Green Real Estate in Idaho

All evidence to the contrary, we are fast approaching “summer” which will bring with it some higher temperatures, at least we hope it will. While Boise and the Treasure Valley are not unbearable, it isn’t uncommon to see sustained summer temps in the high 80’s/mid 90’s. By my recollection we usually have a week in late July or early August where we regularly break 100 degrees as well. Thankfully, we’re situated in a high desert area, so even when it’s hot it’s still a dry heat. This is much more manageable in my humble opinion, humidity is bad, bad, bad.

Of course, even a dry heat needs to be regulated, especially to keep your home comfortable for yourself, your family, and any friends who may be stopping by. There are quite a few ways that you can improve your ability to cool your home in the heat of the summer. Many of these make great weekend projects if you are a do-it-yourself type. If getting your hands dirty isn’t your cup of tea, any handyman can make short work of these without breaking the bank.

Without further ado, let’s tear into the details so that you can get your home ready for summer!

* Think WHITE

– White paint, blinds, roofing tiles, etc. reflect heat away from your home. By adjusting your blinds in east-facing rooms in the morning and west-facing rooms in the afternoon you will help your home’s A/C function more efficiently.

– If you’re getting a new roof, consider white shingles. They look a little strange (most seem to be black/brown) but it will likely make a very noticeable difference in the indoor temps. Be sure to check with your HOA depending on where you live to ensure you’re not getting yourself into trouble down the road.

– Not a white item, but along with roofing, check your attic spaces for suitable insulation. Moving from 3″ to 12″ of attic insulation could cut cooling costs by up to 10%

* Move AIR

– Stagnant hot air is much less tolerable than moving hot air. While most designers seem to hate ceiling fans, they can be a great way to move air and make a room feel 5 to 7 degrees cooler. A power estimate I saw online puts the most power hungry fan, running 12 hours a day, at $10 or less per month for electricity.

– Can’t stand ceiling fans, consider a portable fan (available at any big-box or hardware store) that you can place strategically and remove when no longer needed.

– Summer mode for your ceiling fan should be pushing air downward.

* Don’t Generate HEAT

– Face it, it’s easier to maintain a pleasant indoor temp if you’re not generating an abundance of heat in the first place. Anymore we have so many gadgets and appliances plugged in that generate radiant heat constantly that it makes a serious impact on the temperature of your home, even when off.

– Keep appliances, lamps, or other “hot” items away from your thermostat. These items will convince the HVAC system that it needs to continue cooling due to the inflated temperature near the thermostat and increase wear on the system.

– Keep those lights off, where possible switch to compact fluorescent bulbs as they generate the same amount of light without nearly the heat and consume less energy.

– Try to avoid generating heat in the first place. The biggest culprits are likely going to be your oven and your dryer. Operating these appliances in the mid afternoon, when it’s already hot as the sun in your living room will make it that much harder for your A/C to maintain a comfortable temperature. Where possible, try to do the bulk of your drying in the morning when it’s still cool. Avoiding the oven in the afternoon can be tough, consider warming leftovers in the microwave or focus on salads, sandwiches and anything that won’t require major cooking if it’s really hot. Who wants a hot meal when it’s 100 degrees anyway?

* Landscape, Landscape, Landscape

– Landscaping around your A/C unit to provide shade (without blocking airflow) will help it operate more efficiently.

– Pergolas and trees that shad east-facing windows in the morning and west-facing windows in the afternoon will help to keep the heat outside in the first place. Face it, you’re going to plant things in the yard anyway… you might as well place them so that you get the maximum benefit for your $$.

Depending on how many projects you tackle, you should be able to make at least a small dent in your utility bills and make your home that much more comfortable at the same time. Seriously, there are better things for you to do with your money than sending it to the power company. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

So… interesting air quality news in the Treasure Valley this past week. The Treasure Valley Air Quality Board Council submitted a proposal last year to the Idaho Legislature (which was approved) to modify the requirements for vehicle emissions testing. Currently, as I understand it, all vehicles are required to be tested annually to ensure that their emissions are not negatively impacting the air quality here in the Treasure Valley. Since the valley here is essentially a huge bowl, we have been known to experience inversions with poor air quality when the weather conditions are right and the air stagnates.

Currently, or previously as the case may be, vehicles were tested annually at a fee of between $10 and $15 (depending on testing station). Vehicles that did not pass their test were required to be serviced and re-tested in order to maintain their registration. I say this with some certainty, but am unable to say for sure as I can find no information about this on the
emissiontest.org website, and of all the vehicles that I have ever owned, none have ever failed the test. Apparently, maintaining vehicles in good working order appears to do wonders for ensuring that they run with some degree of cleanliness. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for other drivers here in the greater Boise area. I’m sure that many of you have been stuck behind the old clunker blowing blue smoke out the tailpipe, or the weekend warrior’s version of a monster truck that belches smokes constantly. Choking on fumes in traffic, it was always at least a small (ok, very small) consolation to know that hopefully those vehicles would fail their emissions test and get some service at SOME point. Well, with the new regs on the books, that may not be the case, at least not quite.

From 1984 to present, all vehicles manufactured on or after 1965 were to be tested annually. The new law states that all new vehicles for the first four years will be exempt along with hybrids and cars older than 1981. All vehicles that do require testing (built between ‘81 & 2006) will be tested every other year. Call me crazy, but if you’re going to exempt cars from testing, doesn’t it make more sense to exempt vehicles early in their lives when they’re the most likely to be running well with minimal maintenance? The first 5, 10, 15, or even 20 years make more sense to my keen unscientific mind for a pool of vehicles to be exempted. But everything built before 1981??

Taken from the Ada County Air Quality Board’s own website:

Over half of all vehicular pollution comes from only 10% of the vehicles. By identifying the dirtiest vehicles and getting them fixed the emissions testing program has been able to reduce vehicular pollution by about 18%.

Only time will tell if this shift in testing younger vehicles, every other year will have a negative impact on the air quality. But call me crazy, it doesn’t seem like a brilliant idea to this driver. The other kicker in parting… unless you drive an older vehicle, you won’t even save any money. Annual testing can be had for $10/year, bi-annual testing will be capped at $20 and as testing stations will now no longer test 15 years worth of vehicles and those that are tested only come by every other year, I would expect that it will be much harder to find sweet deals on pricing.

One of the many benefits of home ownership are the associated tax benefits (aside from the ever popular “roof over your head” benefit). Many home owners have heard whispers, rumors, or stories of fantastic tax advantages associated with “greening” their current home.

This is in fact true, but what qualify for by doing x, y, or z improvements does vary depending on where you’re located. If you are considering improvements keep in mind the tax incentives are only part of the equation. Switching to high efficient windows, appliances (fridge, washer, dryer, water heater, etc) or the like will not only have positive tax consequences but you can almost certainly expect to see a reduction on your utility bills immediately that will also continue to save money over the long term. Programs range from personal deductions, private grants, tax exemptions, sales tax refunds, utility loan programs and rebates.

Check out the specifics at the DSIRE website. For the Idaho specific info go HERE.

It’s always worth taking note of housing and building trends when it comes to maximizing your investment.  In the current housing market and economic cycle this is even more imperative.  The question today is “Is building or buying green worth it?”  According to Jerry Yudelson of Yudelson Associates, one of the leading green building consultants in the US, it is!