Insulation

You may think that if you change and/or improve the insulation within your home that you will have to do a major renovation; however, this is not the case at all. A couple of ways you can improve your insulation without all the hassle of doing so is by using cellulose insulation or using spray foam for the insulation. Since we are on the subject, I had a friend that was building her house and when it came time to insulate it, do you know what she used in the walls? She used old blue jeans, t-shirts, etc. It seemed to have worked very well so this may be a great idea if you are currently working on the construction of your home.

Windows

Windows can help create an energy efficient green home during the winter as well summer. Although this can be expensive, the best thing to do is to replace your windows with double or even triple pane windows. However, if you cannot afford to do that just yet, there are a few little things you can do. Make sure the windows are sealed firmly so as to not let any heat out or any heat in – depending on the season. In addition, you can also find very thick curtains (even at Wal-Mart) that can keep the light out by a significant amount.

Doors

Where to start? How efficient is your garage? Probably not very, so you could start there. You could replace the old one with a new and energy efficient garage door, which are commonly filled with polystyrene. Put new weather stripping around all the doors and even the windows in your home. On the other hand, if you have some extra money to spend, you can actually buy insulated thick doors that will help as they have polystyrene in them.

Those are a few tips that will get you started. Check back for more tips, DIY tips, and more information on creating an energy efficient home.

As an individual, you can receive a tax credit by purchasing a Hybrid energy efficient vehicle. This vehicle does have to be a brand-new vehicle and cannot be a used car or it will not qualify for the tax credit. The vehicle must be bought on or before December 31, 2010. If you aren’t sure whether or not your vehicle qualifies, you can visit the IRS website and see if your vehicle is listed. The IRS has compiled a list together by year, make, and model as well as the approximate tax credit amount.

In addition, beginning this year, if you purchase an electric vehicle that plugs-in with a rechargeable battery, you may be able to claim up to a $7,500 tax credit. You may also find that you can claim your vehicles sales tax as a deduction on your filing this year on vehicles purchased after February 17, 2009 and before the end of the 2009 year.

As for residential green upgrades, if you purchase $5,000 or more in energy efficient improvements for your home then you can claim up to $1,500 – this is for 2009 and 2010 combined for the tax credit and the purchase cost. Installation charges are not included in this $5,000 but products are – windows, insulation, doors, and even some roofs. You can also claim water heaters as well as cooling and heating systems in addition to much more. As with the vehicle deduction, you can check out the IRS website in regards to the new law to see what qualifies and you can also look for the Energy Star design.

There is another credit that will be claimable through the year 2016 – the residential energy efficient property credit. This credit allows for you to take 30% of the cost of an alternative energy source, such as wind turbines or solar panels, and there is no limit on the amount that you can receive including installation.

Energy efficient home improvements and lifestyle changes can obviously make a big difference when it comes to tax time. It is definitely something to consider as you can claim tax credits, create an energy efficient home and save money for years to come.

Today, the term has developed to include properties in less “natural” locations that have invested in improving their “green” credentials.

An eco hotel must usually meet the following criteria:

• Dependence on the natural environment
• Ecological sustainability
• Proven contribution to conservation
• Provision of environmental training programs
• Incorporation of cultural considerations
• Provision of an economic return to the local community

Green hotels follow strict green guidelines to ensure that their guests are staying in a safe, non-toxic and energy-efficient accommodation. Here are some basic characteristics of a green hotel:

• Housekeeping uses non-toxic cleaning agents and laundry detergent
• 100% organic cotton sheets, towels and mattresses
• Non-smoking environment
• Renewable energy sources like solar or wind energy
• Bulk organic soap and amenities instead of individual packages to reduce waste
• Guest room and hotel lobby recycling bins
• Towel and sheet re-use (guests can tell housekeeping to leave these slightly used items to reduce water consumption)
• Energy-efficient lighting
• On-site transportation with green vehicles
• Serve organic and local-grown food
• Non-disposable dishes
• Offers a fresh-air exchange system
• Graywater recycling, which is the reuse of kitchen, bath and laundry water for garden and landscaping
• Newspaper recycling program

The term has been used on a more regular basis as new websites devoted to the subject become more prominent and hotel owners become more interested in protecting the areas their guests have come to visit.

New properties are being built from sustainable resources–tropical hardwoods, local stone–and designed to better blend in with their environment. In addition, they are also being run on eco-friendly principles, such as serving organic or locally-grown food or using natural cooling as opposed to air conditioning.

Any tourism accommodation operator in the EU – from a large hotel chain to a small farmhouse has been able to apply for the European Eco-label since 2003. The operators must meet strict minimum standards with regard to environmental performance and health standards. These should include the use of renewable energy sources, an overall reduction in energy and water consumption, measures to reduce waste, environmental policy setting and the provision of non-smoking areas.

The first eco-labelled hotel in the European Union was the Sunwing Resort Kallithea, located in Rhodes, Greece in 2003 and the first eco-labelled hotel on the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) was the Hotel Jardim Atlântico on the Portuguese island of Madeira.