Earth Day Spotlight on Local "Green" Businesses

Is it possible to revamp your home while doing minimal harm to the environment? 

The owner of Absolute Green Homes, Inc., based in South Salem, thinks so.

Sylvain Côté, president-owner of Absolute Green Homes, said his company is a building and remodeling firm that aims to make homes more energy efficient, healthier and cheaper to maintain. 

They specialize in “retrofitting”—adding up-to-date technology to older systems—homes and remodeling them to produce as much energy as they consume, with finished projects in Bronxville, Yorktown and Larchmont, to name only a few. The main goal of Absolute Green Homes is to produce maximum comfort with a minimum carbon footprint, he said. 

Absolute Green Homes, Inc. has found ways to use reclaimed materials in unique ways. Materials such as discarded wood, stones or leftover flooring can be transformed into functional chimneys, patios and vanities. 

“We bring homes to higher standards,” Côté said. “We've been doing this before it became a trend. We care about the environment and making homes healthier and easier to maintain for our customers.” 

is another example of a local firm specializing in energy retrofits. Founded by Kevin Brenner as a sister business to , his residential construction firm, the business marries 25 years of construction experience with the latest technologies in home energy analysis. 

Among other projects, Brenner's company completed renovations

For a list of Earth Day-related activities and events, go here.

For other Earth Day 2012 articles and postings, go here.