Is it Easy Being Green?

7 Simple Tips for Condo Owners to Help the Environment

With all of the recent news about Green building and designing environmentally-friendly homes and Chicago condos, it is easy to feel discouraged if you are not in a position to design your home or condo from the ground up. What is a run-of-the-mill Chicago condo owner to do to help the environment if he or she purchases from a developer or from a prior owner? Clearly, mounting a windmill off the balcony or paneling the deck in solar cells isn’t the answer for urban living for most cases, as your homeowner’s association would most likely frown upon such solutions. However, there are several easy things that you can do that will minimize your ecological footprint and help the environment.

Fact: Chicago’s first truly ‘green’ condo building is The Emerald on get this... Green Street.

1. Replace as many existing bulbs as possible with compact fluorescent light bulbs. Just replacing one 100-watt incandescent bulb, according to www.inhabitat.com, will save $30 in energy costs, as they last approximately ten times longer and use less energy. If you purchase your condo early enough in the construction phase, ask the developer about adding an Energy Star lighting upgrade, which means that your light fixtures will be more energy efficient overall.
2. Select Energy Star appliances. Energy Star, as touched on above, is a governmental program that sets minimum energy efficiency standards. According to the Energy Star website, the average home spends approximately $1900 every year on energy costs due to appliance usage alone. Selecting Energy Star efficient appliances can save you up to $80 per year. If you have an appliance allowance from the builder or seller, research the costs of your Energy Star appliances of choice. You might wish to use some of your negotiated upgrades to acquire these types of appliances if possible.
3. Turn down your thermostat and get a programmable one. It is especially helpful if your thermostat is programmable, because you can set it to be lower than might otherwise be comfortable while you are at work or on vacation. Setting your house temperature at 67 degrees during the summer and approximately 75 or higher degrees in the summer while you are at home will reduce the usage of your heater and central air. While the temperatures may require a bit of acclimation, the payoff can be seen monthly.
4. Turn down your water heater’s temperature. Setting your water heater to 120 degrees gives you hot water, saves you money, and saves energy.
5. Install a ceiling fan. Ceiling fans circulate the air, improving the efficiency of your heating and cooling system. In loft-style condos with big open living spaces, the heat can rise to the ceiling which causes a noticeable difference in temperature between upstairs on the loft level and downstairs. Fans can help equalize this differential without forcing you to crank up the heat or AC.
6. If you decorate your home or condo for the holidays, use LED lights. LEDs, or Light Emitting Diodes, can last up to 100,000 hours and use 99% less energy (see www.ase.org). Turn these lights off when you are away, just as you would your kitchen lights, and don’t leave them on all night.
7. Conserve water. Simple efforts like brushing your teeth without the water running, filling up your kitchen sink and washing your dishes all at once, running full loads of laundry, and installing water conserving showerheads go a long way to reducing water usage without noticeably impacting the quality of your life. You can save five gallons a minute or more using these strategies, especially if you fix any leaky or drippy faucets throughout your Chicago condo.

   These are just a few ideas that can help sa