A Guide To Go Green For Home Owners

 Hi Readers...

A lot of people have asked me this question, "How Can I Go Green?". Well if you are a home owner, this guide will help you in achieving just that, especially to those who aims to go green in 2013.

The guideline was developed by the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) and it can be used for home owners living either in landed or strata properties.

The guideline is divided into 6 categories namely Energy, Water, Waste, Transport, Biology/Ecology and Others.

For those who lives in the area govern under MBPJ, financial incentive is offered for those who uses this guideline and apply it to their homes. A few points to note though:

1. Financial incentive is one off in the form of rebate to your yearly assessment.
2. A maximum rebate of RM500.00 is given
3. Financial incentive is given based on percentage of green implementation in the household

The Guideline is as follows:

A. Energy (Maximum 40%)

1. Solar Water Heater Installation (Landed) - 20%
2. Energy Generation from Renewable Energy Source eg. Solar PV (Landed) - 20%
3. Minimum 70% LED Lights Installation (Landed & Strata) - 20%
4. Use of 5 Star Electrical Appliances (Landed & Strata) - 20%
5. Installation of Roof Insulation (Landed) - 20%
6. Electrical Energy Usage of less than 112kWh/month/occupant (Landed & Strata) - 25%

B. Water (Maximum 40%)

1. Rain Water Harvesting Saving at least 30% Potable Water (Landed) - 20%
2. Grey Water Recycling (Landed) - 25%
3. Water Usage of less than 202 L/day/occupant (Landed & Strata) - 25%
4. Water Saving Fittings (Reduce Vol/Min) (Landed & Strata) - 20%
5. Dual Toilet Flushing (Reduce 6L Flushing) (Landed & Strata) - 20%

C. Waste (Maximum 30%)

1. Food Composting to Reduce General Waste by a Minimum 40% (Landed & Strata) - 30%
2. Waste Recycling (Landed & Strata) - 30%
3. Practice of Item for Reuse (Landed & Strata) - 30%

D. Transport (Maximum 30%)

1. Use of Hybrid/Electric/NGV Vehicle (Landed & Strata) - 20%
2. Use of Public Transportation/Walking/Bicycle for Work and Recreation (Landed & Strata) - 30% 

E. Biology/Ecology (Maximum 30%)

1. More than 50% of house area with Greenery (Landed) - 20%
2. Greenery at Frontal of House or Minimum 2 Meter Perimeter Planting (Landed) - 20%
3. Significant Planting (Landed & Strata) - 20%

F. Others (Maximum 40%)

1. Other initiatives not listed in A to E. Subject to Approval (Landed & Strata) - Each 20%

The downside to this guideline is that it does not provide information regarding documentation that is needed for submission. Nevertheless, it is still a good guideline to use for those who plans to go green for 2013.

For me personally I have implemented green features in my home and I have checked it against the MBPJ Green Guideline. In my next entry, I will show you how I use the guideline to assess my home.

Best Regards,

Muiz Murad