Passage One
Create a Green Zone
Get this: Your home is already an ecological wonder. Over the last 25 years the amount of energy used by the typical refrigerator dropped by two-thirds; washingmachine energy needs have been reduced by nearly half; the use of redwood decking has fallen by two-thirds; and toilets use less than half the water that they did in the 1970s.
You had no idea how good you were being, did you choices that help the environment doesn’t mean sacrificing comfort and, in fact, many green-home products are extremely luxurious. Unfortunately, this contributes to the perception that the products are budget busters-a myth, says Alex Wilson, executive editor of Environmental Building News. "Certainly there are high-end green homes that demonstrate what’s feasible, but the average homeowner can use many green strategies-and some actually reduce the cost of a home."
Architect Angela Dean, author of the book Green by Design, says even small changes can have a big impact. "Every time you change a light bulb, replace it with a fluorescent (荧光的) lamp," she says. According to govemment experts, if every home in America replaced just one light bulb with a fluorescent lamp, the reduction in pollution would be equal to removing one million cars from the road.
Here you’ll find our picks for the best and the brightest ideas in green building. Many of the products you can add to your house fight away; others you can save for, and incorporate the next time you need a new roof or deck. Either way, being good has never been easier.
Bamboo Flooring
Wood floors are gorgeous, but hardwoods traditionally used in flooring take decades to grow, and can be harvested irresponsibly in rain forests. The solution is bamboo flooring. Although bamboo is technically a kind of grass, it grows like a treeonly faster. Since it matures in three years and regenerates itself, bamboo doesn’t contribute to global destruction of forests. When pressed into boards, bamboo is as tough as other hardwoods, and has a richly patterned lines enlivened by tiny "nodes"-the bamboo equivalent of knotholes. It installs much like hardwood flooring and costs about the same. Solar Roofing
One drawback to solar-generated electricity is the bulky panels, which look out of place on a traditional home. Now you can harness the sun’s power right through roof shingles (木瓦), thanks to an advanced technology. These space-age solar cells are shaped like conventional shingles and can be installed just like regular shingles, then wired into your home’s electric system. Wilson says they’re not as efficient as freestanding solar panels, but depending on weather conditions, they can generate virtually all the power for your home. In August, when the shingles are producing more electricity than you need, the current gets fed into the power grid, running your meter backward and thereby reducing your electric bill-which makes up for rainy days, when output is reduced. Solar shingles cost $40 to $50 a square foot installed, versus about $8 fur regular shingles, but you may only need them on the dark side of the house. And many states are now offering generous supplement.
On-Demand Water Heaters
Most houses have a hot-water tank that is constantly fired up, keeping 40 to 80 gallons ready for the next shower or laundry load. By contrast, on-demand water heaters don’t use a tank. Instead they employ a powerful burner to heat water only when needed. As a result, there is up to 34 percent greater efficiency, according to a report by the National Association of Home Builders Research Center. On-demand heaters also save space because they are small and wall-mounted. It’s important to get the right size heater for your home and lifestyle. This is a job for a heating professional, or your gas company.
Decking
Traditional decking may use pressure-treated pine, which was usually tied with toxic substances. And the stain or paint applied to the wood often contains erous elements. It is necessary to change for your health; consider one of the many composite deck products made from recycled plastic and wood fiber. Besides looking great, they won’t rot, or crack. They never need staining, and contain no toxic additives. Composite decking can cost two or three times as much as pressure-treated decking. But when you factor in the cost of maintaining a wood deck, the difference narrows over time.
Occupancy Switches
Scientists haven’t figured out how to get kids to turn off lights in their rooms. But they’ve made great strides in occupancy switches, which sense when no one is in a room and then shut off automatically. Older models that monitored environmental sound levels were not reliable; the latest switches rely on infrared technology. Infrared switches are most common in homes; they need a direct line of sight and work best in four-walled spaces. Some are designed to replace a standard wall switch. Others are ceiling-mounted.
Salvaged Wood
Salvaged wood comes from two places-buildings that are being torn down or, increasingly, underwater. Logging operations in the 19th century used waterways to float trees; many logs sank. Today, divers are recovering these logs, which remain preserved in the cold fresh water. This salvaged wood often sells at a premium-S6 to $8 per board foot, and considerably more for exotic varieties. The logs are from ancient forests, where the branches and leaves that spread out at the top of a group of trees formed a thick roof which slowed growth and resulted in exceptionally tight lines favored by fine woodworkers. "You can’t buy that kind of wood anymore," says Wilson. Often the wood is from trees that are now largely wiped out, like longleaf yellow pine. The wood can be used in any part of construction, from ceiling beams to flooring, or in furniture.
Compact Fluorescents
These light bulbs, which use about 75 percent less energy than incandescent (白炽的) bulbs, have been around since the early 1980s. But in the past few years they’ve gotten better, smaller-and cheaper. How cheap Try five bucks, with a five-year guarantee. The reason, says Wilson, is : competition. "When California had its power cr there was a huge upsurge in compact fluorescent, and Chinese companies began them inexpensively. Now they’re being made by dozens of companies, plus some utilities offer discounts." Today’s compact fluorescents switch on quickly and don’t buzz. And the colors are much warmer than the ghostly white models of the past.
Passage OneCreate a Green ZoneWilson thinks compact fluorescents have become better, smaller and cheaper mainly thanks to______