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 Cincinnati, OH

Latitude: 39.13616 -- Longitude: -84.503088

Other Area Cities: Cherry Grove Forestville Glendale Groesbeck Kenwood Lincoln Heights North College Hill Northbrook Norwood Reading Springdale Mason Hamilton Oxford Cincinnati Blue Ash Bridgetown Cheviot Amberley Covedale Deer Park Finneytown Forest Park Madeira West Chester White Oak Woodlawn Wyoming Mariemont Sharonville Loveland

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Cincinnati is a city in southwestern Ohio, in the United States of America, that lies on the Ohio River. It is the county seat of Hamilton CountyGR6. As of 2005, Cincinnati's population was 308,728, making it the third largest city in Ohio and the 55th largest in the United States. It has a much larger metropolitan area, commonly called "Greater Cincinnati", which covers parts of Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. As of July 1, 2005, the U.S. Census Bureau esimates that the Cincinnati-Middletown-Wilmington Combined Statistical Area has a population of 2,113,011 (making it the 20th largest in the country) and is growing at a rate of about one percent annually. Greater Cincinnati is the 25th largest metropolitan area in America. It is home to major-league sports, including America's first professional baseball team, a National Football League team, and the historic Cincinnati Masters. -- Source: Wikipedia.com

Ohio 2000 Census Population Profile Map

	Cincinnati	Ohio	United States
Population	331,285	11,353,140	281,421,906
Median age	32.1	36.2	35.3
Median age for Male	30.7	34.9	34
Median age for Female	33.7	37.5	36.5
Households	148,095	4,445,773	105,480,101
Household population	317,849	11,054,019	273,643,273
Average household size	2.15	2.49	2.59
Families	72,496	2,993,023	71,787,347
Average family size	3.02	3.04	3.14
Housing units	166,012	4,783,051	115,904,641
Occupied units	148,095	4,445,773	105,480,101
Vacant units	17,917	337,278	10,424,540

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