Cool Ways to Save Money and the Planet: Create a Green Zone-Personal Finance

Cool Ways to Save Money and the Planet: Create a Green Zone

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; washing-machine 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? Making choices that help the environment doesn't mean sacrificing comfort and, in fact, many green-Home products are downright 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 compact fluorescent," she says. According to government experts, if every Home in America replaced just one light bulb with a compact fluorescent, the reduction in pollution would be equal to removing one million cars from the road.

On the next few pages 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 right 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 grass, it grows like a tree -- only faster. Since it matures in three years and regenerates itself, bamboo doesn't contribute to global deforestation. (Most material used in flooring comes from controlled bamboo forests in China.) When laminated into boards, bamboo is as tough as oak or maple, and has a richly patterned grain enlivened by tiny "nodes" -- the bamboo equivalent of knotholes. It installs much like hardwood flooring and costs about the same. Be sure to finish it with a water-based urethane, which is less toxic than solvent-based finishes. For more information, you can visit plyboo.com or teragren.com.

Solar Roofing

One drawback to solar-generated electricity is the unwieldy panels, which look out of place on a traditional home. Now you can harness the sun's power right through roof shingles, thanks to a technology called thin-film triple-junction amorphous silicon. 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 cranking out 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 for regular shingles, but you may only need them on the south side of the house. And many states are now offering generous subsidies. To learn more, visit eere.energy.gov.

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