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Su Casa - Real Estate

July 2008

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How Green is Your House?
By Richard Stanley,
Ledger Columnist

   Once we lived in a world of unlimited bounty and opportunity. Now we know better. To maintain a high standard of living, our goal must be to make “green” choices to conserve resources at home, for example:

No “McMansions”—The average new house in the 1950s was about half the size of today’s. The present trend of constructing “McMansions,” the Hummers of housing, is shamefully gluttonous. Does anyone really need, for example, a 5,600 square foot house in a neighborhood where the surrounding houses are about half that size? Recently, the Los Angeles City Council passed an anti-mansionization ordinance both to limit over-scale infill housing and to preserve the present scale of neighborhoods such as Los Feliz and Silver Lake.

Southern Exposure—Orient the house toward a southern exposure and build broad, over-hanging eaves. The eaves will shield the house from the summer heat when the sun is high overhead, while allowing the sun to heat the house when the winter sun is low on the horizon.

Recycled Materials—Innovative architects are using recycled materials in construction. These materials range from used shipping containers to recycled wood and wood certified as produced according to Forest Stewardship Council standards.

Products with Low VOC Rating—Paints and coatings are available to reduce the release of chemicals harmful to the atmosphere and your health—look for products with a low-VOC (volatile organic compound) rating. Insulation is a great future energy-saver, however, some insulation and other building materials off-gas formaldehyde and other harmful gases.

Tankless Water Heaters—New “tankless” water heaters heat water on demand only—no need to waste energy maintaining a big tank of heated water. Further, you’ll never run out of hot water with a tankless heater. Like many eco-friendly products, the initial cost is more, but the long-term benefits are attractive. Tankless water heaters typically cost about $3,000 to $4,000 to install, mainly because of the re-routing of plumbing, gas and electric lines (some rebates may apply). A side benefit is that their small size can free up a closet-sized space inside, while moving the risks of water, gas and exhaust leaks outside.

Solar Panels—The initial cost of installing solar panels is not cheap. The 2-kilowatt system I installed, cost about $19,000 in 2000, but with rebates and tax credits, the net cost to me was about $7,500. Similar incentives exist today. I figure that by 2012, I should break even. In the meantime, I just love watching my meter spin backwards—and paying about 50¢ a day for electricity.
Double Paned Windows—Double-paned windows will offer great savings over time. If your existing windows are single-pane, ordinary glass, you still have options. Recently, I tinted most of my windows with “low-e” (low-emissivity) film that almost eliminates ultraviolet and infrared light waves and reduces visible light about 50%. I expect most of the fading effects of sunlight will be eliminated. The film also protects the glass from shattering dangerously. What I didn’t expect was that those warming winter rays were reduced, too. Now, when I switch on the heat earlier on winter evenings, I muse: “There’s always a compromise”—even with the best of intentions.