Tips for Greening Your Home

From Green Right Now

Green Right Now went to LEED-accredited architect and building scientist Peter Pfeiffer for advice. Along with partner Alan Barley, Pfeiffer founded Barley & Pfeiffer Architects on a commitment to environmentally responsive green building more than two decades ago. GRN sat down with Pfeiffer in his Austin office to tap his experience and posed the questions: ‘How can I make my existing home greener? What’s the smart approach?’ His recommendations follow.

• Tighten up your home — There are little things you can do that make a big difference — reducing air leaks in your house is huge. Weather strip your doors and make sure your windows close tightly.

• Block solar radiation — Stop radiation before it comes in through the glass by shading the windows and the roof.  Take a house with a flat roof or no overhanging eaves. You can reduce solar radiation two simple ways: Put solar screens on the windows, which block solar radiation, or install awnings above the windows. Awnings are probably the best solution. And there are more contemporary-looking awnings today; they don’t have to look like those you’d get out of a 1950s Sears, Roebucks catalog.

• Choose a white or metal roof — If you’re replacing your roof, go with white or unpainted galvalum metal. A white car collects less heat on a summer afternoon than a dark car; it’s common sense. If you lay down wood strips to create an airspace beneath it, a metal roof will make your house much cooler and more comfortable. And it will save you more energy than $25,000 worth of solar collectors can produce.

• Install fluorescent lighting – Traditional fluorescents have changed radically over the past few years. With the new types of light bulbs and ballast, they’re fantastically efficient, generate much less heat and last seven times longer. They make really skinny tubes that light up immediately, put out flicker-free light and give you great color rendition.

• Select energy-efficient appliances — A refrigerator runs all the time, making it the second largest consumer of energy in your home after the air conditioner. Be sure to get an energy efficient model, one that’s earned the Energy Star®. The ones with ice maker dispensers on the door aren’t as efficient, because they have less insulation and use more energy. Also consider an induction cook-top. They put to use 85% of the energy that goes into them, whereas a normal gas cook-top uses only 15%-25% of energy in the cooking process. Microwave ovens are much more efficient than electrical and gas ovens.

• Conserve water — Water conservation is much more effective than trying to be your own rainwater collector or gray water re-user. Come up with ways to use less water before investigating the cost of putting in a rainwater collection system. Low-flow showerheads, front-loading washing machines, ultra-low-flow toilets, drought-tolerant landscaping — those things alone can save you 5,000-10,000 gallons a month.

For more tips on how to retrofit your home, go to Green Right Now.

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