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 a fact that were becoming more and more aware of every day. And so green home design, formerly a small market, is spreading steadily over the world. Many predict that green home design will eventually dominate the housing market-- which would be a very good thing.
In the U.S., housing accounts for 38% of the countrys 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 if youre seriously interested in reducing the impact your home has on the environment, there are four basic green home design concepts to follow.
Green Home Design Rule 1: Smaller is Better
Theres something gloriously attractive about large, mansion-like homes. Unfortunately, large home need a huge quantity of fuel for heating and cooling-- fuel which is generally in for form of environment-killing fossil fuels. Large home also use up more building materials and so, of course, create more waste. 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 heating is one of the backbones of green home design. This kind of heating and cooling is relatively simple, and uses the climate to dictate the design of the home. In warm climates, design is used to reduce the amount of heat absorbed by the home. In colder areas, design is used to reduce the amount of heat lost. 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.
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. Use recycled materials, such as recycled insulation and lumber composites, or quickly-renewable products, such as bamboo flooring, in your green home design.
Green Home Design Rule 4: Optimize your Heating and Cooling
Heating and cooling a home accounts for the huge majority of its energy consumption. 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.
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