The rewards of making your home eco-friendly are energy savings and a healthier environment. Even small eco-friendly home ideas, like insulating and composting, are important steps. Larger projects, like switching to domestic solar or wind power, are becoming more attractive all the time, and if you’re thinking about remodeling, use eco-friendly materials for long-lasting results. Making your home eco-friendly not only helps slow climate change, but it also lowers your power bills. Plus, some pretty significant government incentives mean being eco-friendly is more affordable than ever.
Eco-friendly Households in the U.S.
The average carbon footprint – total greenhouse gas emissions – for a typical U.S. household is about 50 tons per year, nearly five times the average worldwide. Driving and transportation like air travel are responsible for accurate mobile phone number list the bulk of these emissions. Electricity, natural gas, waste and food account for most of the remaining greenhouse gases while use of services completes the balance.
Eco-Friendly Home Ideas for Reducing Your Carbon Footprint
When you make changes in your kommentaar om sjen home, save money by keeping the environment in mind. If you are remodeling your kitchen, for example, buy Energy Star appliances to replace your older, inefficient models, and you will use less power.
HVAC
Switching out your older heating and cooling systems with high-efficiency equipment produces virtually instant energy savings. Add an annual reduction of 500 pounds of CO2 when you turn your thermostat down 5 degrees in winter and up 5 degrees in summer, and you shrink your footprint even more.
Transportation
Unless you already drive aqb directory a super-efficient car, trade it in for a model with better gas mileage. For example, if you drive a pickup, swap it for a hybrid. A car that gets just 5 more miles to the gallon saves you hundreds of gas dollars annually. It also cuts your CO2 emissions by more than 1000 pounds.
Recycling
You can make a real dent in household waste emissions by recycling your glass, plastic, newspapers and cans rather than tossing them in the garbage. Your family will cut about 1000 pounds off your yearly greenhouse gas emission total.
More Ideas
All of the seemingly small eco-friendly decisions you make add up to a significant reduction in your family’s carbon footprint. Some other eco-friendly home ideas that are both inexpensive and effective in reducing your family’s environmental impact include:
- Cutting down on power by replacing incandescent light bulbs with CFLs and LEDs
- Tracking your energy use to identify and eliminate waste
- Using a programmable thermostat to automatically save on heating and cooling fuel
- Sealing cracks and gaps around your windows and exterior doors
- Replacing worn-out weather stripping
Solar Power
Solar and wind systems are cheaper than ever before. The cost of a whole house solar energy system ranges from around $15,000 for a 3-kilowatt system up to $40,000 for a system that generates 8 kW of power. When you account for the components, permit fees, installation and overhead, you should plan on paying between $6 and $8 per watt for an installed solar system. Be sure to subtract any government incentives, tax breaks or subsidies, and you will see your savings grow.
