In addition to the services and programs offered by NHS, there is a wealth of information available online through many other local, state and federal organizations entities as well as private corporations. Browse through our resource library below to get started on your own green home improvements.
Energy Use, Weatherization, and Energy Assistance
Illinois Association of Energy Raters
Home energy assessments are a practical, affordable way to identify where and how to improve the energy efficiency of your older or historic home. The Illinois Association of Energy Raters is a trade group of contractors that can conduct home energy assessments and help homeowners identify cost-effective ways to save money on their utility bills.
Developed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, this web resource offers useful guidance for improving the energy efficiency of older and historic buildings without jeopardizing their unique character and architectural details.
U.S. EPA/DOE Energy Star Program
Energy Star is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy helping families save money and protect the environment through the use of energy efficient products and building practices. The Energy Star website includes listings of household products and building products (i.e., windows and furnaces) that meet minimum energy efficiency guidelines. Homeowners purchasing particular Energy Star-labled products may be eligible for a tax rebate.
GE Home Energy Appliance Use Guide
GE offers an online tool for helping consumers understand how much energy is used by home appliances. From cell phones to kitchen mixers to furnaces, view the impact of home appliance in terms energy consumption and cost and find out the potential savings of switching to an Energy Star-rated equivalent.
Do-It-Yourself Home Energy Audit
While a professional home energy assessment is the best way to identify strategies for improving the energy efficiency of your vintage building, as well as identify critical health & safety issues, homeowners can do some basic evaluations on their own. The City of Seattle has developed an illustrated guide on energy audits, air leaks, moisture control, insulation, heating systems, paybacks, and new technology.
Cold- and Warm-Climate Window Tips
The US Department of Energy offers tips on how to conserve energy typically lost through your home’s windows during both the winter and summer months.
Green Rehab & Building Materials
City of Chicago Green Remodeling Series
Remodeling or restoring a home is one of the greenest things a homeowner or buyer can do. The City of Chicago has produced six guides that address common homeowner questions and concerns about greening common home improvements projects. Guide topics include: building envelope; baths and laundry; kitchens; painting: salvage and reuse of materials; and hiring the pros.
The mission of the ReBuilding Exchange to divert building materials from the waste stream and make them accessible to the public for reuse at a low cost. Salvaged through sustainable deconstruction practices, the wide range of materials available at the ReBuilding Exchange can be incorporated directly into rehab projects or repurposed for other uses.
Education
The Department of Environment works to make Chicago the “greenest City in America” by providing a range of programmatic and educational resources to help Chicagoans green their homes, yards, businesses, and neighborhoods.
The Chicago Center for Green Technology offers workshops, seminars, and other educational programs for residents and building professionals aimed at expanding the use of green building practices, materials, and technology in Chicago.
Green Tips: Ten Under $10
The National Trust for Historic Preservation has compiled a list of ten easy and cheap home improvements to support their idea that “you don’t have to have tons of green to actually go green!”
