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 Greensboro, NC

Latitude: 36.079868 -- Longitude: -79.819416

ZIP Codes for Greensboro, North Carolina	27395 27401 27402 27403 27404 27405 27406 27407 27408 27409 27410 27411 27412 27413 27415 27416 27417 27419 27420 27425 27427 27429 27435 27438 27455 27480 27495 27498 27499
Area Code for Greensboro, North Carolina	336
Time zone for Greensboro, North Carolina	EST

Other Area Cities: Kernersville, NC Archdale, NC High Point, NC Greensboro, NC Randleman, NC Thomasville, NC Asheboro, NC

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Greensboro, North Carolina, is a city in Guilford County in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the largest city in the Piedmont Triad region. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 223,891, making it the third most populous city in North Carolina. Its estimated 2006 population is 240,955. It is located at the intersection of two interstate highways (I-85 and I-40) in the Piedmont ("foot of the mountains") region in central North Carolina. In 1808, Greensborough (as it was spelled before 1895) was planned around a central courthouse square to replace Guilford Court House as the county seat. This act moved the county courts closer to the geographical center of the county, a location more easily reached by a greater number of the county's citizens. -- Source: Wikipedia.com

North Carolina 2000 Census Population Profile Map

	Greensboro	North Carolina	United States
Population	223,891	8,049,313	281,421,906
Median age	33	35.3	35.3
Median age for Male	31.6	33.8	34
Median age for Female	34.3	36.7	36.5
Households	92,394	3,132,013	105,480,101
Household population	212,584	7,795,432	273,643,273
Average household size	2.3	2.49	2.59
Families	53,930	2,158,869	71,787,347
Average family size	2.94	2.98	3.14
Housing units	99,305	3,523,944	115,904,641
Occupied units	92,394	3,132,013	105,480,101
Vacant units	6,911	391,931	10,424,540

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