I’m always looking for simple ways to cut down on the non-green things that send me for a little guilt trip now and then. I’ve listed ten things I do during the week that help cut down on car trips or reduce my carbon footprint in various ways. They’re easy enough for anyone to do, so I thought I’d share:

1. Take a walk or jog around the neighborhood
   instead of driving to the gym.
   
2. Plan recipes with ingredients that are in-season
   (cuts down on the need to ship food far distances).
   
3. Tune up the car, fill the tires with air (eliminate
   excess forces working against your engine’s fuel
   efficiency).
   
4. Open the windows and shut off the a/c when
   bearable, like early morning and later in the
   evening. Or keep the temp at something more
   moderate, like 70 degrees, and wear less
   clothing. On the other hand, if it’s cold outside,
   bulk up on the sweaters and fleece pants/socks
   and set your thermostat to 65.
5. Buy a Brita filter pitcher or screw-on tap filter
   to reduce the amount of water bottle containers
   you throw away.

   

6. Buy cereal in bags not boxes (further reduce
   packaging waste).
   
7. Keep a few extra canvas grocery shopping
   bags tucked away in your car for unexpected
   trips to the market.

   

8. Time your showers and try to spend less
   time in there (minimize the time you leave
   it running to heat up).

   

9. Extra room in your freezer/fridge?
   (Especially an extra freezer - those are
   sometimes pretty empty.) Fill the excess
   room with old milk jugs filled with water.
   This helps keep the fridge a constant
   temperature and will minimize the demand
   for electricity to continuouslykeep it cold.
10. Turn off your computer at night! I know,
    it’s hard to remember. It’s hard for me. At the
    very least, you can assure you are saving
    energy every time you leave your computer
    running by downloading Verdiem’s free
    PC energy-saving software. It tells you
    how much money you save relevant to the
    time settings you choose to put your
    screen and hard drive to sleep.

    Reader comment: Damjan suggests using
    Green Pulse instead of Verdiem’s Edison
    because it “doesn’t just set your computer’s
    power schemes”. Thanks!

Companies are producing spray foam insulation using soybean oil in place of some of the petroleum in their products. It’s good to see healthier products being produced by responsible companies. Check out the full article I wrote at BuildingGreenTV.

Additionally, George Chittenden with Spray Foam Energy Solutions shares some very on-point information regarding spray foam with this blog post.

This report includes a fan letter from someone who believes that the housing crisis will have a positive outcome: buyers are more aware of the importance of home durability and energy-efficiency. Click the video to play.

Q: What Are SIPs and Are They Environmentally Friendly? The original question was more simple, but I felt the need to elaborate. Matt asked, “Who makes the compressed straw panel?” that I had made a comment about in response to a reader’s comment about styrofoam homes… anyway… long story cut short.

A: SIP stands for Structural Insulated Panel. The most common SIP is made by sandwiching expanded polystyrene board (styrofoam) with OSB (oriented strand board) into which openings are cut for doors and windows. The panels are assembled together to form the walls/roof of a home. This is a good, short video of standard SIP construction. There are a few things that set off alarms here: phenol formaldehyde resin used to bond the wood chips and (the more obvious) styrofoam. Off-gassing formaldehyde is no good for indoor air quality and styrofoam is not biodegradable, although expanded polystyrene SIPs have good insulating qualities. There are several reasons that buildings are made with SIPs instead of wood/stick frame these days. There is a big push to find other methods of building homes than wood, simply because deforestation devastates huge areas of the earth, annihilating fragile ecosystems and species of plants and animals. SIPs provide increased insulation, reducing the amount of fuel/energy a home takes to keep heating and cooling year round. SIPs are manufactured in a facility before they reach the site, making on-site construction incredibly quick (think a couple of weeks instead of a several months).

Agriboard Compressed Straw SIPs

The ecofriendly award for the SIP that has the least impact on the environment from production to disposal goes to a compressed straw SIP manufactured by Agriboard. This product has excellent insulating and fire prevention qualities. Check out Agriboard’s video to see how it is made by compressing straw with fifteen thousand pounds of pressure and how it stands up to various structural and fire tests (hint: it stands up very well to these tests). Agriboard is also sandwiched between OSB, so sadly formaldehyde is still present in this product. The major benefit is avoiding the use of styrofoam which is notorious for cluttering landfills and is estimated to take over 900 years to decompose. Straw is a biproduct of cereal grain production and will decompose very quickly- it comes from the earth and goes back into it without any trouble. Man-made chemical styrofoam is just not so nice.

Q: I have looked into installing solar panels on my house but the price is not within my current budget. Is there an alternative to the common big name companies I have contacted that offers solar panels at an affordable price?  LynneMarie

affordable energypeak solar system

A: While at the AIA (American Institute of Architects) Convention 2008, I visited a vendor that represented EnergyPeak Solar Systems for standing seam roofs. This product is a solar energy collector that is manufactured as a dark woven material that can be easily installed between seams on standing seam roofs. The rep told me that the product is 80-90% as efficient as traditional glass solar panels but can be purchased at 50% of the price. This product is my suggestion for an affordable solar solution. I like that the product adheres to a surface, eliminating the awkward look that solar panels can give to a home’s roof. These solar mats are durable enough be walked on, so if you have a deck that receives a lot of direct sunlight, that may be a good location to install. Of course, the angle of the sun is a huge factor when installing traditional solar panels, and I’m not exactly sure what how this effects the return rate for EnergyPeak’s system. It’s worth checking them out! You can do so at EnergyPeak.com .

You can certainly make your garden green and less toxic with a little effort. In fact, the most green landscaping choice is one that requires little or no maintenance - that means no watering and no chemical fertilizing. Here are 5 tips for growing a beautiful garden that is self-sustaining and productive.

1. minimize the percentage of your yard that is covered by lawn: Lawns require a lot of upkeep, water, and fertilizer to stay healthy and look good. Not only does this cut into the precious amount of potable water, it pollutes oceans, streams and water tables with high levels of nutrients that destroy ecosystems and available drinking water. *Only 1% of earth’s water is potable (drinkable). In place of lawn, try more regional ground coverings. In drier climates, stone is a good option. In seaside locations, crushed shell is popular. If you still want to keep your lawn or grow a smaller area of lawn, go with a species that is native so it requires less water. If you have sprinklers, have a sensor installed that can gauge when your lawn actually needs watering and when a sprinkling session can be skipped when it rains.
2. grow your own food: By farming your own land, even if it is merely one tomato plant and one cucumber vine, you are helping to reduce your energy consumption. Rather than having those cucumbers and tomatoes shipped from Mexico to your local grocer, they skipped the trip and went straight from your yard to your table. Fruit trees require little attention and will produce large amounts of food for years, while vegetables, berries and herbs require slightly more attention and watering but are well worth the effort. Choosing species of plants that are not genetically altered will almost always assure that your home grown food will taste better than the average food you find in the local grocer. Genetically modified plants (or hybrids) are created by crossing the DNA of two types of plants to produce a variety that has characteristics to either speed up production time or create larger fruit or vegetables with little or no regard for its nutritional value or flavor.
3. use more natural fertilizers: When I was younger, my father and I would go fishing and if we had luck, we ate fish for dinner. The fish head always went in the garden. Sure, it stunk for a few days over by the zucchinis, but those zucchinis were huge and the plant produced plenty to supply the neighborhood with zucchini all summer. Good alternatives to MiracleGro are: natural compost (which you can make yourself); seaweed ; and grass clippings/leaves . All of these things took nutrients to grow, decompose relatively quickly, and put nutrients back into the soil for plants to eat. Your local dump will probably have a compost pile that you can shovel into a barrel and take home for free.
4. plant native species: Plants that originated in your climate have adapted to the temperatures, seasons, sun, rain, soils, etc. of the region. For this reason, they require little to no maintenance and will be stronger and less likely to croak or be eaten by wildlife like squirrels, rabbits or deer. Seasoned gardeners know all too well how expensive their experiments with the foreign plants can be- that spectacular group of flowering bushes that died when transplanted and cost over $7,000- ouch. You can find native species of plants with this nifty tool: Native Plant Database
5. install a rain/grey water collection system: This will enable you to recycle grey water and rain you have collected to water your garden and lawn. If it rains periodically in your region, there is a good chance that you can use recycled water to irrigate a good portion of your landscaping. This will save you money and save your community’s water supply.

Q: I’ve seen "LEED" all over the place but none of the articles I’ve found directly address what it is. Can you go into some detail about what exactly LEED is for me? Sorry- I’m a newbie. Thanks! Allison

A: Allison, no apologies needed. LEED is quickly becoming a well known word in the building industry, but for people who do not work in this industry, it is likely to be unfamiliar. Good for you though, seeking knowledge about green building practices! This page has your answer, plus gives you great reasons why people should choose to get their home design LEED Certified, including energy savings and tax incentives. Visit the page here .

Another great reader question!

Q: This is interesting. If the goal is chemical free then why is bleach alright?      -Victoria

A: Victoria, first, thanks for the great question. The answer is this: it is technically a chemical, but it is the lesser of two evils. The greater evil being chemical biocides. Biocides are used by ‘professional mold cleaner uppers’ who were taught how to clean mold in classes funded by the very same companies that try to sell these products and mold testing services. Biocides kill bacteria for long periods of time (some for 6 months) and leave chemical residues on surfaces that are hazardous to humans. This is not what we want to do. Once we clean up mold and stop the source of water (a leak), there will no longer be a mold problem.

Bleach is registered for household use by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Be careful that any household cleaner you buy says that the product is REGISTERED for household use, and does not use any sketchy language, such as “EPA compliant”, because anything other than registered does not mean much of anything. It is not illegal to use this unclear and deceiving wording when marketing a product.

The active ingredient in bleach, sodium hypochlorite, has been heavily diluted in the form that we most commonly buy it: Clorox. It is a sanitizer and disinfectant and kills a wide range of bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Sodium hypochlorite is registered for use in households as well as food processing plants, agricultural settings, animal facilities, hospitals, and drinking water supplies. Since bleach is safe to use on porous (laundry, wood) and non-porous (refrigerator door) surfaces, it is useful in many instances. Moreover, the best part about using bleach, as opposed to a chemical biocide, is that bleach DOES NOT continue to kill bacteria and other living organisms long after its applied use. When we use chemicals that continue to kill, they leave residues that are harmful to humans and kill ALL good bacteria.

This is not what we want. While we must use caution while using bleach to clean up mold (or any other time we use it), it still remains one of the best ways to do it. Make sure you follow the directions on the container: ventilate the space you are cleaning to avoid inhaling the strong-smelling bleach, and be sure to test the surface you are cleaning to avoid discoloration that commonly occurs on some surfaces.

For an abundant amount of information on chemical-free mold remediation, reference the free online course at Green-Buildings.Org .

If you need help deciding what type of product to use for your particular application, use the clorox product guide on the right side of this page: Clorox Cleaning Advisor .

Hopefully that answered your question!

-Suzy

Q: I’m in Arizona. My living room has four large windows and the sun just pours in. The place is like an oven. I’ve tried to put an AC unit in a window but it is getting expensive and looks awkward (it looks pretty ugly smack in the middle of my nice view). Any suggestions on what I might do instead of the AC unit? Thank you!

Bart L., AZ

A: Hi Bart,

Instead of trying to counteract the heat gain you are experiencing from the sun through your windows, you might want to try a few things that are more pro-active and will give you better results. Here’s what I suggest:

-External shading devices over windows (such as louvres or canvas awnings)
-Install UV-blocking film on windows: more info
-Mitsubishi Electric’s Mr. Slim ductless A/C unit : if you still require cooling, this is the way to go without having to place a unit in your window

Hope you can use this info! -Suzy

Q: These green affordable ideas sound great. What can one expect to pay for say a 3bed 2bath 2000 square foot abode?
Adam W.

A: Adam, studies have shown that the cost of green homes is around 3-5% more than homes that are not green, which is pretty negligible. The cost of building varies from location to location and the type of construction and some other factors play a huge role in how much the end product will cost.  The factors that affect home cost include the price of your materials, appliances, finishes, fixtures, lighting, hardware, etc. Bathrooms, kitchens, and other rooms that require fixtures and appliances use a large portion of the budget. Therefore, adding additional rooms of this type will drive up your cost. For instance, the more bathrooms you want, the more your home will cost.

If you can find good deals on these products/materials then you can greatly decrease the final price tag of a green home. This is very possible but takes a lot of time for research. If you or someone in your family can do most of the research, then you don’t have to pay your designer to do it for you, cutting the design fee and keeping your money in your own wallet. Other aspects of home design that have a significant impact on the cost of the project are the structure of your home and the level of difficulty for constructing it. If your home has a very elaborate structure then it will undoubtedly take longer to build and be very frustrating for the builder. I can assure you that they will make you pay for their time and frustration. If you work with your builder through the design process, then you can use his excellent knowledge for structural ideas that will help you best reach your project goals and tailor the design to match his skill set. This will help make sure that the construction goes smoothly, takes less time (so labor cost are less) and also heighten the quality of the craftsmanship because your builder gets to build in a way he is most comfortable. He will also appreciate your ability to hear his opinions as well as your acknowledgment of his expertise. All too many construction projects end up in arguments between the designer/builder/owner because there is a lack of respect for what the construction crew does: they deserve respect and should have good communication with everyone on the project team.

Some modern affordable homes are being built with very little addition of traditional home features on both the interior and exterior, like molding around doors/windows and roof/eave decoration. These details cost money, and by omitting them, you can leave more room in your budget for things you would like to upgrade. This may be a deluxe stove/range because you love cooking, better quality lighting that uses less energy, or solar panels to heat water or generate electricity. In general, building green adds an average of 3-5% to your overall costs, but like I said, if you  are careful to avoid excess space and details that you do not need, you can reach your goals effectively well within your budget.

Your designer can help minimize budget waste on the most costly part of home building : doors and windows. It is important when designing for a strict budget that windows are placed in the most strategic places to get the best quality daylight in your home and to maximize the effect you want, such as framing a special view or to allow plenty of fresh air in living spaces.

Your best bet for finding out exactly what your home will cost is to get in touch with a designer and discuss your goals and expectations of your home project. That way, they can help you determine which parts will be the most costly or best deal and prioritize (cut out what you don’t need/add more of what you do need) until a solution can be reached within your budget.

The average cost for US home construction is $100-200 per square foot. The more expensive options you choose (cherry cabinets, marble floors…) the higher the cost per square foot of your green home. Material costs differ from place to place. A little piece of information to get you thinking about how location affects construction price: in Panama, the cost per square foot to build a home is around $40-50 dollars.

US 2000 sq ft home: $200,000 - $400,000
Panama 2000 sq ft home: $80,000 - $100,000

In general, this is due to wages in Panama being a LOT less than what we take to the bank. I don’t want to give the impression that they are getting more for less. It all evens out- unless you work here and build in Panama!