In today's ever increasing environmental minded society, growing emphasis is on conservation of natural resources and the utilization of green building techniques. Whether commercial or residential structural design, almost every new building includes at least one or more points in-step with an eco friendly home design.
Modern design technology has resulted in an energy conservation product for every room of the house, helping to create an energy efficient home. When implemented, these products can cumulatively yield energy savings of 50% to 80% in just one year.
Five Important Points of Green Building
There are five important points utilized in the concept of green building:
- Optimal use of solar energy
- Designing and building only energy efficient and moisture resistant structures
- Creating a high level of healthy, non-toxic indoor air quality (IAQ)
- Wise and efficient land use through implementation of low environmental impact techniques
- Efficient use and conservation of natural resources
Solar Energy
The use of solar energy is nothing new; the inexhaustible power of the sun was utilized by ancient Greek, Native American, and Chinese cultures centuries ago.
Today's innovations include various types of both passive and active solar power sources. Large window areas on the sides of a building exposed to the sun is a good example of passive solar heat. Sunlight enters through the windows and passively heats the inside of the structure.
A type of active solar heat widely used is solar heat panels. Large panels with coils of hose or tubing which circulate water heated by the sunlight. The heated water is then circulated through radiators in the structure, heating the home.
Solar heating systems utilizing solar panels are an inexpensive and easy DIY solar heat project for homeowners with handyman skills; whether purchased as a kit, or built from scratch.
Energy Efficiency
With nearly countless ways to conserve energy, a truly energy efficient home consists of individual energy saving components, as well as whole systems within the structure.
The first place to start for an eco friendly design home is with insulation. An adequately insulated home that meets recommended insulation R values will save 50% or more in heating and cooling costs annually. A rule of thumb is R49 for attics/roofs, R18-R28 for walls, (depending on locality) and R25 for floors/crawlspaces.
Appliances with an “Energy Star†rating such as an energy efficient refrigerator or washer/dryer, provides additional savings. For hot water heaters, perform the touch test. If the tank is warm to the touch, consider adding a water heater blanket; purchased for around $20. This helps conserve energy by keeping hot water in the standby mode.
Using an energy efficient compact fluorescent light bulb will drastically conserve electricity, and will fit anywhere a standard light bulb is used. They are available in 40, 60, 75, and 100 watt versions. If every USA household put just one of these bulbs into service, power plant emissions equal to 1 million automobiles would be eliminated.
Install an HVAC system with only the highest “Energy Star†rating. Change filters monthly during the heating season; keep ducts and vents clean. A digital programmable thermostat will render even more savings, automatically lowering temperature at night and times when the structure is unoccupied.
In some geographical locations the use of geothermal energy can save considerably on heating costs. Ground water heated by a geothermal source can be tapped into and circulated through radiators in the structure, in turn heating it. Geothermal heat is totally clean. An inexhaustible heat source with no cost other than the initial set up, and the small amount of electricity required to run the circulation pump.
A wood pellet stove is another excellent energy efficient heat source. Only a small amount of wood pellets are burned at a time, but create considerable heat with little or no waste or smoke. The cost of pellets compared to the amount of heat provided makes it an excellent way to conserve energy, as well as natural wood resources.
Creating a Non-Toxic Indoor Environment
Traditional building materials such as particle board flooring and countertops, carpet and pad, adhesives, and paint all contain toxic material to one degree or another. These compounds create outgassing; releasing toxins into the inside air. By implementing innovative alternative building materials such as eco friendly flooring and eco friendly paint, a less toxic, more environmentally safe design is achieved.
For flooring, consider a bamboo wood floor, or cork. Bamboo is actually a hardwood, between red oak and maple in hardness. It grows quickly, and is a totally renewable wood source. Cork is a resilient and attractive floor covering offering a softer touch. It, too, is a totally renewable wood source. Innovations in carpeting have resulted in new fibers engineered from recycled plastic, and pad and adhesives, all which do not release toxins into the inside air.
Implementing environmentally conscious concepts like these into commercial and residential structures is the only responsible thing to. By designing and building structures which wisely use the surrounding land with low or no negative impact to the environment, and that conserve energy and other natural resources, we take a huge positive step into the 21st century!
Find an Eco Friendly Professional
TrustedPros.com is proud to do their part as a resource for reliable environmentally specialized contractors. Whether installing Dallas solar energy equipment, a New England pellet stove, or seeking a Florida solar energy specialist, homeowners find local service providers as easy as 1, 2, and 3!
- Homeowners sign up absolutely FREE without obligation, and post their project online where it is visible to professionals in their community, 24/7.
- Local contractor members view project details, providing competitive bids even just hours after project posting.
- Homeowners view contactor company profile pages, licensing and insurance credentials, references, customer feedback, and photos of recently completed projects. And then make an informed hiring decision; connecting only with the service provider of choice, or none at all. Remember, there is no obligation to hire anyone.
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