Consumer E-Newsletter - 07/26/2007 (Plain Text Version)View Graphical Version | Subscribe
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Editor... In this issue: It Pays to Go Green When Remodeling
Remodeling accounts for more than 40 percent of the home construction. “Americans spent more than $230 billion last year in home remodeling, with energy-efficient and sustainable products representing an increasing share of the market,” Nagel said. Statistics from NAHB illustrate that most remodelers already use energy-efficient products and green materials. Eighty-five percent of remodelers surveyed used low-emissivity windows, which keep energy from leaking from the house. Sixty-eight percent use insulated exterior doors and 56 percent installed high-efficiency heating and air conditioning systems. Further, more than 75 percent avoid using wood from old-growth forests and 65 percent use recycled or recyclable materials in their construction. Over the course of its transformation in recent years from a Discovery Channel phenomenon to a common concern for home owners everywhere, green remodeling has led to better green technology. “Now, more than ever, it is easy being green,” Nagel said. Greening up your home to save on energy bills is easy to do if you know where to start. NAHB and Bank of America Equity’s Study of Life Expectancy of Home Components (SLEHC) and ENERGY STAR®, a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy show that water is one of the biggest sources of waste. It is also a place where home owners can make a big energy difference. By doing something as small as reducing how much water a bathroom uses, home owners can save hundreds of dollars a year. SLEHC statistics show that the average lifespan of a shower or bath enclosure is 50 years, and an ENERGY STAR-rated low-flow showerhead can save a homeowner up to $145 per year over the showerhead’s lifetime. With that in place, according to ENERGY STAR, “A 10-minute shower can use less water than a full bath.” Toilets are another area where water conservation is a worry. The average bathroom toilet lasts about twenty years, according to the SLEHC, but a new energy-efficient toilet would make it worth remodeling earlier than that. High-efficiency, dual-flush toilets save thousands of gallons of water compared to their conventional counterparts, and pay for themselves in 10 years. The Department of Energy has also found that lighting is a big contributor to home energy use. Fortunately, it is also a place where homeowners can easily take action. By replacing five of the most-used light bulbs in a home with ENERGY STAR-rated lighting, home owners can save up to $60 a year on their energy bills and also equip their homes with fixtures that give off less heat. The government is another source for consumers wanting to save while going green. Home owners can become eligible for federal tax credits by putting in a solar water heater, which pays back its $3,000-$5,000 cost in 10 years. State tax credits are also available. Check out the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency to learn more. With all of these options, home owners have every reason to dive into the world of green remodeling.
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