Recently a contest was put out here on AR asking us to list the Top 5 "green" eco-friendly items if money were no object, http://activerain.com/blogsview/300156/1-Points-Brad-Pitt
I thought this was a great idea and decided to write a blog on it. I have already somewhat thought about it for when I build my "dream" house (whenever that is).
So here are the top 5 items I would do to make a "green" house if money were not an issue:
1. Use foam insulation that conforms to the surface and fills all air gaps. If the entire country used this insulation, it is estimated that $2.58 billion annually would be saved in energy costs.
2. Use triple glazed vinyl windows that are at least 1-inch thick between the first and third window pane. This would save the U.S. an estimated 2-trillion BTU's annually (for standard vinyl window, even more for triple glazed windows).
3. Have solar panels installed that are not only efficient, but aesthetically pleasing or hidden. This would dramatically cut down, or eliminate, electrical usage and also lower natural gas usage.
4. Have the GreenSwitch installed that turns off all unnecessary lights and outlets when you leave the home. This would lower electrical usage so that unneeded items aren't always wasting energy when they're on or plugged in.
5. Install artificial turf as much as possible instead of grass. This would greatly lower the use of water, as lawns require the use of the most water in a household. It sounds tacky, but my brother-in-law has very nice artificial turf, it looks and feels great.
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