# I want to go green! Any ideas?



## thomas_jones

I want to go green! Any ideas?


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## Grampa Bud

I've got a lot of ideas and even more questions. Did you get the dates mixed up and are looking for green face paint for a Packers game or Saint Patty's Day?? Are you referring to recycling programs ?? Are you looking for Solar water heating or solar lighting or Grid tie electric systems or Off Grid electric systems or...........????


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## gma2rjc

Welcome. You'll find lots of great ideas on the 'Green Home Improvement' forum. Look in the index.

If you have some suggestions you don't see in any of the threads, feel free to add them.


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## martinigirl

*Going green the right way!*



thomas_jones said:


> I want to go green! Any ideas?


 
Thomas, the first thing is to make sure the companies that you are interested in aren't "greenwashing" you into believing they are green when they really aren't. This is really tough because everyone is on the bandwagon right now. And just because they say they are green, doesn't necessarily mean they are. Do your research! 
I recommend reading this fabulous book that encompasses all green aspects (not just design) "World Changing: A User's Guide to the 21st Century", by Abrahms, and foreward by Al Gore. 

I also regularly watch the Planet Green Channel (check you local provider for channel info), as well as Sundance channel for the latest tips on building and products. If you have any questions on specific products, let me know. I am an interior designer in So. California that specializes in green consulting and product selection!
Have fun with your project!:thumbup:


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## Scuba_Dave

thomas_jones said:


> I want to go green! Any ideas?


None.........:laughing:


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## rltarch

*Green Design*

Hey Thomas - going green means a lot more than just what you do with the envelope and the mechanicals...


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## Grampa Bud

Well Master Thomas, You certainly have brought the bugs out of the woodwork so to speak, now can you fill us in on what it is YOU would like to do?????????


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## ramona1210

Best "Green" tip I know of - Paint! Insulated paint is a fairly new product to the remodeling scene and its benefits in terms of energy efficiency are pretty impressive. I like this little blog. It's short and concise.

http://tinyurl.com/nknt2d


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## Scuba_Dave

OP hasn't been back to the site since he signed up


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## Leftyho

Hi,

Natural Lighting or daylighting is a way to save energy while making your home a cheerer place to live.


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## mboxwell

I would totally agree with that. A few years ago I converted my basement into office space. I piped in sunlight using a sunpipe and it worked fantastically well: during the day - even in the depths of winter - the sunpipe provided enough natural light to the underground offices to not need additional lighting.

When the sun shone, the lense reflected rainbows over the walls and floor - wonderful!

So whereever you are in the house, there is no excuse - you can have natural daylight. It saves energy, it is natural light and it vastly improves your living and working environment.

Now there's an interesting link. No real information, like the specification of the system he built for $206 (if all he did was power his shed, you could buy the bits off the shelf for around $70-90)... and the photograph of the home with a solar panel is definately not linked to anything the author has claimed to do.

How do I know? It's a solar hot water panel whilst the text is talking about solar electricity. D'oh!


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## ricki65

*This is just my suggestion*

Found this web site promising energy efficient window replacements, they are using acrylic film to reduce heat loss, home insulation, and energy bill. Looks interesting.


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## funnyguy

Some little green things we're doing:

Switching to pine kitty litter (you can spread it under trees, shrubbery, smells better, too).
Washing and reusing baggies (can't stop using them just yet).
Switching to low energy light bulbs.
Timer on hot water heater.
Landscaping and vegetable gardening using organic methods.
Vermicomposting kitchen waste and paper/cardboard and using for fertilizer.
Doing everything possible to limit garbage produced.
Reading news and magazines online rather than buying printed form.

It all adds up, particularly if a lot of people do it, too. :thumbsup:


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## operagost

I wouldn't reuse baggies because I can't see them being airtight after use and washing. They're designed to be thrown away, and as such, they are very thin. This is kind of the same "problem" caused by bottled water manufacturers recently "going green"; they make their bottles thinner now to "reduce landfill space usage", but ironically that makes it harder to reuse them.

If your water heater is sufficiently insulated, a timer isn't going to save any money because it will not have cooled down significantly by the next time someone demands hot water. More effective solutions include insulating the hot water lines in the basement, reducing the water temp to 130 degrees F, wrapping the tank or replacing it with a more insulated tank*, and switching to an "on demand" system.

* Who the heck has all these uninsulated tanks? Mine is 20 years old, and it feels just barely warm only on the top.


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## speedtree

I have a question about the on-demand water heaters. I have an older electric water heater that works but isn't quite large enough and our electric in PA just went up 30% so I'm considering replacing it with a gas one. 

I read that with lots of usage in small amounts, the on-demand type may not be as cost effective as a tank style. Is this true, does the type or style of usage matter much when comparing the on-demand vs the tank style? The on-demand are about double the price but if they are more economical I might consider it especially with the 30% tax credit possibility.


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## Grampa Bud

I'm in Northern Illinois and have serviced and installed both electric and gas type tank heaters. I also have installed gas type tankless heaters. From what I have found over the years assuming a "level" playing field: 1) You have to go up one size in electric tank style to more closely compete with a gas tank style heater. 2) Doing this will mean the initial cost of the electric tank will be higher than a gas fired heater, but the response time and operational costs will be about the same. 
3) The tankless heaters initially cost 2 1/2 to 3 times as much as a gas tank style heater, but the tankless have a far faster response time, the operational costs over time are much lower than either electric or gas/electric tank heaters, and currently there is not much in the way of operational histories or dependablity. Tank heaters have been around for 60+ years; Tankless have been around for 10. Anything can fail right out of the box or somewhere down the road it just takes time to sort it all out. A rule of thumb regarding tankless heaters though is if there are 2 or 3 tankless heaters that could handle your needs, go with the one that is one step up from the unit that appears to just cover your needs. Or use two smaller units in parrelel. You will still make out and be much happier.


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## utilitylocator

Grampa Bud said:


> Well Master Thomas, You certainly have brought the bugs out of the woodwork so to speak, now can you fill us in on what it is YOU would like to do?????????


 
Maybe he went sooo green He boycotted the coal mine that ran the electricity plant that powered his computer?


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## 1960danm

Very easy tune into march madness and route for the michigan state spartans! Go green!


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## far409mer

*far409mer*

I have lots of ideas, have your local power company or a partner of theirs do an energy audit of your house. They just did mine and I have a list I am working on now. Insulate the rim joist (box sill), insulate the exposed basement wall in the inside to a foot below grade, insulate the attic, insulate crawl space. Install a water saving shower head, install ceiling windows, to let in natural light instead of using electric lights. Use sensor power strips to minimize vampire electric usage. Have a great day!:no:


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## MagicalHome

I help save Mother Earth by re-using my shopping bag. I have this bag made of canvass that I use for shopping. It can be washed and re-use. It saves from using plastic and paper bags. 

I also use natural light whenever possible.


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## Grampa Bud

MagicalHome you have two very good ideas, that should be followed by thousands more people than the few who read this blog. The first about the shopping bags would be terrific except that people such as my wife love this idea so much they have spawned an entire new industry. Bags that can carry 80-100 lbs, with or without individual store names on them, in multiple colors and patterns, some with cutesy sayings on them, all with permanent creases in them so they can folded and stowed for convenient reuse later. My wife, bless her sweet little heart, even has used a lovely lime-green one that can hold as many as 15 of these boulder-holders in it and has placed it prominently between the front seats and on the floor for the second row seating in our minivan. If our grandkids move it so they can get in or out there will be a stern warning. If I move it so larger items can be hauled/moved, stern looks are in order up to and including severe reprimands (like bringing the van home depleted of fuel for weeks until I get the message.) The best part is no more than 3 or 4 bags ever get used at one time and if they are ever heavier than 20# a piece I get the honor of carrying them so the cart (if there is one) can be left in the store.


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## bobbiesoxer

ricki65 said:


> Found this web site promising energy efficient window replacements, they are using acrylic film to reduce heat loss, home insulation, and energy bill. Looks interesting.


Ricki, which website is it? It does sound interesting, you've sparked my curiosity.

I've heard of window treatments that use the sun's natural light to preserve the heating in your home. I use the Levolor ones in my living room, and I've saved a significant amount on heating costs last winter.

I would also suggest you to fill any cracks near your unused windows or doors with insulation tape during the winter. 

Hope this helps you on your way to being green!:yes:


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## operagost

Shave your plants? What, like peaches and African violets? :jester:


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## gma2rjc

Or maybe plants that get too leggy? lol

I think rocklee is a spammer. It kind of looks like it with the grammar and punctuation mistakes.


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## Sandra20

funnyguy said:


> Some little green things we're doing:
> 
> Switching to pine kitty litter (you can spread it under trees, shrubbery, smells better, too).
> Washing and reusing baggies (can't stop using them just yet).
> Switching to low energy light bulbs.
> Timer on hot water heater.
> Landscaping and vegetable gardening using organic methods.
> Vermicomposting kitchen waste and paper/cardboard and using for fertilizer.
> Doing everything possible to limit garbage produced.
> Reading news and magazines online rather than buying printed form.
> 
> It all adds up, particularly if a lot of people do it, too. :thumbsup:


i like this...i do some of these things also..


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## Domino

Look at the US Green Building Council website and see where they are offering LEED certification points - see if anything they are offering points for could be done around your building and consider implementing them.


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## gma2rjc

*Solar Cooking*

Build a *solar oven* - or buy one.

There are a LOT of ways to make one - a box with tin foil is cheap and easy. Or make one from wood and plexiglass.

Here are a few sites for some ideas, but there are other great sites to learn from. Also do a search for 'building a solar oven' on YouTube. There are some good videos.

http://solarcooking.org/plans/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WplNsAdY0t0&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ix36JtLBrU&feature=related

Cook with a tripod with a satellite dish hanging from it with chains - *parabolic cooking*. 

http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?_adv_prop=image&fr=moz35&va=parabolic+cooking


Another way to cook food is with a *rocket stove*. You won't need charcoal or propane. You just need small sticks & twigs. There are a number of ways to make these too. One way is with 16 bricks or with 2 or 3 tin cans. Easy cheesy and very efficient.

http://www.stockstorage.com/plans_to_make_rocket_stove.html

*Hay box (thermal) cooking* works well for 'wet' foods --- soups, stews, casseroles. If you have time and pre-plan your meal this is a cheap way to heat food - 

http://thermalcooker.wordpress.com/category/thermal-cookers/haybox/


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## polamset

thomas_jones said:


> I want to go green! Any ideas?



What do you mean that, let me know clearly? Do you want to make your home eco friendly or want to make your home with indoor and outdoor plants that make your home looking greenish with plants. Looking forward to your response!


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## jklingel

Insulating paint? Surely you are kidding. That is one of the biggest snake oil deals since.... snake oil!


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## gogreengirl

Light bulbs are a great 1st step, energy saving light bulbs can be expensive but its best to find the cheapest and most trusted place to purchase.


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## Grampa Bud

gogreengirl said:


> Light bulbs are a great 1st step, energy saving light bulbs can be expensive but its best to find the cheapest and most trusted place to purchase.


 To: gogreengirl
Buying the cheapest bulbs is not :no: the way to go green. Do your homework and gather all the facts first. Be very careful about where you make your purchase as well. The internet is full of distributors -mostly Chinese- that will sell you almost anything that you want, but without regard for "going green". The U.S. dollar is still the bottom line and while the initial cost may be low, the life promises high, a good reality check is needed as well.


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## shazapple

Grampa Bud said:


> I'm in Northern Illinois and have serviced and installed both electric and gas type tank heaters. I also have installed gas type tankless heaters. From what I have found over the years assuming a "level" playing field: 1) You have to go up one size in electric tank style to more closely compete with a gas tank style heater. 2) Doing this will mean the initial cost of the electric tank will be higher than a gas fired heater, but the response time and operational costs will be about the same.
> 3) The tankless heaters initially cost 2 1/2 to 3 times as much as a gas tank style heater, but the tankless have a far faster response time, the operational costs over time are much lower than either electric or gas/electric tank heaters, and currently there is not much in the way of operational histories or dependablity. Tank heaters have been around for 60+ years; Tankless have been around for 10. Anything can fail right out of the box or somewhere down the road it just takes time to sort it all out. A rule of thumb regarding tankless heaters though is if there are 2 or 3 tankless heaters that could handle your needs, go with the one that is one step up from the unit that appears to just cover your needs. Or use two smaller units in parrelel. You will still make out and be much happier.


Another problem with tankless electric is that you are putting a much larger load on the electrical grid, most likely at a time where demand is high (morning showers, evening cleanup). At least with a tankless it spreads the load out over the day.


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## diyexpert18

shazapple said:


> Another problem with tankless electric is that you are putting a much larger load on the electrical grid, most likely at a time where demand is high (morning showers, evening cleanup). At least with a tankless it spreads the load out over the day.


Yes, I also noticed this problem with tankless electricity.




_____________________________________________________________________________________________


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## bubbler

shazapple said:


> Another problem with tankless electric is that you are putting a much larger load on the electrical grid, most likely at a time where demand is high (morning showers, evening cleanup). At least with a tankless it spreads the load out over the day.


That's actually a really great point.

What's worse--standby losses in a tank, or higher peak demands? I'd guess that in a place like California they'd rather have you have standby losses, but reduce peak demands...


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## iamdunn

Recycling would be the first step if you already are not doing it. You would be surprised how many people don't do it in their own homes.


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## 95025

thomas_jones said:


> I want to go green! Any ideas?


1. Sell your car & walk or bike to wherever you go.
2. Super-insulate your house. Do not run your AC in the summer, and keep the heat down to 68 in the winter.


However, since this "poster" is a one-hit-wonder from 3.5 years ago, there's no point in saying much beyond this.


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## Windows on Wash

DrHicks said:


> 1. Sell your car & walk or bike to wherever you go.
> 2. Super-insulate your house. Do not run your AC in the summer, and keep the heat down to 68 in the winter.
> 
> 
> However, since this "poster" is a one-hit-wonder from 3.5 years ago, there's no point in saying much beyond this.



That would be my guess as well.


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## hand drive

gogreengirl said:


> Light bulbs are a great 1st step, energy saving light bulbs can be expensive but its best to find the cheapest and most trusted place to purchase.


the health concern with some lighting is something that is usually not considered in the green movement and some light is so far from natural full spectrum light that when in contact your eyes freak out and try to compensate internally to a more natural full light spectrum thereby creating stress on the body and health.


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## Future

*I want to go green! Any ideas*

Happy Earth Day!! I've gone green. Its quite simple. Just cut back on energy. Such as, when you brush your teeth, turn off the water while you're brushing. Or, turn off a light when you're not using it. Also,THE THREE R'S: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.


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## bubbler

Future said:


> when you brush your teeth, turn off the water while you're brushing


Who would run the water the entire time they're brushing? For me that would be at least a full minute... The water never even gets turned on until I need to rinse the brush at the end anyway, so I don't even understand why it would be on in the first place!


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## hand drive

bubbler said:


> Who would run the water the entire time they're brushing? For me that would be at least a full minute... The water never even gets turned on until I need to rinse the brush at the end anyway, so I don't even understand why it would be on in the first place!



the water is on to wet the toothbrush before brushing. I guess the same people who leave the fridge door open are the ones who leave the water running while brushing :huh:


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## Jess_718

*GO green*

1. Turn off lights
2. Switch to energy efficient lighting
3. Bring bags to the grocery store instead of using store bags
4. Plant an herb garden
5. Create a compost spots
6. Switch to energy star home appliances
7. Wash your laundry in cold water istead of hot
8. Don’t turn on lights at all for as long as you can—open your curtains and enjoy natural light. 9. Drive the speed limit, and combine all your errands for the week in one trip.
10. Shop at farmer markets
11. Before buying anything check Craigslist, Goodwill, Garage Sales
12. Hang clothes to dry
13. Unplug unused appliances
14. Collect rainwater 

15Turn off your computer at night to save energy if possible.


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## Justinkemp

thomas_jones said:


> I want to go green! Any ideas?


Start with your windows. Solar screens can help you go green at the earliest!


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## Schniek

There are many little things that we can do....and over time all these little things add up. So small things like unplugging (at the socket) any appliances that you do not use that have standby buttons to reduce phantom loads, change light bulbs to low energy fluorescent or LEDs. These are obvious one, but you can get really creative.


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## Biarski

Jess_718 said:


> 1. Turn off lights
> 2. Switch to energy efficient lighting
> 3. Bring bags to the grocery store instead of using store bags
> 4. Plant an herb garden
> 5. Create a compost spots
> 6. Switch to energy star home appliances
> 7. Wash your laundry in cold water istead of hot
> 8. Don&#146;t turn on lights at all for as long as you can&#151;open your curtains and enjoy natural light. 9. Drive the speed limit, and combine all your errands for the week in one trip.
> 10. Shop at farmer markets
> 11. Before buying anything check Craigslist, Goodwill, Garage Sales
> 12. Hang clothes to dry
> 13. Unplug unused appliances
> 14. Collect rainwater
> 
> 15Turn off your computer at night to save energy if possible.


Jess covered a whole lot of the domestic choices. It kinda depends how far you want to go-I know people who don't own cars anymore, but that doesn't work for everybody. Still, there are lots of little things that you can do and lots of help in this forum and all over the web.
One simple way to look at it is to minimize your waste in all areas, minimize your needs within your lifestyle, and recycle everything possible.

So in a little more detail, do the simplest things first; consider your habits and where you can stop any wasted time, money and energy.
In your house the biggest wasters are anywhere there is heat generated or lost--so stop any air leaks, insulate where it's most needed, turn your thermostat down, set your water tank as low as is practical for you, take quick showers, rack dry your clothes ... it can be a long list, but only after that does it make sense to do something like solar panels etc. that make people look really green, but have the biggest single price tag.

Assuming you have a car, the #1 most overlooked place is keeping your tires filled properly. Then keep the air filter clean--get a permanent filter, it will pay for itself in improved mileage and allow you to clean it, rather than put more junk in a landfill. Change the oil per schedule--your engine will last longer. As for driving, minimize your trips by grouping them as much as possible. Don't forget public transit, van pools, car pooling, or even biking if that's reasonable. 

Buying items online saves energy if you have them shipped via USPS since they come to your mailbox anyway and you don't go out for that item. We ask friends nearby if they need anything when we go out to save them the trip. Also, shop locally at locally owned stores; they're more likely to have local items and more likely to shift that way if you have suggestions. This keeps stuff like farm products from being shipped across the country right past lots of other farms... And bring your own bag. It's a lot of common sense stuff, some convenient, some not, some visible some not. Consider it a process and just take little steps and feel good about all of them.

If you simply review how you do things, you'll find some really easy ways to change to a more "green" lifestyle. That term gets overused, so it's a lot about your intent and how you live


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## jproffer

WOW ...4 years later and he's still not back.

I guess he decided that...........................

It's not easy being green.


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## Mr Kite

I went green at New Year 2011, a good place to start is an audit of how much electricity your house is using, and from there you see where you can save. I upgraded a few appliances and changed the frequency of use of them. The biggest energy users in the home are heaters, washing machines and dishwashers, if you work out the best times to use these and you understand what they are consuming you can save a small fortune. i cut my energy bills and (therefore) carbon footprint by about 20% over the last 2 years which has worked out a few hundred dollars a year. 

A handy little gadget is a power meter, or energy monitor I think they are called, they're pretty cheap but they are basically a wireless display that shows you how much your home is consuming, you can chose $ or kWh, they are a good device to help you understand energy saving. I use an in home display unit, a few companies do them efergy, current cost etc. I believe there are some online platforms now where you can access your home energy use online...I haven't used those yet but would be interested to see if any of you guys have and what you thought.


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## door seal

*Door seal for a overhead door?*

Is there a good seal that will ajust for my garge door for uneven floor?????


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## Spot on

bubbler said:


> Who would run the water the entire time they're brushing? For me that would be at least a full minute... The water never even gets turned on until I need to rinse the brush at the end anyway, so I don't even understand why it would be on in the first place!


you are supposed to brush your teeth for at least two minutes, or are you trying to "go green" in your mouth too?


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## alison.contact

*I agree!*



Leftyho said:


> Hi,
> 
> Natural Lighting or daylighting is a way to save energy while making your home a cheerer place to live.


:thumbsup:

My husband and I found out about daylighting and have been so happy with our brighter home. We wanted to put in sun tubes but renovation would be very expensive. He found this thing called a heliostat that we use now and it works great! It just sits in the yard and redirects sunlight into our living room window with mirrors. I would suggest one for anyone who wants to use less electricity, be more eco-friendly, or save money.


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## Grampa Bud

I can see several problems right at the get-go. Going blind is at the top of the list. Then there is the problem of having another something sitting out in the yard that has to be trimmed around when mowing the lawn unless you live high in the mountains or out in the desert. The "Suntubes" actually are probably the best passive light source for any darker interior room or any North or West facing room with windows. The tubes have a sealed fresnel lens on top that actually collects and 'amplifies' the sunlight -and heat- down into the desired location. I've helped put in several of them and even on partly cloudy days the first thing we had to do was make sure we had a GOOD pair of sunglasses on. A skylight is good for light on a vaulted ceiling and heat venting if it is an opening model, but all the skylights have small leaks at some time in their lives that let air in or out as well as moisture in the form of rain or snow or what have you. Then to get the light from a skylight down to a standard flat ceiling room you need a large framed in opening from roof to ceiling that needs to be insulated, drywalled, painted, and trimmed out. Not so with the Suntubes. The tubes should be insulated for sure to eliminate condensation from a cold attic space, but only require a round circular hole in the room below with a clear glass or plexiglass lense on the ceiling. NO OPENING, NO ELECTRICITY. The roof side of the tubes seal to the roof the same as a vent stack or "B"vent chimney. If you don't want any roof penetration GO LED!!! The newer LED light bulbs and LED tube replacements are much brighter, most are dimmable, and the prices are plummeting. You don't even have to change your fixtures if you don't want too. Some, such as the flourescent fixtures will need some rewiring, but that's all.


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## alison.contact

Grampa Bud said:


> "Suntubes" actually are probably the best passive light source for any darker interior room or any North or West facing room with windows. The tubes have a sealed fresnel lens on top that actually collects and 'amplifies' the sunlight -and heat- down into the desired location.
> 
> If you don't want any roof penetration GO LED!!! The newer LED light bulbs and LED tube replacements are much brighter, most are dimmable, and the prices are plummeting. You don't even have to change your fixtures if you don't want too. Some, such as the flourescent fixtures will need some rewiring, but that's all.


I agree Suntubes are great! We just couldn't afford the renovation cost at the time. We also decided against LED's because we really just wanted the natural light.  That left us with a heliostat, and we're happy with it. Just personal preference and budget differences, but all green options are great in my book.


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