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Green Home Improvement: 65 Projects That Will: Cut Utility Bills, Protect Your Health, Help the Environment
In a tight economy, this book offers clear financial benefits: Helps homeowners immediately cut their utility bills. Fits with the trend toward smaller home improvements most of the projects require only a modest investment. Gives readers an edge when they sell their homes buyers are especially looking for energy-efficiency, but they're also tuned into green health and environmental concerns. The books projects range from quick, easy, low- or no-cost tasks like insulating a water heater, sealing foundation cracks, or painting with insulating paint to bigger-ticket items such as installing a new energy-efficient heating system, windows, or green flooring. For each project, readers will learn: the steps required; material and installation options; what the improvement will cost; payback in savings on utility bills; health, comfort, and environmental benefits. More than 65 Go Green tips highlighted throughout the book give readers ideas for quick, easy, and often low- or no-cost things they can do, right away, to make their homes and lifestyles greener. Projects include: Green flooring & paint options Environmentally friendly cabinetry & countertops Whole-house insulation & weather-stripping High-efficiency heating & cooling Water conservation Efficient lighting, appliances & plumbing fixtures including Energy Star and WaterSense models Solar electric and water heating systems Eco-friendly roofing & siding Energy-efficient windows, doors & skylights Green materials for patios, walkways & driveways Landscaping & irrigation for water conservation and energy.
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The Simply Solar House: Green Building on a Budget
"The Simply Solar House" is unique in its practical approach to designing a highly energy efficient house using common construction materials and practices. Drawing upon their experience building a solar house in central North Carolina, the authors describe the key features of energy efficient home design in simple and easy to understand language. This book is the perfect guide for cost conscious homebuilders who are inspired by the Green Revolution and passionate about preserving our environmental quality.
Living Green: The Missing Manual
Taking care of the earth is more important than ever, but the problems we're facing can seem overwhelming. "Living Green: The Missing Manual" helps make earth-friendly decisions more manageable by narrowing them down to a few simple choices. This all-in-one resource is packed with practical advice on ways you can help the environment by making simple changes in your home routine, work habits, and the way you shop and get around town. You don't have to embark on a radical new lifestyle to make a difference. "Living Green: The Missing Manual" shows you how small changes can have a big impact. With this book, you will: Learn how to make your home energy efficient and free of toxic chemicals Discover how to reduce waste, repurpose and recycle, and do more with less Build and remodel earth-friendly homes with new techniques and materials Learn tips for buying organic food and what it takes to grow your own Get helpful information on fuel-efficient cars, including hybrid and electric models Make your workplace greener and more cost-effective -- from changes at your desk to suggestions for company-wide policies Explore how to choose renewable energies, such as wind and solar power The book also provides you with ways to connect with like-minded people and offers a survey of exciting new green technologies. Learn how you can help the planet with "Living Green: The Missing Manual."
Energy-Wise Landscape Design: A New Approach for Your Home and Garden
Residential consumption represents nearly one quarter of North America's total energy use and the average homeowner spends thousands of dollars a year on power bills. To help alleviate this problem, "Energy-Wise Landscape Design" presents hundreds of practical ways everyone can save money, time, and effort while making their landscapes more environmentally healthy, ecologically rich, and energy efficient. Combining general guidelines with tips, techniques, and actions, this fully illustrated guide explains the many opportunities our landscapes provide for conserving energy. Readers will learn how to: Lower a home's heating and cooling costs Minimize fuel used in landscape construction, maintenance, and everyday use Choose landscape products and materials with lower embedded energy costs Make a positive difference without a major investment or change in lifestyle Intended for homeowners, gardeners, landscape professionals, and students, the design ideas in this book will work in every type of setting--large or small, hilly or flat, urban or rural. Written in non-scientific language with clear explanations and an easy conversational style, "Energy-Wise Landscape Design" is an essential resource for everyone who wants to shrink their energy footprint while enhancing their property and adding value to their home. Sue Reed is a registered landscape architect and a specialist in ecological landscape design who has helped hundreds of homeowners create comfortable, livable, and beautiful landscapes that save energy. She is also an experienced writer and teacher whose work specifically focuses on environmentally sound, energy-efficient, and sustainable landscape design.