We all get utility bills every month, but for some reason many of us–I’d venture to say most of us–don’t have a clue how much energy we use on a monthly or yearly basis. And, of course, in theory we all want to save energy but how many of us are motivated to make the investments and behavior changes that are necessary? Utilities are trying hard to crack the motivation nut, but there is also promising work being done by social media savvy entrepreneurs to empower end users to reduce their consumption.
Enter MyEnergy: an energy software company that retrieves and tracks utility data for residential consumers (whose utilities offer an online account portal) for free. Sign up is incredibly simple: you enter your utility account information along with your login and password. And, voila, MyEnergy creates a dashboard that displays your usage, compares it to your neighbors and offers you tips to help you save. Each month you receive a usage summary by email and your dashboard automatically updates to reflect your latest usage data. MyEnergy is also working on incentives to encourage savings. Try it out and let me know what you think. Is the feedback better that what you can get from your utility?
Are you interested in building or renovating a green home? There are a plethora of green building programs and certifications available now, but the most widely recognized and most highly touted has always been–and continues to be–the U.S. Green Building Council LEED certifications.
LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and encompasses a suite of green building certifications including LEED for Homes (or LEED-H). Even if you are not interested in certification, LEED-H is a fantastic reference guide to building a home that uses energy and water efficiently, is healthy for the occupants, and treads as lightly as possible on both the local and global environment.
Not building new? Just renovating? USGBC offers another great resource specifically for home remodeling. While not a rating system, the REGREEN program provides a wealth of information–much of it in the form of case studies–that can help homeowners and professionals alike incorporate strategies, techniques and materials into a remodeling project to improve home performance and reduce environmental impacts over the long-term.
The Boston Society of Architects provides professional development for members, advocates on behalf of great design, and shares an appreciation for the built environment with the public at large.
Established in 1867, the BSA today consists of more than 3,500 members and produces a diverse array of programs and publications, including Build Boston (which we are proud to be a part of) and ArchitectureBoston. As a chapter of the American Institute of Architects, the Society is a nonprofit, professional-service organization.
Residents of Boston’s Cape & South Shore take note: You don’t have to travel to Terrene or The Green Depot in order to visit a green design show room. You have access to great eco-friendly, non-toxic products and finishes much closer to home. When it comes to home products like cabinets, countertops, tile and flooring, seeing and touching is believing. Some things are amenable to online ordering and some things are not. That’s one reason why G Green Design Center is such a great resource. The other is that they have done all the green vetting for you. They meticulously check the green credentials of all of their suppliers so that you can shop green with confidence. The Mashpee location also offers great workshops. If you haven’t yet visited the newest arrivals to the green design center scene, I urge you to pay a visit.
Here’s the bad news: the average American family of four uses a whopping 400 gallons of water a day. The good news is that it is relatively easy and cheap to dramatically reduce our usage by following basic conservation practices, such as finding and fixing leaks (the EPA estimates that 10% of American homes leak 90 gallons or more of water each day), and by replacing older fixtures with newer ones that use much less water.
Enter EPA’s Water Sense program: a certification program that allows consumers to easily identify water-efficient toilets, faucets and shower heads. Depending on the product category, EPA Water Sense certified products use 20-40% less water than the minimum federal standards. The program also certifies irrigation professionals who demonstrate their expertise in water-efficient irrigation technology and techniques.
Next Step Living is a Boston-based energy efficiency start-up offering energy assessments, upgrades, and “deep retrofit” services to residential customers in New England. As a MassSave partner, Next Step Living offers free energy assessments to Massachusetts residents. Diagnostics tests to determine the location of air leaks and insulation levels are also available for a fee. In my experience, these tests are well worth the price for those homeowners considering significant investments in the energy performance of their home. Next Step Living also oversees the recommended air sealing and insulation work, and ensures quality control. Finally they offer green construction services for residential customers.
The Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency is an amazing resource for both businesses and homeowners looking to defray the costs of energy improvement upgrades The database, which is searchable by state, lists all incentives–including rebates, loans and tax credits–available at the federal, state and local level, as well as offered by utilities. Results can be limited to residential incentives only, which makes it easier for homeowners to find applicable programs.
If you are considering making significant energy upgrades to your home, I highly recommend that you first receive an energy assessment of your home’s thermal envelope, mechanical systems, lighting and appliances. An energy audit will help you estimate the payback time for the investment or investments you are considering. This information, together with available incentives, enables you to make smart, cost-effective energy investments in your home.
Massachusetts residents may consider contacting MassSave, a utility funded non-profit that provides free energy audits to Massachusetts residents. Please note that free MassSave audits do not include diagnostic tests, including infrared thermography and blower door tests, that are critical to determining the location of air leaks in your home. If you choose to work with MassSave, I would highly recommend paying for these diagnostics.
Founded in 1981, Beyond Pesticides is a non-profit organization devoted to assessing and publicizing the risks of conventional pest management practices and identifying and promoting healthy and environmentally-friendly non-chemical alternatives. Beyond Pesticides provides a wealth of information about pesticides including the Pesticide Gateway, a database of 80+ pesticides, and fact sheets on non-chemical treatments for a range of pests, from ants to rodents to wasps.
Perkins + Will, a commercial planning and design firm in Boston, has recently released a great new green resource for design/build professionals and the public alike. The Perkin + Will Precautionary List is an online directory of chemicals used in building products that are listed by government agencies as harmful to human health. You can search the directory by chemical, material use, and health impact.
Healthy Home Plans is an online resource for people who want to make their homes healthier. For those interested in building a new home, the site sells healthy home plans. For those interested in remodeling and/or improving home health, the site provides a wealth of information about indoor air quality and healthy building materials. I also like their resource section, which contains links to vetted online retailers, service providers and information sources.
