Okay, you’ll admit it. As a Bay Area home or condo owner – perhaps business owner – you fit the “environmentalist” stereotype.

You want to “do your part” to conserve resources, protect the environment, and generally respect the planet. One way to do that is to “green” your home – that is, to make it environmentally friendly.

But how do you do that?

Truth be told, there are probably an infinite number of ways. Here are 3 to get you started.

1. Manage water consumption better!

Yes, we all love a nice hard, thumping, “full blast” shower in the morning. But do you really need that shower? Could you get used to showering on a “lower volume”? If so, you can find special attachments that will reduce the water that comes out of your showerhead and faucets — e.g. spray flow or aerator devices.

2. Improve your air quality by diverse means.

Studies show that people who live very close to high traffic freeways are at an exaggerated risk for conditions like heart disease. So pollution is nothing to mess around with! And indoor air is often far more polluted than outdoor air. You can “green” your indoor air quality by buying indoor air quality certified products, carpeting, furniture, etc. These products tend to degas fewer volatile organic compounds (VOCs); and they contain less (or no) glues, epoxies, resins, insect repellants, chemical latent, stain guards, etc.

3. General Rule: Measure, Measure, Measure.

Peter Drucker, one of the most famous management gurus of all time, stated it pithily: “what gets managed, gets measured.”

To manage your home’s “greenness” – that is, it’s conformity to best practices, environmentally speaking – you need to pick “stuff” to measure. You might measure: the amount of energy leaching from your house; the effectiveness of your HVAC system; your water usage; your total carbon footprint; etc. Try to pick just one or two metrics that you believe will make the most difference in terms of the “greenness” of your home and property. Get as specific as possible. For instance, don’t just say “I want to conserve more energy” say “I want to get my energy bill down by 40% by the end of the year.” Avoid taking on too many “green projects” at once – focus on the one or two or three that will give you the most leverage.

 

If you need help with the nuts and bolts of greening your home, trust the team at B.A. Morrison to identify cost saving solutions and best practices. Find out more about our highly credentialed and qualified team online, or call us for a free consultation now: 510-538-9817.

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