Ideal-Living Magazine Ideal Living explores where to live and how to live happy and healthy

Green walls (also known as biowalls, vertical gardens or vertical vegetated complex walls) are wall structures partly composed of or filled in with growing plant matter. More than just easy on the eyes, green walls work like green roofs by filtering air and water, soaking up carbon dioxide and helping lessen the “heat island” effect of urban areas while reducing ... Read More »

Energy audits save both energy and money Keeping our homes warm in winters and cool in summers is getting increasingly expensive with energy prices at an all time high. As a conscientious home owner, you can take many actions to reduce your household energy consumption. The first step is to identify the problems, which can be done by performing energy ... Read More »

These days, it seems everyone’s thinking green. The urge to conserve is upon us. Where once eco-friendly was all about saving the planet, today, it’s just as likely to be about leaving a little more green in your jeans and finding a way to put a bite into soaring energy costs. Thankfully, energy-proofing your home need not be an expensive ... Read More »

The Landings Recycling Center is just one of the many ways The Landings community demonstrates its commitment to the environment. The Center will celebrate its fourth anniversary in January as it continues to be a popular and well-used community amenity. Located across from the ValleyCrest maintenance shop and near fire station #9 on McWhorter Road, the Center accepts cardboard, plastic, ... Read More »

There’s a story laced with good news and bad news for every energy type. If you’re confused about which ones are clean and which ones aren’t, you’re not alone. Not-So-Clean Coal An affordable and abundant local fuel in the U.S., coal is also one of the most destructive. Not only does burning coal emit millions of tons of greenhouse gases, ... Read More »

What if…? What if every American home replaced just one incandescent bulb with an ENERGY STAR compact florescent bulb? • The annual cost savings would total $700 million. • It would prevent 9,000,000,000 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions per year, the equivalent of 800,000 car emissions. What if everyone had a timed thermostat? • The average single family home would ... Read More »

Whether you are building a new custom home or renovating an older home, thinking and living green can be incorporated to help the environment and your bottom line. Below, you’ll see how one family in California has created one of the greenest homes in America, scoring 104 out of a possible 108 points, earning them a LEED Platinum certification. Meet ... Read More »

Green is everywhere. Green economy, green jobs, green revolution, even a green TV channel. In fact, more and more people are going green every day. Even though green building may sound expensive, it doesn’t have to be. Here are some easy ways to build an eco-friendly home that can help save the planet and save you money, too. Going green ... Read More »

Eco-nomical Living-building smart; saving the environment and your money too Green is everywhere. Green economy, green jobs, green revolution, even a green TV channel. In fact, more and more people are going green every day. Even though green building may sound expensive, it doesn’t have to be. Here are some easy ways to build an eco-friendly home that can help ... Read More »

Did you know the average American uses nearly 150 gallons of water each day? Compare that to the 2.5 gallons (roughly the amount of water used to flush a toilet or take a five minute shower) allocated per person in much of the rest of the world, and it’s easy to see why more and more people are becoming increasingly ... Read More »

sustainable: adj. Capable of being continued with minimal long-term effect on the environment Sustainable building might seem like an oxymoron, however the American Institute of Architects (AIA) believes sustainability can be achieved. The AIA adopted the 2030 Challenge, symbolizing its commitment to sustainability. They are committed to developing and promoting the means to reach at least a 50 percent carbon ... Read More »

Lakefront builder uses simple, affordable techniques to super insulate homes and save homeowners thousands of dollars. A quality-built home is not just about what the walls look like, but what’s behind them. Walt Dickson of New Homes Construction Company builds homes in Lakefront Estates, an upscale lakefront development on Watts Bar Lake in beautiful East Tennessee. New Homes Construction focuses ... Read More »

In July, GE unveiled Nucleus™, an affordable, innovative communication and data storage device that provides consumers with secure information about their household electricity usage and costs so they can make more informed choices about how and when to use power. GE’s Nucleus brings the promise of the smart grid into consumers’ homes. As utilities deploy smart meters, the Nucleus will ... Read More »

Energy… that magical thing that illuminates our world. Few of us actually consider what it takes to generate the power to turn on our lights, run our computers and televisions, or cook our food. The daily “news” today touts “clean energy.” An international summit of 192 countries in Copenhagen met in December 2009 to discuss climate change and clean energy ... Read More »

AIKEN, SC — Michael and Shelly Jeffcoat, residents in ‘The Ridge at Chukker Creek’ in Aiken, just returned from a cruise subsidized by savings on their home energy bill. After one of the coldest South Carolina winters on record, most homeowners saw their energy bills soar, but for the Jeffcoats it was a refreshingly different story. “We heard horror stories ... Read More »