“Baby, It’s Cold Outside”: The DIY versus the Professional Home Energy Audit

Snow on the streets of Sacramento?

An afternoon high of 44 degrees and a low in the 20's?

Brrrr......

Winter doesn't even officially start for another 2 weeks but like Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Jordan sing “Baby, it's cold outside.”

Too often our initial instinct is just to set the thermostat a little higher and hope the bill doesn't bankrupt us. But,there are simple things you things you can do to “weatherize” your house and literally stop the money from flowing out. Even small improvements can improve your comfort and lower your bill. What are these small improvements? Air Sealing and Weatherstripping combined with good old fashioned Elbow Grease are at the core of every home energy efficiency makeover.

Think of your house as a jacket. Theoretically; a jacket covers you, it keeps you warm and it keeps you dry. Now imagine that jacket is unzipped or it has a hole in it – every time the wind blows it fills with cold air and you shiver. Common sense tells you to zip it up or patch the hole.... in the energy auditing world we call this “Sealing the Envelope” with the “envelope” being your house. Air Infiltration is the culprit and can account for up to 35% of the heat loss in your home. I won't bore you with the math, but just remember this one fact: FOR EVERY CUBIC FOOT OF AIR THAT ENTERS YOUR HOUSE A CUBIC FOOT OF AIR LEAVES YOUR HOUSE. And the air that is leaving is taking the money you spent to heat it up with it. A typical well-insulated house can still have a complete change of it's ENTIRE volume of air as often as every half-hour because insulation alone is not an air barrier. To extend our envelope analogy- there are two components to aneffective jacket; the windbreaker and the insulation. Your house needs both. (An Example: we tested one old Victorian in Sacramento that had a complete air-change 7 times an hour, which helped to explain the $800 heating bills)

There are many on-line resources available to do-it-yourselfers and I have posted some of my favorite links:

http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=home_improvement.hm_improvement_audits

http://www.energysavers.gov/your_home/energy_audits/index.cfm/mytopic=11160

http://www.pge.com/includes/docs/pdfs/shared/saveenergymoney/rebates/weatherization.pdf

When you want to take it to the next level that's where we at E3 NorCal step in. Think of it as putting your house on a treadmill. We bring in $20,000 worth of state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment, hunt down the energy wasters in your home and give you a 20+ page report detailing our findings, making cost effective recommendations and a full payback analysis.

If you have any energy related questions please call us at the Green Living Center, it would be our pleasure to work with you.

Tommy Young
E3 NorCal

FOR a GREEN HALLOWEEN

Staying green during the holidays may seem like a daunting task but It doesn’t have to be. This Halloween try some of these ideas to lighten your impact:

Costume: Look in your closet for costume ideas you may already have something that would make a great costume for your self or your kids…use an old bed sheet as a toga or a cape. Get creative! Or set up a stitch switch, some of your friends may have some wonderful funky old clothes or costumes for you to use. Rent your costume, this is a great way to reuse a commercial costume over and over with out being the same thing year after year. Try your local thrift store (this could also be a good location to find decorations as well!) When you’re done you can re-donate your costume.

Pumpkins: Purchase your pumpkin from a local pumpkin patch instead of a grocery store. Better yet, if you have the resources grow your own pumpkins! This is a great learning opportunity for young children as well. Use the pumpkin “guts” in a recipe (Soup, Pie, Bread…) and cook up the seeds. This makes great party food! Don’t forget to compost the pumpkin shell after Halloween!

Parties: Send party invites online to save paper…there are plenty of fun E-cards out there to choose from. Serve local and seasonal party food from a local farmers market. There are farmer’s markets all over Sacramento almost every day of the week. Use reusable, recyclable or compostable party utensils and decorations. Black or Orange CFLs and themed LED holiday lights as well as reusable decorations are available online. Use apples, corn on the cob, pumpkins etc can be used as natural decorations.

Trick or Treats: Healthy Trick or Treat treats that you may not have thought of include Honey Sticks, Fruit Leather, Organic Juice Boxes, and Dark Chocolate. Get creative with reusable trick or treat bags. For example a Witch could use a caldron and a Pirate could use a mini treasure chest to collect the goodies. Give out little treasures instead of treats, kids love toys! For more ideas and information go to: http://www.greenhalloween.org/ Have a Happy and Safe Halloween!

Green Sacramento

WE ARE ALL MOVED INTO OUR NEW BUILDING!!!!! 919 H Street Sac 95811

Green Sacramento has moved to it's new location 919 H Street Sacramento CA 95811 (just 2 blocks down the street)

Green Sacramento moved to midtown just under two years ago with high hopes and great partnerships. But then the economy faltered and the building industry began to fall apart. 2009 has been a very challenging year for us full of trials and tribulations as the building industry in Sacramento continued to worsen and many of our partners began closing up shop. But we have been able to survive and find new partnerships that will make Green Sacramento and the opportunities for green building in Sacramento better than ever.

We moved to a new location at 919 20th Street, less than two blocks from our current location. Moving is very difficult for a retail store and confusing for customers, but this move was necessary for our survival and allows us much better opportunities for prosperity.

With this move to 919 20th Street we are partnering up with several small businesses to create The Green Living Center, a hub for green building in Sacramento. Along with Green Sacramento and Green Sacramento Construction, our partners in the building include PinerWorks Architecture, E3 / Norcal energy efficiency consultants and Claire Blocker Interior Design. Plus we will have more partners joining us in the coming weeks and months. Moving into a building with all these business allows for our customers to find a full range of products and services for creating healthier and more sustainable homes and businesses in one place and at one time. The people in all of these businesses are highly motivated by the social, ethical and sustainability opportunities addressed by green building and Iím honored to be associated with this group.

I want to apologize for the chaos and confusion of moving again, but thank all of our great customers for their understanding and support. So come visit us on October at our new location on 919 20th Street and enjoy 10% discounts on all countertop purchases.

Cheers!

Josh Daniels

EcoTimber Award Winning Wood Floors

It is always good news when someone in the green movement succeeds; it is particularly good news for us at Green Sacramento when the business in question is one of our suppliers and associates. Lately the flooring company EcoTimber has been recognized by several of the nation’s top authorities on green practices as a premier supplier of environmentally friendly, beautiful and durable floors. In late April, Green Building Pages held their annual Earth Day Awards which recognize the best green building products on the market. EcoTimber ‘Hand-Scraped,’ ‘Exotics’ and ‘Classics’ lines of hardwood flooring received three of the top ten awards. More recently, in early July, the San Francisco Business Journal nominated EcoTimber for a Green Business Award. The journal credits the best green companies in the Bay Area with its Green Business Awards every year. In the end, out of the 200 or more businesses nominated, EcoTimber was one of the two finalists for the category ‘Best Green Product,’ alongside nationally known Method, a green product line marketed by Target. Considering EcoTimber’s relatively small size and humble origins, this is an extraordinary and exciting achievement.

EcoTimber is devoted to forest protection and indoor air quality. They live up to their motto "Healthy Forests. Healthy Homes.” by only working with wood that comes from forests that satisfy the highest standards of sustainable forest management, and by using products that contain no chemicals harmful either to humans or to the environment. Moreover, EcoTimber floors are both long-lasting and extraordinarily beautiful, with rich, natural hues that range from pale bamboo to dark Patagonian Rosewood. Lifetime guarantees can be taken for granted with almost any EcoTimber floor, due to their unusual hardness. Despite these advantages, EcoTimber floors are comparable in price to conventional floors of a similar caliber.

Green Sacramento is proud to be able to work with EcoTimber to help “harness the marketplace to support sustainable forestry and forest conservation worldwide,” beginning right here in our beautiful city of Sacramento.

Green redecorating / remodel on a budget PART2

The initial stages of a remodel can be daunting for homeowners, decreasing energy consumption is one of the primary goals of green remodeling. This can be achieved in a myriad small ways begun quite simply by fostering environmentally sound habits: turning off appliances and lights, decreasing use of heating or air-conditioning, etc.

Structurally, there are many ways of improving the energy efficiency of the home without putting unnecessary stress on one’s bank account. Sealing cracks and perforations that allow air leakage in ducts and pipes, and adding insulation to the attics, floors or walls are not particularly expensive renovations, yet they yield impressive results.

In one home improvement report, the money saved by the repaired and insulated ducts surpassed the initial cost of the improvements within two years, and continued to save the homeowners money. When one considers the amount of energy spent annually on heating or (as clearly evidenced by our most recent bout of infernal Sacramento heat) air conditioning, it makes sense that maximizing the efficiency of the systems that support these functions would be both profitable and environmentally sound.

There are many other simple ways of increasing the energy efficiency of your home. The implementation of compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) and fans can significantly reduce the carbon footprint of a home and are relatively inexpensive, unlike other commendable –yet impractical—measures such as installing an all-new energy saving appliances or new, insulating windows. While it is true that both of these changes can help reduce energy consumption the overall effect on the energy level of the structure is minute, while the cost is quite high. For the same price, it is possible to make several other, smaller changes to the home, with a much greater affect upon the overall energy consumption, and a gentler effect upon one’s finances.

Green redecorating / remodel on a budget PART1

There is a time in the life of a house when remodeling, or at least redecorating is absolutely necessary: walls thirsty for paint, tired rooms begging to be rejuvenated. In our difficult economic times few people have the resources for such home improvements. However, it is not impossible to redecorate or remodel on a budget while still upholding green standards.

When preparing to remodel a home in a budget-conscious way, it is important to remember that green renovations increase longevity and lower energy bills. When a room requires rejuvenation but not an actual remodel, the easiest and most effective way of changing the feeling of the space is to paint. The alteration or addition of color on one or more walls vitally changes the experience of the entire room, adding a feeling of cozy warmth or cool, refreshing space; and eco friendly paints are comparatively easy on the wallet (comparable in price to conventional, high quality paints).

To finish off the decoration process, it is important to remember that decorating “green” does not necessarily mean purchasing new, expensive, eco friendly items; green also means reusing and recycling. Making use of the contents of your attic, or visiting thrift- or antique-stores are ways of preventing used goods from ending up in landfills while adding a unique touch to your home.

www.greensacramento.com/sale.html

Green Sacramento was founded 5 years ago with the idea of providing healthier and more sustainable building materials to the greater Sacramento area community. Over time we recognized another element of sustainability; product longevity through durability, functionality and aesthetics. So when customers come to Green Sacramento they can be assured that we have done our due diligence to ensure that our products meet very high standards in all of those areas and that our staff will understand our customers' needs and concerns. As the founder of Green Sacramento I truly believe that we provide a unique and invaluable service to the people of this area.

But like so many others right now, our business has been affected by the downturn in the economy and we hope friends and supporters can get the word out and help us get through these tough times. If you or any of your friends are in the midst of a project, just starting a remodel or have been putting off an upgrade we encourage you to stop by and visit our showroom for your home improvement needs. Our new sister company, Green Sacramento Builders is also available to provide construction services with a focus on energy efficiency and indoor air quality.


To further encourage both old and new customers to stop by we are having a sale starting right away on our in-stock inventory as follows:

10% off all AFM and Yolo paint and primer current inventory through July 11th

10% off all American Clay products current inventory through July 11th

All mis-tinted paints are available for $5 per quart and $10 per gallon

20% to 30% off other current inventory through the end of July including:
- Wood and concrete stains, finishes and sealants
- Limited quantities of Bamboo, Cork and Marmoleum Click flooring
- Various Sundries ñ Including paint brushes, canvas tarps and lead test kits

Plus we will be providing a discount on all brands and types of flooring through July 18th including cork, bamboo, carpet, Marmoleum and FSC wood as follows:
- 5% off all flooring on orders over 500sf
- 8% off all flooring on orders over 1000sf

Thank you for your support!

Josh Daniels
Owner, Green Sacramento