that GREEN blog

“Going green” is a concept that can be applied to almost every area of your life, including how you select your home’s window treatments. Most people see window treatments as a way to decorate or have more privacy in their homes, but there are a few characteristics you can look for in blinds, shades or draperies that make them more eco-friendly.

The first of these characteristics is energy efficiency. This is not only good for the environment; it’s good for your wallet too. Energy efficient window treatments can help drastically reduce your energy bills by providing thermal protection. In the winter, certain window treatments can help provide insulation by preventing heat loss. Others can be effective in the summer by reducing heat gain. Your location and the type of material you select are both factors in a window treatment’s energy efficiency.

Checking the R-Value and Shading Coefficient ratings of the material is the best way to determine how energy efficient it is. The R-Value tells you the material’s effectiveness at preventing heat loss and the Shading Coefficient will tell you how much heat is coming through the window. So, if you live in a region where temperatures are colder for most of the year, you want to go with a material that has a high R-Value and low Shading Coefficient.

The next characteristic you want to look for in a “green” window treatment is whether or not the material is made from recyclable or renewable materials. Try and find products that are made from natural materials like cotton, hemp or silk and are not treated with pesticides or other harmful chemicals. The impact a treatment has on air quality is a factor in this as well. GREENGUARD certified products are your best bet as they have been tested for chemical emissions. The GREENGUARD Environmental Institute is a non profit organization whose mission is to improve public health and quality of life by improving indoor air quality.

Sustainable manufacturing is the final characteristic you should look for in an eco-friendly window treatment. This means selecting a product that is manufactured without the emission of greenhouse gases, generating waste, or using non-renewable or toxic materials. A product’s entire life cycle and its full impact on the environment and the surrounding community are considered in sustainable manufacturing. The goal is to be able to manufacture in a way which is so sustainable that it is able to continue far into the future.

There is no one treatment that encapsulates all of these characteristics and unless the product comes with some sort of certification statement, you may have to do some research into a product to find out just how eco-friendly your window treatment is. But if you follow these guidelines you should be able to select a treatment that is best for you, your wallet and the environment.

Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor and her staff have sent a strong educational message to Oklahoma school administrators, teachers and students. With the alliance of Global NES, Inc. Headquarters, Global NES-Oklahoma and Kaizen Renewable Energy (A Global NES Affiliate), the city of Tulsa recently embarked on a School Wind Program that is 100% funded by outside sources. Kaizen Renewable Energy CEO/owner,
Lisa Randolph, who was raised in Tulsa, introduced the program to the city of Tulsa to raise awareness and educate students on how utilizing renewable energy resources will positively impact their future world.

The School Wind Program is the brainchild of Global NES, Inc., an international renewable energy firm specializing in large scale projects for commercial applications, non-profits and municipalities. They are donating a wind turbine and curriculum to Hamilton Middle School under their local Oklahoma State Affiliate,
Global NES-Oklahoma. The donation is being awarded to Hamilton Middle School because of a winning essay written by student, Adriana Rodriguez. The winning essay, ‘Sustainable Energy: It’s Important to
Our Community’, was submitted for the Sustainable Energy Essay Contest held by Tulsa Public Schools and the City of Tulsa. The essay contest second and third place winners, respectively, are Ryan Bunch and Brienna Milleson from Thoreau Demonstration Academy; their school will receive a science project kit donated by Global NES, Inc.

Following the installation of the wind turbine, Tulsa Public Schools and the City of Tulsa will hold a renewable energy celebration on November 5, 2009 from 1:00PM-2:30PM at The Helmzar Facility located at 1006 N. Quaker, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74106. In attendance will be Beth Chenoweth and Lisa Witzel, owners of Global NES-Oklahoma, Lisa Randolph CEO/owner of Kaizen Renewable Energy (A Global NES Affiliate), and personnel from Global NES, Inc. Headquarters out of Denver.