The Green Office

Heating and Cooling If you work from home, there’s a good chance you are heating or cooling your entire house even though you are really only using one room. Green architect Charlie Szoradi, who runs GreenandSave.com, recommends installing an extra programmable thermostat and dampers that allow you to climate control just that room. Many electronics are still using 25 percent of their regular electrical load when turned off because they are in “standby mode.” Eliminate that waste by plugging these items into a surge protector that allows you to completely cut all power with the flip of a switch. “We normally need to run a furnace for 30 or 40 minutes to bring the house up to three or four more degrees of temperature,” Szoradi says. “You might only run this thing for 10 or 15 minutes to heat your office because it is not blowing air to all those other branches on the tree.” A radiant floor heating system would be another good choice for warming only one room in the colder months. In the summer, use ceiling fans to reduce your need for air conditioning. Thermal insulated curtains, especially those that use Mylar, can block out the sunlight that quickly raises a room’s temperature. Energy Conservation Many electronics, including televisions, are still using 25 percent of their regular electrical load when turned off because they are actually in “standby mode.” You can eliminate that waste, Szoradi says, by plugging these items into a surge protector that allows you to completely cut all power with the flip of a switch. To control energy for the entire room, call an electrician to install a wall switch that will allow you to shut off all the room’s power. Another good option for reducing energy usage is installing compact fluorescent light bulbs. They use 60 percent less electricity and have nine to 10 times the lifespan of incandescent bulbs, Szoradi says. Novack cautions that while CFLs are great at reducing energy, they’re not optimal for the task lighting you would need at a desk. He recommends full-spectrum bulbs, which give you the same color-rendering index (CRI) of sunlight and are therefore easy on the eyes. Smart Technology Between computers, printers, scanners and other peripherals, a home office can use a lot of electricity. Consider trading in your desktop PC for a laptop. The Apple MacBook, the world’s thinnest notebook computer, has an energy-efficient LED screen. If you need the memory resources of a desktop model, the latest iMac features recyclable materials and meets Energy Star 4.0 requirements. If you’re a PC-person, HP now offers energy-efficient desktops that are 46 percent smaller than previous models and loaded with SURVEYOR, a network power software agent that helps to measure, manage and reduce PC power consumption. A greener home office won’t only reduce your carbon footprint and help you breathe a little bit easier, it’ll also put some dollars back into your wallet—both in terms of dollars saved and because you’re increasing the value of your home, says Szoradi. “Just like granite countertops are more valuable, when you tell someone that they will save thousands of dollars a year in utility bills, people's ears perk up.”

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