As reported by NPR, Columbia University recently conducted a study where they asked people about the most effective ways were to save energy --- and as a general public, we're well off the mark!  From NPR....

HILL: Yeah, pretty much. Basically researchers asked people what one thing they could do that would be the most effective thing to save energy and people said turning off the lights.

CHIOTAKIS: Well that makes sense, what's wrong with that?

HILL: Well, turning off the lights and other curtailment activities, as researchers like to call them, may not save as much energy as we think. A better choice might be making efficiency improvements, like installing energy-efficient light bulbs or driving non-gas guzzlers.

CHIOTAKIS: So what are the things, Adriene, we do that we think save more energy than they actually save?

HILL: Well, so there's turning off the lights. There's driving slower on the highway -- maybe stepping it down to 55, people think that saves more energy than it actually does. Unplugging your phone charger -- again, these things do save energy, but not as much as people guess.

CHIOTAKIS: And what do we under-rate? What saves more than most people think they save?

HILL: Driving cars that get better mileage, using room air conditioners instead of central air, and running more efficient appliances.

BUT WAIT!  THERE'S GOOD NEWS . . .



This Saturday (September 25) from 9am to 4pm you can learn all about saving energy, and living sustainably at Harrisonburg's First Annual Green Expo. 

Don't waste the next few months doing web searches and making phone calls to try to learn about improvements you could make to your home, or technologies or products you could use in a new home.  This Saturday you can spend an hour or two going from booth to booth speaking directly to the experts!  Take a look at the long list of companies that will be present!

Plus, you can learn a lot about these four notable speakers!

1. Dave and Lee O'Neill - Owners of Radical Roots Farm - speaking about Farming sustainable foods
2. Andre Viette - Owner - Viette Nurseries - speaking about Eco-Friendly Gardening
3. Charles Bowles - Building Scientist for Earth Craft Virginia - speaking about building and remodeling homes to be efficient
   
4. Ralph Grove - Sierra Club Shenandoah Group - speaking about The Sierra Club history and current priorities

So, come one, come all --- this Saturday over at Eastern Mennonite University --- to Harrisonburg's First Annual Green Expo!

The exterior of your home could be built with so many different materials, for example: stucco, stone, wood, brick, aluminum, concrete, steel and fiber cement.  That last one, fiber cement, is a vague and mysterious siding choice also referred to as HardiePlank siding, which has been around since the 1980's.

So, what exactly is HardiePlank siding??  First, HardiePlank siding is a fiber cement, made out of sand, water, cellulose wood fibers and cement.  Its source materials and design provide it with a number of unique qualities that often interest homeowners....

• It resists flame spread, making it safer in the event of a fire.
• It is a very durable material that resists damage from impact.
• It not susceptible to rotting, or termites.
• The color is baked on, so you won't have to paint for 15 years!
  

Many home buyers in the Shenandoah Valley have not heard of HardiePlank siding, but as soon as they come to understand how it outperforms wood and vinyl products, they become very interested!

HardiePlank comes in all sorts of colors and styles, and you'll start to see it on some newly built homes in this area, for example on the Paired Homes at The Glen at Cross Keys, on this EarthCraft home on Cottage Circle, on most of the homes at Preston Lake, and on Urban Exchange.

Have you heard of an EarthCraft home? 

EarthCraft Virginia provides a new construction certification process that serves as a blueprint for healthy, comfortable homes that reduces utility bills and protects the environment.

More specifically, EarthCraft promotes diligent airsealing and energy efficiency. Airsealing of the building envelope and its mechanical systems, while still allowing for fresh air intake, provides a tighter building envelope at little additional cost. There is less communication of air and sound between units and better indoor air quality through the use of managed fresh-air intakes. Thus, projects are more energy efficient, less costly to occupy, and more durable overall.

EarthCraft homes also make use of EnergyStar appliances.

Here are several new subdivisions where you will find EarthCraft homes in and around Harrisonburg...

• Covenant Heights
• Preston Lake

Here are several homes currently being built to EarthCraft standards...

• 1270 Cottage Circle (Stone Spring Road)
  
• 160 Craigmore Drive (The Glen at Cross Keys)
  
• 1091 James Place (Sunset Heights)
  
• 1830 Manor Drive (Stone Spring Manor)
  

For those interested in buying fresh, locally grown or produced food, make sure to check out the new Buy Fresh Buy Local Food Directory, posted by Thanh over over at hburgnews.com.

You might also be interested in checking out the Shenandoah Valley's Buy Fresh Buy Local website  at http://www.buylocalshenvalley.org.