Buying Green - Or Greenish

November 20, 2008

This year’s energy scare is a taste of what will come. Experts all agree that our use of energy in this country has to change. So if you’re looking to buy a home, how do you choose a home that has a moderate appetite for energy? Although “green” homes are becoming more popular, they come at a price. But there are alternative choices that will provide savings if you are aware when you go looking.

The first thing to look at is the orientation of the home. Passive solar homes are designed to work with the sun. The ideal home is one with most windows facing the south. During the hot summer months, the sun moves over your house but will not directly shine into the south facing windows. During the winter months, the sun is lower and will shine into your south facing windows, providing solar warmth to your home. A home with a lot of west facing windows will have much higher cooling bills as the hot afternoon summer sun will penetrate even double glazed windows.

Next take a look at how the house conserves energy. The existing homeowner may be able to tell you what the energy efficiency rating is on the house. Are the windows double or tripple glazed? Is there insulation in the attic and under the floors (not all areas of the country need insulation under the floors). Do the built-in appliances have an ENERGY STAR rating? Is the home leaking energy? Sealing air leaks is the quickest and cheapest energy improvement you can make. Actual savings vary for each home, but it is possible to reduce energy costs by one-third. Sealing air leaks can save money in other ways, because a tighter home envelop allows for smaller-capacity heating and cooling equipment. The best way to reduce air leaks and implement the right ventilation strategy is to hire an energy analyst to run a blower door test.

Bear in mind that once you buy a home you there are other things you can easily do to increase the energy efficiency of your home. Unplug appliances when not in use, especially chargers. Switch to using energy efficient Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs). Look for ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs by choosing the right lumens (not watts). Use cold water to wash clothes, line dry items, use air dry instead of heated dry on your dishwasher. Invest in thermal shades or drapes.

So with a little forethought, your next home could be a partner in your effort to save both money and the earth’s natural resources!

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Local Information for Bullhead City, AZ

Latitude: 35.115643 -- Longitude: -114.588655

Other Area Cities: Bullhead City Fort Mohave Mohave Valley

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Bullhead City has a desert climate, with a few inches of precipitation year-round. It is one of the United States's hottest cities during the summer, with an average July high of 109 degrees Fahrenheit degrees. The month with the most average precipitation is August, with 0.99 inch or 25 millimeters. Interestingly, Bullhead City is located on the always-flowing Colorado River, is cursed with high daily humidity, and yet has truly desert measures of precipitation. The town was originally known as "Hardyville", named after William Harrison Hardy, who worked as a postmaster, county supervisor and a member of the Territorial Legislature. When the railroad bypased the town, it quickly became a ghost town until the construction of the Davis Dam. The name "Bullhead City" is taken from "Bull Head's Rock", a rock formation along the Colorado River. During the days of riverboats, it was used as a navagation point. -- Source: Wikipedia.com

Arizona 2000 Census Population Profile Map

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