How to make your home green and environmentally friendly and save money

Image by Ulrike Leone from Pixabay

In a previous article we discussed The Benefits of Green Building - Environmentally Sustainable Buildings

Making a building environmentally friendly and more sustainable doesn’t have to cost lots of money. The cost of incorporating green solutions has come down markedly in the last few years as more people use these solutions. In fact, some of the suggestions below add no extra costs to construction. Many items are simply about making sensible informed decisions. 

Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay

Green Building Solutions for Your Home

• Installing solar panels. These generate power on sunny days which can be used to supplement power from the utility provider. In some jurisdictions it’s possible to sell excess power back to the utility provider. Coupling the solar panels to batteries means that power can be stored to be used at night when the panels aren’t generating power.
• Installing solar water heating which reduces the energy demands of heating water.
• Utilising low energy lighting and electrical appliances. Electrical appliances have an energy and water consumption rating. Selecting the right appliances will cut down on power and water bills.
• Installing automatic switching of lights. Often lights are left on in rooms which aren’t being used. Fitting movement sensors to light switches means the lights in a room automatically turn off when there’s no one present.
• Insulating walls, ceilings and under roof coverings helps keep hot air in the house in winter, and hot air out in the summer.
• Using airtight construction detailing, particularly at wall/ceiling and wall/floor junctions and around doors and windows.
• Planning the internal layout of the house so that windows are placed to maximise the winter sun and cooling breezes. Placing bathrooms and garages on the side of the house that receives the hottest summer sun and situating bedrooms where it will be cooler in summer and warmer in winter.
• Installing double glazing on windows to insulate the house.
• Orientating the house so that it allows the maximum amount of sun in winter to enter the house and less sun in summer. Some locations have cool breezes in summer and when the house is orientated correctly, with opening windows and vents placed to allow the breeze to blow through the house, it helps cool the house naturally.
• Using light coloured roofs and external walls to reflect solar radiation in hot areas, and using darker colours in cooler locations.
• Installing water flow restrictors in shower fittings and taps to reduce the water consumed.
• Harvesting (collecting) rainwater and storing it in tanks to be used for gardens, and even for some household use.
• Capturing grey water (water from showers, sinks and basins) to be used for gardens.
• Incorporating trees in the garden to shade the house in summer but which let the sun through in winter.
• Extending the roof beyond the outside walls to create eaves, which help shade the house, keeping the sun from shining directly through windows for longer. See later.
• Using plants in the garden which require less water.
• Not incorporating products which could give off harmful vapours.
• Designing the home so that it’s easily adaptable to your family’s changing needs and circumstances.
• Installing window treatments (curtains/blinds) that keep the summer heat out and keep the warm air inside in winter.
• Including thermal mass within the house, such as concrete, to store heat in the day, radiating it at night.

 In my next article I will discuss other ways you can make your home building and renovation project environmentally friendly. See More ways to make your home environmentally friendly

​Want to learn more about designing, renovating and building houses

This article is adapted from information in the book 'An Introduction to Building and Renovating Houses Part 2: Finding Your Ideal Property and Designing Your Dream Home' by Paul Netscher.
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Paul Netscher has written 2 easy to read books 'An Introduction to Building and Renovating Houses - Volumes 1 and 2'. An Introduction to Building and Renovating Houses Volume 1 deals with Hiring Contractors, Managing Construction and Finishing Your Home.  and Designing your ideal home Volume 2 deals with Finding Your Ideal Property and Designing Your Dream Home. 
​("Great for those that DIY. Very helpful in home renovations!" said a Reader on Amazon.com 5*****)
These books are available from Amazon and other online bookstores in paper and ebook.
© 2020 This article is not to be reproduced for commercial purposes without written permission from the author.