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Did you know that coffee is the most popular commodity in the world, after oil? Of course you did… you’re smart and sophisticated. That’s why you’re reading this blog. But what most people don’t consider is that all of this demand for coffee is beating up the environment. Just think of how many coffee houses there are in the US. Then think about the coffee shops in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia. Then consider the amount of fuel it takes to transport coffee beans from Indonesia, Africa, Columbia, etc across the world. Then imagine the millions of disposable paper cups, styrofoam cups, napkins, coffee stirrers,coffee tops, etc. that are thrown into garbage heaps every day. Then think of how much water it takes to cultivate, harvest, and eventually brew all of that coffee. Some stats say that it takes 200 liters of water to produce just one latte.

These stats are pretty dis-heartening, but don’t let it get you down. Yes coffee does do a number on the environment, but it doesn’t mean you have to stop drinking it altogether. Luckily, there are plenty of things you can do the lessen the effect of your coffee habit on the earth.

1). Drink Less – This isn’t the easiest thing for most people, but cutting at least some coffee out of your diet is bound to help the environment (not to mention keep your teeth wither) If this isn’t possible, don’t fret, there are plenty of good tips below.

2). Drink Local Coffee – Because shipping coffee beans around the world spews tons of toxic smoke into the atmosphere, look for coffee beans grown in countries closer to you. Love Kopi Luwak (the bean is best when it passes through the digestive tract of a small tree mammal called the luwak)? There are tons of other specialty blends that you can get that are grown much closer to home. I know Kopi Luwak tastes good, but it comes from an animal’s feces and it shipped from half-way across the world. I’m just sayin’…

3). Buy Organic – Organic coffee is great because it’s (obviously) grown without chemicals, and is usually grown in such a way that protects sensitive ecosystems and the birds that live within them. Most of these toxic chemicals are produced in factories that spew toxins into the environment themselves, so you’re killing birds with one stone by going organic.

4). Stay Away From Corporate Coffee – More and more coffee giants are cutting down forest and converting them into large agricultural coffee plantations. The deforestation is not only horrible for the environment, it produces inferior quality coffee. Add that to the fact that the coffee farmers themselves can barely make a living working in these massive corporate coffee farms.

5). Choose Fair Trade Coffee – If you’re going organic, and avoiding corporate coffee, you might as well buy fair trade coffee. Rainforest Alliance and Transfair coffees not only ensure fair living wages for coffee farmers, they take into account environmental standards in their certification process. It won’t immediately lift people out of poverty, but it’s a start.

6). Just Use a Mug – This one is a no-brainer. But it’s easier if you invest in a really cool mug that you will want to use over and over again; eliminating the need for plastic or Styrofoam cups. There are plenty of websites that sell cool, unique, and funny coffee mugs. Or you can create one by yourself at CafePress.

7). Ditch the Stirrer – Rather than mixing sugar and cream with a plastic spoon or stirrer, try pouring them into an empty cup. Then gently pour your hot coffee on top, letting the heat naturally dissolve the sugar and mix the cream. It takes some practice. Or you could just use a metal spoon.

8). Use Better Filters – Not only are they better for the environment, re-usable gold coffee filters yield a better, less bitter cup of coffee. If that’s not your thing, just look for unbleached, biodegradable ones.

9). Make a Compost Heap – If you already have a compost heap, you probably throw egg shells, banana peels, and old food into it. Why not add coffee grounds (if you don’t already)? The next time you make some coffee, rather than throwing out the used coffee grounds, toss them in your compost heap, or directly into your garden. All the nitrogen in the coffee is a powerful fertilizer.

10). Keep Away Pesky Felines – Instead of using harsh chemicals in your garden to keep away unwanted pests like ants and neighborhood cats, sprinkle coffee grounds and orange peels in your garden. The nitrogen in the coffee burns ants’ legs and is better for the environment than using harmful chemicals. Cats don’t like the smell of coffee either.

So here are 10 easy ways to make your coffee habit less harmful to the environment. I’m sure there are tons of others. Please feel free to share your own tips.

http://TheCoffeeMakerStore.com is a daily blog and e-commerce store about coffee, coffee makers, and coffee culture. Feel free to download the free “eco friendly coffee tips” widget from there as well.

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• Local Joe (blogschu.com)
• Poll: Do you buy organic coffee? (seattletimes.nwsource.com)

If you’ve ever been intrigued by the concept of “going green” but haven’t acted on it, the benefits of a green homeowners insurance policy might be enough for you to finally pull the trigger. By investing in one, you can actually save money on your homeowners insurance premium. If your home is already fitted with solar panels or was built with environmentally conscious materials, chances are then you are eligible for a discount. Fireman’s Fund Insurance Co., a company innovating the green homeowners insurance surge throughout the country, offers its customers a five percent discount for homes already considered green by the Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design, or LEED.

To find other companies like Fireman’s Fun Insurance Co. that offer its customers a green homeowners insurance policy, jump online and compare homeowners insurance quotes today. You’ll be surprised by how many insurance companies are joining in the phenomena that is “going green.”

There are two different types of green policies offered to owners of two different kinds of homes:

1. LEED-certified homes. Offered to homes that are proven “green” by LEED, this policy uses a rating system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council and is universally recognized as the standard in environmentally conscious building. Several homeowners insurance carriers offer discounts to owners of these homes.
2. Eco-rebuild. If you don’t own a LEED-certified home, then this policy is for you. If your home is ever damaged or destroyed, it will be rebuilt with environmentally conscious materials. This policy is available as a rider to your existing homeowners insurance policy for usually around two percent of your annual premium.

Inquire About a Green Homeowners Insurance Policy

Whoever thought you could save the environment and money on your home insurance at the same time? By investing in a green homeowners insurance policy, you are joining a cause worth fighting for. While Fireman’s Fun Insurance Co. is a notable name in the green insurance company market, it is not the only one. Go to InsuranceAgents.com and compare home insurance quotes to see if you qualify for any other discounts from other home insurance companies.  Also, read Go Green And Save On Your Homeowners Insurance for more information.

Going “green” is a very hot trend right now and before you decide to install home solar panels, it’s important you understand how that choice will affect your homeowners insurance. Becoming more environmentally friendly is a great cause and finding ways to cut your carbon footprint can really impact the environment, but keep in mind how they will impact your wallet as well.

Home Solar Panels and Your Homeowners Insurance Rates

The majority of homeowners insurance companies will cover homes that have pre-existing solar panels or if you are installing new ones in the future. Two points to keep in mind would be that your premium may actually decrease with some companies as they view environmentally conscious people as being lower risk (tend to not be smokers, therefore the risk of fires drops significantly). However, some homeowners insurance companies view the installation of home solar panels as a significant increase in the replacement value of the home, therefore, they will raise your premium.

If done with the right insurance company, your savings from electricity, possibly tax incentives from state and federal government, and lower premiums could actually offset the price of installing the panels. You should check with your insurance agent and find out whether or not your homeowners insurance company has favorable or unfavorable policies toward the installation of home solar panels.

Potential Damages to Your Roof and Weather Risks

The most important thing you can do after picking the right type of home solar panels, is finding a highly experienced and professional installation company. One sure way to increase your premiums is to damage your roof during the process of installation or install them incorrectly.

Also, it’s very important you factor in the risk of weather damage to your panels as well. Ask your installation company about the success of installations they have done in the local area. Find out if roof and panel damage is common, because if it is you could face dramatically higher homeowners insurance premiums.

Find the Right Policy to Cover a Home Solar Panel Install

Home solar panels can be a great way to help the environment, save money on electricity, and potentially save money on your homeowners insurance rates as well.

Read the InsuranceAgents.com article, “How Do Home Solar Panels Affect Homeowners Insurance?”  or receive homeowners insurance quotes from up to five local agents

How to Rent a Solar Energy System for Your Home by Daniel Stouffer

A new company is emerging; one that allows American homeowners to produce their own clean, green, renewable energy from the sun and keep the savings created by locking in a monthly rental rate. Homeowners can save thousands of dollars powering their home with solar generated electricity.

It is not just the American Dream any longer. It is possible for U.S. homeowners to save money on their energy bills by renting a residential solar energy system. A homeowner can help to lower their carbon emissions by utilizing renewable energy. A solar equipment manufacturer is planning to offer an affordable, hassle free way for U.S. homes to install solar. Saving money by utilizing solar generated electricity is a bonus.

In their pilot installation phase, this company is working to remove the barriers to wide-scale solar adoption in the United States. Its business model is to rent all of the equipment needed to power a residential home with solar electricity.

There is an energy auditing process and required feasibility study to better determine suitable locations. Homeowners hoping to have a solar electric system installed may not qualify in some cases due to environmental or sunlight hour restrictions.

reThinking a Solar Energy Rental Service — The U.S. people do not have to buy a high-dollar solar energy system. It is offered on a rental basis. The installation is free, with it being part of the rental service, and any permitting or rebate challenges related to the system installation are handled by the company – not the homeowner. The solar manufacturer pays for, installs, owns and operates the solar system installation on behalf of the homeowner. This solar rental service allows the average citizen to self-produce their own renewable energy.

The homeowner pays a rental fee and produces solar generated electricity from the solar system installed on their home. The homeowner doesn’t have to worry about maintaining the equipment or any of the other concerns that come with making a solar system purchase.

This rental service takes care of all the barriers and headaches associated with the installation of residential solar systems. The rental service helps prevent pollution, helps to support national security, and helps promote many green initiatives in local communities across the United States.

The Residential Solar Energy System — This service provides enhanced efficiency and better control of your energy usage. The system will monitor the energy production on a daily basis. The homeowner can also track household energy consumption via online reporting. The integrated solar unit provides a renewable energy source that helps a homeowner self-produce renewable energy.

Solar Generated Electricity Saves Money — Switching to solar energy can also save on long term electricity costs. The homeowner pays a flat monthly rental fee for the solar energy unit. They generate renewable energy from the rented system and this electricity offsets the energy that must be purchased from a utility company. This will cause a reduction in the average paid for electricity going forward.

The rental pays for itself over the life span of the residential solar energy system. The homeowner saves money in the long run because the rental rate for the unit stays flat while the utilities’ rate for electricity continues to increase.

The U.S. homeowner can produce renewable energy, save money on their energy costs, and feel good about lowering their carbon emissions. This solar rental service is truly solar made simple.

Daniel Stouffer plans to make the right Eco-friendly, green solutions available to the American homeowners in a simple, affordable way. Our role involves the leadership, communication, and the education related to renewable energy. We provide homeowners the option to rent a solar electric system and avoid the huge, upfront investment in solar technology. About solar rents: http://www.reThinkingSolar.com

Article Source: Sustainable Living Articles

A Wind Power Turbine Generator–Build Your Own At Low Cost by John Mowatt

Wind turbine power is the wave of the future.Clean,free and abundant it is by far the best alternative energy form.You can make a difference to our environment,while saving money to boot,by harnessing wind power to generate all or part of your electricity supply.Generate electricity from the wind with your own small wind turbine. You can buy them from many sources now or save a lot of money by building your own wind turbine power generator.

From the 1930s through the 1950s small wind power generators were common on farms.Wind power was also used for such jobs as pumping water from wells.In those days people were much more inclined to save money in this way than we are today. Since then with increasing prosperity and little care for the environment we rely almost completely on the power company to supply our electric power.

These days attitudes,of necessity are changing.We have become aware that we must reduce our impact on the environment or face increasing problems in the years ahead. Many are now looking for alternative energy sources.The most viable alternatives are wind power or solar panels.Solar panels are however expensive and produce limited amounts of power.They have a place in some applications but are presently too expensive for general use as a power supply.

Wind power turbines are now in use to supply all or part of the power supply for many cities all over the world including the USA.They supply “green” power at a cost competitive to conventional power generating facilities.Wind turbine power generators are now being used by many to produce all or part of their power needs.

Small wind turbines for private use are now available from many sources. They can be mounted on a rooftop or on a small tower or pole.They are however quite expensive.A better solution than buying a wind power generator is to build your own which can be done at quite low cost.Plans are available for building a wind generator using new or used auto parts.Any home handyman who can use simple tools can build a wind turbine which will supply part of the power needs of an average household.All or most of the power requirements of a home can be supplied with several generators.Power can be stored in storage batteries till put to use.

Power companies in many areas now will buy any excess power which you generate.When you are at work or away from home any excess power which you generate from your wind generators will earn you money.You will not only be helping to preserve our environment but making money into the bargain.It doesn’t get any better than that

Build your own wind turbine,or if you don’t mind the cost,buy one.You will help mother earth and do yourself a favor.You can save money and reduce your impact on our climate by generating power with a wind turbine.Do it today and be an example to your neighborhood.You can obtain more information by clicking on the URL below.

John Mowatt is a retired businessman.He is interested in harnessing wind power to help preserve our environment and writes on this subject.For more information on building a wind power turbine at low cost go to http://www.greenwindpowerturbine.com

Article Source: Sustainable Living Articles

How to Make a Green Home You Can Be Proud Of! by Anne Li

With global warming and other environmental concerns increasingly on the minds of Americans, you want to green your home do your part to save the planet. Here are some easy and fun (and cost-effective!) ideas to make your home more environmentally sound.

Chuck the incandescent light bulbs wherever possible. These standard tear-drop shaped bulbs burn out relatively quickly and use up lots of electricity — creating garbage and using up resources at the same time. Compact florescent light bulbs (a.k.a. CFLs) last many times longer than incandescent bulbs and use a fraction of the energy. They cost more per bulb, but money you save in energy will outweigh the price difference.

Give up on the bottled water. Sure, your Aquafina may taste slightly better than standard tap water, but the cost of bottled water to the environment cannot be underestimated. Bottled water takes energy to procure, distil, transport and package. Instead, buy a top-of-the-line sink filter or just keep a filtered water pitcher in the fridge. Not only will you protect the environment by cutting back on your consumption of plastic, but you will also save a bundle over the long-term on drinking water costs.

Recycle or give away (or sell on the cheap) your old furniture. Instead of trucking your old sofa or 1999 Sony T.V. to the dump, find your used furnishings a second home. You can use online give-away sites like Craigslist to find people in your local area who might want your furniture. You can also sell stuff on e-bay or give it away/sell it at a garage sale. Barring that, you can find an eco-friendly recycling center near you to dispose of your furniture with minimal damage to the environment.

Stock up on natural, organic products. Instead of installing a vinyl shower curtain, for instance, hang up a hemp curtain — it’s equally anti-fungal and does not release small amounts of volatile organic compounds every time you take a shower. Get rid of your harsh kitchen and bathroom cleansers and replace those nasty chemicals (which have been linked to all sorts of ailments and pregnancy-disorders) with safe compounds that won’t hurt you, your children, your pets or your environment.

Reduce your dependence on heating and air-conditioning. You can keep a temperate house without paying your local energy company an arm and a leg. Turn off the heat and air-conditioning when you leave for work for the day (or go on vacation). Use your windows and shades to adjust to the weather outside. If it’s super hot out, for instance, throw open the windows and turn on some fans. If it’s incredibly cold, pull down your shades and keep windows tightly sealed to avoid heat-leakage. You can also invest in thermally efficient windows and sealants to boost your energy efficiency.

Get a professional energy audit. You can find top rated independent energy contractors out there to come to your home and point out precisely where and how you are wasting energy. By following their tips to reduce heat waste, you will not only reduce your consumption of fuel, but you will also pad your pocketbook in the long-term.

Make it a habit to turn off electrical devices when you are not using them. Before you go to sleep at night, go around and turn off the lights, the T.V., the computer, and other appliances, which can drain energy while you sleep. Also, many electronics like DVD players and video consoles stay ‘on’ even when turned ‘off’’, so they continuously consume a small amount of energy – unplug them.

Landscape in an eco-friendly manner. Put out drums to catch rain water to hydrate your plants or garden (if you live in an area that’s relatively drought-prone). Landscape with plants that are native to your region and soil type. If you try to keep tropical plants alive in an arid environment, you’ll inevitably use up an unseemly amount of water and natural resources keeping the plants healthy. You might also want to use your garden to grow organic vegetables.

Look for products and services to boost your green mission. You can find expandable foam to seal up drafts in your insulation. You can get screens to put in your windows to block out some of the solar radiation in the summer and thus help you save on air-conditioning costs. You can purchase eco-friendly power strips to reduce your energy bill and general power consumption. You can buy hemp grocery bags to transport your food (and thus save the planet from having to countenance hundreds of plastic and/or paper bags a year).

Get your family and friends into the green act. You can’t do it alone. Teach your family about the value of the environment and establish “rules of the house” to conserve resources and treat your local habitat with respect. Remember that greening your home can be a fun and educational process. Keep up to speed on the latest greening technologies by contacting local environmentally concerned groups or government agencies.

ARI Green Energy is a manufacturer of wind generator technologies. Visit them today for a full line of wind turbines and solar technology solutions. Think green.

Article Source: Sustainable Living Articles

Focus on Green Homes – Heating Your Green Home
By Kimberley Ward

Methods used to heat a green home are cleaner, more efficient, less expensive and more comfortable than conventional methods. The heating systems are simple for the home owner to operate and maintain. However, since the system is basically custom-designed for each home, it is very complicated for the contractor to calculate the exact heating needs of every home and is based on an enormous amount of variables. A green home takes a lot of things into consideration when it comes to heating your home.

For example, variables such as the direction the house faces, how many windows are in the home, what is the solar heat gain of the window, the amount of shade, the insulation value of the home, and the ceiling height of the house need to be taken into consideration. Then owner preferences about the type of system desired are factored in. Choices include forced air heat, radiant heat (hydronic systems), gas, propane, or electric.

Third, another consideration in designing your heating system should be how clean the system is. For instance, radiant floor heating has a couple of major advantages over forced air, since it more efficient than forced air and does not circulate air back and forth spreading germs and bacteria throughout your home.

The efficiency in radiant floor heating comes from three sources. First, a thermostat on a forced air system might be set at 72 F while a radiant floor heat system thermostat may only need to be set at 65F or less and still maintain the level of warm comfort. Imagine your entire floor of your green home warm all the time! Second, heat rises. By heating the floor, the heat rises over the entire length of your body keeping you warm no matter where you are in the home. No more cold corners or freezing cold bathroom floors.

The last source of efficiency for radiant floor heating comes from the source of the heat. What does the heating of the water for this type of system? There are lots of options, some more efficient than others. One option is using a boiler or hot water heater, however efficiency is sacrificed. The best option is a secondary heat exchanger plumbed off a very high efficiency water heater. Another option is using a geo-thermal ground loop with a heat pump. Currently this option is too expensive for affordable green homes.

When considering your heating system for your green home, it is important to look at the pay-off time for your system. Some systems can be extremely efficient, but costly, costing tens of thousands of dollars to install. Why pay a dollar to save a penny? By carefully designing and building an affordable, practical green home, you can save utility costs immediately since it will not cost more than a conventionally built home.

Kim Ward is Marketing Director for Green Earth Energy Homes at http://greenearthenergyhomes.com

Green Earth Energy Homes offer affordable, practical, LEED and Energy Star certified homes. Save thousands on energy costs and qualify for thousands in government tax incentives and benefits. Contact Kim for more information about our green homes or to view our model.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kimberley_Ward
http://EzineArticles.com/?Focus-on-Green-Homes—Heating-Your-Green-Home&id=1759139

Hints and Tips That Will Keep Jack Frost and the Tax Man From Your Door
By David John Martin

Now that winter is creeping in, ready to send a chill up your spine and turn the tip of your nose to ice as you lie in bed at night, those of us without proper insulation could really be feeling the heat. Or not.

With new government schemes in place to encourage householders to save energy for the sake of the planet, now is a better time than any to ensure that you are not wasting energy or money. With the oncoming recession and the panic over global warming, restricting the amount of gas and electric you use is a good way to ensure that you save money and do your bit to cut down on your carbon footprint with one stone’s throw.

In the winter it is usually the elderly who suffer. The need to heat their homes sufficiently enough to avoid health problems and discomfort is essential. Viruses such as the flu can be very dangerous for older people and it is much more common to catch in the colder months. Unfortunately if you are retired and do not have a substantial and steady income, the cost of central heating can be a burden.

One way of cutting down heating costs is to ensure that your home is properly insulated. The government have put in place new schemes to help the elderly pay for proper insulation in their homes, providing all or some of the cost of the materials and installation. These are schemes designed to help reduce the UK’s carbon footprint yet they also ensure that thousands of people who are less well off can afford a standard level of protection for their homes.

Having the proper insulation in your house can make a huge difference to the size of your monthly bills. There are government approved fitters who will take care to make sure that there are no signs of harmful materials such as asbestos and if there is, they will be able to take the relevant precautions to remove it and avoid contamination.

Asbestos was once widely used to insulate properties before it was discovered that particles could become trapped in the body when inhaled and be the cause of serious illness or related cancer. Therefore it is essential that you ensure that professionals do any insulation fittings.

With Christmas languishing at the end of December, it is an expensive time of year for most of us. Saving on bills and other household outgoings should be the first port of call as this is where we can lose money without realising. Comparing gas and electric companies online is another way to see how you can save money. It is often easier to stick with the companies that you have been with for years but all too often loyal customers can be taken to the dry cleaners by companies taking advantage of their complacency. Don’t let one of those loyal customers be you.

Compare electricity prices at http://www.confused.com/gas-electricity

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_John_Martin
http://EzineArticles.com/?Hints-and-Tips-That-Will-Keep-Jack-Frost-and-the-Tax-Man-From-Your-Door&id=1761220

Focus on Green Homes – Hot Water Systems
By Kimberley Ward

Most home use a lot of hot water and heating that water is usually expensive and inefficient. In this third in our ‘Focus on Green Homes’ series, we look at how water is heated, kept hot, and delivered to your hot water faucet in a green home.

Heating the Water – A standard water heater has a major flaw. A conventional gas water heater has a tank with a tube in the center of it and a burner under it. The hot gas from the burner travels up the tube and heats the tube which in turn heats the water surrounding the tube. Now we come to the flaw. The problem is that the water heater is very inefficient since the gas entering the tube is very hot and remains very hot even as it leaves the top of the tube. However, when the gas reaches the top of the tube it is no longer heating the water. A new generation gas fired water heaters overcomes this flaw by using all the hot gas to heat the water.

Another way to heat water is solar water heating. Have you ever taken a drink from a garden hose during a very hot summer day and burned your mouth because the hose had been laying in the sun so long? If so, you have just experienced solar hot water heating. Similarly, a special solar panel (one that heats water rather than making electricity) can separate water into tiny little lines and run the water across the panel, heating the water. The sun heats the water very quickly and the result is pumped back into a larger line that leads to a water tank in the house that stores the hot water until it is ready to be used. On a cloudy day, the tank reverts back to a conventional water heater. Solar heating is only cost effective for very sunny areas of the country.

Keeping the Water Hot - Insulation is the key to keeping the water hot. The more insulation surrounding your water tank the longer the water stays hot.

Getting Hot Water to Your Faucet – To get the water to your faucet while it is still hot, an alternative to copper pipes is needed. Copper pipes conduct heat, removing heat from your hot water while on the way to the faucet. Using materials that don’t conduct heat as well, such as inexpensive Pex tubing, is one way to solve this problem. In addition, a smaller line can get the water to the faucet faster. Pex tubing can be used in green homes to get the water there now, while increasing the efficiency of the entire hot water system in your green home.

Kim Ward is Marketing Director for Green Earth Energy Homes at http://greenearthenergyhomes.com

Green Earth Energy Homes offer affordable, practical, LEED and Energy Star certified homes. Save thousands on energy costs and qualify for thousands in government tax incentives and benefits. Contact Kim for more information about our green homes or to view our model.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kimberley_Ward
http://EzineArticles.com/?Focus-on-Green-Homes—Hot-Water-Systems&id=1762682

Focus on Green Homes – High Efficiency Windows
By Kimberley Ward

What do windows have to do with a green home? Windows are a big part of your green home, since most of the heat lost from your home is lost though the windows. A set of inefficient, leaky or badly installed windows can defeat any efforts at energy savings or conservation. How can we stop the money from flying out the window? In this ‘Focus on Green Homes’ edition, we explain how to keep the windows from allowing the heat out of your home.

Through new technological breakthroughs, techniques are now available to build attractive, but energy efficient windows that retain heat a lot better than the old way of building a window. First, energy efficient windows have two panes of glass instead of one. And, in addition, newer windows have had the air space between these two panes of glass filled with argon gas that dramatically slows the heat transfer through the glass panes.

Heat is also lost through the air space between the window frame and the window space in the wall. Most people have had the experience of feeling a draft from leaky windows and doors. This gap around the window frame should be filled with quality insulation to reduce the amount of heat escaping from the home. There are several ways to apply the insulation. One effective way is to fill this gap with expandable foam and then cover the nailing flange of the window with special tape to seal the gap completely.

By doing all these steps, you can greatly increase the energy efficiently of the traditional window. Usually windows cannot be eliminated or reduced in size due to building codes and builder’s rules of thumb. Windows are pleasing to the eye and provide ventilation and safety features that are important to any home. Therefore, windows have to be made more efficient in order to make your home truly green.

When choosing windows for a green home it is a good idea to look at many window manufacturers and their window prices because the most expensive windows are not always the most efficient. Calculating the energy pay-off time is an important tool for choosing the most efficient windows for the money.

Kim Ward is Marketing Director for Green Earth Energy Homes at http://greenearthenergyhomes.com

Green Earth Energy Homes offer affordable, practical, LEED and Energy Star certified homes. Save thousands on energy costs and qualify for thousands in government tax incentives and benefits. Contact Kim for more information about our green homes or to view our model.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kimberley_Ward
http://EzineArticles.com/?Focus-on-Green-Homes—High-Efficiency-Windows&id=1762755