Have you ever heard the term "Green Home"? It does not explicitly refer to a house painted with green color. Today, a green home refers to a house or building that is built sustainably with eco-friendly materials. Its focus is on the efficient utilization of water and energy. It's a home that provides a positive contribution to the environment or, at least, makes a minimal negative impact.
What makes a green home?
The LEED building standard and U.S Green Building Council were created in the 1990s. They were the bodies responsible for providing a framework that will certify that a building was designed sustainably.
As stated by John Opperman, a lawyer, real estate broker, and founder of the GreenRealEstateNYC.com, the goal of a green home is to ensure that the home's full cycle - from construction to finish - will have an insignificant impact on the environment.
To meet the green building standards, a building should implement various holistic techniques such as the following:
Location
Where you build, your home is one of the essential factors in determining if it is a green home. A green home maximizes the resources provided by the surroundings within harming them. It also benefits from the local climate. One example, if applicable, green homes are oriented towards the south for a maximized heat gain.
Material
The materials you use to build a home is also an essential factor to classified as a green home. The materials should be non-toxic, locally sourced, repurposed, biodegradable, and renewable.
Energy Consumption
The appliances you use in your homes are also an essential factor. Green homes have strategic ventilation, insulation methods, and energy-efficient appliances to reduce artificial cooling and heating.
Water Usage
Water conservation is also vital for a home to be considered as a green home. This type of home uses a rainwater recapture system or efficient plumbing fixtures to conserve water. For landscaping, native plants are ideal compared to their non-native counterparts because it requires less water.
How to Make Your Own Green Home
The key to making your home green is to use fewer resources and energy. Here are some helpful tips you can use as a guide in creating a green home of your own:
Choose a location that has easy access to different public transportation. Doing so will reduce emissions from private vehicles.
Insulate your home to keep it cooler in summer and warmer in winter. It will significantly reduce your air conditioning and heating costs. It's also a great idea to place shade trees strategically as it is a more natural solution for living better at a lower price.
Opt for appliances with Energy Star ratings as it consumes less energy compared to their counterparts.
Use ecologically, friendly materials that do not use harmful chemicals. It does not enhance the safety of the construction workers, but it will also improve the quality of indoor air for your family.
Install a triple-paned or high-performance glass window
LED lights are preferable to incandescent bulbs because they use a fraction of the electricity. So, it's better to use LED lights in your home.
Produce energy by using renewable energy resources like solar panels to generate electricity.
Make it a habit to unplug appliances that are not in use, most especially those that are classified as the biggest energy drainers. These include printers, computers, TVs, microwave ovens, video game consoles, and cell phone chargers.
Planet preservation is one of the significant reasons to go green. There are also excellent financial factors that drive the "green home" trend. This makes it a great idea to be applied to residential homes and commercial buildings as well.
