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SAVING THE EARTH ONE BUILDING AT A TIME !
There are TONS of things you can do to conserve energy and water, and decrease your pollution contribution. Doing little things can actually make a huge positive impact on the planet! Here are 27 ways you can challenge yourself to be greener.
Energy Conservation: Every day you make tons of decisions that decide how much energy you consume. Want to consume less and reduce your carbon footprint? Try these! Turn the thermostat down by 2 degrees in the winter. Reduce CO2 emissions by 0.62%. Stay in town for the weekend. Drive 100 fewer miles per week and reduce CO2 emissions by 4.11%. Replace the incandescent light bulbs in your house with compact florescent ones. These use less energy and last longer and cut down on CO2 emissions. It’s a win-win-win situation. Dry your clothes outside on a clothesline or inside on a rack instead of putting them in the dryer. Only turn lights on in the evening or early morning when the sun doesn’t come in through the windows. Turn lights off as you leave rooms. Going on vacation? Make sure the heat or A/C is turned down, and the water heater is turned off before leaving. Use cold water when doing laundry whenever possible. Carpool next time you and your friends are going somewhere together. You’ll save gas by not driving multiple cars! Unplug! Unplug power strips and appliances that you don’t use that often or only at certain times of the day (chargers, cordless tools, etc). Although they may be turned off, the “standby” energy used is equal to that of a 75 watt light bulb running continuously. Enable the "sleep mode" feature on your computer, allowing it to use less power during periods of inactivity. In Windows, the power management settings are found on your control panel. Mac users, look for energy saving settings under system preferences in the apple menu. Configure your computer to "hibernate" automatically after 30 minutes or so of inactivity. The "hibernate mode" turns the computer off in a way that doesn't require you to reload everything when you switch it back on. Allowing your computer to hibernate saves energy and is more time-efficient than shutting down and restarting your computer from scratch.
Water Conservation Though the majority of planet earth is water (look at a map and you can clearly see how many bodies of waters there are!), only 3% of it can be used as drinking water. Let’s do something now to ensure this lasts us! Shorten your showers to less than 10 minutes. Already doing it in less than 10 minutes? Make it 7. Turn off the water while you're brushing your teeth, shaving, or washing your face. Leaky faucet or shower head? A dripping faucet can waste up to 2,000 gallons/7,600 liters of water a year. Check the plumbing in your house and repair the leaks as soon as possible. Ask your parents if they’d like to invest in low-flush toilets, shower heads and faucet aerators. You’ll save thousands of gallons of water each year and your parents’ water bill will be lower! Call your water utility company and ask for a copy of their latest water quality report. Public water utilities regularly test the quality of the drinking water they provide to customers. Reduce your use of pesticides and fertilizers, and look for safer alternatives to control weeds and bugs. Lawn and garden pesticides and fertilizers can pollute the water. Some alternatives are geraniums to repel Japanese beetles; garlic and mint to repel aphids; and marigolds to repel whiteflies. To make the most of the water you use outdoors, never water at the hottest time of day (usually in the early to mid-afternoon)or when it's windy. Turnoff your sprinklers when it’s raining. On average, 50% - 70% of household water is used outdoors for watering lawns and gardens. Have a garden? Use mulch. It helps to conserve water by holding moisture in the earth longer.
Pollution Prevention We all know that we are supposed to reduce, reuse, and recycle, but what exactly does that mean? It’s not just putting your soda bottles out every week and using grocery bags as lunch bags. Here are some other ideas that are easy enough for you to do and encourage others to do as well. Reuse bags and containers. Brown paper bags are great for wrapping packages. Wash out plastic containers and glass jars you buy food in and use them as Tupperware. Use old newspapers as wrapping paper and jazz it up with pretty ribbon or a bow. If you’re lucky you might get Sunday’s color comic section. Donate old clothes and toys to a local shelter or second hand store like Goodwill or the Salvation Army. Remember, one person’s trash is another person’s treasure! Organize an in-home recycling center and teach your family how to use it. Have separate bins for glass, plastics, and newspaper/cardboard. Make a deal with your family that if they put their recyclables in the bins, you’ll take them to the curb. Be fancy! Replace the use of paper napkins at dinnertime with cloth napkins. You can wash these a couple of times a week, or whenever they are dirty. Use dish towels to wipe up messes instead of paper towels. This too will help cut down on the amount of garbage your household produces. Choose paper over plastic for your party. Having people over and want to use disposable plates and cups? Skip the plastic and get paper ones. These break down easier in the environment and don’t deplete the ozone layer as much (although it’s better to nix the disposables and use washables!). Ask the dry cleaners if they will take back their wire hangers and use them again. Or even keep them for yourself and put them to good use. Grocery Store Cashier: "Paper or plastic?" You: "Neither!" When grocery shopping, take your own reusable canvas or cloth bags (or ask your parents to).
PLEASE NOTE: ERHL/HERO has stopped accepting any preliminary ratings on new homes as of 10/1/2006.
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Rules, guidelines, and procedures for the HERO Program are subject to change without notice. The guarantee that your home will be processed under the program only occurs once the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources receives a preliminary rating for your home, as submitted by a home energy rater that is listed on our website at the time of this preliminary. Your rebate will be based upon the guidelines that are in place at the time that the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources receives your preliminary rating.
Participants in the HERO Program cannot participate in any other portions of ERHL Programs.
The Louisiana Home Energy Rebate Option (HERO) offers an actual cash payment for Louisiana residents who make energy improvements to existing homes. HERO is a component of the Home Energy Loan Program of the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
The amount of the cash payment depends on the level of energy savings, called the Energy Efficiency Premium. The cash payment is 20% of the Energy Efficiency Premium up to a maximum of $2,000. The Energy Efficiency premium is determined by a home energy rating that is required on all homes participating in the program.
HERO is available to any Louisiana homeowner. Applications for HERO are made by contacting a Louisiana Home Energy Rater by clicking on the list located at the bottom of this page titled "Certified Home Energy Raters". Information and step-by-step instructions are also available at the bottom of this page by clicking on "Instructions and Eligibility".
Eligibility Requirements for Cash Payment
Existing Homes - For an existing home to qualify for HERO, it must have its level of energy efficiency improved by at least 30 percent. This corresponds to an improvement of at least six points on Louisiana's Rating Scale. Application for Existing Homes participating in HERO must be made before any improvements are made to the home.
Determining the Energy Efficiency Premium
On an existing home, the Energy Efficiency Premium is the lesser of the cost of improvements or the present value of the energy saved by energy improvements made to the home over their useful lives. Again, the greater the energy improvements made to the home, the larger the Energy Efficiency Premium
Home Energy Ratings
A home energy rating lets one compare the energy efficiency of their home to other homes, estimate future energy bills, and evaluate improvements that will save money. It is a standard measure of home energy efficiency. According to national standards, the energy efficiency of a home is measured on a 500-point index. Homes rated at 100 points are deemed to meet the requirements of the 2004 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). Homes rated at 0 points, are "net zero", or generate as much energy as they consume annually. To qualify for HERO, the home must be 30 percent more efficient than the base house as tested, or must rate 30 points less than the original house (prior to improvements) on the rating scale.
In Louisiana, the Home Energy Rating system is administered by Energy Rated Homes of Louisiana (ERHL), a section of the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources. All ratings are performed by private sector Energy Raters. These experts are trained and certified to submit the required documentation to ERHL for participation in the HERO Program. Included in a rating is a detailed computer analysis and on-site inspection of the home. The on-site inspection includes testing the home for air infiltration and duct leakage using an instrument called a blower door. As of October 1, 2006, Energy raters also utilize a Duct Blaster to comply with current 2006 RESNET (Residential Energy Services Network) Standards.
For individuals purchasing an existing home, a Home Energy Rating can also be used to qualify the home for an Energy Efficient Mortgage (EEM). With an EEM, homebuyers may be able to borrow additional funds to make energy improvements at the time of purchase. The additional funds are included in their mortgage. The reduction in energy costs from the funded improvements is generally larger than the increase in mortgage payment. This means an average utility cost savings of approximately $300 to $600 annually for the homeowners.
A list of Home Energy Raters can be obtained by clicking on Certified Home Energy Raters located at the bottom of this page. A rating generally costs between $300 and $600, depending on the size, and complexity of the home. The Rater you select will be able to assess the cost and time issues for your particular project.
To be eligible for any rating or home rebate, the home must first meet the qualifying criteria listed under the Eligibility Requirements for Cash Payment section above.
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