From Guest Blogger Emma Joyce: How to Build an Environmentally Friendly House
Building an environmentally friendly home will not only help you do your bit in preserving the planet and ecosystem but it will also be very cost-effective in the long run. In that respect, this type of green home building is definitely worth the initial investment. There may be more aspects to consider before the process starts but the final result will surely end up being more than satisfactory.
Initial aspects
Once you’re positive about building an eco-friendly home, the first thing you should consider is the land you’re going to build it on. It’s essential that you avoid disturbing the existing ecosystem. What’s more, cutting trees should not be an option.
Actually, nature can provide you with adequate shade, sunlight and breeziness without having to use too many resources. Consult the building company regarding the best soil for this type of building because you don’t want to dig too deep for proper foundation. This means that you should never go over your necessary footprint and scale of your home.
Utilize nature
There are many ways your new house can cooperate with nature so that their joint forces create perfect conditions for comfortable living. For example, installing angled windows will definitely provide you with more sunlight, while those that open according to the same principle as trapdoors will allow you to utilize fresh air flow whenever you want. In that sense, solar panels for electricity and heating are a good choice as well. Also, you can use existing trees for effective shade and breeziness during hot summer months. Moreover, one of the biggest green trends is using nature’s hot water for an outdoor shower and piping system.
Mistakes to avoid
Definitely, some of the most common mistakes when it comes to building an environmentally-friendly house are becoming greedy and building more than you need, ignoring proper insulation, as well as forgetting about energy-efficient appliances once you start equipping your interior. It’s really important to do your research and analyze your needs so that you don’t overstep the adequate footprint size. Insulation is also an essential part of sustainable lifestyle because it will provide you with cool/warm temperature without the extensive need for heater or aircon. Finally, star-rated home appliances will truly step up your green game and reduce energy consumption most effectively.
Looks and functionality
Putting your trust in a renowned building company is essential when it comes to best functionality of your home. Still, as an owner, you are the one who needs to have all the information as well. Therefore, communication is really important, so that you can make safe decisions considering most durable yet aesthetically-pleasing outdoor wall sidings, as well as other building materials. Patiently going through your available options will allow you to choose low-maintenance materials, proper layout and great nature combo for a truly functional and beautiful home.
Irreparable homes
Sometimes, you may find a piece of land that’s just perfect for your new home, but a house that’s already on that land is beyond repair and needs to be demolished. In cases like these, it’s essential to remove all traces of the previous structure in order to make satisfying conditions for your green home. Therefore, make sure to always ask professionals specializing in services such as knock down rebuild in Brisbane for help, as they are quite used to these types of projects.
It’s good to mention that no matter how sustainable and eco-friendly your house is, you still need to pay attention to your own habits. Your green lifestyle will be complete once you start minimizing your personal carbon footprint.
The article starts well enough with the observation that the existing environment should be taken in to consideration, then immediately ignores this advice by assuming existing trees and a location suitable for an outdoor shower.
It is very hard to change our ways of thinking.
It appears that the article is aimed at people who want to build a nice country home and also to ensure that it is as environmentally responsible as possible. That’s fine for some people, but many people have to work for a living. If they built a country home, they would most likely have a long distance to commute and doing more driving than necessary is not environmentally responsible.
Living in environmentally responsible housing in a city, which is where most of us live, is a very different matter which certainly should also be addressed.
Emma , nice article that highlights some good concepts and mentions a few pit falls for building Green sustainable housing.
Of course a much more complete checklist would be needed to address all the specifics components for a truly Green or Sustainable house or as close to net zero as practical and affordable. given building structures as usual.
As Frank noted most folks must live in cities as they work and their social network requires close proximity to all the things a city provides.
So more attention should be placed perhaps on working with the mainstream builders so that they change their Cookie Cutter Ways – that features lots of Gingerbread in the Homes and skimps greatly on internalized efficiency measures that can make a huge difference in lowering carbon footprints and reducing energy needs, usage and costs.
Many efficiency improvements can be mainstreamed now and fit into the business model for mass volume builders. but getting to that critical tipping point is Indeed a Challenge. a Under utilized tool is Life cycle cost of ownership benefits that clearly illustrate the economic bottom line to purchasers and can be powerful tool of persuasion to get them to go Green.
As well as making a more healthy living environment which is another feature that leads to benefits for sustainable construction . .
It can and is being done and it does not break the Bank
But patterns of behavior must change. Consumers need to demand More Value from builders etc.
Proponents for Green or Sustainable Living would be well served as would the World if they made the effort to track reduced energy costs etc . This information the Economic Benefit tool plus the other benefits needs publishing and wide distribution into all the real estate related media. Teach it in class rooms so that young people get Awakened Young to a pathway that can save them money and do more good for the future. Turn blind consumers into enlightened consumers who are more discriminating in their choices related to Housing, etc.
Educate the consumer so that they learn that Sustainability is not just for the privileged upper class but is within reach of the middle and lower economic classes.
The Green Movement needs to shed the unfair label that is it is primarily just Green Bling for the Rich. Much could be learned from the LEED and Green Globes Programs that are trying to re shape sustainability into the competitive and often over speculative commercial real estate market. Where lowest first cost has ruled until the last 10 years, it takes so long to shed the dirty and expensive habits that strangle progress.
The type of Green building concepts needs to be mainstreamed and when you see subdivisions going up that feature much higher levels of efficiency and sustainability then those of us in the change pipeline can stop and take a breath and smile for then we know our efforts have not been in Vain. Need to Mainstream! the only pathway to real change ….not more Green Bling!!!
Thanks and good wishes
Silent,
You wrote, “So more attention should be placed perhaps on working with the mainstream builders so that they change their Cookie Cutter Ways – that features lots of Gingerbread in the Homes and skimps greatly on internalized efficiency measures that can make a huge difference in lowering carbon footprints and reducing energy needs, usage and costs.”
Quite so, but it also goes beyond efficiency. If they can get away with it, builders will put in the cheapest equipment they can get away with. A house my look stylish, but in ways which have little to do with function, such as putting pillars between the living room and the dining room, spaces that are useless, etc. But when you look under the flash, you find cheapness such as kitchen cabinets which look nice but if you open them you find cheap materials. Usually they have hot air heat which is very noisy because the ducts are too small. So, it should come as no surprise that unless builders are forced to, they won’t spend money on improving energy efficiency.
It’s questionable whether it would even pay for a home owner to make improvements to improve energy efficiency unless he expects to be in the house for considerably longer than average. Generally, people who buy a house cannot to a thorough job of determining its energy efficiency and therefore may not pay extra for energy efficient features. Fortunately, building codes are improving in spite of resistance from builders.
Good Morning Frank
Yes sir the weak link on the Pathways to Energy and Resource efficiency is the builders.
Historically they abuse their State Assoc. political action committee’s to block , water down , delay and push back against efforts from either State or Local authorities to implement better building codes etc.
Lots of cheap materials, poor hvac design & ducts sizing, and the list goes on & on.
In Texas they have slowly developed better building codes and over coming the political efforts of the home builders and spec commercial sector.
California and NY and many other forward looking states have made good progress in addressing this issue and better results are on the market.
Many large builders now have developed packages that improve the thermal performance of the structure, use better materials and depending on the price points for the property high efficiency hvac like Geo thermal or radiant heat ( zonal systems) are being used more and more. More net zero design communities are appearing on the market.
End result is that Adding solar panels to a well built home delivers more Benefit s , less cost to the over all cost / benefit ratio.
Educated consumers are demanding better value for their Dollar.
so we are turning the corner in this sector, Long Long overdue.
This is one of the reasons that growth in demand for electricity has flattened out and also reduced gas consumption in new construction nationwide.
The home building industry is a sector that violated the US ‘s immigration laws for decades also. Many still do. The builder’s employed many un trained and low sophistication level workers who tend to be challenged to implement good installation, or install high efficient equipment.
So many Americans paid many times over – they got cheaply built structures, pay for wasted energy or high health costs from the usage of toxic materials, and they pay for all the social costs for the immigrant workers etc., the environment also pays for this built in obsolescence.
Builders who moan and grown about too many regulations etc., sing the same worn out scratched record song well, while they have laughed all the way to the Bank $$$$ for years. The hypocrisy of un restricted markets.
Finally it is changing in right direction.
There are some firms that are working on more of a modular home concept where highly trained staff and efficient manufacturing processes are employed to get a higher level of over all Quality final product.
I have read where these concepts are making some progress on a limited basis. Don’t know if this modular process will replace one day the typical build out process ? its uncertain but interesting concept.
The backers of this new approach say that they can reduce costs and price because they reduce material and labor waste – some permitting cost reductions as well.
So it will be interesting to see if more market acceptance and real traction in this new approach is made.
Wall St or Investment Bankers say that residential building sector is one of the last segments of the economy where Re engineering and process Improvement could make a big impact on the bottom Line while delivering a better final product.
The illegal employee issue is a different matter. Such is the results of a broken system .
But we are making progress even if it is slow.
Higher re sale values for better built homes with enhanced energy efficiency that reduce ownership costs and also deliver healthier indoor air quality. These are gaining more traction and demand from educated , informed consumers so the market place will respond and reduce the need for stringent new laws as the market becomes the driver.
As for the continued impacts of illegal workers in the sector impacting domestic trades persons – well that is up to the Trumpet !
His Horns Blow lots of notes but I question seriously if his actions will actually properly address the situation. Large portions of his own building fortune were built on the sweat of good hard working immigrants etc, but it is illegal. Horn blowing and Scapegoating are common past times for ruthless types.
Forgive me if I have not accepted that there are Alternative Facts and that is why things are the way they are. Alternative Facts rule so Reason don’t apply . ???!!! COL LOL !!
later on Frank
Silent,
A few years ago I was in someone’s (new) house when the heat turned on. The noise of the air being sucked into the return duct was more than annoying; it even required talking more loudly. Obviously the return duct was too small. Somehow builders get away with that. Here in Albuquerque the building code was changed to require 2 x 6 studs in exterior walls to accommodate more insulation; the builders get it changed back to require only 2 x 4 studs. Even so, I had my house built with 2 x 6 studs in exterior walls. Because I am well informed, I also required other things in the interest of quality and energy efficiency.
Modular homes are a good idea. The modules can be designed to provide considerable variety so the homes need not be cookie-cutter. Already there is some modularization in non-modular homes. Joists are becoming less common and built to order trusses are now common; that is how my house was built. They use less wood and provide more space to run ducts, wiring, etc.
A solution might be for federal energy laws to require that HVAC systems be designed with blowers incapable of delivering high static pressures. That would force builders to use larger ducts thereby reducing the power required to move the air. If federal energy laws can set minimum standards for refrigerators, which they do, surely they could set standards for air handlers too.
When I lived in San Diego, the owner of a near-by house added a second story. They had to change the plans to reduce the glass area because of the energy codes. I like a large glass area; if I wanted to live in a cave, I’d find a way to do so. There are other ways to reduce energy usage, such as by having more efficient windows, better insulation elsewhere, etc. I would object to codes which would make a house less pleasant to live in.
Solar panels for providing hot water and heating the house can make sense since their efficiency can easily exceed 50%. However, I do not think that PV panels should be required since their efficiency usually is less than 18% and it is quite questionable whether they can really be justified on any basis whatever without subsidies..
Zoned heating is a good idea and works well with hot water heating systems. Geothermal? Usually questionable. The cost of the underground piping is very extreme. However, in temperate zones, air source heat pumps can now be justified; that has not always been so.
In this part of the country, when a house is being built or being re-roofed, or landscaping is being done, hearing Spanish is more common than hearing English. Many employers will pay more for employees who speak both English and Spanish. I don’t ask questions. In principal, I favor obeying laws but on the other hand, one has to consider the ghastly conditions people are fleeing. We really need some sort of guest worker program, but getting one enacted as so far been impossible.
I expect improvements in both quality and energy efficiency, but it will take a while.
@ Frank as usual you make good points.
I agree that a national bldg code would be best as it has done wonders making end use equipment like HVAC , water htrs and refrigerators , etc. all make Big Improvements in performance which helps everyone.
Given the current infatuation against science and the environment from the new political leaders I dont see that happening any time soon.
I could have quite a long discussion with you concerning solar pv and geo thermal as metered data and energy production are significant. The entire energy industry is subsidized and most of it non renewable is environmentally destructive Frank.
We don’t pay directly in most cases for these costs – they are externalized and that is why there are finally some attempts at leveling the playing field.
Geo thermal systems are going in in high volume in the Denver area condos, apts and office buildings and the ROI and IRR are excellent. traditional developers who play the low first cost game and their generous tax breaks etc for decades now , well even these tax subsidy parasites are now getting Religion and installing better systems like Geo thermal units.
They are even tapping into the sewer mains and inserting heat exchangers that serve as a condensing ( cooling tower) to help maintain the circulating fluids at around 70 degrees.
this is a huge new development that allows a bldg. to capitalize on the constant earth and sewer temperatures to provide lower cost cooling and heating as well as some water heating. Maximizing Efficiency. Protecting and Preserving natural resources.
So the world is changing.
Solar is adding more money into peoples house hold budgets so they can spend it or save it. A price hedge. Helps the Grid if done right.
Hybrid spolar systems w both south and West Facing panels reduce KW demand on utility Grid feeders by 66 % in the heat of Arizona. this reduces capacity needs for the utility. Saves Millions in avoided capital costs to the economy etc etc .
A total No Brainer.
NM consumers are now going to pay millions to retire dirty coal plants , add some scrubbers to a couple to keep them going a few more years ??/ how long ? talk about wasted investment by PNM Utility .
I agree with you on some sort of guest Worker program but Americans have a shortage of real jobs now. And more automation is only going to increase the shortage of real jobs and it is going to displace more american workers . Not all of these people can be retrained to be a IT or Computer code writeer as they dont have the mental capacity etc.
so yes we need fair immigration but we also need to reduce the number of immigrants to America.
right now only the Farming and construction owners have benefited from our illegal employer I said employer practices. they should pay for their ill gotten gains – of course that will never happen.
The poor immigrants are being scapegoated and I dont support WAlls that we dont need etc.
But the Minion s dont have the mental capacity or the discipline to figure most of these issues out clearly and separate the Red Herring symptoms of the problem.
We are living in a ERA of Alternative Facts or Lies it seems.
Glad you spent the extra money to make your home more affordable to live in a life cycle analysis of the economic benefits for you would be much greater than most traditional investments. Good on You.
Bear in Mind Frank that the grid energy loses close to 15 % in line losses of the energy before it gets to your meter. so the efficiency of solar panels only needs to be at 18 % and the new ones are at 21 5 and they see 28 to 30 % in the mid term like 5 to 7 years being deployed. come a long way Baby!
They actually are on track to be more efficient than centralized Generation , Transmission and distribution.
They are at $2.80 cents per watt now installed for residential. $ 1.30 to $ 1.60 watt for utility scale installed.
They are definitely now In the Money! The World has and is changing!
Other wise great info Frank thanks
Silent,
The most reasonable HVAC system probably depends on location. In the North, where it is cold for most of the winter, an air source heat pump would be less effective than in the South where the winters are milder. Here in NM, where in January the normal low is 25F and the normal high is 45F and the RH is usually low, air source heat pumps work well. Of course ground source heat pumps would be more efficient, but the extra cost may not be justified in this part of the country.
Regarding national building codes, I would not favor them. Conditions vary too much with location and it would be difficult for a national code to take all those conditions into consideration. Even state codes could be a problem where the climate varies considerably within a state. City codes are another matter; they could be very practical. However, national regulations do set minimum efficiency standards for refrigerators, air conditioners, and other equipment. Probably those standards should be expanded. For hot air heating and air conditioning, it would be possible to specify the maximum static pressure the blower can deliver. That would force contractors to use large enough ducts else the cooling and heating would be inadequate.
In some places in Europe and perhaps elsewhere too, some buildings are cooled by chilling the ceiling with chilled water tubes in the ceiling, like radiant floor heating in reverse. The problem is that to prevent condensation on the ceiling, the latent heat removal has to be separated from the sensible heat removal. That means that some form of moisture removal has to be included. However, that system is more efficient because 1) with a chilled ceiling radiation of heat is reduced making occupants comfortable at a higher temperature and 2) the chilled water temperature can be higher thereby increasing the COP of the refrigeration system, and 3) because it takes much less power to circulate chilled water than to circulate chilled air. As for the moisture removal, that can be accomplished by a small separate A/C system dedicated to moisture removal. It needs to be run only when the RH is too high.
I looked into a chilled ceiling system for my house but decided that, because no local contractors had experience with it, it would be a mistake. I also looked into variable speed compressors but six or seven years ago, they were not readily available here and contractors had had no experience with them. So, my house has two A / C systems: one for upstairs, and one for downstairs. My heating is radiant floor with four zones. If I had to do it over, I might specify a couple more zones so the bathrooms could be warmer without using the supplementary electric heat for them.
For retrofits, mini split A / C systems are probably a good way to go. Some will both heat and cool. They are finally and belatedly being installed here in the U.S. some 25 years after becoming common in other places in the world.
I assume that building efficiency will continue to improve. However, comfort, convenience, and economy are also important factors. People will understandably resist changes which compromise those factors, but with good design, I do not believe that we have to live with such compromises.