PPT Slide
- Install a programmable thermostat. You can lower your utility bill for heating and cooling by about 10% per year just by turning back the thermostat 10-15 degrees for 8 hours.
- Install Energy Star appliances. A conventional washer uses about 40 gallons of water per load but an ENERGY STAR clothes washer uses only 20-25 gallons per load. This saves as much as 7,000 gallons of water per year, and saves you money on water and energy bills.
- Install more energy efficient furnaces. Wrap your heating ducts.
- Use ceiling fans to circulate air and ventilating fans to remove heat.
- Install drought tolerant landscaping to reduce water usage by up to a third.
- Work with your contractor to use house wraps, caulking, and weather stripping to make your home more air-tight.
- Orient your home and windows to make use of natural lighting. Use minimal glass on east and west exposures.
- Use dual or triple glazed windows to further reduce energy costs.
- Overall, the U.S. Green Building Council estimates that green building techniques can lower utility costs by up to 60% and reduce water use by up to 30%.
- Buy low-VOC (volatile organic compound), lead and mercury free paints, stains, and finishes.
- Indoor experts recommend tile, natural linoleum, cork, bamboo, hardwood flooring (treated with non-toxic stains and finishes), or wool carpeting in place of traditional carpet. If you do choose carpet, find one that emits zero or low amounts of toxic chemicals and install it with environmentally safe adhesives.
- Use materials such as stabilized decomposed granite for walkway surfaces instead of concrete. This reduces runoff, allows for water infiltration, and is produced in a more environmentally-friendly process than concrete.
- Use state-of-the-art irrigation controllers and self-closing nozzles on hoses. Use drip irrigation to supply water in non turf areas.
- Select materials containing some recycled content Not only does this conserve natural resources, it also helps to develop markets for recycled materials that are being diverted from California landfills, as mandated by the Integrated Waste Management Act.