with clean, renewable energy. Solar power generates zero CO2 emissions while reducing the U.S. demand for foreign oil.
- Insulation: Great Stuff for Energy Savings
When it comes to home improvements, many of us wait until the improvement is absolutely necessary. For example, a broken window during the chilly winter months demands a Saturday morning repair. But the small leak where the back door doesn't quite meet the frame? Well, you're probably hoping to get to that at some point, along with the drafty window in the family room and the weather stripping the puppy tore up along the sliding door.
- Invest in "Black Gold" and Start Composting
Considering growing your own vegetables, sprucing up your neglected flower garden, or finding new ways to help our environment? With the surging interest in gardening and reducing waste, composting has really become a hot topic.
- Sweet Rewards for Saving on Your Utilities
You understand that conserving energy saves money and helps the environment. But what if you could also earn rewards for reducing your home energy usage?
- Show me the Numbers: Resources for Estimating and Comparing Energy Use
There are a number of ways to measure energy use in your home, ranging from manual calculations to online software to in-home monitoring devices.
- EnergyGuide Labels: Decoding the Yellow Tag
If you've gone shopping for a major appliance recently, there's a good chance you came across a yellow EnergyGuide label. You may have reviewed it you when were deciding on your next new appliance, comparing the the yellow tags for the lowest dollar figure. What other information is on the label and how is it important to you?
- Passive Solar Design: Heating and Cooling Using Sunlight
Heat and light from the sun is free, renewable and easily accessible. Why not use it to light, heat, and cool your building? Passive solar design uses simple design elements such as building orientation, windows, shading, insulation, and thermal mass to strategically harness the sun's energy to heat and cool a building.
- Combat Energy Costs by Saving Dollars on Your Electric Bill
Check out a Kill A Watt™ Meter From Your Local Library Branch!
Using a Kill A Watt meter and the enclosed worksheet, you can easily find out the cost of energy for electronic devices and appliances around your home – whether turned off or on.
Rain Barrels
Installing a rain barrel to harvest rainwater is simply smart, especially during a drought. Instead of water from the tap or faucet, you can use the water you've collected to water your garden, or to wash your car or bike - Top Ten Things You Can Do to "Green" Your Home
Renter
Rechargeable Opportunities
How many electronic devices do you have that require a battery to be charged? Over 600 million products in America's homes and offices require battery chargers. Go with the (low) flow
Installing low-flow aerators on your faucets can help you to keep excess water – and money – from gushing down the drain. - Programmable Thermostats: Set it and forget it
There's no reason to heat or cool your home when you are asleep or away. Programmable thermostats let you set weekly schedules for heating and cooling so you can save energy (and money!) almost effortlessly. Read more to learn how installing a programmable thermostat can save you up to $180 each year.
 Multi-family
- Building Owners and Managers
- Solar Power Options for Your Business
With the rising cost of fuel and dwindling natural resources, more and more people are turning to solar power, providing their homes and businesses with clean, renewable energy. Solar power generates zero CO2 emissions while reducing the U.S. demand for foreign oil.
- Stormwater Management and the Chesapeake Bay
Preserving the Chesapeake Bay affects even those of us living near the top of the Bay watershed as the eco-systems are intrinsically linked through our rivers and precipitation.
- Choose Low VOC Paints for Better Air Quality
According to the U.S. EPA, indoor VOC levels are typically 2 to 5 times higher than concentrations found outside homes and other buildings, and paint is one of the main sources of VOCs. VOCs are also commonly found in a number of everyday products such as cleaning supplies, varnishes and lacquers, building materials, office equipment, glues and adhesives, insulation, cabinets, and countertops.
- Tenants
Houseplants, Nature's Air Purifier
The same house plants you use to decorate your apartment can simultaneously clean your air. NASA, a group highly engaged with emerging technologies and materials within the realm of enclosed spaces, performed a study that proved plants effectiveness at improving air quality. No-Cost Energy Solutions for Renters
As a renter, making a significant financial investment in energy efficiency improvements may not be a viable option. Even though some small, low-cost options can have a considerable impact on utility cost, it's good to know that there are no-cost, behavior-based strategies that can also yield results. Low-to-No Cost Strategies for Conserving Toilet Water
According to National Geographic, 26% of the pure water in the average home is flushed down the toilet. This percentage may be even greater than if your toilet is old or leaky. Luckily. there are many easy, low-cost or no-cost ways that you can shrink your water bill by significantly reducing the potable water that you flush away. - Energy-Wise Window Treatments
Window blinds are effective at controlling passive solar heating and reducing energy loss from your home or office. This decreases the amount of heating or cooling required – and cuts your energy costs too.
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