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Green Interiors: Walking on Clean Air

Green Interiors: Walking on Clean Air It is estimated that 30 to 40 percent of all pollutants are brought into our homes on shoes, clothing, and pets. That’s a lot of trash! Some things door mats just cannot catch. But what about the items we don’t bring in? What about the materials we choose to place permanently in our homes? Flooring is a leading cause of indoor pollutants. Below are a few sustainable flooring options that can help keep your home clean!  Nothing is more important than your home’s indoor air quality, especially when considering we spend approximately 90 percent …

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Before You Build: Part 1

Before You Build: Part 1 Q. My husband gave me the best anniversary present ever! He finally agreed to custom build and showed me the nest egg he has been building for 10 years to surprise me! I am determined this will be a happy project to reward the entire family. I have heard some horror stories, though, and want to make sure I get off on the right foot.

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Green Design: What’s in your crawlspace?

green interiors Green Design: What’s in your crawl space? How much time do you spend thinking about your crawlspace? If you are like me, not very much. Just the thought of crawlspaces makes me shudder as visions of what could be in the depths below run through my head. It’s also so confusing concerning what to do with vents: are they open in the fall, closed in the summer? And the radon we have to deal with here in Middle Tennessee, what is that about? Well, we recently spent some time in Beth Haley Design’s crawlspace and we ended up …

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top green building trends

    Urban Density. Filling in the spaces is the name of the game as homeowners and builders opt to create more living space with infill building and similar techniques. Energy upgrades drive home remodels. Builders and remodelers have been able to capitalize on energy upgrade work. Deployment and testing of new materials. National labs and university research departments are partnering with builders to create test beds and sensor-filled buildings that log the energy performance of new materials and equipment. Consumer friendly home energy tracking devices. The introduction of the Apple-like Nest Learning Thermostat, and Belkin’s Conserve Insight energy use …

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Green Exploration-Raises the Roof on Energy Savings

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Green Exploration—Raising the Roof on Energy Savings As the summer temperatures inevitably climb, so do our energy bills. I’ve talked before about the importance of having an in-home energy audit to assess the energy efficiency of your home. According to the Nashville Electric Service (NES), to date, almost 5000 Nashvillians have participated in their energy audit program, which is very exciting news! These audits are available in most counties and/or communities and can provide sufficient savings for your home, but they are not the only way to do so.

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exploring green interiors – energy efficient light bulbs

exploring green interiors – how many lawmakers does it take to change a light bulb? As January 2012 creeps closer, many designers and homeowners have begun stockpiling incandescent bulbs due to fear of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, that takes effect in just six months. This article focuses on the portion of the bill that requires a 25 percent increase in light bulb efficiency starting in 2012. I have heard countless stories of people ordering bulbs in quantities of thousands—yes, thousands—for fear of running out. It actually reminds me very much of the Y2K scare over a …

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Solar Panels for your home

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Energy savings and green energy are the buzz words of the year, if not the decade and perhaps the century. Today’s homeowners are just beginning to become aware of energy solutions designed to reduce energy bills and free them from their dependence on fuel sources outside the home.

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energy solutions and alternatives

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energy solutions/energy alternatives Energy savings and green energy are the buzz words of the year, if not the decade and perhaps the century. Today’s homeowners are just beginning to become aware of energy solutions designed to reduce energy bills and free them from their dependence on fuel sources outside the home.

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energy solutions/energy alternatives

energy_solutions_solartek_217x220

Energy savings and green energy are the buzz words of the year, if not the decade and perhaps the century. Today’s homeowners are just beginning to become aware of energy solutions designed to reduce energy bills and free them from their dependence on fuel sources outside the home.

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Exploring Green Interiors – Energy Challenge

exploring green interiors – Energy Challenge I live in an historic district, Davidson County’s District 18, to be exact. We have been given a challenge, “Go Green, District 18,” to reduce our energy consumption by 5 percent by the end of 2010, therefore decreasing our carbon emissions and thus our carbon footprint. This challenge asks us to sign up for the NES In-Home Energy Evaluation. I was really excited to hear about the challenge and signed up with the initial run. NES mailed me an evaluation to fill out which asked me to identify the details of my inner home …

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