10 easy ways to green your home

Some of the smartest green ideas are decidedly low-tech. Fact is, the sustainable homes of the future look a lot like those of the past.

1 of 10
BACK NEXT
Inconspicuously green
A very traditional home can become energy- and resource-efficient. When this house in Washington, D.C. was built in the 1950s, most of its windows got direct sun. But then it was remodeled to better suit D.C.'s steamy summers.

The new covered porch shelters east-facing windows from morning rays. When the sun moves west, the porch provides a shady, AC-free retreat.

The porch columns are not chemically treated to repel rot or harvested from some far-off rain forest. Instead, they're made from the naturally rot-resistant trunks of Eastern Red Cedar trees grown nearby.

By Duo Dickinson, Money Magazine contributing writer

NEXT: It's all about the eaves
Last updated August 22 2008: 9:53 AM ET
More Galleries
12 greenest cars of 2012
12 greenest cars of 2012
The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy has released its list of the most environmentally friendly cars of 2012, but there's one glaring omission. More
Top 10 counterfeit goods
Top 10 counterfeit goods
Last year, U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized 25,000 shipments of counterfeit goods that were making their way into the country. The total value of that loot: $178.9 million. Here are the top 10 fakes and how to spot them: More
Cars of the future: They're going to be tiny and weird
Cars of the future: They're going to be tiny and weird
Several automakers are moving toward small, shared electric cars that will radically change the way people drive in big cities. More

Special Offer
Market indexes are shown in real time, except for the DJIA, which is delayed by two minutes. All times are ET. Disclaimer LIBOR Warning: Neither BBA Enterprises Limited, nor the BBA LIBOR Contributor Banks, nor Reuters, can be held liable for any irregularity or inaccuracy of BBA LIBOR. Disclaimer. Morningstar: © 2012 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Disclaimer The Dow Jones IndexesSM are proprietary to and distributed by Dow Jones & Company, Inc. and have been licensed for use. All content of the Dow Jones IndexesSM © 2012 is proprietary to Dow Jones & Company, Inc. Chicago Mercantile Association. The market data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved. FactSet Research Systems Inc. 2012. All rights reserved. Most stock quote data provided by BATS.
© 2012 Cable News Network. A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved. Terms under which this service is provided to you. Privacy Policy. Ad choices .