Recycla recently read an interesting article about how the Empire State Building is going through a $120 million renovation that includes $13.2 million in green upgrades. The historic building will get 6,500 new windows; upgraded lighting, cold water, and ventilation systems; and more. Once complete, the improvements will save $4.4 million a year in energy costs, which will pay off the green part of the renovation in only three years.
Elsewhere in the country, other large and/or historic buildings are undergoing similar renovations, including the Sears Tower in Chicago. These renovations are occurring for two reasons: 1) to increase the buildings’ energy efficiency and 2) to become more desirable to potential tenants who are requesting things like fluorescent bulbs, green roofs, bike racks, and more.
While it might not seem like it, these renovations are just a hint at all the things that you the Eco Warrior can do to your own home. If a large skyscraper can be updated and made more green, then your home can be too. No matter if you own or rent, have a large budget or a small one, or are handy with tools or not, the following list contains projects that EVERY Eco Warrior can do.
- Replace light bulbs with fluorescent ones. Duh. If you haven’t done this yet, what are you waiting for?
- Angle your blinds/close curtains in the summer to block the sun’s heat. Alternate this with opening curtains/blinds in the winter to allow the sun to shine in and warm rooms.
- Install a set-back (programmable) thermostat. In the summer, program it so that your AC isn’t as cool while you’re at work or gone for long periods. In the winter, set the thermostat lower while you’re at work and also at night while you sleep (toss an extra blanket on your bed if you get chilly).
- Caulk around windows/doors to plug leaks. If your budget allows it, replace windows and doors with newer, better insulated ones. (Hint: Look at your local Habitat for Humanity store for new windows and doors at great prices. Recycla is getting a new garden shed and her builder found new windows at Habitat for $25 each.)
- If you have an attic, is it sufficiently insulated? Remember how your mother made you wear a hat in the winter because so much of a human’s body heat is lost through the head? Well an uninsulated attic is the same thing as an uncovered noggin.
- Insulate exposed ductwork in your basement and other unheated spaces in your house. The materials cost is nominal and it won’t take that much of your time. On a related note, also insulate your hot water heater.
- Set the temperature on your hot water heater to 120 degrees Fahrenheit — going higher is a waste of energy, but also don’t go lower than 120, as you run the risk of getting Legionnaire’s Disease.
- Put your hot water heater on a timer so that it’s not making hot water during those times you don’t need it, such as in the middle of the night.
- Dry some or all of your clothes on a clothes line or drying rack. Recycla has a clothes line hanging above her washer and dryer and uses it to air dry all fleece clothes — they’re essentially dry when they come out of the washer anyway — and other things such as lingerie, jeans, and more.
- If you have an older house, replace your toilets with the low-flow variety. You’ll save hundreds of gallons of water every year. Replace faucets and shower heads with low-flow versions to increase your water savings.
- If you are a gardener, install rain barrels so that you’ll have a ready, free supply of water for your garden all summer.
- And of course, there are the larger, more expensive projects, such as installing solar panels, replacing your roof with a green roof, and more.
Before you embark on any project, do your research to make sure you’re getting the right materials/upgrade for your home. Also, find out if your project will be partially or completely funded by either federal or local government rebates. In Recycla’s old house, she and her husband replaced all of the old toilets with new low-flow ones as part of a water-saving rebate program.
Tell the Eco Women: What kinds of things have you done to green your home?
I do most of these things but haven’t tried the rain barrels – I’ll talk with my husband about that. I angle the blinds and pull the curtains, in fact I hang curtains up over skylights when it’s super hot – which isn’t too often here in P,O. but every little bit helps.
You may not need that dryer at all…
Big energy savings can be had with the right combination of laundry equipment. The new front-load washers not only use less water, but they do not need hot water AND the spin the clothes out so fast that they come out almost dry.
Then just take those ‘almost dry’ clothes and hang them up on a clothes drying rack indoor or out (depending on the season). If you get in the habit of doing one load each evening then there is plenty of time to let them hang dry all day overnight.
Clean dry laundry with very little water usage, less equipment cost, and great energy savings!