LED holiday lights save more than 90% on energy costs. It pays to switch. Park City Home Depot has good selection, good prices and plenty in stock (for now). http://www.energysavers.gov/seasonal/led_lighting.html

Brad Peacock from Summit Home Energy Solutions put together this chart showing your savings (based on local electric rates) , when changing 5 incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescent.  This is a real easy way to cut your energy costs with real savings.  When looking at which bulbs to replace, keep in mind outdoor lighting.  Please call Brad with questions and to learn other ways you can make smart investments in your home.

Environmentally responsible solutions for failed windows. www.window-dynamics.com

Did you know:

• 3 million tons of glass and window components are thrown into landfills ever year.
• 2 million metric tons of greenhouses gases are produced making windows every year.
• The average life expectancy of a insulated glass unit is only 12 years.  Yet the components will last much longer.

We provide convenient, professional services that restores your view and saves you money. Our proven process quickly removes moisture from failed thermal pane windows and sliding doors, and permanently recovers insulating R-Value. 

• Protect against further damage.
• Restore the aesthetic beauty of your windows and doors.
• Fix windows and doors without the disruption or environmental consequence of replacing glass.

Let us show you how to save money and energy. Schedule a home energy audit today.

In-Home Energy Audit
For $25, a Questar Gas technician will visit your home, conduct an energy audit, and provide you with a detailed report on how to make your home more energy efficient. A water-heater blanket, pipe insulation, low-flow shower head, and/or faucet aerators will be provided if your audit indicates a need for them and if you are willing to install them. Follow through on recommendations associated to a rebate, and the $25 audit charge will be credited back to your gas account. In the end you get a free audit and you’re on your way to saving energy and money.

Schedule an appointment for a $25 in-home energy audit.

• Call Questar Gas at 800-695-7375 between the hours of 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday – Friday or
• E-mail In-HomeAudit@ThermWise.com. Please provide your name, address and daytime telephone number.

Free Do-It-Yourself Audit
If you are more of a do-it-yourselfer, we also provide a Free Mail-In Audit.

• Print the form now, or
• Use field-enabled form to fill out and submit on-line or
• Request a hard copy of the audit with a postage-paid return envelope by calling
  800-695-7375, or
• Email ThermWise.Audit@Questar.com. Please provide your name, address and daytime telephone number.

Along with your detailed report, a water-heater blanket, pipe insulation, low-flow shower head, and/or faucet aerators will be mailed to you if your audit indicates a need for them and if you are willing to install them.

$30 Programmable Thermostat Rebate
Rebates are only available for customers who have previously participated in Questar Gas’s ThermWise Home Energy Audit Program. Qualifying thermostats must meet 2006 ENERGY STAR^® requirements.

Save money and help the environment with our Energy Credit™ mortgage.

If you are an environmentally conscious consumer trying to do your part to help, Bank of America wants to help you by saving money on your mortgage.

When you build a home or purchase a newly constructed home that is ENERGY STAR® qualified¹, Bank of America will give you a credit of up to $1,000 toward the closing fees on your mortgage².  So, not only will you save with energy-efficient improvements that deliver better performance, greater comfort and lower utility bills, you’ll also save on closing costs.

Park City Board of Realtors adds Green Home Certifications and Green Features to MLS Listings
With more new construction being built to Energy Star standards or better, the Park City Board of Realtors has added searchable fields in the MLS System to identify Green Certifications, as well as Energy Efficient features in existing homes and condos.    This represents a significant step forward in identifying properties that perform better and provide the owner savings on  utility costs.
Case studies in areas, such as Seattle, where a larger portion of their homes are Built to a Green Standard, show that a Green Built Home will sell more quickly and for more $$ per sq ft.  We certainly are not that far along and it will take some time before appraisers in this area are assigning higher value for a Green Certified Home.  In the mean time, as more homes are built to these higher standards, it is likely that the market will start to distinguish their advantages and added value, resulting in faster sales.     Click here to view list of PCMLS Green Searchable Fields

Contributed by Sam Silvey, Ray-Core Energy Saving Building System

Ray-Core Inc. is a pioneer in developing energy efficient building materials for today’s energy conscious homebuilder. The Ray-Core Energy Saving Building System provides a simple construction solution for attaining peak performance in energy conservation. Through its simple to use wall and roof panel system savings are obtained during construction and over a lifetime for the homeowner.

Living and Building Green Expo Goes Online
This year’s Living and Building green Expo was a great success and will reside online between events.  This year’s Expo was held at the Canyons Grand Summit Hotel, with more than 70 vendors and non-profits exhibiting the latest technology and services for sustainable living, building green and increased energy efficiency in the home.  I have been  really impressed

Contributed by Eric Miller, New Leaf America

New Leaf America is dedicated to helping homeowners and small businesses to evaluate and implement cost effective energy saving retrofitting options. The process starts with a home evaluation. Once completed, a retrofitting plan is presented to the home or business owner. These recommendations focus on the most affordable, high return on investment, (ROI) energy efficient retrofitting options and include a true “common sense” approach to taking the first steps toward energy saving retrofitting for a home or business.

These first retrofitting steps (before going solar) focus mainly on exterior and interior lighting through the use of state of the art lighting products, water saving devices, slaying power vampires, and weatherization.

The local contact for New Leaf America is long time Park City resident Eric Miller, a LEED Accredited Professional.  Eric Miller can be reached at (435) 640-3934 or email Eric

Contributed by Jason Dittmer, DwellTek
It is important to state at the outset of this article that I am not a real estate agent, appraiser, or mortgage broker.  I am a residential home inspector and a HERS (Home Energy Rating System) energy rater. I have, however, owned a home and had the good fortune to recently sell it.  Because of my profession, and recent real estate transaction, I have had the opportunity to talk with many people in the industry and have examined this current market from both sides of the “For Sale” sign, and I believe the solution to all of our problems is the HERS energy rating………. Well, not really, but I think it can help and here is why.

Green and Sustainable materials are starting to become more and more popular these days.  All the talk seems to be about such items as bamboo flooring, recycled glass tile, formaldehyde free cabinetry, water permeable paving, insulated concrete forms (ICF), and many other earth conscious materials.  These and similar items are important to a more green or sustainable project, but method or approach to this project is just as important.  This “Green Method” starts from the beginning, or the planning stage, and by this I mean the design and drawing for your project.

What is the single most important aspect to building a green home?
Beyond thoughtful overall design and proper orientation of the house to maximize passive solar energy, the design of the thermal envelope is the most important aspect of building a green home…or any home for that matter.  Energy efficiency should really be the cornerstone of home construction moving forward.  After all, conservation of energy is the bottom line in this new era of construction.  The most effective way to create an energy efficient building enclosure is by utilizing foam insulation.  Furthermore, reducing or eliminating heat flow caused by thermal bridging in framing members is of paramount importance as well.

Best Article on Indoor Air Quality in Winter  – Achoo Allergy and Air Products

Read about the Health House -American Lung Association HEALTH HOUSE

What is Low VOC Paint (from Ecobroker International)
Low VOC Formulas from Sherwin Williams and Columbia Paints

More Information On This Topic:

U.S. Department of Energy’s Building Technologies Program: Indoor Air Quality Research and Development

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: An Introduction to Indoor Air Quality

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Indoor Air Quality in Large Buildings

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: The Inside Story: A Guide to Indoor Air Quality

Contributed By Dennis Gray, P.E.
Programs such as ENERGY STAR, Built-Green, and LEED for Homes all require a third-party verification of energy systems and green building performance. This verification is done by an Energy Rater who is a licensed professional working under the auspices of the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET).
For a new home being designed, an Energy Rater may perform what is called a “Projected Rating” from a home’s drawings and specifications.