Go Green in Rolling Hills

The cliff dwellers had it right. They went high on the slopes and built their homes so they would face south. By doing this, they solved the heating/cooling problem that the modern high-rise has yet to work out. The cliff dwellers got the angle just right so that in the winter when the sun was low, they got the heat from it; at the same time, in summer time when the sun was high, it was blocked during the hottest hours of the day. Energy is so plentiful that we don’t consider using even that basic knowledge. Architects don’t pay for the heating and cooling, after all. Even multi-dwelling structures can be heated and cooled much more efficiently by designing them using green principles. The same is true of single homes. The good news is that there are some urban planners who are working on green communities.

Some municipalities are encouraging this trend by adjusting their policies and by subsidizing so that there are financial incentives for building green. There is a development in New York City, for example, where seventy green homes, some of them triplexes, have been constructed on vacant lots and around public housing towers. The cost of each house was increased by $8000 for energy-efficient furnaces and appliances; however, the state, in partnership with a bank foundation, refunded some of that. The two have teamed up to reduce energy costs and to motivate builders to go green.

Ninety-three subsidized “green” condos were built in Harlem by another developer. These have geothermal heating and cooling as well as appliances chosen for their efficiency and cabinets in the kitchen that don’t put out volatile organic compounds, which many laminates do. This developer estimates that the people who live in these energy-efficient homes will save $1000 per year per unit. This is one thing developers can do to make homes available to families who can’t afford to live in decent housing. These particular condominiums are located near public transit stops which is another important consideration for people who don’t own a car.

If you are interested in getting on the go-green bandwagon in your own home, research to find out whether there are local, state, or national subsidies that may help. If you’re planning to have a new home built, talk to your developer/builder about such things as more efficient heating systems, triple-glazed windows, solar panels, formaldehyde-free carpeting, and the many other things he can do to make your home safer, cleaner and more efficient. Keeping the energy levels as low as possible is in our own best interest because we don’t know where the prices are going–it looks like they’re stuck on UP right now. The ideal green home provides the best conditions possible for human health and comfort. They also operate with the least possible environmental impact.