Environmental Renovations to Your Home | THE GREEN ENERGY ...

Guest Post

The environmentally conscious green initiative of the 21st Century has
brought with it a great concern for new building standards and solutions
to remediate the negative impact that our homes have on resident?s
health and the environment. With so many options, some large and
expensive while others are small and simple to incorporate, it can be
difficult to know where to begin. It is commonly recommended that the
smaller improvements be made as new consumable products are introduced
into the home while larger improvements are considered with each major
home renovation project. It would be a daunting task to try and convert
every aspect of an existing home to green standards, so a conscious
awareness of environmentally friendly product standards and building
methods can help homeowners make incremental improvements without the
burden of having to try and address every consideration immediately.

Small Upgrades that Make a Difference

Energy-efficient solutions come in all shapes and sizes that once
combined amount to financial savings realized within the homeowner?s
energy budget and a more environmentally-friendly home. Some examples of
small upgrades that can make a difference include programmable
thermostats, weather stripping around exterior doors, energy-efficient
lighting with timers and dimmer switches, and the use of low-emission
and recycled interior home products. These improvements can be
considered no-cost solutions because programmable thermostats, weather
stripping, and energy efficient lighting all will pay for themselves
with future savings while low-emission and recycled home products are
items that can be selected when the time comes to replace older unwanted
items. By reducing waste and re-using materials homeowners are improving
both the environment of their homes as well as the larger environment as
a whole.

Considerations for Larger Renovations

A greater impact with long-term savings can be realized with larger
renovation projects that affect the home?s overall energy performance.
This would include the purchase and installation of energy-efficient
heating equipment, water heaters, home appliances, and windows as well
as remodeling projects that utilize low or no-VOC paints and varnishes,
low-emission flooring, trim, and doors. These types of solutions
incorporate new building standards and material specifications that
provide for a healthier, more comfortable, and environmentally conscious
home.

Larger projects of this sort use a two-pronged approach to energy
savings. The first is a reduced consumption of energy resources by the
newly designed products and materials that are being manufactured with
considerations for efficiency and environmental impact, and the second
is a focus on the reduction in waste that is common within the
traditional building standards of the past. Newly development equipment
and appliances in the home are manufactured so that they require less
energy to operate while functioning at peak performance. It is no longer
necessary to apply more power to equipment to gain more output.
Additionally, windows and doors are now being designed and manufactured
with the recognition that these products need to reduce heat loss in
order to reduce the homeowner?s energy consumption. Less efficient
products are rapidly losing value in this changing market.

Saving Energy Means Saving Money while Helping Save the Environment

Green technologies and environmentally conscious home improvements do
many things that will benefit the homeowner. Saving energy through a
reduction in energy requirements and the limiting of waste both lessen
the impact that a home has on the environment and this is important
because U.S homes currently have unnecessarily large environmental
footprints. Saving energy is also directly linked to saving money. Every
homeowner can appreciate the smaller utility bills that result from
environmentally conscious renovations. Overtime, the savings that
accumulate from reduced monthly energy consumption can become quite
substantial. These savings can be put towards further improvements
eventually covering the expense of each improvement along the way.

From the minor changes in the short term to the larger renovation
projects that have a greater impact, the awareness of
environmentally-friendly options lead to responsible choices. By
approaching home efficiency with a step-by-step approach, homeowners can
move in a direction that promotes a healthier, more comfortable
environment both within the home and for the community at large.

Provided by: RefinanceMortgageRates.org

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