Climate Control
Few things use more energy at home than the pursuitof the perfect indoor temperature.
Air-conditioning and heating have made our home climates more comfortable over the past half century, but our global climate has borne the cost. There are a number of ways to increase the effectiveness of wall and window insulation to moderate the use of energy-hungry climate-control devices. Using these strategies, you can save money while staying cozy when it’s cool, and breezy when it’s warm.
Window Glaze
Natural light and good insulation are two of the most important elements of a green-built house, though without attention to detail, they can stand at odds with one another, since glass is a far less effective insulator than any solid wall material.
When moving into or renovating an old house, replacing single-pane windows is often the first priority. The dual-pane upgrade improves the R-value (the measurement of heat loss through glass) considerably by enclosing a thin layer of air between two panes of glass. Even better is a triple-glaze window, which seals two spaces between three panes of glass coated with a low-emissivity (low-E) glaze that reflects radiant indoor heat, dramatically decreasing heat loss.
Insulation
Despite its fabulous color, the pink fluff of typical insulation doesn’t do much to
regulate indoor climate compared to the gels, foams, structural insulated panels (SIPs), and other high-tech materials that are now available for residential use. The standard pink batting also contains substances that present serious health hazards in the home. You can now find new insulation options made from natural, nontoxic, and recycled postconsumer material.
Products
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Remote Control Pillow
The age-old "where the heck is the TV remote?!" conundrum can finally be solved with this embroidered pillow that has a purpose-built pocket sewn right on the front. Tuck the controller…
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Control Dresser by SIDD
Smooth sliders are concealed within each of the four drawers, which wrap themselves neatly around the body of the piece. Drawer faces are cut from a single piece of wood in order preserve grain…
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Green Wreath
Hang this festive ceramic wreath on your door to welcome in the holiday season. Artists Felix Knaizev and Olga Julinska have a brilliant collection of holiday pieces available on their site…
Dwell Collections
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Easy Being Green: Off the Grid
We trek far afield each issue to bring you energy-efficient residences from around the globe, and they appear in all their green glory in our “Off the Grid” section. We revisited our…
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Building Green in Harlem
Tip
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Green Table Materials
Try to get something that can be flat-packed and made of reclaimed or FSC-certified wood. Take a look at the finishes used to be sure they don’t off-gas and contribute to indoor air quality…
Videos
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Building Green in Harlem: A Green Brownstone?
In this video series, Dwell follows a New York couple with a passion for building green through the challenges—and triumphs—of renovation, from finding the design-build team to…
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Building Green in Harlem: Building The Green Dream Team
In this video series, Dwell follows a New York couple with a passion for building green through the challenges—and triumphs—of renovation, from finding the design-build team to finalizing the design.
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Building Green in Harlem: It's Not Easy Being Green
In this video series, Dwell follows a New York couple with a passion for building green through the challenges—and triumphs—of renovation, from finding the design-build team to finalizing the design.
Events
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Control This! 2011
More than 500 lighting design community members are expected to attend this trade show and lecture series dedicated to the challenges facing the industry in lighting controls and energy management…
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Control | Print
Control|Print features works by a number of international artists and designers who play with the notion of digital technology. In this first American presentation, members of the Parsons community…
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Women in Green Forum
The Women In Green Forum will highlight women’s impact on the environmental arena, promote the sustainable products offered by emerging green companies and provide opportunities for women to…
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Related Products
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Remote Control Pillow
by K StudioThe age-old "where the heck is the TV…
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Control Dresser by SIDD
by SIDD Fine WoodworkingSmooth sliders are concealed within each of the…
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Green Wreath
Hang this festive ceramic wreath on your door…
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Dwell
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What does the #architecture of Pyongyang look like? Just interviewed the guy who wrote the guide book http://t.co/qA6Pm0Nm
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Opening party sounds rad, btw: 36 hours of nonstop celebrations, concerts, installations, performances-- April 12th, if yr in Paris! #travel
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Newly expanded Palais de Tokyo in Paris will reopen this April, nearly tripling in size to become biggest contemporary #art space in Europe
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Jay-Z on the importance of weighty flatware: http://t.co/ynVmXIRs #interiordesign #forksneedtobeheavy
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