Green – Grey Water Waste Systems

Water our life sustaining resource

With the world including Canada experiencing higher costs and in some cases runnging out of fresh water the idea of catching and reusing our waste water is becoming more appealing.  The capture of  Rain and Grey Waste water can be accomplished simply by using Rain Barrels or by installing a more elaborate holding tank system within your home.

The bath, laundry and sink Grey Water is captured and filtered for  reuse  in gardens and for other chores such as flushing toilets and the laundry. A savings of 400 litres or 87.7 gallons of fresh water can be saved each day by using Grey water.

An addition of  Grey or Rain Barrel water system will add value to your home  and set is apart from the crowd with the current Real Estate Market additional features are desired. The water issue will come into its own in the next decade and we will go from a water wasting country to a water conserving one like any movement unfortunately there will have to be a crises first. Will you be ahead of the crowd.

The Federal Government see’s the light and is providing rebates for the installation of Grey Water systems  follow all the links for information 

Source Robert-Paterson@ColdwellBanker.Ca

 

Green – Toronto City hall gives interest free green loans

Our great city is now offering interest free loans for green initiatives. The loans are designed for large users of electricity to assist in reducing there energy consumption. 

Building owners who wish to retrofit with newer more energy efficient technologies are eligible as well. Our city is a leading force when it comes to energy reduction programs.

To see if you can qualify check out the link, if you are not a resident of toronto google your city and green/retrofit loans to see what is being offered in your area.

Related Blog post(s) see Green Category

 Planning a move or relocating within  the toronto area email

Robert-Paterson@ColdwellBanker.ca   or call 416-997-7268 to receive MLS Listings

“Let’s Make a Deal today”

Source… Rob Paterson

Green – WiFi Thermostats

As technology changes we hope there will be real tangable benefits for us. Here is a product i found on the internet. It is new to the market and may make a difference to the heating costs you incur this winter.

With WiFi technology you can now control your thermostat from the coffee shop or office. This could come in handy. See the link there may be use for this product the future may be greener after all…

Source… Rob 

Green – Looking for a new roof

Why not green the space above your head. The roof on your home is a great place to green, this can be accomplished with the use of a waterproof membrane and a proper water drainage system. Include the addition of soil and the Green space you create will serve as a solid base for the growth of plants and vegetables.  

What better way to utilize dead space with the creation of food that can be sold locally to  restaurants and or urban dweller’s. Think about it a real urban market that drops the level of carbon in the air and decreases the need for traffic on the roads how ironic…. More on green roofs below.

Green Roof’s have been popular in Europe for years this concept is primarily suited for urban settings. Some green roof benefits will include,  shade and reduced air-conditioning costs. A green roof will act to moderate heat loss and improve air quality for all.

If you are looking to save on energy costs and are in the market for a new asphalt roof check out the link below where you will find information about roofs in general….

Looking to green your roof check out this site     Asphalt Roofing

Source… Rob Paterson, Internet Search 

Green – Water Efficeincy

 

When it comes to water and the environment the city of Toronto is allways looking for ways to save.Yes save you and i money, the Toronto toilet rebate program allows you to replace your old water guzzling toilet and receive up to $75.00 cash-back….

Looking to replace your washing appliances how about another $60.00 for making the switch to a front loader….

Need a new high efficient shower head the city will sell them during Community Environment Day for $15.00 apiece talk to your local councillor’s to find the next location and date….

If you do not live in Toronto do an internet seach and you will likely find that your own local government will have similar incentives to save…..

Source…. Rob Paterson, City of Toronto

Green – Goverment and How you Can Save Dollars

Sometimes a little Internet searching pays off. Government a very boring topic lets switch the topic to savings now continue and read on…..

 When it comes to saving money who better than the people we employ through our taxes to put up a website that contains alot of great initiatives that can put $$.$$  yes real dollars in your pocket. Check out the resources below they will give you concrete suggestions that will lead to present and future dollar savings.

Check out these resources

• Energy Efficiency at Home
• Water Conservation at Home
• Alternate Energy Systems
• Mortgages
• Composting
• Transportation
• Other

Information and more much much more on the above can be found on the Goverment of Ontario site

Take the time look at the site its worth it!

Source….. Rob Paterson, Government of Ontario 

Green – Energy Star Construction

Energy Star Construction

By now we have all heard of Energy Star Appliances well now they are building homes with the same concept in mind. A properly contructed Energy Star code home has many benefits such as:

• Improved comfort — reduces drafts, noise, and moisture.
• Improved indoor air quality — keeps dust, pollen, car exhaust, and insects out of the home.
• Lower costs — see link

Energy Star

Source….. Rob “torontorealty” Paterson, Internet Search

Green – Watering Tips

Watering Tips

Watering has not been this easy or unpredictable in Toronto in years. We seem to be receiving our fair share of weather from the sky above will this trend continue? This is so hard to predict even the forecasters at Environment Canada are having a hard time.

Before any wars are fought over this precious resource lets see how we can best conserve and take advantage of the rains above.

Always take into account the amount of water Mother Nature has supplied to your lawn or garden in the preceding week. Leave a measuring container (empty it once per week) in the yard to help you monitor the amount of rainfall for more tips follow the link…. 

watering your lawn

Source…. Rob “torontorealty” Paterson, CMHC

Green – Cutting Back Hydro Use = Dollar Savings

Hydro Use

Cutting back on your electricity can be easier than you think just look around your house and see where you can unplug a lamp VCR or other electrical devices that you no longer use. These appliances still use a constant flow of electricity even though they are not turned on this hydro adds up over time.

If you have a pool use a timer for you filter instead of having it run all night program it to come on early morning and shut off mid evening. The pool will not be any dirtier for this although a considerable amount of money and electricity will be saved over the summer.

Hydro Saving Tips

Source…… Rob Paterson, Toronto Hydro

Green Initiatives – Need a New Car

Eco Auto Program

Hey look at what i found, the Federal Gov’t yes you read right is offering a rebate on Vehicles that are environmentally sound. This program has an ending date, of  March 31, 2009 check it out you may be able to benefit $$.$$ …….

For Gov’t of Ontario Rebate programs click here

Source…. Rob Paterson