Madico U
Company
Window Film Magazine recently invited Jim Black, Madico’s Director of Window Film Sales, to contribute to a guest column for their May/June 2019 issue.
Jim chose to focus his column on the “green” or energy saving benefits of window film and tips on how dealers can communicate these benefits to their customers.
An industry veteran, Jim began working with window film in 1988 as a dealer installer. He has served in various positions for major manufacturers in the film industry, the AIMCAL Window Film Committee, and the International Window Film Association (IWFA) Board. He currently serves as the IWFA board of directors as chair for the Communication and Education Committee.
Read the full article “Selling Green Benefits” in Window Film Magazine.
Hotels can earn green certifications for a range of sustainability factors, including energy efficiency, water conservation, recycling, and environmental impact. One of the most well known designations comes from the U.S. Green Building Council’s 
If you have to fly to your destination, fly nonstop, as the plane’s takeoff and landing are a significant percentage of its carbon emissions. Taking the train is a better way to go, or driving, though the type of car you drive obviously makes a difference. Once you’re at your destination, consider using public transit, biking or walking instead of taking a cab or renting a car. If you do rent a car, go with the smallest one to fit your needs or rent a hybrid.
There are several types of air conditioners, with the most common being room cooling systems and central AC units. 
To ensure that your air conditioning unit is working as efficiently and effectively as possible, routinely change your air filters. The air filter is a component in cooling systems that needs to be changed frequently. Hair, pet fur, dust, dirt, leaves, and any other debris can leave you with a dirty and clogged filter. How frequently you change your air filter depends on several factors including pets and allergies. Typically filters can be changed every other month; however with pets and/or allergies, your 
An annual air conditioning technician will check to make sure everything within the unit is running properly. 
In addition to properly storing your food, the 
Dishwashers built before 1994 can waste more than 10 gallons of water per cycle. But the process of heating that water is the greatest source of expense. The Energy department 
You don’t need a brand new high-efficiency washer; just be mindful of how much energy is required by hot-water loads. Navigate around costs by choosing a cold-water setting. Only wash clothes when you have a full load, and adjust the water level accordingly. As long as clothes aren’t caked in mud, you can get away with a low-soil setting to limit water usage.
It’s almost too easy, but cleaning the lint screen after every load can help your dryer run more efficiently. Whenever possible, hang clothes to dry. If clothes and towels become too stiff from air drying, throw them in the dryer for about five minutes with one fabric softener sheet. It’s just enough time to fluff up your laundry without using much energy at all.
Track down these power sucks by looking around your home for devices that have power adaptors or black power-supply cubes. Look around for electronics that use a remote control or have a built-in chargeable battery. Do a survey of equipment with a digital display such as a clock or LED status light. You may spot obvious vampires such as your coffee maker, DVR or computer speakers, but beware that others are lurking about.
The simplest method to kill vampire energy is to unplug electronics when they’re not in use, but that can be a time-consuming daily task. Cluster electronics into a power strip, especially ENERGY STAR qualified strips that are registered to have lower standby, and flip one switch to turn off all plugs. Or, take it up a notch and invest in 
Heat flows from warm to cold spaces. In the winter, for instance, heat moves from your living space to unheated areas like your attic, garage, or basement before escaping to the outdoors. This loss of heat is backfilled by your heating system working overtime. The same is true for the warmer months, when hot air flows into your house. Because it’s cooler it causes your air conditioner to run steadily. By insulating your ceilings, walls, attic space and floors, you create a resistance to this natural heat transfer and decrease the strain on your heating and cooling systems.
The effectiveness of insulation is measured by what’s called the R-value, or its ability to resist heat transfer (R for resistance). The higher the R-value, the better. Unfortunately, many homes don’t meet the minimum R-value standard for energy efficiency set by the 
Space: Unfinished walls, floors and ceilings
Space: Unfinished attic floor, odd-shaped wall cavities, or around obstructions such as pipes and wires
Space: Exterior walls, basement or crawl spaces
The big energy drain that kids AND adults are guilty of is forgetting to shut off lights when leaving a room. If you are going to be away for even a few minutes, it’s worth the energy savings to flip the switch to off. But don’t stop at overhead lights. Add the television, gaming consoles, computers, electronic devices, and chargers to the list. Make it a before-bedtime game and walk through the home together to power down.
Bathtime can be fun, but so can a competition to keep bathing to a 5 or 10-minute shower. Set a timer, and if the child is out (and clean!) before the bell, then they get a sticker on the calendar or more book time with you before bed. Extend the water conservation efforts to the sink and practice shutting off the faucet between brushing your teeth and rinsing. And have them make sure the faucets are completely off or not dripping.
A great counting exercise to do with kids is to add up all of the light bulbs used in your home. From that total, how many of them are compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs)? By changing standard bulbs to ENERGY STAR certified CFL bulbs, you will use a lot less energy, and they will last longer, too. According to the Energy Star website, one CFL can save $40 or more over the lifetime of the bulb. A fun way to teach kids this concept is an interactive online game provided by 
Have your children assess how much energy they use in their bedrooms. Look together for vents and registers to make sure furniture, toys, and wall coverings are not blocking them. Could you teach them about alternative energy by switching to a solar-powered nightlight? Or have the kids hold a ribbon up close to the window seams. If the ribbon flutters, you may have an air leak that needs to be sealed. They can try this test throughout the house and draw a map of the problem locations for you. What is their view out the window? Could you plant a tree together that would shade the room in the summer or block wind in the winter?
Nearly half of water consumed in a home comes from the bathroom. Conserve water simply by switching from baths to showers. The average bath uses 35-50 gallons of water, whereas a 10-minute shower uses 25 gallons. Change your showerhead to a low-flow fixture of -2.5 gallons per minute, and you’ll save up to $145 per year on electricity, too.
At the sink, it pays to turn off the faucet when brushing teeth, shaving, or washing your face. Take a Saturday to fix a leaky faucet. A hot water leak can add $40 to yearly costs. One of the most cost-effective conservation measures is to install a faucet aerator. Aerators lower flow by adding air to the spray and for a few dollars, you can save 4-7% of total water consumption.
Bathroom lights are one of the most used light sources in the home, so turn them off when leaving the room! Vanity lighting is pretty but requires a lot of energy. Make the switch to ENERGY STAR qualified compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs). They provide quality bright lighting, use 10-50% less energy, and last 25 times longer than incandescent bulbs.
More than 25 percent of water used in the home is for the toilet. Older models use up to five gallons of water per flush, but high-efficiency toilets cut usage to 1.6 gallons. Dual-flush toilets have two flush buttons: a 1.6 gallon flush for solids and 0.9 for liquids, saving 50% of water used per flush. Water displacement devices like a brick or water bottle can work in the short-term, but be aware they may cause damage to the flushing mechanism. To test if you have a leaky toilet add a few drops of food coloring to the tank, and wait 15 minutes. If the dye appears inside the bowl, you have a leak to fix.
Moisture causes more than mold. It can shorten the lifespan of lightbulbs and produce larger problems in attics and your overall structure. Make sure your bathroom fan is vented to go outside and not into upper home areas.