Know what your TV, DVD player, cordless phone, computer and cable box are really costing you - even when you are not using them!
For those seeking a home that maximizes efficiency and strive to be as sustainable as possible, LivingHomes is one of the best options available. An exciting and unique company, they build modular, prefabricated homes and take care to ensure that every step in the manufacturing process and every facet of the design maximizes efficiency and energy savings.
LivingHomes is at the forefront of the green building movement, seamlessly blending modern technological production with sustainable building. The home they built for the technology magazine Wired is the perfect showcase for their prefabricated, eco-friendly luxury homes.
Cynthia Kiktavi Design specializes in creating beautiful and eco-friendly outdoor living environments that meet the architectural elements of the home and the design styles of her clients. She is also the southern California representative for an innovative artificial grass product.
During those hot summer months, everyone wants to stay cool. In the home, that often requires consuming lots of increasingly expensive energy cooling down the house. However, there are lots of little tricks that can keep you cool and reduce the need to blast your air conditioner, conserving energy and saving money.
Charge your cell phone or MP3 Player with free sunshine!
David is a licensed Realtor with Campbell Wellman Properties and an Eco-Broker sponsored Real Estate Brokerage in Los Angeles. He specializes in Westside Real Estate and has advised clients on investment in both commercial and residential Green properties. David participates in both Heal the Bay and Environment California fundraising/volunteer efforts.
According to the dictionary, "smell" is the faculty to perceive odors or scents by means of organs in the nose. In reality, your sense of smell is much more complex, having a profound affect on your moods and perceptions. Smell and taste expert Dr. Alan Hirsch believes it is likely that certain odors can influence our perception of a room's size.
This is my VERY FIRST blog...not just on this site, but EVER!
Thank you for visiting Eco Home Resource! This site has been a true labor of love and I personally have learned a lot in the process. The intention of this site is to be a true resource that will help you create and maintain a healthy home and work environment, one that will support you and inspire you to live your best life. Since we are intrinsically connected to everything, what is healthy for you, will be healthy for the planet.
Choose organic linens and bedding--cotton in conventional bedding and linens requires significant chemical inputs for its growth and processing....
Shop at unfinished wood furniture stores and finish the items with plant-based, natural finishes--you'll avoid chemicals from new materials and also save money....
VOCs (volatile organic compounds) often found in carpeting and paint can have short- and long-term adverse health effects....
Switching to cold water when doing laundry can save the average household more than $40 annually....
You can reduce cooking energy by as much as 80 percent when using your microwave instead of oven for small portions....
Replacing an older refrigerator with a new Energy Star qualified model can save $45 - $65 a year....
On hotter days dialing up the thermostat by only two degrees and using your ceiling fan can lower air conditioning costs by up to 14 percent....
Energy Star consumer electronics products use less energy without sacrificing quality or performance....
Energy Star qualified room air conditioners use at least 10 percent less energy than standard models....
Energy Star compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) use less energy and last up to 10 times longer than standard incandescent light bulbs....
Replacing your five most frequently used light bulbs with Energy Star qualified bulbs can save more than $65 a year in energy costs....
At Go Green Construction we pride ourselves on delivering quality craftsmanship using renewable, sustainable materials. Our homes offer an attractive alternative to traditional construction while promoting a healthier environment for our clients and the planet.
A solar power system on your home is a long term, low risk, high return investment.
Standard kitchen and bathroom water faucets use 4 to 7 gallons of water per minute (gpm) and non-conserving shower heads use 5 to 8 gpm, consuming up to 40 gallons of water for a single five-minute shower. Simply installing a high-efficiency shower head and faucet aerator will save about 7,800 gallons of water per year in an average household.
By replacing your old major appliances with energy efficient ones you can help save significant energy...and money!
Did you know that using a traditional gas-powered lawn mower for an hour produces as much air pollution as a new car driving 350 miles?...
The easiest place to save in the construction process is in the planning stage. The design-build delivery system is becoming more popular as the most efficient way to design a home, cutting out unnecessary steps and miscommunication in the process.
If you thought your home was a haven from the pollution of the city, it's important to note that levels of pollutants inside the home can actually be almost 20 times higher than outdoors. Indoor pollution is due in large part to volatile organic compounds that off-gas from home cleaning and decorating products.
At Go Green Construction we believe that green is 80% planning and 20% materials. There is so much than can be done in the planning stages that will not only reduce the amount of energy necessary to build and maintain the house, but can also save you money.
By using plants that are indigenous to one's climate zone you can reduce energy and water waste, saving you money. This will also create a regional diversity, allowing the area you live in to have its own personality.
Ellen is the owner of Livingreen, a retail store which offers alternative building materials and furnishings.
Tracy Stone Architect is committed to green design and sustainable environments.
Paul is a founder of Plug In America and an advocate for renewable energy.
Kelly Lerner designs energy-efficient and naturally sustainable remodeling projects.
David Kates is a reporter and blogger for AlternativeEnergy.com.
Dr. Alan Hirsch is a nationally recognized smell and taste expert.
Steve Glenn is the founder and CEO of Living Homes, LLC, an environmentally-friendly development company.
Kim Colwell, a BFA graduate of NYU, is a sustainable interior designer, second generation feng shui master and partner at the Shambhalla Institute.
Suzy is the founder and a teacher at the Iris School of Color, as well as a published author.
Laura is currently the Business Development Manager at Siemens Building Technologies Energy & Environmental Solutions, where she develops alternative energy projects, including solar, and landfill gas-to-energy.
Compact florescent light bulbs have garnered cries of disgust from consumers since they were introduced thirty years ago. These bulbs were too big for some lamps, expensive ($20 or more), flickered and buzzed, and had poor light quality (a cold dimness). But technology has caught up with customer demands for energy-efficient bulbs that shine warm, bright light similar to standard incandescent bulbs.
If you want to lower utility bills and limit your use of polluting energy sources, replacing your home refrigerator is a wise choice. Refrigerators and freezers account for nearly 17 percent of a home's energy use, more than any other appliance.
Technological advances for clothes washers in the last decade have led to considerable water and electricity savings.Efficient washers can cut utility bills by $50 and use 7,000 gallons less water per year. This is more than 40 percent less energy and 55 percent less water than conventional washers. Throughout the eleven-year expected life of the unit, enough water is saved to provide six people with drinking water for their entire lives.
So you want to install solar panels on your home. You're tired for forking over big bucks to the electric, gas and oil companies. You're starting to think that global warming from greenhouse gases (emitted by power plants and vehicles) may be more reality than sci fi movie plot. You're progressive, darn it, and proud of it. Whatever you're reasoning, you want to go solar. So where do you begin?
You've probably been complaining lately about the freezing rain, piles of snow, and cold, whipping wind. It's been hard to keep your home or business warm this winter, and the heating bills have been shockingly high with the record oil and natural gas prices.
Water conservation is something that ought to be on everyone's minds these days. Drought, and shorter rainy seasons combined with overuse and waste is almost a recipe for disaster in this day and age.