CasaSugar

Casa Quickie: Steer Your Plants Clear of Heat

CasaSugar — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 14:00:39 -0700

It's one thing to place your houseplants in direct sunlight, but you won't do them a favor by putting them near a direct heat source (radiator, duct, oven). Doing so will dehydrate your beloved plant quickly; even if you water it diligently, the leaves will dry out. The same goes for air conditioners and vents. Plants can't handle extreme temperatures, so consider where you place them. If you happen to live in a professional kitchen, or some sort of sweatbox factory, at the very least make sure to insulate the plant by placing a thick board between the pot and the direct heat source.
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Casa Verde: Keep Your Energy Bills Low When on Holiday

CasaSugar — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 15:00:00 -0700

If you're planning on vacationing this August, you know that you don't need to use as much energy at home while you're away as you would normally. But, I thought I'd give you a few reminders about how to cut back your energy use while you're off hitting the beach.

Most people like to leave some lights on to be safe, so you appear to be home even when you're not. If you live in a city or neighborhood where that's necessary, just put a couple of your lights (facing the street) on timers to go on at night so your house doesn't appear vacant, but isn't hogging energy all day long.
Aside from your refrigerator and freezer, you can turn off and unplug all of your major and smaller appliances. But, if you'll be gone for an extended period, consider emptying your fridge and freezer all together and unplugging them as well.

There's more where these came from, so read more.

You won't be needing hot water, so you can turn your electric water heater off, too, or if you have a gas water heater, turn it to the pilot setting.
If you live in a moderate climate, you can turn your air conditioner off as well, but otherwise, set it at 85 degrees.
If you're lucky enough to have a pool, turn off your pool heater as well — Wow, they're pricey! — and reduce the amount of times that your pump filter operates. But, then again, if you can take a dip in your backyard, why take a vacation?

Coveted Crib: Cottage Rehab

CasaSugar — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 11:00:12 -0700

The owners of this 1930s cottage loved the feel of their home, but not its lack of spaciousness. The homeowners turned to CG&S Design-Build , one of Austin, TX’s premier residential design-build firms, to renovate and expand their home.

Even though the cottage has now doubled in size (to a little over 2,500 square feet), the home still retains the small footprint and feel of the original home. To maintain the look of the property, and to minimize environmental costs, the addition was built around mature shade trees, instead of removing them. Additionally, French drains were installed to move rainwater away from the home. The existing faux stone exterior walls were left intact and turned into the foyer stair hall, which helps to unite the old structure with the new addition.

To hear about the home's green features, as well as to see more photos, read more.

The foyer’s ceiling features high-efficiency operable windows that provide daylight and exhaust hot air. Large windows in all of the home's rooms also provide ample daylighting, which reduces the use of electrical lights. The home also uses high-efficiency Energy Star appliances, and a high-efficiency HVAC system (including air conditioner) make the muggy Texas climate more bearable.

View 10 Photos ›

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In the News: Keeping Cool Without AC

CasaSugar — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 04:30:03 -0700

The magazine Scientific American recently answered a reader's question about how to turn down the heat without turning on your air conditioner, and I thought it was definitely information worth sharing. You can read the whole article here, but I've summarized most of the major points below.

The key to keeping cool is maintaining air flow over the skin's surface (also known as a breeze). Thus, "Instead of turning on that AC, see which direction the breeze is blowing outside (no matter how minimal it may be), and then open a few windows strategically to try to get it flowing through the house from end-to-end or side-to-side."
Use fans if the breeze isn't doing the job.
Even better, create a wind tunnel effect by positioning one fan near a window, to pull air in, and another by the other end of your house to suck hot air out.
If your house gets a lot of sunlight, keep the curtains and/or blinds closed to cut down on the heat gain that can happen with sunlight beating down on your interior space.
Turn off lights, too! While CFLs give off much less heat than incandescent bulbs, they still produce some heat.

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Casa Verde: Save Energy While You Vacation

CasaSugar — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 15:00:00 -0700

Of course, you know that if you're going on vacation during this endless Summer, you don't need to use as much energy at home while you're away as you would normally. But, I thought I'd give you a few reminders about how to cut back your energy use while you're off soaking up the sun.

Most people like to leave some lights on to be safe, so you appear to be home even when you're not. If you live in a city or neighborhood where that's necessary, just put a couple of your lights (facing the street) on timers to go on at night so your house doesn't appear vacant, but isn't hogging energy all day long.
Aside from your refrigerator and freezer, you can turn off and unplug all of your major and smaller appliances. But, if you'll be gone for an extended period, consider emptying your fridge and freezer all together and unplugging them as well.

There's more where these came from, so read more.

You won't be needing hot water, so you can turn your electric water heater off, too, or if you have a gas water heater, turn it to the pilot setting.
If you live in a moderate climate, you can turn your air conditioner off as well, but otherwise, set it at 85 degrees.
If you're lucky enough to have a pool, turn off your pool heater as well — Wow, they're pricey! — and reduce the amount of times that your pump filter operates. But, then again, if you can take a dip in your backyard, why take a vacation?

Source

Home Away From Home: Be an Eco Chic Guest

CasaSugar — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 07:45:37 -0700

Even if you're not sleeping in your own bed and eating out of your own fridge, you can still be an eco chic guest when you're home away from home — and that doesn't necessarily translate to skipping showers or toilet paper. I've outlined a few ways that you can be environmentally friendly when you're on vacation or a business trip:

Stay in a green hotel. Environmentally friendly hotels initiate programs that save water and energy and reduce waste, while saving money, and engage in many of the same activities you do in your casa verde. You can find them through the Green Hotels Association, Environmentally Friendly Hotels, AllStays, Green Hotel Review, and Eco Hotels of the World.

There's lots more to learn, so read more

If you find yourself at a hotel that doesn't have its eco-routine down pat, there are a few things you can do on your own part to green your stay. To begin, stop by the front desk and drop off this list of sustainable and money saving tips for greening your hotel. Tell them you like to support green hotels and you'd appreciate it if they looked it over.
As fun as it is to get free things, don't be tempted by the mini bottles of shampoo and conditioner in your hotel bathroom. The amount of plastic needed to maintain hotel bathrooms, if every guest were to take the travel size bottles, is . . . scary! B.Y.O. toiletries.
You've probably stayed a hotel with towel hanger cards, gently reminding guests to reuse their towels. This practice saves water, energy use by the dryers, and money spent on utilities. And, unless your hotel is using eco laundry detergent, it prevents toxic chemicals from winding up near your skin! This also applies to sheets as well. If your hotel does not have a sheet changing card out reminding you already, you can call down to the front desk and tell them you'd prefer not to have your sheets washed during your stay. You don't wash your sheets at home once a day, so it shouldn't be necessary while you're away from home. Of course, if you have a longer stay at a hotel, you can request that they wash your linens only once a week.
Unplug! Make sure to unplug any appliances in your hotel room while they're not in use. Many electrical appliances use as much electricity when they’re off as when they're on, so pull the plug! This applies to that mini-fridge filled with $9 water bottles that you'll never drink. Kindly ask the front desk if they'll remove any perishables from the mini-fridge, so you can leave it unplugged.
Do you really need the air conditioning on? Hotels tend to leave the a/c running to ensure guests are comfortable. But it's often unnecessary. Turn it off and open the windows!
Travel light on your footprint. Avoid hopping in the cabs standing outside your hotel. Instead, take five or ten minutes to acclimate yourself with the bus system or bike rental shops of the city or town you're visiting.
Watch your wallet in the gift shop. In cities with a major tourist presence, the gift shops are a huge industry, and in many cases the products you can buy there are not even made there. What's sentimental about that? Be careful what you buy there. Many products like shells, coral, leather bracelets, snakeskin, or wooden accents don't come from well-managed or sustainable source; look for Forest Stewardship Council or Marine Aquarium Council labels to be sure you're buying from a reputable source.

Source

Casa Verde: 21 Eco-Friendly Home Improvements

CasaSugar — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 11:02:22 -0700

I'm always looking for new ways to make my home greener, so thanks to Tdamji for pointing me to this list of 21 eco-friendly home improvements. (By the way, if you haven't checked out Tdamji's Minimal Harm - For the Love of the Planet group, I highly recommend it.)

This 21-green salute will help your conscience and your pocketbook, saving money and increasing your home's value. How many of these tactics do you use in your home? Tell me in the comments section below, or share some of your own ideas.

Consider installing solar panels. If you decide to buy some, consider used ones, as they are quite a bargain and even after as long as twenty years have been known to produce a good percentage of the power that was generated when they were brand new.
Replace all the standard light bulbs in your home with compact fluorescent ones. These energy-smart bulbs use 70 to 75 percent less energy than the incandescent kind and last up to ten times longer!
Roof improvements. Believe it or not, research indicates that roof color and the type of material used can help to lower attic temperatures. Light-colored tile roofs outperform the shingle ones when it comes to decreasing temperatures.
Install a motion detector outside to replace your outdoor lighting. Outdoor lights left on all night waste energy and disturb wildlife.

For the rest of the list, read more

Don't waste water. Check your home carefully for leaky faucets and get them repaired as quickly as possible. Use cold water when laundering clothes and adjust your clean threshold if you possibly can. Those jeans of yours can probably be worn a few more times than usual before washing them, and can't that towel be dried off at least one more time before throwing it in the hamper?
Install low flow showerheads. They are a worthwhile investment (especially if you live in a rented space, because you can take them with you). They cut down on water usage and save energy costs.
Create a compost pile in your backyard. Mix food wastes with dirt and use a shovel to turn the pile over every week or so to give it some air. Turn throwaways like eggshells, coffee grounds and spoiled vegetables into soil and garbage into something useful.
Install an aluminum-clad storm door. This type of door is energy-efficient and will help to insulate the entryway of your home.
Some considerations when heating and cooling our homes: Invest in a high-efficiency HVAC system that is Energy Star certified and install it in your home. This will greatly reduce the amount of greenhouse gasses emitted. It will also shave your utility bill enough to make you smile reasonably broadly.
Clean out your air conditioner filters or replace them regularly. A dirty filter will hamper the airflow, costing you more to run your system.
Consider investing in and installing an automated thermostat. High-tech thermostats are well worth the cost, and what you spend, you will get back over time in lower energy bills.
Install glass doors for your fireplace. Glass doors are safer than fireplace screens. They also reduce the amount of heat that escapes through the chimney from your home.
Use power strips for your home computers. Even after you turn off your computer, power continues to flow to peripherals like printers and scanners.
Install more fans in your home. Ceiling fans can help reduce your family's dependence on air conditioning during the summer, and they are also helpful in the winter as they can push heat down from the ceiling.
Do an "energy audit" in your home and make a list of what needs to be done to get things up to "green par." Take that list to your online supplier or local hardware store and enlist their help in buying needed supplies.
Insulate your home. Doors and windows are two of the most obvious areas of concern when it comes to home energy conservation. Use weather-stripping.
Seal off unexpected trouble spots. Sometimes the less obvious spots in your home can be a source of energy loss and you will need to be thorough in order to seek out and destroy them! Check out the areas around light switches and electrical outlets.
Live by the code of the 3 Rs; Refuse, Reuse and Recycle. Keep these three things in mind whenever you buy, use or discard anything.
Stop a leak. Organize a "stop a leak day" on which everyone in your family tightens, insulates, replaces, caulks or does whatever else is necessary to make your home as "watertight" as possible.
Add insulation to your hot water heater. Don't forget that the standard water heater found in most homes is on all the time. Adding some extra insulation will save more energy than you would think and knock up to 15 percent off the costs of heating water.
Consider window tinting to reduce the glare of the sun. First of all, it will reduce heat loss in winter and heat gain in summer. Tinting will also eliminate up to 99 percent of damaging ultraviolet rays and reduce the fading of your fine fabrics and furnishings.