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Green Amenities

Source: Solar Rising, LLC
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What to expect of the green amenities in your vacation rental home!
 
Power from Renewables
This vacation home either has renewable energy sources at the home, such as solar panels or geothermal, or, if the homeowner pays their utility company extra, the company purchases the power from renewable sources. There are many such options and the more vacationers and consumers subscribe to them, the more options and lower prices we’ll all enjoy!
 
Solar Panels
These homes have electricity-producing solar panels on the roof or in a solar garden or farm. Electricity produced from fossil fuel power plants is one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S.
 
Heat Pump(s)
To reduce the use of fossil fuels like oil and natural gas, the state of MA is encouraging homeowners to switch to heat pumps for energy-efficient electric heat and air conditioning. Homes in MA are eligible for a $10,000 rebates from MassSave.
 
Electric Vehicle Charger
These vacation homes provide an electric vehicle charger. Although electric vehicles may be in their infancy, traditional auto companies are all promising electric car options in the next few years. Thus, any guest who drives one of these new vehicles will need to charge it. The property listing will be clear as to what type of vehicle the charger works for.
 
Eco-friendly Cleaning Supplies
Most of the home’s cleaning products are non-toxic and not harmful to the environment. Overuse of high phosphate cleaners, bleach, petroleum products, crystal drain cleaners, and harsh oven cleaners can all kill good bacteria in a septic system. In addition, when phosphates and other chemical contaminants get into the air and into groundwater, it is bad for our health and the environment!
 
Recycling & Instructions
The vacation home provides the opportunity for recycling and has clear instructions for guests on how to do so. The instructions end up being very important since, as of 2018, China started rejecting recycled items from the West that they considered contaminated!. Lastly, while recycling is very important, it’s even better to do our best to avoid using these items altogether! Learn more.
 
ENERGY STAR Appliances
At least 50% of the appliances in vacation homes with this amenity are ENERGY STAR certified! This certification is provided by the EPA, which requires " that each product...is independently certified to deliver...quality, performance, and savings" while greatly reducing energy and other resource use in the home.
 
LED Lighting
When LED lighting has been installed in the vacation home, it reduces electricity usage greatly, by up to 75% with bulbs that last 25 times longer. The average home saves around $250/year in energy costs with LED bulbs. Cape Light Compact will do FREE energy assessments of vacation homes and provides LED bulbs at no charge. In fact, all homes in Massachusetts can get these free bulbs through state programs funded by the Energy Efficiency Fund, itself funded through electric bills in Massachusetts.
 
Reusable Grocery Totes
There will be reusable grocery totes in the home for shopping or other uses as an alternative to disposable paper or plastic bags. We are providing these to our homeowners for you.
 
Filtered Water
The goal here is simple yet powerful: Greatly reduce reliance on single-use water bottles! This amenity means the home has a filter, such as a Brita, or one on the faucet or in the refrigerator, or provides a water bubbler. Imagine if the 4,000 homes on our site cut single-use water bottles by even 10%: that’s 4,000 homes x 9 weeks in summer x 7 days/week x 5 bottles/day = 1 million. So a 10% reduction would save 100,000 plastic bottles from being thrown away!
 
Adult Bicycle(s)
These homes provide bicycles, a fun alternative to cars. Bike paths abound, including the Shining Sea Bikeway in Falmouth; the Cape Cod Canal in Bourne and Sandwich; the Cape Cod Rail Trail, which extends through seven towns; three trails in the Cape Cod National Seashore; and many more on the Islands. So, grab your helmet and hit the trail.
 
Organic or non-chemical lawn treatment
These homes either use organic treatments or have a natural, untreated lawn that sometimes is called a “Cape Cod lawn”. Many use a mix of native grasses and clovers. These are safe options for families with children and pets.