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 Orem, UT

Latitude: 40.298753 -- Longitude: -111.696486

Other Area Cities: Orem Springville Alpine American Fork Lehi Spanish Fork Provo Salem Pleasant Grove Mapleton

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Orem is an incorporated city in the north-central part of the state of Utah in Utah County. It is adjacent to Provo, Lindon, and Vineyard and is about 45 miles south of Salt Lake City. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 84,324. By 2005 its population had been estimated to increase to 89,713, making it the fifth largest city in the state. Utah Valley State College is located in Orem. The Orem Owlz of the minor league baseball Pioneer League play their home games at the college. Orem uses the moniker "Family City USA". The city, once known as Provo Bench, was named after Walter C. Orem, who operated a railroad line in the area in the early 1900's. Orem is located in the Alpine School District and is home to three high schools, three junior high schools, and 16 elementary schools. Utah Valley State College and Stevens-Henager College are also located in Orem. -- Source: Wikipedia.com

Utah 2000 Census Population Profile Map

	Orem	Utah	United States
Population	84,324	2,233,169	281,421,906
Median age	23.9	27.1	35.3
Median age for Male	23.7	26.7	34
Median age for Female	24.2	27.7	36.5
Households	23,382	701,281	105,480,101
Household population	83,573	2,192,689	273,643,273
Average household size	3.57	3.13	2.59
Families	19,085	535,294	71,787,347
Average family size	3.93	3.57	3.14
Housing units	24,166	768,594	115,904,641
Occupied units	23,382	701,281	105,480,101
Vacant units	784	67,313	10,424,540

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