Wednesday, November 18, 2009

EPA Green Homes Website


Home owners, buyers and renters have a new resource for going green indoors and outdoors. EPA’s new Green Homes Website will help people make their homes greener with tips on reducing energy consumption, carbon footprints, waste generation and water usage, as well as improving indoor air quality.

The latest federal survey of American housing (2007) reported 128 million housing units across the U.S., accounting for nearly 54 percent of national energy use and nearly 31 percent of all U.S. carbon dioxide emissions, the most common greenhouse gas contributing to climate change.

Many green building practices and technologies have yet to make a dent in the existing residential market, in part because it is hard for people to find clear, consolidated, readily accessible, and credible information. The Green Homes Website addresses that need by providing guidance on approaches to greening each room of the home as well as the surrounding yard. Information also is available on building new homes and finding an energy- efficient mortgage, which takes into account the savings derived from energy efficient homes to enable the applicant to qualify for better terms.

Renters will find information to help them identify a green property before moving in and tips for working with their landlord to add green features to an existing property. Users can also find references, such as a list of common green home terms, and links to dozens of EPA Websites with more specific information on a wide variety of green home topics.   
 

Green Homes

Green Homes Laundry/Basement Living Room and Office Kitchen Bedroom Bathroom Attic Garage Attic and Roof Outdoor Outdoor Outdoor Outdoor House
Click on a room of the house to link to information on greening that room. Or use the links at top right to go directly to each section. You can also click on the attic and on the outdoor areas. For information on whole-house issues such as heating and cooling, lighting, insulation, and windows and doors, go to the whole-house section.

Whether you are a homeowner or a renter, in the market for a new home, or making home improvements, this Web site identifies the key environmental and energy issues at hand, and suggests solutions that will add value to your home, reduce energy use and energy costs, fight climate change, and help protect your health. See the Overview page for information on this site, or use the house graphic above or green home solutions links to navigate to topics of interest.


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