Going Green: Energy Conservation for Your Home
Read newspapers, watch the news or surf the internet
and you will notice the hot topic is energy conservation and green
living. Though growing in popularity, renewable energy is nothing new -
Native Americans, people in China and even the early Greeks have
historically looked to natural sources to heat and cool their buildings.
Throughout history architects were using what is known as passive solar
energy. This technique makes the best use of regular building materials
to trap heat with no additional mechanical equipment used. Often floors,
windows and roofs were built in such as way that they would attract or
deflect the sun's rays depending on the desired result.
Green homes take advantage of renewable natural resources, where
possible. These green homes reduces our dependence on conventional
energy sources as they generate energy from alternate energy sources
such as sun, wind, geothermal energy and biomass for their energy needs.
Whether you are building a new home, looking at doing some renovations
or just want to cut your energy bill, passive solar energy and cooling
techniques are an easy way to incorporate green ideas into your home.
With the rising interest in environmental issues, they make an excellent
selling feature and they'll save you money.
The demand for Green Homes has steadily increased nowadays as they
attempt to totally eliminate the impacts of buildings on the environment
and human health. Many green homes are built using toxin free building
materials like bamboo or straw in order to combat indoor air pollution,
which is much worse than outdoor air pollution. Serious health problems
like cancer and respiratory ailments like asthmas can be caused by
unhealthy air. Non-toxic materials such as paints without volatile
organic compounds and toxin-free insulation materials made from
soybeans. This means you can breathe clean, fresh, non-toxic air.
Save Energy - Save Money!
An energy efficient home is far cheaper than owning a standard home.
Upfront costs may be higher because most of the architects and home
builders don't have the knowledge and experience to build green homes as
efficiently as standard homes. Did you know that people that own green
homes use 30% less water and 30% less energy than those living in a
standard home. Over the years this small monthly savings adds up to big
savings.
When your house is being built, consider facing it towards the equator
(we'll assume we're in the Northern Hemisphere, thus the house should
face south) to allow it to receive the day's sunlight. You may also want
to take time to ensure your windows are installed in locations that
allow for optimal efficiency. Most windows should point within 30
degrees of due south. Maintaining a small percentage of north facing
windows will ensure that your home is comfortable year round (and not
cooking in the summer). While common windows allow heat to escape,
special windows with low-e coating, multiple panes, inert gas fill,
and/or insulated frames can reduce heat loss 50 to 75 per cent. By
sealing your building envelope and insulating well, you will ensure that
the heat stays in the house.
Rock or stone tile floors and brick walls will absorb the solar
radiation and continue to give off heat after the sun is gone. This can
then be distributed through the house using a regular ceiling fan.
Natural Light
Artificial lighting has only been the main source of illumination since
the 20th century. Using overall daylight to light a space you can cut
down the need for electrical lighting and the heat that's created by it.
Natural light may also have added benefits for your physical and mental
health. In addition to windows, daylighting makes use of skylights,
light pipes (also known as light tubes), atriums, and light shelves to
illuminate the interior. This is best considered when building, but with
a few small renovations you can take advantage of the suns light on a
daily basis.
Passive Cooling
Passive cooling is another way to cut your bills and become more energy
efficient. This is especially useful in warmer climates, where air
conditioning can be a major power consumer. Passive cooling refers to
using things for shading such as trees and vegetations, to absorb the
heat. This goes hand in hand with passive solar energy. There are
interior/exterior building options as well, such as shades, blinds or
special glazing on windows.
These are just a few options to make your home greener, energy efficient
and healthier overall.
About the author
Renewable Power Solutions provides information sustainable sources of energy such as solar, wind, geothermal etc. For more information, please visit http://www.renewable-power-solutions.com