If you are concerned about the environment, and you should be, then you might be considering a green home renovation.  A green home is one that will be healthier for your family and for the environment.  I will use less precious energy, which will in turn save your precious money.  There really is something in going green for all of us.  There are some small eco friendly renovations that you can start with, or you can jump in with both feet and check out some green building ideas.

Radiant Barrier

Consider installing a radiant barrier in your attic.  This is simply a large piece of tin foil with a backing that will reflect the heat away from your house and keep it cooler in the hot months.  This green building idea will save you money on your cooling bill, keep your house cooler by keeping your air ducts cooler, and use less energy, which helps the environment and the economy.

Solar Heating

For the colder months, go green with a solar heating system.  This can either be a water heating system or solar panel system.  Either of these will use the rays from the sun to store energy and then use that energy when needed, including at night when the sun has long since gone down.  In the right climate, these eco friendly renovations can mean the difference between having a heating and cooling bill and not having one at all.  That’s good for the green of the environment and great for the green of your wallet.

Recycling Center

You can either install a pre-made recycling center right into your kitchen cabinetry or you can make your own from garbage cans with lids.  Simply cut holes in the lids of the garbage cans and paint on which recyclable material goes into it.  Keep a large garbage bag in each one and when it is full you can simply pull out the bag, tie it, and take it to your nearest recycling center.  They will sometimes even pay you for your garbage, and you will be doing your country green by reducing the waste in the landfills.

Go Green – Get Clean

One inexpensive way to go green is to install a new high-performance shower head in the bathroom.  The typical family with four people showering daily uses as much water in a week as one person would take three months to drink.  You can use up to 60% less water just by replacing your shower head.  Imagine how much you will save on your water bill each month and how eco friendly this renovation is to our lakes and water supply.

Some other things you can do to go green is to look for home improvement products that are made of recycled materials, replace your high wattage light bulbs with low energy fluorescent bulbs, recycle old computers and peripherals, and encourage your neighbors to start doing eco friendly renovations in their homes by giving them some green building ideas.  You can find many more green ideas online, too.