Buying Green - Or Greenish

November 20, 2008

This year’s energy scare is a taste of what will come. Experts all agree that our use of energy in this country has to change. So if you’re looking to buy a home, how do you choose a home that has a moderate appetite for energy? Although “green” homes are becoming more popular, they come at a price. But there are alternative choices that will provide savings if you are aware when you go looking.

The first thing to look at is the orientation of the home. Passive solar homes are designed to work with the sun. The ideal home is one with most windows facing the south. During the hot summer months, the sun moves over your house but will not directly shine into the south facing windows. During the winter months, the sun is lower and will shine into your south facing windows, providing solar warmth to your home. A home with a lot of west facing windows will have much higher cooling bills as the hot afternoon summer sun will penetrate even double glazed windows.

Next take a look at how the house conserves energy. The existing homeowner may be able to tell you what the energy efficiency rating is on the house. Are the windows double or tripple glazed? Is there insulation in the attic and under the floors (not all areas of the country need insulation under the floors). Do the built-in appliances have an ENERGY STAR rating? Is the home leaking energy? Sealing air leaks is the quickest and cheapest energy improvement you can make. Actual savings vary for each home, but it is possible to reduce energy costs by one-third. Sealing air leaks can save money in other ways, because a tighter home envelop allows for smaller-capacity heating and cooling equipment. The best way to reduce air leaks and implement the right ventilation strategy is to hire an energy analyst to run a blower door test.

Bear in mind that once you buy a home you there are other things you can easily do to increase the energy efficiency of your home. Unplug appliances when not in use, especially chargers. Switch to using energy efficient Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs). Look for ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs by choosing the right lumens (not watts). Use cold water to wash clothes, line dry items, use air dry instead of heated dry on your dishwasher. Invest in thermal shades or drapes.

So with a little forethought, your next home could be a partner in your effort to save both money and the earth’s natural resources!

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Local Information for Canton, MI

Latitude: 42.312538 -- Longitude: -83.475053

ZIP Codes for Canton, Michigan	48184 48187 48188
Area Code for Canton, Michigan	734
Time zone for Canton, Michigan	EST

Other Area Cities: Canton, MI Livonia, MI Redford, MI Plymouth, MI Northville, MI

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The Charter Township of Canton, usually just called Canton, is a charter township of Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan and is an affluent suburb of Detroit. As of the 2000 census, the township had a total population of 76,366. In the 2004 estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau the population was 84,654. Canton is one of Michigan's fastest growing communities. Based on statistics reported to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Canton was the nation's 20th safest city during 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006[1]. The designation is based on crime statistics in six categories: murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, and auto theft. -- Source: Wikipedia.com

Michigan 2000 Census Population Profile Map

	Canton	Michigan	United States
Population	76,366	9,938,444	281,421,906
Median age	33.4	35.5	35.3
Median age for Male	33.1	34.3	34
Median age for Female	33.6	36.6	36.5
Households	27,490	3,785,661	105,480,101
Household population	76,280	9,688,555	273,643,273
Average household size	2.77	2.56	2.59
Families	20,561	2,575,699	71,787,347
Average family size	3.26	3.1	3.14
Housing units	28,430	4,234,279	115,904,641
Occupied units	27,490	3,785,661	105,480,101
Vacant units	940	448,618	10,424,540

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