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 Oklahoma City, OK

Latitude: 35.482309 -- Longitude: -97.534994

Other Area Cities: Oklahoma City Norman Choctaw Bethany Del City Edmond Midwest City Moore The Village Warr Acres

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Oklahoma City is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It is also the county seat of Oklahoma County, Oklahoma. Oklahoma City was founded during the Land Run of 1889, first of five land runs in what became Oklahoma.By the time Oklahoma was admitted to the Union in 1907, Oklahoma City had already supplanted Guthrie, the territorial capital, as the population center and commercial hub of the new state. Soon after, the capital was moved from Guthrie to Oklahoma City.Oklahoma City Public Schools is the state's largest district and is one of the few urban districts in the nation with a growing enrollment, due largely to the so-called 'MAPS for KIDs' city-wide improvement plan. The Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics in Oklahoma City is home to the state's most gifted math and science pupils.Besides the skyscrapers that cluster in the city's central business district, one of the more prominent landmarks downtown is the Crystal Bridge. -- Source: Wikipedia.com

Oklahoma 2000 Census Population Profile Map

	Oklahoma City	Oklahoma	United States
Population	506,132	3,450,654	281,421,906
Median age	34	35.5	35.3
Median age for Male	32.7	33.9	34
Median age for Female	35.3	36.9	36.5
Households	204,434	1,342,293	105,480,101
Household population	492,999	3,338,279	273,643,273
Average household size	2.41	2.49	2.59
Families	129,360	921,750	71,787,347
Average family size	3.04	3.02	3.14
Housing units	228,149	1,514,400	115,904,641
Occupied units	204,434	1,342,293	105,480,101
Vacant units	23,715	172,107	10,424,540

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