Welcome to our Green House! There are a lot of small actions you can take around your home that will make a big difference. Clicking on the plus icons will reveal simple suggestions for a greener lifestyle. Make sure to navigate to all the rooms of the house!
Solar Panel
Despite the Northwest’s gray and drizzly weather, homeowners still may find rewards from investing in a solar energy collection system. The best return comes from solar-heated water for indoor use or an outdoor swimming pool.
Water heating accounts for about 15 to 25 percent of home energy costs—about $450 per year for a family of four. Using solar can help reduce those costs, say experts at Clark Public Utilities. When choosing a system, make sure the design is “climate specific,” said Bob West, an energy counselor at the utility.
For more information, contact Clark Public Utilities Energy Conservation Counselors at 360-992-3355.
Heat Pump
Consider a heat pump, which can save up to 50% on home heating bills. With a process similar to refrigeration, the heat pump picks up heat from the air and either puts it inside the home or outside, depending on the season.
Consider also a ductless heat pump, which is available to homeowners who heat their home with cable ceiling heat, baseboard or wall heaters. Check out Clark PUD’s website for more information. Clark Public Utilities also offers a great Heating Comparison Calculator.
Car
Washing your car or changing its oil in your driveway will leave harmful chemicals in the path of the storm drains. These chemicals don’t just “go away”—they instead wash into your storm drains, entering the local waterways and harming the flora and fauna. Choose eco-friendly soaps and oil cleaners to get the job done, or go to a professional carwash or auto shop where they have all the means to dispose of your auto’s essentials.
Permeable Driveway and Sidewalk
Let water seep in instead of running awry! Your hard surfaces outside can be replaced with permeable materials, allowing rain water to seep in to your soil. It’s a great way to control your runoff’s pollutants and contribute to your local ecosystem.
Garbage and Recycling Bins
Don’t let it go to waste. In Clark County, the amount of waste landfilled per person per day in 2008 was 3.29 pounds. We sent a total of 254,468 tons of recyclable garbage to the landfill that year, avoiding many of the benefits of recycling and waste reduction.
Recycling is important because, when compared with the production of new materials, it saves a lot of energy and resources. Clark County did recycle 96,646 tons in 2008, but it can do much more than recycle. Remember the Four R’s of the Waste Heirarchy: refuse, reduce, reuse, and recycle. Start by refusing any unnecessary products in your life, then work your way down. Only use the trash when absolutely necessary.
Landscaping with Native Plants
Consider using more native plants in your landscape. They are adapted to our NW climate, are more disease-resistant, often provide food for wildlife, attract native insects and require less water.
Rain Garden
As rain pours off our lawns and onto impervious surfaces, it carries pollutants such as fertilizer, oil, pesticides, and pet waste to our local waterways. Runoff directed toward rain gardens helps to keep these pollutants from leaving our yards. Not to mention, the rain gardens also boast beautiful and beneficial plants to our properties.
Rain Barrel
All that water that comes off your roof—it could be yours! Make a rain barrel not only to reduce storm water runoff, but also to collect clean water for gardening or landscaping. Making one is very easy. You can make one on your own or attend one of the many rain barrel workshops around Clark County to get a feel for others’ barrels.
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Solar Panel
Despite the Northwest’s gray and drizzly weather, homeowners still may find rewards from investing in a solar energy collection system. The best return comes from solar-heated water for indoor use or an outdoor swimming pool.
Water heating accounts for about 15 to 25 percent of home energy costs—about $450 per year for a family of four. Using solar can help reduce those costs, say experts at Clark Public Utilities. When choosing a system, make sure the design is “climate specific,” said Bob West, an energy counselor at the utility.
For more information, contact Clark Public Utilities Energy Conservation Counselors at 360-992-3355.
-
Heat Pump
Consider a heat pump, which can save up to 50% on home heating bills. With a process similar to refrigeration, the heat pump picks up heat from the air and either puts it inside the home or outside, depending on the season.
Consider also a ductless heat pump, which is available to homeowners who heat their home with cable ceiling heat, baseboard or wall heaters. Check out Clark PUD’s website for more information. Clark Public Utilities also offers a great Heating Comparison Calculator.
-
Car
Washing your car or changing its oil in your driveway will leave harmful chemicals in the path of the storm drains. These chemicals don’t just “go away”—they instead wash into your storm drains, entering the local waterways and harming the flora and fauna. Choose eco-friendly soaps and oil cleaners to get the job done, or go to a professional carwash or auto shop where they have all the means to dispose of your auto’s essentials.
-
Permeable Driveway and Sidewalk
Let water seep in instead of running awry! Your hard surfaces outside can be replaced with permeable materials, allowing rain water to seep in to your soil. It’s a great way to control your runoff’s pollutants and contribute to your local ecosystem.
-
Garbage and Recycling Bins
Don’t let it go to waste. In Clark County, the amount of waste landfilled per person per day in 2008 was 3.29 pounds. We sent a total of 254,468 tons of recyclable garbage to the landfill that year, avoiding many of the benefits of recycling and waste reduction.
Recycling is important because, when compared with the production of new materials, it saves a lot of energy and resources. Clark County did recycle 96,646 tons in 2008, but it can do much more than recycle. Remember the Four R’s of the Waste Heirarchy: refuse, reduce, reuse, and recycle. Start by refusing any unnecessary products in your life, then work your way down. Only use the trash when absolutely necessary.
-
Landscaping with Native Plants
Consider using more native plants in your landscape. They are adapted to our NW climate, are more disease-resistant, often provide food for wildlife, attract native insects and require less water.
-
Rain Garden
As rain pours off our lawns and onto impervious surfaces, it carries pollutants such as fertilizer, oil, pesticides, and pet waste to our local waterways. Runoff directed toward rain gardens helps to keep these pollutants from leaving our yards. Not to mention, the rain gardens also boast beautiful and beneficial plants to our properties.
-
Rain Barrel
All that water that comes off your roof—it could be yours! Make a rain barrel not only to reduce storm water runoff, but also to collect clean water for gardening or landscaping. Making one is very easy. You can make one on your own or attend one of the many rain barrel workshops around Clark County to get a feel for others’ barrels.