We’ve all “heard” about green rebates, but what about turning those mutterings into cold, hard cash?

Evidently, there’s more than $4 billion in eco-rebates out there, just sitting on some contractor or retailer’s shelf – in your zip code, under your nose, literally at your fingertips. According to a 2011 survey from Harris Interactive, only 13% of homeowners make home improvements that allow them to take advantage of these billions. More than 60% of Americans are completely in the dark that they even exist. Ironic, considering that all utility payers (renters, too) pay into these rebate programs via those Delphian surcharges.

Thankfully our intrepid reporting has led us to a free, easy, user-friendly service with a cute interface called Save Big Bread. It’s the Kayak of the home improvement industry with a two-pronged green approach:

1. Customers can save lots of green from their searchable database.

2. Contractors and manufacturers are authorized to provide energy-efficient, rebate-heavy products and services that are beneficial for our planet’s well-being.

Homeowners in the market for prohibitively expensive home improvement items (furnaces, windows, air-conditioning units, solar panels) can get a quote from SaveBigBread linking to state, utility and manufacture programs offering green rebates.

At this point you might be rolling your eyes to the tune of rebates, shmeebates. But we’re not talking $5 off a $78 Very Sexy ® push-up from Victoria’s Secret. These rebates can equate to significant savings worth thousands of dollars.

As a rule, rebates are not as sexy as the Very Sexy ® bra. That’s the fault of bad copywriting.

“These rebates are a mirage,” explains Tony Maull, founder and President of Save Big Bread. “The way they’ve been marketed these programs are not consumer friendly.”

Save Big Bread is about transparency and access to attainable, digestible information.

“What we’ve done is taken on the burden of going into the program sites and structuring that information. We rationalize it and let the consumer choose…the savings, and the people who can do the work authorized by the program.”

They will even help you with the paperwork, ensuring that the rebate materializes not as concept but as actual, spendable cash. Victoria’s Secret is not going to give you that kind of boost.

Image: Installation of the Toncelli Eurocucina at the 2012 International Kitchen Furniture Exhibition in Milan

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The evolution of windows toward sustainability.

It’s something you probably don’t think about very often – windows. They tell us a lot about a building, from its age and style to how energy efficient it is. An average home may lose 30% of its heat or air-conditioning energy through its windows, which is inexcusable considering how technology has improved since the first windows.

It wasn’t until the late 17th century that glass windows became common in homes. They were strategically placed and sized depending on geography and the sun (south-facing windows let in more light) to keep the home a comfortable temperature year round. Windows were small because glass was expensive and small meant less chance for heat to escape.

The current technology can be overwhelming and there are entire courses offered on the intricacies of the energy-efficient window. But suffice it to say that preventing air leakage, reducing condensation and increasing insulation are part of the package. Glass is stronger and thicker allowing for the use of larger slabs – entire walls can be windows. The Farnsworth House is a prime example.

Over time, windows have evolved from a mere hole in the wall to crucial components of a building’s energy efficiency rating. Here are a few of the ways that windows have changed for the better:

1. Stronger glass allows for larger windows. More natural sunlight helps regulate a building’s temperature, as in the new Virgin America’s new eco-luxe terminal at SFO.

2. Sealed window frames prevent condensation and air leakage.

3. Non-toxic gases (i.e. argon) used as filler between pieces of glass prevent loss of hot or cold air.

4. Double or triple glaze windows (storm windows) drastically improve insulation and temperature regulation.

5. Low-e glass coatings let in just the right amount of sun – because in warm climates we want the sunlight but not the heat, while in colder areas we welcome the sun’s heat and want to capture and keep it.

All of these factors improve the energy efficiency of our buildings and add credits toward LEED certification. And you thought windows were just for pretty views.

Image: dorena wm

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They say it’s a buyer’s market and agents love listing those dwellings with solar panels, efficient water heaters and appliances, good insulation and nontoxic flooring and finishes.

Here are a few easy green fixes for your property to reduce your own footprint in coming winter months while hoping to land an offer you can’t refuse.

1. Upgrade to Energy Star Appliances

The Energy Star Symbol on products such as the GE Profile Frontload Washer with Steam, is an important statement reflecting high environmental standards. Even if  you have to put out some cash on new appliances, you are letting prospective buyers know your fridge, washer and dryer are not energy hogs. If you own an Energy Star refrigerator, Smart Homeowner recommends you clean the coils to increase efficiency.

2. Repaint with Nontoxic Paint

There is nothing cheaper and more effective than repainting your walls as a design selling point and you’ll get kudos for disclosing you applied low- or non-VOC paint to your rooms, since we now know that lead-based enamel products emit harmful fumes.

3. Consider New Windows

While new energy-efficient windows can run several thousand dollars, the heat that escapes through poorly designed single-paned old ones accounts for as much as 25 percent of your heating bills. It can be worth replacing single paned models in the long run as they do increase property value and are good selling point for noise reduction, as well. Adding screens also is a good way to reduce air conditioning use in the summer and window covers help insulate in the winter.

4. Insulate Pipes and Water Heater

According to the Home Know it All, the process of insulating is easy by just buying a good insulation ($2 to $4 per strip), duct tape and a utility knife. Cut to fit the length and diameter of your pipes and secure every foot or so with the tape. Wrapping the exposed hot water pipes will reduce waste by increasing the temperature of hot water out of your faucets by as much as 4 degrees. Older models might require adding an insulation blanket (check the manual to see if advisable). Gas water heaters should be professionally insulated by a heating contractor.

5. Change the Lights

Talk about a quick and easy fix, something you should have already done by now but might have neglected. The Department of Energy figures green bulbs (CFLs) can reduce lighting energy costs by as much as 75 percent. Lighting adds up to 11 percent of your house’s energy budget, so the wearing of the green bulbs is a major statement about the efficiency of your property.

Sure, there are many other fixes such as adding those solar panels, replacing chemical treated carpets with sustainable bamboo hardwood and installing programmable thermostats and eco ceiling fans. Just remember, all these investments pay off in the end, even after you have moved on to a new place of your own.

Images: Cursed Thing, General Electric, New York Times

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