Green Homes
Join the Green Side
By. Micah RIce
10 Home Changes to Minimalize your Environmental Footprint
Air leaks are a major problem in regard to wasted heat energy. Whether cool air from your air conditioner in the summer or hot
air from your heater in the winter, air 'leaks' (air flow to the outside) will cause a substantial amount of conditioned air to slip out of your house. A good way to seal your window frames is by using caulking or other sealants used in building.
Air leaks can also
happen through
doors that aren’t
fitted properly and
even cutouts for air
conditioning hoses.
The world we live in is ever-changing, always evolving to achieve a perfect model of civilization. Not only do we find ways to improve our living, but we are starting to look at it from an environmental perspective. The fact is that we are indefinitely confined to our earth, replacing nature with cities, drinking its water, harvesting pockets of raw materials and all the while not being able to put things back to the way they were.
This problem of limited resources calls for action in order to be environmentally sustainable. Environmental sustainability is the condition in which the demands we place on our environment can be met without reducing its capacity to allow all people and animals to live. There is plenty of variation in the ways people say it; eco-friendly, going green, sustainability etc. Overall environmental sustainability deals with finding alternative sources of power (besides fossil fuels) as well as using our existing resources to become completely sustainable, repairing the damage we have already done.
Currently, society is learning and acting upon many of our world's environmental problems, but people are not always thinking about some of the obvious ways we are wasting our resources: in our homes. You’ve heard before to turn out your lights when you’re not using them, unplug devices when not in use, and keep the door closed on a cold day to keep the heat in, but these are behavioral changes. What I will be showing you is 10 parts of your home that are not in line with this 'environmental sustainability'concept, and how you can fix or change them in order to reduce your environmental footprint and help in the movement to save our planet.
Environmental Sustainability
Living Room
Low-E
Windows
We love to turn on our heaters and air conditioners when
extremely hot or cold
weather hits, but a lot
of this temperature
regulated air isn’t actually necessary because we let so much escape out of our houses. Low-emissivity coated windows or low-E windows are a perfect way to create a barrier between you and the outside. These windows have a special coating that blocks infrared light (which is heat) from passing through while still allowing visible light to pass.
1
2
Sustainable
Materials
We use tons of the world's resources, and all of them are being used up at different rates, including ones which aren’t considered rare. We use all these resources which have a huge impact on our environment. For example, the trees we cut down and don’t replace cause
deforestation and habitat destruction. Building with sustainable
materials means that
the resources we are using will grow back. Bamboo is a great example of sustainability as it is the fastest growing plant in the world and thus is easily replaced.
We use large amounts of electricity
when we don't need
to, especially in the
case of light. Having
your windows facing
the two directions of sunrise and sunset means more natural light, and with these extra being Low-E windows, your home will be extra efficient in this regard.
Primary Light Source: The Sun
3
VOC’s or Volatile Organic Compounds are chemicals which easily
react with their surrounding environment. This means that they
might react with something and give off gases, or pollutants which
you definitely don’t want inside your house. VOC’s can be found in
paints and sprays, and many other manufactured products. It is
best to use no-VOC paints and low VOC products when
furnishing your home.
Low VOC Products
5
Air Tight Window Seals
4
Office
The sun’s rays touch almost every part of the earth, making solar energy possible and very important as we progress into a green future of energy efficiency. Today we burn too much coal and
other kinds of fossil
fuels to generate our
electricity, creating
a pollution problem.
Only using solar panels for our energy has its own set of challenges. They can be expensive, hard to place in an apartment and not always reliable.
What if you didn’t have to entirely switch from coal burning to solar, but rather just focus on powering one part of your home?
An energy efficient ‘solar office’ is a perfect way to power your devices and work-space while producing larger amounts of renewable energy.
Solar
Office
6
Bathroom
Low-Flow Fixtures
7
The process of getting water from its natural source to our homes is not energy efficient.
Not only is water transportation costly, but filtration to ensure it is clean enough for use is as well. Because of this, it is important to not waste water. Low-flow showerheads are designed to aerate the water as it is released making it feel the same, but replacing some of the water with oxygen to use up much less water than if it was a normal showerhead. The same principle applies to low-flow faucets.
WaterSense is a brand and company which rates products according to how efficient (in terms of water) they are. WaterSense toilets are a huge water saver as they reduce the water used per flush by 20% or more. Installing WaterSense toilets (and other water saving products from them) in your bathroom will not only save money on your water bill but the earth's fresh water supply too.
WaterSense
Toilets
8
Kitchen
Bulky, old appliances use
large amounts of energy
in comparison with today’s
energy-saving appliances.
One of the benefits of
improving modern
technology is that all the new appliances on the market are outfitted with the most recent energy saving technology. They are able to ensure you’re being the most environmentally sustainable you can be. Energy efficient appliances have ratings from 1-5 with 5 being the most efficient. Find all types of energy efficient appliances here.
Energy Efficient
Appliances
9
Bedroom
House Plants:
Air Purifiers
10
Perhaps one of the most interesting changes to your house is to add some houseplants. Houseplants are a literal method of going green. Not only are you replacing plants that would have been destroyed
by the building of
your house, but you
are also increasing
oxygen levels and
humidity inside.
Because plants carry out photosynthesis, they will naturally increase oxygen levels in your home. With a plant in every room, your house will literally be greener.
Learn more about the benefits of houseplants here.
More Information
If you want to know more, please check out these three recommended sites with information regarding environmental sustainability and other aspects of this project!
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/01/eco-friendly-home-50-ways-to-do-it_n_5916442.html
​
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/earth-talks-living-building/
​
https://www.bayeradvanced.com/articles/5-benefits-of-houseplants
Check out these three websites with statistics and more detailed information:
Solar Panel
Battery
Device
All of these changes may seem expensive or unnecessary, but by switching to them, your money savings (especially in relation to electricity) will dramatically increase!
Keep In Mind
Considering this information, it is important to remember that we have to be careful when switching to a hi-tech sustainable method of living. All these home changes are meant to save the environment in one way or another, however many companies don't follow their own rules. For example, a company may produce an appliance that may work to save the environment, but it has been made using unsustainable materials. These trade-offs may sometimes be just as damaging as what you used in the first place! To find your way around these problems, always do research into what you are buying. Brands dedicated to energy saving and environmental sustainability like 'Energy Star', 'Smarter House' & 'WaterSense' are all aware of these issues and are always researching ways to ensure they are causing little to no environmental harm.
Remember that we all have a responsibility toward our planet to keep it inhabitable. It is understandable that we cannot always be perfectly environmentally sustainable, but with each step we take toward this goal, the closer we become to saving the earth and living responsibly.
Visit https://sketchfab.com/MicahRice to see all of the 3D house models.
A Special Thanks to:
- John Ashworth - Project Supervisor
- Kati (Sonja-Katrin) Fuisz-Kehrbach - Knowledge Expert for Sustainability
- Asa Foss - LEED AP Homes Director, Residential Technical Solutions U.S. Green Building Council