The Green Home Coach

BY MARLA ESSER CLOOS

MARLA ESSER CLOOS, NAHB Master Certified Green Professional, and LEED AP, is the principal of Green Home Coach where she uses her “superpowers” to help home professionals and inhabitants to discover and create better homes for healthier, more comfortable lives. Making simple swaps to green and sustainable choices helps create better homes – a bit at a time in existing homes or all at once for new and remodeled homes. Find more at GreenHomeCoach.com and @greenhomecoach on FB and IG.

Incremental Green:

LET THE SUN SHINE IN – TO POWER AND LIGHT UP YOUR HOME!

Have you ever thought about how many songs have “sun” in them? Dozens! I looked it up. My favorite is the Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun.” The sun is such an important part of our daily lives, our culture, and our weather. We really do center around the sun. Learning how to capture even a tiny amount of the power of the sun is literally lighting us up! The sun brings power that we convert to electricity and natural light to our homes and buildings.

SOLAR POWER

Sunlight has been a part of human history well, forever. Using it to provide electricity is a somewhat new technology. The photovoltaic effect was discovered in 1839 by French physicist Edmond Becqueral, yet it was well over 100 years later when the University of Delaware was credited with creating one of the first solar buildings in 1973. It used a combination of solar thermal and solar photovoltaic power. Now power in our homes from the sun is not only a reality, it’s becoming more popular and convenient. A few years ago, I had the opportunity to interview Dane Glueck, the founder of StraightUp Solar in St. Louis. Dane talked about utilizing solar to save energy, help the environment, and grow a “solar tribe.” I got the feeling that the company was as much a movement as a business, as they work to help people see how solar is a part of the bigger picture of clean energy. As a Certified B Corporation, StraightUp Solar places people and planet above profit and commits to high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. Solar energy is sustainable, renewable, and plentiful. Every year, the cost to produce electricity from solar goes down and many more of us switch to solar for at least some of our electrical power. The Smithsonian Magazine website states, ”Installing solar is also more affordable now, due to installation costs dropping over 70 percent in the last decade.” With electricity being such a vital part of our society, adding solar power makes sense. The lower utility bills are a major draw of home solar panels, and they are viewed as upgrades like a remodeled kitchen, so they will likely increase your home’s value. And while many of us think solar is limited to the sunnier parts of the U.S., in fact, they will work almost anywhere, and the U.S. has enormous solar potential. To learn more: www.energy.gov/energysaver/benefitsresidential-solar-electricity www.nahb.org/advocacy/public-toolkits/abuilders-toolkit-for-solar/Solar-The-Basics www.consumeraffairs.com/solar-energy/ solar-energy-pros-and-cons.html straightupsolar.com

SUNLIGHT AND WINDOWS

For millennia, humans have relied on the sun for light to see by and to set the pace of our days. As humans have found better ways to build shelter, we have also found ways to use the sun for light and heat. It’s kind of crazy that we work so hard to build a structure to protect us from the elements – wind, rain, heat and cold – only to punch a hole in it to let in light. Yet, that natural light is so important to our health and well-being. We’ve learned how much natural light impacts our circadian rhythms for sleeping and waking. We’ve experienced the power of natural light on our psyche and moods. Natural light just feels good. Window technology has come a long way from the days of “Little House on the Prairie” when Pa carefully transported the precious panes of glass for the windows in their city house. Today’s modern, energy-efficient windows let in the wonder of natural light, while controlling the heat and drafts from the sun and wind. Ah, a win-win. Windows today use the science of materials, physics, and chemistry to create a window assembly to provide ample light with more comfort. Windows are a vital part of a home’s building envelope – the skin of the home protecting the occupants and the structure from the elements. Combining these advanced technologies offers advanced window assemblies that fit your home, your climate, and the way your live. Look for the ENERGY STAR certification to know that you are getting the most energy-efficient windows for your home. To learn more about energy-efficient windows: www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/guide_to_ energy_efficient_windows.pdf www.hgtv.com/design/remodel/ mechanical-systems/choosing-the-rightwindows