4 Rules of Green Home Design
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by: hugatree
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As a people, our current wasteful lifestyles wont 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. Especially if we want to stop global warming, building our homes with green home designs will have a significant effect on the future. For those who want to give their houses a bit of green home design, there are many little steps that can be taken. But for those into truly lowering their homes impact on the environment, there are four basic green home design rules to follow.
Rule 1 in Green Home Design: Go Small
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 if youre looking to incorporate green home design in your building plans, build small.
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 warm climates, design is used to reduce the amount of heat absorbed by the home. In cold climates, the amount of heat lost is reduced. Green home design uses the buildings orientation to the sun, window positioning, stone flooring, and other building elements to control the temperature and save energy.
Green Home Design Rule 3: Use Recyclable or Renewable 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.
Green Home Design Rule 4: Optimize your Heating and Cooling
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. This constant on-and-off cycle gives large AC systems a short lifespan, making them create extra waste along with using up extra fuel. Related articles Green products for home -- Green home kitchen -- Syndicate -- Building a green house -- Rss database --
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