Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) can save the consumer as much as $30 over the life of the bulb when compared to incandescent lighting. While many consumers may be familiar with the energy savings, few are aware of the variety of CFLs that are available on the market.

CFL Bulb Choices Abound

Ranging from the popular spiral to the decorative candle bulb, there is a compact fluorescent light bulb that will fit any situation in residential construction.

Anyone who has ever considered photovoltaic cells knows that they are an enormous investment. However, there is a certain allure to solar panels and the ability to go “off the grid” that makes many homeowners at least consider photovoltaic cell technology, which remains one of the most sustainable available.

If you’re considering photovoltaic cells, there are three factors that solar panel manufacturers like to ignore when talking about their product. However, these factors can significantly diminish the energy savings that solar panels can produce, making it all the more important that you know about them.

Image courtesy ConstructionProgress
 

Interested in having your voice heard regarding improving the LEED Green Building Rating System? You're in luck!

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Board of Directors has voted unanimously to open LEED 2009 for public comment. This is a huge step in the right direction to improve upon an already hugely successful program in the much needed green building movement. The LEED Green Building Rating System is an ever-evolving process and they realize that fact. Thus, the invitation to public comment/suggestions.

The meeting will cover 3 main areas:

• LEED 2009 - LEED Rating System updates/revisions
• Revision and Evolution of the LEED Certification process
• LEED online v3

You've got to hurry, though. The meeting is this Wednesday, June 11, 2008 at 2 PM EDT. Here's all the info listed below that you'll need to have your voice heard.

The HGTV 2008 Green Home is a shining example of how to build a beautiful eco-friendly home. If you weren't already aware, the 2008 Green Home was built just outside of Hilton Head Island (HHI), SC  where developers and builders are creating an environmentally responsible community called Tradition Hilton Head.

We've vacationed on HHI quite a few times over the years and this year was no different. We were there just a couple of weeks ago to bask in the sunshine and swim in the surf. The weather was almost perfect the entire time and the bugs weren't in full force yet so the timing was right on.

I had planned all along on making my way to Tradition to visit the Green Home at some point during our stay, even though I knew the tours had ended already. I was hopeful that I would somehow be allowed to see the home one way or another. Was I successful?

You've probably heard about the green properties of cork flooring, but you may not be aware of the other advantages of installing this material in your home. Similar in cost to tile or hardwood floors, cork flooring can be installed by the careful homeowner and should be considered before your next remodeling project.


Cork Flooring: Versatile, Warm and Cozy

Warmer and softer than tile floors, cork flooring has become very popular for use in the kitchen. It easily absorbs impacts due to the millions of tiny cells present in each square inch. This same quality also means cork flooring is easier on your feet and more comfortable to stand on for long periods of time.

 

While many consumers may think that paint removal requires a chemical stripper and hours of work, there are plenty of options that are kind to the environment and your lungs as well as guaranteed to save you time.

Of course, if you plan on repainting, use a low or no VOC paint to finish the job in the greenest way possible.


 

Solar powered hydronic floor heating is the term used for water used for radiant heating powered by photovoltaics (solar collectors). Installed underneath floors, hydronic floor heating can make an enormous difference in the temperature of the flooring and consequently your home.

While this green technology may work well, cost and practicality make this a difficult system to recommend to the average homeowner.

In a solar powered hydronic floor heating system, solar panels are mounted on the roof to collect energy to heat water by the means of several pieces of equipment that also monitor the temperature and the amount of water being circulated.

 Image courtesy Chixoy

With environmental awareness growing, bamboo flooring has become a popular material for those homeowners who wish to replace their floors without using wood from old growth forests. While earlier bamboo floorings were expensive and difficult to find, newer products are inexpensive and can be found in many chain home improvement centers.

Tulip Poplar bark siding is about as rustic as it gets in the building material world. This was the first time I had seen Yellow Poplar bark shingles/shakes in use and we saw it while on our little excursion a couple of weeks ago on the home garden tour we attended recently.

The fully landscaped 10-acre estate on the tour featured a fully equipped outdoor kitchen, fireplace, picnic tables (dining area) and...(drumroll please) an outhouse clad in Tulip Poplar bark siding. Now that's rustic outdoor living at its' finest!  

Cotton insulation is a green building material that requires less energy to produce and is far more renewable than its largest competitor: fiberglass. Even those homeowners without environmental concerns are often won over by this product that has better acoustical properties and is easier to work with than its competitors.

Cotton insulation may be made of cotton grown for the purpose of insulation or from scraps of cotton cloth or scraps of recycled cotton. Cotton insulation made from the fabric scraps from denim jeans gained prominence because of its distinctive blue color. This cotton denim insulation required that the scraps be cleaned, made into fibers, mixed with a flame retardant and rolled into batts.

This post is way late for '07 tax filers...then again it's way early for FYE 2008 filers and beyond. Does that make any sense? Of course not! It's a tax article...of sorts!

If you're reading this before the 2007 tax deadline of 04/15/2008, I've got some good news for you if you've become an Earth friend by installing some sort of qualifying energy efficient device or appliance to aid in conservation.

Then again, this post is also about all of the currently available renewable energy and energy efficiency rebates and incentives available to homeowners for the foreseeable future. There's a saying that goes like this...

"Don't leave money on the table."

Read on my little green friends!

I made a return visit to the English cottage that I've featured in recent months and was greeted by homeowner and custom homebuilder Jerry Bonner, of Bonner Custom Homes. With Jerry's permission, I was allowed to tour his home and snap a few photos of the finished product. It was truly an honor!

One feature inside his house that caught my eye (among many) were the stained cork flooring tiles he had installed in the basement. It's no ordinary basement but I'll save that for upcoming posts.

Natural cork flooring tiles are fast becoming the hottest trend in today's homebuilding market for good reason.

Here's why...

Now that you have a spring cleaning list in your grasp, you might be better served with some sort of timetable, or schedule, to squeeze it all in before too much time passes. It's not called spring cleaning for nothing you know!

I've got some great tips on products that have worked for us over the years, as well as an eco-friendly nod to a couple of environmentally responsible companies producing green products for you and me. I especially liked one of the marketing tag lines from Method that states...'we see ingredients that come from plants, not chemical plants.'

Have you been trying to decide whether or not to take the plunge and go tankless?
You're not the only one testing the waters. Tankless, or "on-demand", water heater sales are H O T. But there are a few alternatives to the methods in which you choose to heat your water and the most cost effective method ultimately depends on your household usage habits and your current budget limitations (not to mention your conscience).

Below you'll find critical consumer information regarding the method in which you choose to heat your water. We aim to please here at The Fun Times Guide To HomeBuilding.

Read on my fellow citizen consumers...

So....you want to go green, do ya? Excellent!

Green homebuilding has come a long way and there are lots of resources out there to help you do the right thing along the way. Your timing couldn't have been any better because of today's access to a multitude of resources to green home building methods and standards via the internet, widespread material availability and builders with the know-how to get the job done according to the green code in your area. If you have the inclination to build an energy efficient, ecologically-friendly home in your area, then you will need to be aware of the standards and codes to go green. With no further ado, please take the time to explore some of the links provided here to increase your knowledge of all things green. We will be adding to the list of links as we come across them in the coming weeks and months.