Find New Homes For Your Junk... Out In Your Yard

In the age of sustainable design, why is it that I still find myself driving by mountains of junk sitting in front of people's homes waiting for trash pick up? Instead of spending tons of money at home stores and nurseries why not repurpose your old junk into new landscape creations.

Anything can be reused or repurposed with a little elbow grease. Do you have an old, broken ironing board you want to get rid of? How about turning that old ironing board into a plant shelf or maybe a whimsical cocktail bar?

There are so many options when you reuse or repurpose things you consider junk. An old BBQ can become a fire pit or a rustic planter, broken pottery or glass can become decorative mulch for planters, old counter tops can be broken into pieces and become stepping stones, the list truly is endless.

Anyone can be green and practice sustainability if you stop and think before you throw things away. Take a step back and look at the item, use a little imagination, you never know what you might come up with. People always use the expression, "one man's junk is another man's treasure", but maybe we can figure out how our own junk can be made into our own treasure?

Check out Energy Upgrade California

If you haven't already... be sure to check out the Energy Upgrade California website. All you have to do is enter "Sacramento County" and you will be brought to a specialized page that gives you rebates and incentives that are available in Sacramento County for doing "green" upgrades. You can also locate certified contractors in your area along with all kinds of tips and facts.
This is a cooperative program that is funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and managed by the California Energy Commission. The basis of the program is to help raise energy efficiency percentages for California residents while helping out of work contractors get the necessary training to do the energy retrofit work. This program is truly a "win win" program for residents of California.

Check out my new column at the Sacramento Examiner

Along with my own blog here at It Pays To Be Green In The Valley I am now writing for the Sacramento Examiner as their Green Building Materials Examiner. If you have time you should definitely check it out:

http://www.examiner.com/green-building-materials-1-in-sacramento/benjamin-griffin

Nature's Affordable, Efficient Patio Cover

Valley residents love to get their shade from pre-fab, aluminum patio covers. Proper shading of one's home is essential in the sunny California Central Valley, but at what price? Why not take advantage of one of Mother Nature's greatest patio covers... trees.

When properly placed on your lot, a tree can be the best kind of patio cover. Whether you're looking for shade all year long (evergreen), or you're looking for low winter sun to warm your home (deciduous), the right kind of tree can fit your needs.

Besides being green and environmentally friendly, you can also have your natural patio cover free if you live in the Sacramento area. Through a partnership with SMUD and the Sacramento Tree Foundation, Sacramento County residents and SMUD customers can get shade trees free of charge. This service allows you to have a community forester come to your home, check your lot and home dimensions for perfect placement, and figure out what would be the best option to shade your home and help you with energy costs and carbon offsets. It really is a great program in so many ways.

With all of this being said, would you rather spend thousands of dollars on an aluminum patio cover that's comprised of materials from all over the world with who knows what kinds of chemicals; or would you rather have a beautiful  shade tree that helps you, your neighbors, and probably the greater community?

A Public Service Announcement For Those Who Water The Road...

This is my PSA for all of you out there who waste water with your lawn sprinklers! Either you have no idea they need adjusting, you don't know how, or maybe you just don't care? Whatever the reason may be, as a homeowner or building owner it may be worth your while to learn how to take care of your lawn irrigation system or possibly hire someone to do it for you.

I know there is information all over the place regarding taking care of your lawn irrigation system. I see information from water districts, pamphlets at hardware stores, television campaigns, and even signs on buses going down the street... what will it take for people to take notice of their water wasting ways? I implore you to take a look at your water bill... what does it show? Would you like it to be lower? How about going "green" without spending tons of money ripping out your lawn or installing expensive irrigation equipment?

Well, this is my list of common problems I see on a continuous basis and how you can correct them and save some money and conserve water:

• Please don't water you lawn or planting beds in the middle of the day... you lose tons of water to evaporation and if the temperature is hot you run the risk of scalding your plants or lawn. Every water district has a watering time frame they tell their customers... watering in the early morning from 1AM to 5AM is a great time frame to run sprinklers.

• There is no need to run your sprinklers every single day, especially in wet seasons! It's funny, even in the summer months I water my lawn 2 to 3 times a week and my lawn is just as green as the folks next to me who run their sprinklers every single day... they even run their sprinklers in the rainy season! With proper maintenance and spray measurements you can easily maximize your watering and eliminate the need for constant and over-watering.

• Please take notice that your sprinklers are watering the road or your neighbor's house! There are different sprinkler heads for different uses and they can easily be adjusted with a screw driver if they're standard spray heads or adjusted by hand if you have impact rotor sprinklers. All sprinkler heads state the pattern of spray and how far the spray can travel. If you have a 3' section of lawn, please don't install a sprinkler that sprays 10' in a full circle pattern! If you match the right sprinkler with the right size area to be watered you will save water, head aches, and lots of money in the long run.

• If you have a broken sprinkler head... replace it. Whether it's you or the gardener down the street, someone needs to replace the broken sprinklers in your yard. Maybe you don't notice because your sprinklers run at night, but you will notice when you look at your water bill a little closer. A broken lawn sprinkler head can waste gallons of water and hurt you lawn and plants by either over watering or under watering depending on which way the wasted water is flowing. If the broken sprinkler is close to you home or garage you may develop foundation problems over time if all that wasted water is soaking into the ground where a building's foundation is located. The choice is yours... spend a couple dollars to fix a sprinkler or suffer the consequences down the road in a more costly situation.

If you pay attention to your lawn irrigation system you can really do your part to conserve water, help the environment, and also put a little "green" back in your pocket at the same time. You don't have to go out and put in a drought tolerant garden or permeable paving... you just need to be a little more consciences and take care of what you all ready have. Too many homeowners and business owners are out there right now wasting water and money just because they're lazy or they just don't care. It's up to you to do your part... now go outside and do some "public service" and make sure your lawn sprinklers are watering your lawn... not the road!

Brick In The Tank???

How many people remember the old brick in the toilet tank trick for saving water? It was a clever trick during those water shortages and droughts of the past, but never truly a great fix for those water wasting toilets. I always wondered if people considered the downside of putting a brick in a tank of water... how about the clay residue clogging pipes and the flushing mechanism? Many other ideas came throughout the years after the "brick trick"... bottles full of sand, metal such as bolts and screws, and bottles full of water.

There were all kinds of novel ideas, but many failed due to trapped air, evaporation, or too much movement causing conflict with the toilet's mechanics. Even more prevalent was the fact that a small bottle of water only displaced a small amount of water compared to the gallons flushed of all the toilets before the standard 1.6 GPF, (gallons per flush).

New low-flow and dual flush toilets have now entered the picture and become the standard for green building enthusiasts, but what about those who have a perfectly good toilet and don't want to spend or waste the money for a new toilet? How about a water displacement bag designed for toilet tanks or a conversion kit that converts your standard toilet to a dual flush toilet?

There are a lot of great products on the market these days to help folks who have water hogs for toilets. It's very important to focus on toilets when it comes to water conservation; a large amount of your home's water usage is due to flushing toilets. Current plumbing code standards call for a minimum of 1.6 GPF, but I know there are still a large number of toilets out there that are flushing at a rate of 3.75 GPF and higher... which means it's time to take action, and figure out what you can do to fix the problem and save yourself some money.

In the Sacramento Valley you can find water displacement bags and dual flush conversion kits at some large hardware stores and limited small hardware stores. The best source is to order from the internet from Amazon.com and their associates or from conservation sites like the following:

New Resources Group

http://www.nrgideas.com/ 

its easy being green

http://www.itseasybeinggreen.com/

It's also a good idea to check with your local water provider to see if they offer any incentives or free products!

Just Because You Go Solar, Doesn't Mean You're Green...

The other day, a member of my family asked me if I thought their roof was suitable for solar panels. I went outside, took a look, and said, "sure, but why do you want solar panels?"The response I got was pretty funny... "I figured with all the incentives right now, I could get some solar panels and then I'd be doing my part by being green...". This response from a member of my family is pretty common these days, with so many people and companies pushing "being green" so many in the general public are so misinformed. This is my queue... my chance to spread the word.

Photovoltaic systems are awesome... if I had the funds, I'm sure I would be right there with the rest of the folks setting up appointments with the local solar salesman, but I tend to know a thing or two that keeps me away from PV systems... besides not being able to afford it.

Would you ever go out and buy new tires and an alarm system for a car you that you don't have? How about a new surround sound system and DVD player for the TV that you don't seem to have?? What I'm trying to get at... is why spend thousands of dollars on a new photovoltaic system for your house if the rest of your house is an energy efficiency "nightmare". If your home isn't energy efficient you'll never truly see the rewards promised by that solar salesman when you spent those thousands of dollars.

I always tell people that solar panels are an expensive band-aid when the envelope of your home is like "Swiss cheese". By "Swiss cheese" I mean that your home is leaking energy due to poor insulation, bad windows, poor heating and cooling, and so on... just like the holes in Swiss cheese. How about a home energy audit to see how much energy you're consuming and where you're wasting it? How about switching your incandescent bulbs to CFLs? What about the instant savings you get when you spend the money and time on weatherizing your home with weather stripping, spray foam, and caulking?? There are so many things a homeowner can do to be more energy efficient, truly "green".

After a fun, lengthy discussion I actually saw the light bulb go on inside my family member's head... "why don't they tell you about these things when you're considering buying solar panels?", was one of the many questions I heard throughout our discussion. I had to explain that at the end of the day it's a business just like any other money making business, people are into making "green" off of people trying to be"green". It's a shame that people take advantage of those who are trying to do good for the environment and be more sustainable. These are the kinds of discussions we need to have with our families, neighbors, friends, and coworkers. The more we educate one another the better chances we have at doing good and doing things right. It really does take more than solar panels to be "green" in this ever changing world.

One Bulb Can Change A Lot...

As the selection of light bulbs grow in the aisles of the nation's hardware stores, many arguments have begun to surface regarding which is better, worse, and everything in between. Like many products, there are pros and cons and these pros and cons only continue to multiply as the technology continues to grow.

On a short list it's pretty clear to see that CFL bulbs are better than incandescent bulbs, and LED bulbs are better than both of them, but one must really pull back the layers of the onion to see the true pros and cons for each comparison.


Here's a great comparison video courtesy of alternativee.org:



It's pretty easy to see where the energy efficiency lies, but many other factors come along with each type of bulb. In my own home, I have opted to go with CFL bulbs in almost all my fixtures minus the fixtures that are on occupancy sensors. CFL bulbs can't handle the constant on/off from the sensors compared to incandescent bulbs. I would love to use Edison base LED bulbs in my home, but the price point is still too high and the technology still has a little ways to go before they can truly compete with CFLs. I do recommend using LEDs for under-cabinet lighting, holiday lighting, and flashlights/lanterns since the technology is pretty stable and the use factor is pretty low.

Each bulb type has a few major drawbacks for me, but as long as you weigh the pros and cons it's easy to derive at a choice.

• Incandescent bulbs use a lot of energy and actually lose a majority of that energy through heat loss. If you live in a hot climate, you really don't need your light bulbs raising your home's temperature causing more money to be spent on cooling. Due to that heat loss, your incandescent bulbs are expelling more heat then you're receiving in actual lumens, i.e. LIGHT.

• CFL bulbs contain mercury which can be dangerous in certain amounts. Due to the mercury in CFL bulbs special precautions should be taken when disposing burnt out or broken bulbs. You should always dispose CFL bulbs at specialized recycling centers... never throw them away with your trash! Some people feel that the actual light output from CFL bulbs is sub-par to incandescent bulbs, but I have never personally had a problem.

• LED bulbs are still just too new in the market place to really be measured against other standard bulbs. Price is certainly a factor right now, but other factors include actual measurement of bulb life span, proper bulb ventilation for cooling, size retro fitting, and actual light output compared to incandescent and CFL bulbs.

There are many types of lighting available in the market place these days. There are also many other bulb types that I did not mention due to there use in commercial settings or the low level of use in residential settings. Lighting technology is still ever changing and manufactures are coming up with new ideas everyday... even the incandescent bulb is still being advanced to keep up with all the other new technological advances. It really comes down to what you want from you light bulb and how much you want to invest in it. Nothing is ever perfect, but as long you do your homework, the power is ultimately in your hands...

All hardware stores including major and mom and pop retailers carry some sort of line of incandescent and CFL bulbs, but LED bulbs are little harder to find. It's always smart to check with you local utility provider before going out to purchase light bulbs, some utility providers provide rebates, coupons, or even discount purchase programs for energy efficient light bulbs. Please see the links below for the Sacramento Valley:

Sacramento Municipal Utility District-

http://www.smud.org/en/rebates/Pages/index.aspx

Pacific Gas & Electric-

http://www.pge.com/myhome/saveenergymoney/rebates/light/products/

Why Not Save The Rain For Another Day?

With fall and winter right around the corner it's time to start thinking about rain. When you're up on that ladder this fall, cleaning out your gutters, you should give a good thought to saving that rain for another day. With water demands on the rise in the Sacramento Valley these days; why not save that rain water and reuse it for something other than watering the streets and gutters?



Why not rain water harvesting? No, I'm not talking about complex water piping systems with huge cisterns... I'm talking about simply buying or building a rain barrel and hooking it up to one of your downspouts for safe keeping.

Utilizing a rain barrel at your home is a great way to save on garden watering costs and it allows that precious rain water to be saved from our storm water systems and waterways. Diverting even a small amount of water could help make an impact on seasonal flooding. With current trends in green technology and the natural desire to be "green" it's now easier than ever to get involved. These days you can pick up a relatively inexpensive rain barrel at major retailers such as Home Depot and Lowe's or smaller mom & pop hardware stores if you would rather skip the construction process. Which ever way you choose, you can't go wrong with saving that rain water for another day...

In the Sacramento Valley you can find simple rain barrels at many fine retailers or you can purchase or salavage the materials to make your own.

http://rainbarrels.info/

Welcome to the Age of Sensors...

We use the technology of sensors in all aspects of our lives, but our homes and buildings are just now catching up. The California Title 24 Energy Codes give you the choice between occupancy sensors or dimmer switches, but in certain areas and circumstances, it really is better to choose the sensor.

Though occupancy sensors are not technically "green" products, they do provide a "green" service to homes and businesses. Have you ever gone to someones house and wondered why the lights are on in every room of the house? Have you ever been driving by an office or school at night and wondered why the lights are all on? This could all be changed or possibly eliminated with the help of occupancy sensors. For years the main focus has been on commercial and institutional applications due to the large amounts of energy waste, but homeowners can also do their part. The link below is to an informational report from 1997 by Green Seal that outlines the use of occupancy sensors and their benefits:

http://www.greenseal.org/resources/reports/CGR=Sensors.pdf

The main focus of this report targets commercial and institutional applications, but the information contained within is invaluable to all who have energy waste. Our homes can be oozing energy waste, especially if we have a lot of occupants living under one roof. Where do our homes need help? Where are the best possible places to put occupancy sensors so we maximize our dollar?

Right off the back I will tell you that it doesn't help to put them in every room in your house. You have to proactive and calculated to get the most bang for your buck. There are a lot of different products to choose from and they all serve a purpose and a function.

For residential applications you can choose from hard-wired, passive infrared occupancy sensors or manual "ON" passive infrared versions:

Edison base, screw in passive infrared occupancy sensors for bare bulb sockets:

There are also other products on the market such as passive infrared and sonic occupancy sensors that are built into surge strips so that electronics can be turned off when no one is in the area, but I find these products very hazardous to electronics and not very conducive to people coming and going from a room. They can work in a commercial or institutional setting, but should not be used in a residential settings unless they are properly factored into an overall design.

When deciding on where to put your sensors you need to take into account a couple of items:

1. What kind of traffic does the room or space get during normal use?
2. What kind of fixture or fixtures are present?
3. What kind of luminary or luminaries do these fixtures use?

Looking at the room or space will help you understand the needs of the space and whether or not an occupancy sensor is conducive to your energy conservation goals. Rooms such as bathrooms, garages, laundry rooms, and closets are some of the best an easiest to figure out. Other rooms in your house may be a little harder such as bedrooms and living rooms; or just plain difficult like kitchens, offices, and family rooms.

Bathrooms are nice because you can put in an occupancy sensor to control the exhaust fan which will allow you to set an allotted time for the fan to run once a person has entered or left the room. Bedrooms may be a little harder due to high levels of usage, but can sometimes benefit from a manual "ON" occupancy sensor if people are prone to leaving lights on all the time. The rooms and spaces labeled as difficult are difficult due to frequent and infrequent usage that may not coincide with a sensors timer or range of motion. If you don't fully think it out you may end up with strange light shows and burnt out fixtures/luminaries in your difficult rooms and spaces.

Numbers 2 and 3 go hand in hand... different occupancy sensors work in different ways when it comes to light fixtures and luminaries that they utilize. First and foremost, you should always follow the guidance of the manufacturer's specifications when it comes to these products. All of these products from the sensors to the luminaries should be tested products (Underwriters Laboratories or other testing agencies), so that you know their limitations and how they should be properly used.

Fluorescent and compact fluorescent (CFL) luminaries do not generally work well with occupancy sensors and the life span of a fluorescent can be drastically cut due to some hard-wired sensors and most Edison base screw types. Fluorescent bulbs have a delayed start up time and cool-down period after being shut off which does not always work well with occupancy sensors. If you go in and out of a room with a sensor and you're using a fluorescent, you run the risk of the bulb burning out quickly or possibly burning out the fixture. Most Edison base type sensors explicitly require incandescent luminaries and some tested LEDs, but a lot LEDs also have a start delay similar to a fluorescent.

After digesting all of this information your finally ready to figure it all out and put together your plan. Even if you only install an occupancy sensor in one room of your house you can still make a difference in your energy consumption and waste. The code gives you a choice, but it never really tells you which is the better choice... at least now you know what one of those choices can do for you and your home.

One of the major manufacturers of hard-wired sensors is Leviton:

http://www.leviton.com/OA_HTML/ibeCCtpSctDspRte.jsp?section=10883&minisite=10026

For Edison base screw type sensors it's First Alert:

http://www.firstalert.com/HOME-SECURITY/OTHER-HOME-SAFETY/lighting

And there are a lot of others such as Wattstoppers, GE, and Z-Wave.

In Sacramento and the greater valley you can pick up occupancy sensors at any major hardware retailer and some smaller hardware stores. If you can't locate the right product you can always find it on the internet direct from the company or from any one of the many large internet retailers such as SmartHomeUSA.com.