Go Green at Home: Few Simple Ways

[natalie]

For us to expect a completely green tomorrow, a few simple adaptations in our present lifestyle can be very beneficial. To start with, we may incorporate some minor habits at our home like:

[B]Parties or Celebrations:[/B] Instead of using plastic cups & plates when having a party, try using normal glass ware.


[B]Electrical Appliances:[/B] Don’t forget to turn off the TV’s, lights, fans & other electrical appliances when not in use.


[B]Microwaves:[/B] These tend to use less energy than the normal cookers, so try using these as far as possible.


[B]Kettle:[/B] Fill up the kettle only enough for the number of cups required. Do not overfill it as this will utilize more energy.

[B]Conserve Water:[/B] Instead of running long baths, take a quick shower & keep the taps off when not in use.


[B]Cleaners:[/B] Using normal baking soda is a much better replacement to expensive chemical cleaners.

[sueerassmus]

Here is an interesting article on some really great green homes:

The best green homes? They're low-cost to luxury

The Charity Works Greenhouse in McLean, Va., won the National Association of Home Builder's award for custom luxury home. The U-shaped house, completed last year, opens to a courtyard. It has geothermal heating, Structural Insulated Panels and rooftop solar panels.

This year's best green homes include both affordable and luxurious residences, according to awards given this week by the National Association of Home Builders.

Rosewood Hills, a 166-unit development in Columbia, S.C., won the award for affordable green homes by a production builder from the National Association of Home Builders.
CAPTIONColumbia Housing AuthorityRosewood Hills, a 166 unit-development by the Columbia Housing Authority in Columbia, S.C. won the award for best affordable home by a production builder. It includes a mix of single-family homes (pictured to the right), townhouses, apartments and duplexes. It won a similar award last year from the U.S. Green Building Council.


The NAHB, which rates homes for their eco-friendliness as does the USGBC, announced the awards during its 12th annual Green Building Conference in Raleigh, N.C. As best affordable custom home, it picked The Cottage by J.R. Construction Building & Design of Petoskey, Mich.

Winning in the luxury category for a production builder is a factory-built home in Marietta, Ga., by New World Home, which you can tour on YouTube or click here.

This house contains no renewable energy sources, but it still earned USGBC's platinum rating. It has a well-insulated envelope with high-performance windows, Energy Star appliances and low-flow plumbing fixtures.

Charity Works Greenhouse in McLean, Va., pictured at the top of this post, was picked as the best luxury custom home. It was built by GreenSpur and designed by Washington-based Cunningham/Quill Architects. (Disclosure: this is the firm that's designed the ultra-efficient home I'll be building in Falls Church, Va.)


The house features Structural Insulated Panels, geothermal heating/cooling and rooftop solar panels. A 90-minute film about it was shown in March at the D.C. Environmental Film Festival.