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 Benicia, CA

Latitude: 38.06336 -- Longitude: -122.156158

Other Area Cities: Fairfield Vallejo Pleasant Hill Concord Benicia

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Benicia is a city in Solano County, California, United States. It was the first city in California to be founded by Anglo-Americans. The population was 26,865 at the 2000 census. The city lies in the San Francisco Bay Area near San Francisco and Vallejo. Benicia is located on the north side of the Carquinez Strait, directly facing the city of Martinez. The town can be divided into three areas: Southampton (north of Military), East Benicia (east of First Street), and West Benicia (west of First Street). Most of the town's older homes are on the east and west sides. The far east side has an industrial park, where many of the town's local artists have rented out studio space. Also in or near the industrial park are the Valero oil refinery, the 1859 Clock Tower and the 1850s Camel Barns. The Benicia State Recreation Area is on the far west edge of the city. Southampton contains primarily stucco family homes, most of which were built between 1970 and 2000. -- Source: Wikipedia.com

California 2000 Census Population Profile Map

	Benicia	California	United States
Population	26,865	33,871,648	281,421,906
Median age	38.9	33.3	35.3
Median age for Male	37.6	32.2	34
Median age for Female	39.8	34.4	36.5
Households	10,328	11,502,870	105,480,101
Household population	26,811	33,051,894	273,643,273
Average household size	2.6	2.87	2.59
Families	7,244	7,920,049	71,787,347
Average family size	3.1	3.43	3.14
Housing units	10,547	12,214,549	115,904,641
Occupied units	10,328	11,502,870	105,480,101
Vacant units	219	711,679	10,424,540

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