I am looking to buy a house but before I do I want to make it as green as I possibly can. I want to put in a geothermal system, a cistern to catch rainwater, energy efficient windows, tankless water heater, composting toilets and other environmental saving features. I know there is money for solar by my question is, are there any grants to help me off set the cost of what I want to do?, as I know this will be very expensive.

Thank you,
Sherba

Thanks for your email to GreenHomeNYC’s Ask an Expert!

There are a number of incentive programs for improving the energy and environmental performance of your home. Whether and for which programs you may be eligible for depend on the type of home (1-4 family or multifamily building), the measures you’re looking to fund, and on your household income. Some of these programs can be combined. (more…)

I am building a holistic medical clinic on Long Island and am interested in putting in green/environmental commercial carpets in my treatment room areas. I was wondering if you had any referrals as to where I can purchase these carpets. I am having a hard time finding any companies in New York that sell them. - Pina

Thanks Pina.

One question that you might ask is “do I really need carpet?”. Carpets trap dust and can help promote persistence of allergens in a room, so many green builders & standards recommend that you use a sustainable, non-vinyl floor covering with a low-VOC adhesive & finish instead of putting down carpet. (more…)

I’m considering moving to the section of Gowanus, Brooklyn that abuts Park slope — East of 4th Avenue and South of, say, 12 street. But I’ve heard a lot about environmental issues in Gowanus, not just related to the Canal itself, and I’d like to get an informed opinion about the risks involved in living in this area. If this is not your area of expertise, could you point me in the direction of someone who is an expert. Thanks for your help. -Bob

Bob,

Thanks for getting in touch with us, and also for your patience in awaiting a response. You ask a good question, and one that is not just for the Gowanus area, but pertains to any industrial urban area (e.g. Greenpoint, Williamsburg, Hunts Point, LIC, etc.) (more…)

GreenHomeNYC founder Aaron Yowell requested tips on low-flow showerheads and we thought we’d share the responses.

A showerhead’s water flow is measured in gallons per minute (gpm). A standard showerhead is 5 - 8 gpm, which means a 5 minute shower uses 40 gallons of water. According to NYC’s Department of Environmental Protection, an efficient gpm is at or below 2.5 across various water pressures. Although US EPA’s WaterSense program (a label akin to Energy Star) hasn’t estblished a standard for showerheads, some green standards (including LEED) require 2 gpm to be considered “low-flow”, and Enterprise Green Communities (a green standard for affordable housing) encourages showerheads of 1.7 gpm. (more…)

I own a brownstone in Brooklyn and want to have an energy audit and a review of ways to make the building greener in general. Can you offer any recommendations of programs, companies, consultants that do this? Does the city have any incentives or programs to help?

-Kippy

Kippy,
The short answer is yes — there are programs, consultants, etc to help you evaluate green renovations for your brownstone. (more…)

I work at a large, well-known internet company and would like to approach the powers that be with a proposal to implement sustainable business practices that will save them money. Where can I go to find information to back up and support such a proposal? Also, do you know of a place in New York City where I can obtain training on conducting energy audits?
-Michelle

Hello Michelle,

We focus mostly on residential green building, but that’s no excuse! Helpful resources regarding sustainable business practices include the Green Grid web site and EnergyStar resources. (more…)

Here are three questions from a student at Rutgers who was working on a paper about the costs, benefits, and barriers of retrofitting affordable housing to improve energy efficiency:

Are the tenants of green affordable homes seeing true savings?

Are they increasing awareness about other environmental issues to communities that normally wouldn’t?

How are policies creating incentives for developers to build green when the savings goes mostly to the tenants?

These are good questions and ones that are difficult to get definitive (or in my case, short) answers. (more…)

Where in the NYC region can we buy an FSC-certified, custom wood entryway? We love wood and want something dramatic and functional, but *green*. In priority order: Certified reclaimed lumber, Certified newly cut lumber. Recycled glass would be nice. We’d like a BIG patio door too - same stipulations and decent R-value (U factor) too.
Thanks in advance.
- Mitch & Jan

I would say that the greenest wood products are recycled or salvaged and you can find some products like that at Build It Green in Queens.

If you want something new though, you can find local vendors of FSC certified wood from a guide the Rainforest Alliance put together.

Hope this helps, and good luck on your project.

I apologize for the broadness of this question, but I was wondering about the overall sustainability of New York City. Does its population density compensate for the concentrated pollution? How does it compare in terms of energy consumption per capita to other cities? Rural areas?
- Janelle

Janelle,

The short answer is a resounding YES! Most of the factors that contribute to environmental impact are lower in New York per capita than in less dense areas. New Yorkers drive less, and so use less energy and emit less pollution for transportation. NYC’s transit usage is much higher (50%) than any other American City (25-31% for San Fran, Chicago, and Philly and 15% or less for others). (more…)

Dear Green Expert,
I am rehabbing a kitchen and found a sink I really like that is made of 80 percent granite and 20 percent acrylic and resin. The material is called Silgranit and manufactued by Blanco. Are these eco-friendly materials? The manufacturer’s website says very little on this issue so I’m dubious.
Thank you!
- Brenda

Brenda,

Hello. I have not seen this product mentioned as a particularly “green” product, but at the same time I cannot find much that is objectionable about it. I couldn’t find any info on their manufacturing processes, but here are the factors that one should consider and/or find out more about. (more…)