10 Reasons To Build A Green Home
by Lenn Keller
If you're like me, you've long dreamed of building your own home. And you’ve known that when you do, you want your impact on the environment to be as minimal as possible. You don't want to contribute to global warming, or waste the earth's natural resources, and you want a house that is aesthetic, functional and healthy.
So what does it really mean to build green, and how do you do it? Many people assert that it’s more than just putting in an array of green appliances, but a whole way of thinking about how you can reduce your impact on the planet in every aspect of your home’s building and design. So, whether you call it green or sustainable, basically it means building a home with a consciousness that is seeking to protect and support the health of the planet, and all it’s life forms as much as possible. There is an ever growing body of material to be researched of resources online and in books and magazines, about how to build a green home. And more and more people are re-visiting building technologies, that people used thousands of years ago to live in harmony with the earth.
I'm figuring don’t need to be convinced to build a green home, because you’re reading this already after all, but just in case you’re in need of a few more incentives, please check out the list I’ve compiled below.
1. First and foremost, building a green home, is making a significant contribution to protecting the earth, and supporting the health of the planet.
2. A green home reduces your carbon footprint, and your impact on the environment by using alternative and renewable energy sources, like solar energy, geo thermal heating, and recyclable materials, and energy efficient appliances,
3. Sustainable and green building technologies use less resources, and can be less costly. Home building technologies like cob building, (building with the elements of the earth, straw, clay, etc.) reduce impacts on the environment, and are in harmony with nature.
4. Green homes are healthier, cleaner environments, and can reduce your exposure to allergens like mold by doing things like, cleaning the ducts before you occupy it, and reducing or eliminating your exposure to toxins, by using non toxic materials and products such as, solvent-free adhesives, water-borne wood finishes, and low/no VOC (volatile organic chemicals) paints and sealants.
5. Green homes are more comfortable, and save you money. By increasing insulation and using natural cooling systems, when the weather is hot, instead of turning on an air conditioner, and using passive solar heating or geo thermal when the weather is cold, your dependency on oil and electricity will be reduced, or eliminated completely, and you’ll be more comfortable too.
6. Green homes are more functional, because most green building products and materials are developed to function better than their conventional counterparts, and they’re also manufactured in a way that conserves and restores the planet’s resources. A few examples of this are; cork and bamboo flooring, FSC certified wood, and recycled content decking.
7. When you design a green home, you can utilize natural elements like the sun for energy, by using a southern facing roof for solar panels, or shade from existing trees. Another example is naturally occurring windbreaks, which can make your home more wind resistant, which can be critical if your home is vulnerable to hurricanes.
8. Landscaping your home sustainably protects the environment in a number of ways. By using drought resistant native plants for landscaping for your lawn, you can reduce both maintenance and water needs, and still have a beautifully designed green look. By using green landscaping, you can also reduce your impact on the environment by not risking the introduction of pests and predators.
9. When you build a green home, you can significantly reduce your water consumption in a number of ways. For example, installing plumbing systems that allow for grey water usage, using low flow water appliances and fixtures, using downspouts and stormwater collection systems to water your lawn and saves electricity, which is used to pump it.
10. And last but not least, building a green home can increase your property’s value, and can contribute to the social equity and economic vitality of the community you live in.
Below are a few links that may be helpful in getting you started in building your green home.
ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SOURCES & SYSTEMS
HomePower.com (get off the grid, excellent source of solar, wind and hydro power)
http://www.homepower.com/home/
Geothermal Education Office
http://geothermal.marin.org/
Green Goat (Resource Management Strategies)
http://www.greengoat.org
GREEN BUILDING GUIDES
Green Home Guide
connecting you to advice, information,and green professionals
http://www.greenhomeguide.com/
Sustainable Spaces (Bay Area Home Performance Experts)
http://www.sustainablespaces.com
Whole Building Design Guide
http://www.wbdg.org/design/sustainable.php
Green Builder Sourcebook
http://www.greenbuilder.com/sourcebook/EnergyRecoveryVent.html
Build It Green (a non-profit membership organization whose mission is to promote healthy, energy- and resource-efficient building practices in California)
http://www.builditgreen.org/
GREEN & SUSTAINABLE BUILDING MATERIALS
Green Building Supply (Environmentally Friendly Home Center)
http://www.greenbuildingsupply.com//Public/Home/index.cfm
Green Living Supplies, Green Construction, Green Remodeling, Greenmaker Supply
http://www.greenmakersupply.com/index.php
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Comments
Yes, If you must build, then
But why build when there are so many buildings already out there waiting to be improved. Every existing building represents a large inverstment of energy and resultant carbon emissions. Unless you build with entirely natural, locally sourced, completely compostable materials you are likely to be using more energy in the long run than occupying an existing structure and upgrading it to a high standard using entirely natural, locally sourced, completely compostable materials. Remember, recycling is a failure to reuse which is a failure to reduce. Reduction is what is necessary. To often our homes are just unnecessary monuments to our egos. Building new homes means further loss of habitat and soil for growing or biodiversity because every new home requires a footprint. Yes you could tear down an existing structure and reuse the materials and the site. That would be a step in the right direction but how many homes are built that way without massive use of industrially produced materials?
Unless we are willing to ask the question, "do I really need this?" and answer it honestly, it's business as usual. Better to find 10 reasons not to build.
So I recommend that if you need a new place to live, find a place with enough land to grow at least 50% of your food, with an existing structure that is sound, put your effort into the garden and into making the structure as efficient as possible, then go off grid. If you must buy industrially produced goods make them work for a living, solar panels and batteries, and very little for them to power, a rainwater collection system, a biodigester, composting toilet. Do all the work yourself to reduce worker transport miles. These are far more sustainable investments than all the materials required to build a typical new green home.
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