A green home is a home that has build, remodelled, or remodelled to a higher standard than conventional construction, to create healthier, more resource-efficient, and more cost-effective homes that improve people’s lives and experiences. In them, they live.
Table of Contents
7 Green Home Components
According to the EPA, there are seven main aspects by which green buildings judge to measure their “goodness”, also known as sustainability. There are many ways to be sustainable in your construction project. Some of these are obvious, such as saving energy, while others are more human-focused, such as maintaining good indoor air quality. Recite on to find out how your next building project can be sustainable.
1) Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Sources
When people think of green buildings, they frequently think of energy first. Creating an energy-efficient construction starts with the design and can be interpreted differently. Of course, once the installation is built and occupied, you can use renewable energy, such as solar panels embedded in the fabric of the building. But even the building process can plan to use less energy and more renewable fuels for tools like big cars.
Whether growing a green roof, installing custom glass for solar and thermal management, or opting for a complete building system powered by renewable energy, building with energy efficiency in mind can add several benefits, the most important of which reduce energy bills.
2) Water Use Efficiency
In the ladder of green building components, water efficiency is just as important as energy efficiency. As with energy efficiency, water conservation can occur anywhere from the construction process to how the finished structure uses water (especially in landscape design).
Homeowners can get creative with water savings by using an extensive network of pipes to add radiant heat to the home (also an energy-saving measure!). Even the simple choice of low-flow toilets and other high-efficiency fixtures and materials can affect the overall water efficiency.
3) Environmentally Friendly Building Materials and Specifications
Of course, a green building would be nothing without the green building materials used. Fortunately, there are dozens of environmentally friendly materials! Construction with recycled steel, or even an existing item such as a shipping container, can reduce the need to recycle steel, save energy, and reduce emissions. You can even build a green one with something as crazy as tire balloons!
More traditional? Options such as modular homelands or structures made from SIP will result in a building that fits into any neighbourhood and build to last. If purchased and built correctly, even a log cabin can become a green building project.
4) Waste Reduction
Reducing left-over to make a building olive green doesn’t necessarily have to do with “waste” generated inside the building while it’s occupied. Rather, it is due to waste generated during the construction process or even during future demolitions. This sustainability feature can also include reducing waste and pollution from landscaping and even productions from heavy machinery needed for construction.
Good eco-friendly options include earthbag houses and SIPs. Houses made of bags of earth dug into the ground. Because you are using sustainable materials, any new soil return to where it came from or used in another project. SIPs design to fit together with a minimal cut, and all extraneous parts are recycled, greatly reducing construction waste.
5) Toxicity/Toxin Reduction
The reduction of toxins within the structure can occur in various ways. Many traditionally toxic items can replace with more sustainable options, from the chemicals used for fire-retardant indoor furniture to the adhesives and finishes used for building materials.
For the sample, ICF buildings are made from foam bits, rebar, and material. Removing the need for chemically treated wood structures. Rammed earth or straw bale houses are a natural source of insulation, unlike chemical-filled commercial insulation. Reducing toxins during the construction process can also affect other aspects of the final building.
6) Indoor Air Quality
In older traditional construction methods, chemicals can leach out of the finished structure and affect air quality. If severe enough, it can cause occupants to develop “sick building syndrome.” Sustainable materials like bamboo are great for air quality because they absorb ⅔ more CO2 and produce 30% more O2 than conventional wood.
But making indoor air quality (IAQ) an environmental dimension goes far beyond materials. An environmentally friendly building will have structures or systems to circulate and filter the air within the network. These systems are likely to be energy efficient or even integrated directly into the design with clever elements such as the room’s shape or the ceiling.
7) Smart Growth and Sustainable Development
It is not enough to be a green building. Green buildings will continue to develop their sustainability and environmental impact over time. It could include addressing stormwater runoff or even household waste in a new and sustainable way. Green buildings will have to adapt over time to changing and increasingly stringent regulations.
Help the Planet and Create Dollars
Saving the planet is already a key reason to go green. But respect for the environment is something more than purely humanitarian reasons. Excellent financial factors drive the greenhouse trend. Many green building methods can save construction companies money during construction and money homebuyers when they move. Benefits for contractors include the recycling of certain materials and the reduction of construction waste. Using local resources (materials and labour), building a house also minimizes traffic pollution.
Green building or furnishing solutions can save thousands of gallons of water per year and reduce energy and gas bills by up to 30%.
Who said the House was Green?
There are recognized organizations that help guide construction projects and certify homes as sustainable. As an entrepreneur, your options include:
- LEED Certification (Leadership in Energy besides Environmental Design) from the US Green Building Council, now also applicable internationally.
- Model Guidelines for Building Green Homes from the National Association of Home Builders.
- Energy Star rating for appliances and building components like windows. Initially, the US Energy Star system also adopt in Europe and Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, and Taiwan.
- Air Plus rating for indoor air quality. The EPA (the United States Environmental Protection Agency) determines the ratings to control humidity and ventilation and reduce mould and exposure to chemicals, exhaust fumes, and other pollutants.
- WaterSense ratings (also from the Environmental Protection Agency) help developers incorporate highly water-efficient products into a project and help buyers choose a home.
