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Health & Fitness

Home Energy Trends at the North Atlanta Home Show This Weekend (Feb. 15th-17th)

Net Zero USA (Booth 433) will proudly be returning displaying the line of energy efficient home improvements designed to dramatically reduce or eliminate your home utility bills.

The 2013 North Atlanta Home Show is a great place to find options, ideas, and trends that are popular for home improvements.  This three day event showcases anything and everything under the sun pertaining to a home, including solar panels for energy generation, kitchen remodels, outdoor lighting, and lots and lots of windows. 

NARI, the National Association of the Remodeling Industry, estimates there will be a $127 billion dollar increase in spending on home improvements in just the first quarter of 2013 alone. The 2013 real estate market is still saturated with foreclosures and  bank owned homes, making it a difficult time to sell a home, so more and more people are sitting on their in their homes for a longer period of time and investing money into remodeling and improvements (a sensible idea in our minds).

This year attendees of the North Atlanta Home Show can expect to see a trend of home energy solutions based on efficiency improvements.  In previous years, outdoor fire pits and serene garden scapes were both popular Home Show trends. The home energy efficiency offerings this home show will include backup power generators, solar panels, metallic attic barriers, and spray foam insulation.

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What many homeowners and potential home buyers want now are “smart appliances” and other items that will “green” their home. Green homes are on the upswing and are being recognized as having a positive return on investment (ROI) which means they are a type of financial outlay that recoups it’s cost. On the other hand, a $30,000 dollar kitchen makeover will not necessarily provide payback in the long term. Some examples of positive ROI green home improvements that you can expect see at the North Atlanta Home Show are remote thermostats to manage the home via a smartphone and Solar Thermal Water Heating Systems to heat water without increasing energy bills.

If this is your first year attending the North Atlanta Home show, here are some quick, helpful tips to make your home show attendance extra enjoyable:

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Dress Comfortably:  Make sure you wear your most comfortable shoes. Home shows involve non-stop walking and standing, and let’s face it, you’re probably going to be there for a while if you are going to take in all of the new home improvement trends.

Take Notes: There are so many things to see! It is nearly impossible to remember all of the booths and new gadgets that will catch your interest. Taking notes is one of the smartest things you can do to remember the best vendors and alleviate confusion after leaving the home show.

Bring Money: There are concessions on site, and heck, you might come across a booth with the perfect gift for that new plug-in hybrid or EV you are buying this weekend to start saving on gas money.

Talk To Local Companies: Large booths such as the home garden fire pits, spectacular grills, and amazing kitchens can be beautiful. However, don’t forget to look at the smaller booths and local vendors as well. Smaller booths may be likely to turn you onto something new and great (and some give away cool stickers)! Most importantly, it’s another way to support local businesses. They may be able to provide you with exactly what you want using local materials and workers.

The North Atlanta Home Show takes place at the Gwinnett Center (6400 Sugarloaf Parkway in Duluth, GA)  on Friday 2/15/13 and runs through the weekend until Sunday 2/17/13 at 6 PM

Net Zero USA (North Atlanta Home Show Booth 433) will proudly be returning to the North Atlanta Home Show at Gwinnett Center and displaying the line of energy efficient home improvements designed to dramatically reduce or eliminate your home utility bills.

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