Four Green Home Design Basics
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by: hugatree
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The way we humans are currently living isnt going to be sustainable for long. This is something we become more aware of as we see its effects. Because of this, green home design is becoming a more and more mainstream part of the housing market. Many predict that green home design will eventually dominate the housing market-- which would be a very good thing.
In the United States, homes create 38% of the total carbon emissions. So in the fight on global warming, how we choose to build our homes (with green home design or without it) is going to have a huge effect on our future. If youre looking to incorporate a bit of green home design, there are a hundred small things you can do to green-up your home. But for those into truly lowering their homes impact on the environment, there are four basic green home design rules to follow.
Green Home Design Rule 1: Smaller is Better
Theres something gloriously attractive about large, mansion-like homes. But large homes use up an incredible amount of energy for heating and cooling-- and this energy generally comes from nasty fossil fuels that muck up our environment. These homes also require more resources for building and create more waste as a result. So its important for you to build small if you want to incorporate a green home design.
Rule 2 in Green Home Design: Use Passive Solar Planning
Passive solar cooling and heating is one of the most important elements of green home design. The relatively simple concept behind passive solar design is to design a home according to the climate. In warmer climates, homes are designed to absorb less heat. In colder areas, design is used to reduce the amount of heat lost. To do this, green home design is incorporated into the orientation of the building, the location of the windows, the flooring (stone is best), and other elements of the home to reduce the amount of energy wasted.
Rule 3 in Green Home Design: Recycle and Reuse Materials
Almost everything used in a traditional home harms the environment in some way, either by its manufacture (plastics and artificials) or its transport (naturals). The use of renewable or recycled materials which are manufactured locally helps to reduce the damage building can have on the environment. Consider installing bamboo or recycled wood flooring and incorporate a green home design using recycled materials, such as cellulose insulation and lumber composites, throughout the home.
Rule 4 in Green Home Design: Shrink your AC
Heat and AC systems are the most energy-consuming elements in almost any home. And no matter how tempting a large AC system might sound during the hot summer months, this type of system can ruin your good intentions for a green home. Large AC systems overcool the air, and tend to cycle on and off too frequently. Because of this, they dont last nearly as long as smaller systems, creating a huge amount of waste along with energy loss. See here also Green home builders | Green home designs | Green home designs |
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