As the world’s first international green consortium, people always ask
our consultants and engineers about what they can do to start meeting their environmental
objectives. Whether you’re a homeowner looking to save on your electric
bill or a commercial developer who wants to increase the lifetime value of your
investment, going green can help you achieve your long-term goals with nominal
up-front costs.
We’ve listed five tips for going green below (not in any order of priority),
some of which you might know about and others that are on the cutting edge of
the environmental revolution.
1) Energy Efficiency
101/Change The Light Bulbs & Use Dimmers:
While everyone is talking about the switch to energy-efficient light bulbs, not
everyone is specific about it. For example, while switching from incandescent
bulbs to fluorescent bulbs is helpful and can save you 30-36 dollars for the
life of the bulb, LED (Light Emitting Diode) bulbs (like the ones they used on
the 2007 Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center) offer the most savings in both
cash and energy. LED bulbs, while initially more expensive, use only 1/30th the
energy of incandescent and 1/3 the energy of compact fluorescents. They also
last up to 60,000 hours (approximately 12 hours of light a day for 12 years).
So, pairing these with economical dimming switches that allow you more control
of your light output can cumulatively add up to over 90% savings over standard
technology.
2) Insulate Smartly:
While using current methods to insulate your floors, attics, and walls are inherently
green in that they maximize energy efficiency by keeping the hot air in and the
cold air out (or vice versa in the summer), using green materials like cotton,
soy, foam, and cellulose in the process allows you to be doubly effective. This
means you can kill two birds with one stone by saving energy with sustainable
materials that don’t deplete our natural resources. Further, using sustainable
materials that have low VOC ratings prevent off-gassing and create a cleaner
environment with fewer allergens.
3) Solar Hot Water & Pool
Systems:
While everyone may have heard about using solar power, not everyone knows that
solar hot water systems and solar pool heating are relatively inexpensive solutions
that result in tremendous energy savings. Both of these systems allow you to
heat your water with solar energy by using solar thermal collectors and a liquid
system for transferring heat from the collectors to where the water will be used,
as well as a reservoir for heat storage. First used in Europe, these systems
have been shown to supply between 50-75% of domestic hot water energy.
4) Geothermal:
Another green secret that most people remain unaware of, geo-thermal heat pumps
that use the ground, rather than outside air, to provide heating and cooling
are becoming popular and affordable. Geo-thermal heat pumps are usually comprised
of coils that are installed beside your home in one of four ground loop styles—vertical,
horizontal, slinky and pond. A liquid is then piped through the coil system to
pull heat from the ground in winter or to deliver heat to the ground in summer.
Geo-thermal heating and cooling is energy and cost efficient and since no fossil
fuel resources are burned, there are no emissions, making it a clean choice as
well. Not only that, but these systems use about 30% less energy than a standard
heat pump and are much quieter than other systems.
5) Ice Cold Compound:
This coolant compound provides an innovative way to get more out of your preexisting
air conditioning system. By simply pouring Ice Cold into your air-conditioning
system just as you would Freon, you increase energy transfer and improve your
energy without any oil fouling that can degrade your system. Basically, Ice Cold
allows your refrigerants to boil water at a lower temperature, which results
in up to 20% savings on your air conditioning bills due to more efficient energy
consumption.
Contact
us now to find out how you can go green on your
residential or commercial development project.
And be sure to look back to this site for more useful information on making green
choices easier and more affordable. As a full service green solutions provider,
MyPlanet remains dedicated to not only aiding eco-friendly development but also
to disseminating the crucial information the world needs to combat climate change.
