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 Burlington, VT

Latitude: 44.484748 -- Longitude: -73.223157

Other Area Cities: Burlington South Burlington Charlotte Essex Junction Shelburne Winooski

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The town of Burlington (comprising what are now the cities of Burlington and South Burlington) was chartered in 1763, but settlement did not begin until the 1770s when the Allen brothers built a fort at the falls of the Winooski River. After the Revolutionary War a few settlers cleared land and began farming, and in 1787, Ethan Allen settled in the bottomland near the mouth of the Winooski and built his home, which stands today. The first town meeting was held in 1787. The University of Vermont was established in Burlington in 1791 as the Agricultural College of Vermont on land donated by Ira Allen. Soon after the town common was set aside as public land and has survived as City Hall Park. By 1812, Burlington had become one of the leading ports in the nation, primarily as the main point for importing Canadian lumber, and had a population of 2000. -- Source: Wikipedia.com

Vermont 2000 Census Population Profile Map

	Burlington	Vermont	United States
Population	38,889	608,827	281,421,906
Median age	29.2	37.7	35.3
Median age for Male	28.6	36.6	34
Median age for Female	30	38.7	36.5
Households	15,885	240,634	105,480,101
Household population	34,867	588,067	273,643,273
Average household size	2.19	2.44	2.59
Families	7,055	157,763	71,787,347
Average family size	2.86	2.96	3.14
Housing units	16,395	294,382	115,904,641
Occupied units	15,885	240,634	105,480,101
Vacant units	510	53,748	10,424,540

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