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!

As of 12/02/09 the Charles Giezentanner RePage is ranked at 9,195 with 40 points.
The monthly top RePage owner will receive a cash prize. Help this agent by bookmarking this site and posting it to blogs and other Web pages and encourage others to visit.

Local Information for Asheville, NC

Latitude: 35.579862 -- Longitude: -82.55581

Other Area Cities: Flat Rock Asheville Hendersonville Fletcher Black Mountain Arden

Enter our Photo Sweepstakes and Win $200 for your Asheville photos!

Click on Photos to Enlarge. To see all Asheville area photos Click Here.

Submit your photos of Asheville and become eligible to win $200. Click Here for details.

Asheville is a city in Buncombe County, North Carolina, and is its county seat. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 68,889. It is the largest city in western North Carolina, and continues to grow - as of 2004, the Census Bureau estimates that Asheville's population is 70,400.[2] Attractive to hip and creative young people as well as to hip and creative retirees, Asheville has been listed in both Rolling Stone and Modern Maturity as an ideal place to live or visit. The open and accepting character of the city is evidenced by the many lifestyles and beliefs that coexist peacefully there. Asheville has been named the "most vegetarian-friendly" small city in America.[1] The art scene is especially active, and Asheville has become a mecca for potters, painters and musicians, with much of the current creativity inspired by the folk art and old ballads of early Scottish, English and Scots-Irish settlers. -- Source: Wikipedia.com

North Carolina 2000 Census Population Profile Map

	Asheville	North Carolina	United States
Population	68,889	8,049,313	281,421,906
Median age	39.2	35.3	35.3
Median age for Male	36.4	33.8	34
Median age for Female	41.8	36.7	36.5
Households	30,690	3,132,013	105,480,101
Household population	65,678	7,795,432	273,643,273
Average household size	2.14	2.49	2.59
Families	16,737	2,158,869	71,787,347
Average family size	2.81	2.98	3.14
Housing units	33,567	3,523,944	115,904,641
Occupied units	30,690	3,132,013	105,480,101
Vacant units	2,877	391,931	10,424,540

Visit US Census