When a house is listed for sale in Colorado, the seller can fill out a green disclosure form to indicate what "green" or environmentally friendly qualities the house has. Many of the terms on the form are specific terms, often abbreviated, that may be unclear. Let's go over them and discuss what they mean.
The eighth item is "ENERGY STAR Appliances." The form's options are Refrigerator, Range/Oven, Dishwasher, and Clothes Washer.
An ENERGY STAR refrigerator uses 15% less power than a non-certified model and 20% less than the federal minimum standard. Read more tips and find out how to recycle your old refrigerator on the ENERGY STAR page at http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=find_a_product.showProductGroup&pgw_code=RF
ENERGY STAR certification is not currently available for ranges and ovens; you can read more about ENERGY STAR for other products, and find ranges and ovens when certification is available, at http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=find_a_product
An ENERGY STAR dishwasher is 10% more energy efficient and 20% more water efficient than a conventional model. New dishwashers also offer features like "soil sensors" which detect how dirty dishes are and adjust the wash accordingly. Read more at the ENERGY STAR page at http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=find_a_product.showProductGroup&pgw_code=DW
An ENERGY STAR clothes washer uses 20% less energy and 35% less water than a conventional model. Most new washers also have greater tub capacities, allowing for fewer loads. Read more at the ENERGY STAR page at http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=find_a_product.showProductGroup&pgw_code=CW
Friday, June 28, 2013
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Colorado Green Disclosures, Item 7
When a house is listed for sale in Colorado, the seller can fill out a green disclosure form to indicate what "green" or environmentally friendly qualities the house has. Many of the terms on the form are specific terms, often abbreviated, that may be unclear. Let's go over them and discuss what they mean.
The seventh item is "Energy Features." The form's options are: ENERGY STAR/Low E Windows, Orientation/Passive Solar Design, ENERGY STAR Rated Roof, Automated Lighting Controls, High Efficiency Lighting, and Programmable Thermostat.
"ENERGY STAR/low E windows" are designed to maintain your home's temperature by keeping heat in during the winter and out during the summer. Different rating levels are used for different climates. Special coatings on low E glass reflect infrared and ultraviolet light, which means they not only help maintain temperatures but also protect your home's furnishings from sun damage. Read more at http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=windows_doors.pr_anat_window
"Orientation/passive solar design" refers to using a home's site, climate, materials, and positioning relative to the sun to minimize energy use. A passive solar home collects heat energy from the sun in winter and uses shades to block sun in the summer. Read more at http://energy.gov/energysaver/articles/passive-solar-home-design
An "ENERGY STAR rated roof" is a roof that reflects more sun, lowering roof surface temperature and reducing peak cooling costs by 10-15%. Read more at http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=find_a_product.showProductGroup&pgw_code=RO
"Automated lighting controls" can range from a motion-sensitive activation for outdoor lights to a range of whole-house programmable controls to meet a variety of needs.
"High efficiency lighting" uses compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) and light-emitting diodes (LEDs) produce the same amount of light as older technologies while using less energy and lasting longer. Read more about CFLs here: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=find_a_product.showProductGroup&pgw_code=LB
And more about LEDs here: http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/9600878/list/The-Lowdown-on-High-Efficiency-LED-Lighting
A "programmable thermostat" increases and decreases a home's temperature automatically, allowing for lower heat at night or lower air conditioning during the day while residents are out. They can be found at most hardware stores and have gotten easier to schedule.
The seventh item is "Energy Features." The form's options are: ENERGY STAR/Low E Windows, Orientation/Passive Solar Design, ENERGY STAR Rated Roof, Automated Lighting Controls, High Efficiency Lighting, and Programmable Thermostat.
"ENERGY STAR/low E windows" are designed to maintain your home's temperature by keeping heat in during the winter and out during the summer. Different rating levels are used for different climates. Special coatings on low E glass reflect infrared and ultraviolet light, which means they not only help maintain temperatures but also protect your home's furnishings from sun damage. Read more at http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=windows_doors.pr_anat_window
"Orientation/passive solar design" refers to using a home's site, climate, materials, and positioning relative to the sun to minimize energy use. A passive solar home collects heat energy from the sun in winter and uses shades to block sun in the summer. Read more at http://energy.gov/energysaver/articles/passive-solar-home-design
An "ENERGY STAR rated roof" is a roof that reflects more sun, lowering roof surface temperature and reducing peak cooling costs by 10-15%. Read more at http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=find_a_product.showProductGroup&pgw_code=RO
"Automated lighting controls" can range from a motion-sensitive activation for outdoor lights to a range of whole-house programmable controls to meet a variety of needs.
"High efficiency lighting" uses compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) and light-emitting diodes (LEDs) produce the same amount of light as older technologies while using less energy and lasting longer. Read more about CFLs here: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=find_a_product.showProductGroup&pgw_code=LB
And more about LEDs here: http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/9600878/list/The-Lowdown-on-High-Efficiency-LED-Lighting
A "programmable thermostat" increases and decreases a home's temperature automatically, allowing for lower heat at night or lower air conditioning during the day while residents are out. They can be found at most hardware stores and have gotten easier to schedule.
Monday, June 24, 2013
Colorado Green Disclosures, Item 6
When a house is listed for sale in Colorado, the seller can fill out a green disclosure form to indicate what "green" or environmentally friendly qualities the house has. Many of the terms on the form are specific terms, often abbreviated, that may be unclear. Let's go over them and discuss what they mean.
The sixth item is "Sustainable Materials." The form's options are: FSC Certified Lumber, Reclaimed Flooring, FSC Certified Cabinets, Sustainable Flooring, Recycled Content, and Regionally Harvested.
The "FSC" in "FSC certified lumber" stands for "Forest Stewardship Council." Two certifications are available, "Forest Management Certification" and "Chain-of-Custody Certification." The "forest management certification" means that wood from a forest has been harvested legally, with respect to indigenous peoples, with ethical treatment of workers, efficiently, sustainably, and with minimal environmental impact. The "chain-of-custody certification" means that products are tracked from their forest management certified origins throughout the supply chain and distinguished from non-certified products. For more information and to look up Certificate Holders, see the FSC website at http://us.fsc.org/index.htm
"Reclaimed flooring" means flooring made of wood that was previously used in another construction. This is a good way to use woods that were once abundant and commonly used but are now less available. A partial list of reclaimed flooring providers is available at http://www.reclaimedflooring.com/
"FSC certified cabinets" are cabinets made with the Forest Stewardship Council's Chain-of-Custody Certification, from FSC Forest Management Certified wood supplies. Read more at http://us.fsc.org/index.htm
"Sustainable flooring" has been produced from sustainable materials using sustainable processes, which means that both the materials themselves and the methods used for harvesting, production, use and disposal have minimal environmental impact. For standards of sustainability, here is a website where there is information about carpeting and resilient flooring standards: http://www.nsf.org/business/sustainability/index.asp?program=Sustainability
"Recycled content" is the use of previously used material to partially or completely make up a new item. An example is recycling the gypsum previously used in drywall to make new drywall. Read more at the Construction and Demolition Recycling Association's website: http://www.cdrecycling.org/
"Regionally harvested" means that a home was constructed using raw materials, like wood, from within 500 miles of the home's location. Here is more information: http://www.leeduser.com/credit/NC-2009/MRc5
The sixth item is "Sustainable Materials." The form's options are: FSC Certified Lumber, Reclaimed Flooring, FSC Certified Cabinets, Sustainable Flooring, Recycled Content, and Regionally Harvested.
The "FSC" in "FSC certified lumber" stands for "Forest Stewardship Council." Two certifications are available, "Forest Management Certification" and "Chain-of-Custody Certification." The "forest management certification" means that wood from a forest has been harvested legally, with respect to indigenous peoples, with ethical treatment of workers, efficiently, sustainably, and with minimal environmental impact. The "chain-of-custody certification" means that products are tracked from their forest management certified origins throughout the supply chain and distinguished from non-certified products. For more information and to look up Certificate Holders, see the FSC website at http://us.fsc.org/index.htm
"Reclaimed flooring" means flooring made of wood that was previously used in another construction. This is a good way to use woods that were once abundant and commonly used but are now less available. A partial list of reclaimed flooring providers is available at http://www.reclaimedflooring.com/
"FSC certified cabinets" are cabinets made with the Forest Stewardship Council's Chain-of-Custody Certification, from FSC Forest Management Certified wood supplies. Read more at http://us.fsc.org/index.htm
"Sustainable flooring" has been produced from sustainable materials using sustainable processes, which means that both the materials themselves and the methods used for harvesting, production, use and disposal have minimal environmental impact. For standards of sustainability, here is a website where there is information about carpeting and resilient flooring standards: http://www.nsf.org/business/sustainability/index.asp?program=Sustainability
"Recycled content" is the use of previously used material to partially or completely make up a new item. An example is recycling the gypsum previously used in drywall to make new drywall. Read more at the Construction and Demolition Recycling Association's website: http://www.cdrecycling.org/
"Regionally harvested" means that a home was constructed using raw materials, like wood, from within 500 miles of the home's location. Here is more information: http://www.leeduser.com/credit/NC-2009/MRc5
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