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Tips on Saving Energy at Home • Wash clothes in cold water rather than hot • Unplug rarely-used appliances

• Use your window shades to keep out the sun in the summer • Install a programmable thermostat to control heating and cooling costs • Turn off lights if you aren’t using them • Look for the Energy Star label, the U.S. government’s symbol that the product is energy efficient; many other countries have a similar labelling process • Change furnace/air-conditioner filters regularly; dirty filters = more energy use

Types of Green Building Techniques The U.S. Department of Labor groups green building techniques into five categories. The following sections provide more information. Location of the Structure It might come as a surprise that planning for a new green building begins long before the first architectural sketch is drawn, but it’s true. Careful plans must be made (especially when large buildings are being constructed) to ensure that the structure is as environmentally friendly and energy efficient as possible. Urban planners (experts who know how to organize cities and other areas for best use by their residents) and architects (skilled professionals who create the design of the entire building) care- fully assess potential building sites to determine the best choice. For example, if a local government plans to build a new hospital, urban planners and architects study the potential sites to determine which is the most environmentally friendly. Following green building practices, they select the site that would have the least impact on the environment. For example, they might choose a site that is closer to or in a city to reduce the need for the building’s eventual occupants to have to drive (which creates

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