Green your home! Where do I start?  As our country moves toward more sustainable and more eco-friendly energy resources, I felt compelled to share some ideas and resources on where to start.

The first step to Green Your Home is getting a Home Energy Rating System (HERS) audit of your home.  Make sure they are a qualified professional.  This audit will help you decide what to do first and prioritize your green project.  I would check the www.calcerts.com for some professional help and get some ideas from a qualified HERS Company.   They are offering a $250 rebate on a HERS audit as long as it is from a HERS certified rater. You can also go to http://green.car.org to gain a better understanding about being green and greening your home.

Next, you should figure out your budget and decide which project to tackle first.  The energy-saving actions that you take will help you save money in the long run, reduce your energy bills and provide lasting benefits to the environment. I would start with simple and less expensive measures first like high efficiency insulation, duct sealing, weather stripping, products aimed at improving indoor air quality, water-conserving devices and replacing inefficient heaters and appliances. Here is a good site for Energy Star appliances www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=products.pr_find_es_products.

Then tackle the more expensive green projects like solar panels or tankless water heaters, high efficiency double and triple glazed windows, and renewable flooring products like bamboo and cork.

The most expensive project is the installation of solar panels.  The use of solar panels will reduce your monthly utility bill and your carbon footprint.  Make sure you hire a reputable professional contractor to do the job with a lot of solar system installation experience! Here is a good site to start your search. www.californiasolarstatistics.org/search/contractor/

The contractor will help you choose the right size photovoltaic system by providing an estimate of how much energy the system will produce in a year. A contractor’s bid should include the peak generating capacity of the solar electric system and the total cost including hardware, installation, connecting to the grid, city permit, and 25 year warranty. A qualified contractor should contact a California Solar Incentive program administrator on your behalf to apply for incentives, rebates  and arrange for your system to be interconnected to your utility company’s power grid. The price for this type of installation will depend on the manufacturer of the system, the system you choose and various other factors. Because of the declining rebates in the California solar programs, the sooner you install your system, the better incentive and rebate you will receive. Depending on your location and your electrical utility provider, there are many state, local, and utility company rebates available that will help you green your home. These rebates will significantly reduce the cost of implementing a residential solar power system. You may be able to finance some or all of it!

In California, there are residential rebates available through the California Solar Initiative program through 2016 and a 30% federal tax credit.  Depending on the cost of the solar system and other site-specific variables, these incentives can cover up to 40% of the cost of a solar system. www.dsireusa.org/incentives/index.cfm?getRE=1?re=undefined&ee=1&spv=0&st=0&srp=1&state=CA

Once in place, they are low-maintenance and should last for over 25 years. The best place for solar panels are on rooftops that are free from any obstructions, like trees or other homes and that are south facing for direct sunlight (solarmap.lacounty.gov).  Each city is different but some cities are giving easements to allow you to put solar panels on your rooftop even though you may be over the allowed city height limit. Be sure to ask your local Community Development Department to verify the solar installment easement! Your contractor will need a permit to do the installation and if I were you, I would double check with the city yourself just to make sure.

Tips on how to find a reliable contractor: www.cslb.ca.gov/GeneralInformation/Library/GuidesAndPamphlets.asp

www.consumerenergycenter.org/index.html

www.cirkits.com/solar/solarlinks.html

Top 10 Reasons For Green Homes: www.homefinder.com/content/Buying-Guide:Top_10_Reasons_For_Green_Homes

Other Links-

www.energy.ca.gov/HERS/index.html

www.yoursolarsolution.org

www.ecobroker.com

www.energyupgradeca.org

www.goldenfonoi.com/green_real_estate.html

https://usinsuranceagents.com/home-energy-savings

More Tips on Green Housing:

Once you determine how big a system you will need go to www.consumerenergycenter.org/renewables/estimator to help determine costs and how long it will  take to break even on your investment.

Always check to make sure you are using a licensed contractor at www.cslb.ca.gov!

Check for rebates and incentives at www.dsireusa.org!

www.nhpci.org

Websites- Home Energy Performance:

“Energy Efficiency for Homes” – http://www.cityofberkeley.info/EnergyEfficiencyforHomes/

“Energy Saving Tips” – http://thecouponcupboard.com/coupon-blog/energy-saving-tips/

Energy Star Consumer Energy Efficiency Advice:

www.energystar.gov

U.S. Department of Energy Advice on Home Energy Improvement

www.energy.gov/yourhome.htm

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Environmental/Energy Issues

www.epa.gov/epahome/learn.htm

To check rebates- www.csi-trigger.com/

Thank you for tuning in to Manhattan Beach Properties, an informative real estate blog. Please contact our Real Estate Team for more information on how to use our expert services for all of your Real Estate needs.  We are here to help you buy or sell your dream home.

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