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The Complete Guide to a Green Home: The Good Citizen's Guide to Earth-Friendly Remodeling & Home Maintenance
Go Green & Gain Peace of Mind With this book, readers can sleep well knowing their remodeling and repair practices are protecting the environment and keeping their families healthy. This beautiful step-by-step guide features a host of practical projects and practices for green-thinking homeowners with a hands-on attitude. Offering a boost for the spirit, a refresher for the body and a balm for the planet, it is a comprehensive primer for eco-friendly home stewardship. "Black & Decker The Complete Guide to The Green Home" is the first home remodeling book to recognize both the broadening appeal of green practices and the fact that working within those guidelines can be done without extraordinary methods or premium prices. From kitchen remodeling to landscaping to installing lighting and flooring, there is hardly an aspect of modern homeownership that canoCOt be conducted with a preference for sustainable products, efficient energy use and reduced toxicity. Truly consumer-friendly, this new book presents a succession of manageable green projects shown with detailed photography and accompanied by sound instructions. Part of the industry-leading "Black & Decker The Complete Guide" line of books, "The Complete Guide to The Green Home" is a hardworking handbook for home remodeling and maintenance that improves our quality of life while remaining easy on the Earth.
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How to Solar Power Your Home: Everything You Need to Know Explained Simply
Now more than ever, the question of economic and environmentally friendly energy sources has become a hot topic in almost every American home. With that in mind, more and more people are turning to alternatives such as solar power as a means of saving money and reducing their imprint on the environment. This nearly carbon neutral method comes with hefty tax rebates from the federal government and in states like California and New Jersey massive rebates from the state. More states are considering similar rebates and with a 3 to 8 year energy savings possible according to a recent report by the New York Times, it is an ideal solution for anyone looking to save money in the long term and help the planet immediately. This book will guide anyone interested in the process of installing and utilizing solar power for their home in the process of searching for, buying, or building their own solar power system. Learn how solar power and other alternative energy sources can help to save the world regardless of the cost and how you can start surveying your own energy use and efficiency. Learn how you can start making basic adjustments to become more efficient and how solar power can help you before you start any major projects. Learn what solar power requires, from cost and equipment to maintenance and preparation in certain times of the year. Learn how solar power works and how to start evaluating the potential of it for your building needs. Take the cost of installing solar power and learn how long it will take to make money back on your investment, including information on federal and state rebates that might affect you. Multiple individuals who have successfully installed solar power in their homes have been interviewed and their experiences included in this guide to help you learn what others go through and how they came out. Learn how the installation process works and how it can be done in your landscape, in small projects, for heating and purifying water, swimming pool heating, and other smaller projects. Learn about how individuals construct solar power systems on their own to save money and what is involved in a full PV system. Finally, learn how the market for green homes has made it possible to extract a huge return on investment from building or remodeling a home with solar power. For anyone who has ever considered solar power as a viable means to save money and the environment, this guide will help you get started right away.
The Home Energy Diet: How to Save Money by Making Your House Energy-Smart
With rising energy costs, homeowners are beginning to examine the energy efficiency of their own homes, asking questions about where energy comes from and how much it costs, how to choose new appliances and what options exist for renewable energy. "The Home Energy Diet" answers all these questions and more while helping readers take control of their personal energy use and costs so they can save money, live more comfortably and help the environment. Energy auditor Paul Scheckel first explores energy literacy, and then describes how your home uses-and "loses"-energy you pay for via: Electricity Hot water Heating and air conditioning Windows, walls and insulation "The Home Energy Diet" involves readers in learning about their own homes by: measuring, metering, investigating and considering habits related to household energy use; learning how to quantify energy consumption and cost and making informed decisions about cost-effective improvements and upgrades. The book explores the misunderstood concept of efficiency versus cost by comparing fuel costs and equipment choices, including the possibility of using renewable energy for meeting home energy needs. This authoritative guide makes efficiency fun through personal anecdotes and humorous "tales-from-the-basement" energy misadventures. Since energy efficiency is an investment that offers returns greater than Wall Street, readers can earn several hundred dollars "every year" just by following the advice in this book. As a bonus, many of the energy-saving strategies described can make for improved indoor air quality and healthier, more comfortable homes. Paul Scheckel is an energy auditor who has visited thousands of homes, educating people about energy efficiency, cost-effective improvements and indoor air quality. With a passion for efficiency and renewables, he walks the talk by living in a solar-powered house and driving a car powered by vegetable oil in his home state of Vermont.
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."