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What are Green Homes?
Green homes are ones that are energy efficient and earth friendly. Green home communities are being built throughout the United States, United Kingdom, Asia, Australia and Europe in an effort to lessen the carbon footprint humans leave behind. A green home will contain some or all of the following earth friendly features: an alternative power system such as solar and wind, fiber cement siding, solar powered hot water heating, recycled building insulation and no-VOC paints and stains.
If you don't live in one of these new green homes, there are still things you can do to increase your energy conservation and contribute to saving the environment. By making your home green you can save money and help reduce global warming. These changes requires little to no effort on your part but will significantly impact the environment for the better.
A majority of green homes are now using compact fluorescent light bulbs, or CFLs, instead of the standard incandescent light bulbs. Switching out your current light bulbs to CFLs can save you over $100 US Dollars (USD) per year. CFLs can now be purchased in the same aisle as regular light bulbs and are slightly more expensive. Many municipal and utility districts will provide CFLs to low income families. If every household in the United States switched out their light bulbs, there would be a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of one trillion pounds (453,592,370,000 kg).
Another way to make a pre-existing home green is to install a programmable thermostat. This will allow the homeowner to program the thermostat so that the heater or air conditioner is off when they are away from home. They can also program the thermostat so that it will heat or cool the house shortly before arriving home. This change can save ten percent or more on heating and cooling costs.
Plugging air leaks is another way to practice energy conservation and save money. Installing weather-stripping and properly caulking windows will stop air drafts and keep the temperature in your house from fluctuating rapidly. Drafts can be found around windows, doors, outlets, pipes and attic floors.
A majority of green homes come equipped with energy star® rated appliances, including water heaters, furnaces and air conditioners. These appliance have less of an impact on the environment, as they reduce the amount of electricity required to operate them. For an additional savings on your energy bill you can also purchase energy star® washers, dryers, dishwashers, ovens and refrigerators. Besides saving money on your bill, you also qualify for a tax credit when you purchase energy star® rated appliances.
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![A programmable thermostat can reduce energy consumption.]()
By: Bill BradfordA programmable thermostat can reduce energy consumption. -
![Switching to energy efficient CFL lights can make a home more green.]()
By: li_alSwitching to energy efficient CFL lights can make a home more green. -
![A green home may have an alternative energy source, like solar.]()
By: FentonA green home may have an alternative energy source, like solar. -
![Green homes will likely feature energy efficient appliances, such as air conditioning units.]()
By: Le DoGreen homes will likely feature energy efficient appliances, such as air conditioning units. -
![Energy efficient refrigerators can help homeowners cut down on electricity use.]()
By: Odua ImagesEnergy efficient refrigerators can help homeowners cut down on electricity use.
Discussion Comments
Out here on the west coast green home building has been a huge industry. As a matter of fact, it is one of the few sectors of the home building market that did not completely crash in 2008.
People on the west coast tend to be pretty environmentally conscious but the government has also made a number of incentive programs to encourage home owners and builders to build green homes. The added cost of going green is usually off set by the tax savings.
Green homes do not require as many renovations as you might expect. In fact, there are a number of simple and cheap things you can do to make your home more green.
Start a compost pile to turn your kitchen and lawn waste into valuable fertilizer. Consider collecting the runoff from your gutters in order to water your garden in a sustainable way. Turn off the light when you exit a room. Wear a sweater in the winter and use a fan in the summer. Simple things like this can have a greater impact on the environment than you realize.
When people hear about green home design the focus is often on the features that are built into the home to encourage green lifestyles. But the most important aspect of living green is not surrounding yourself with tools to make that lifestyle easier. The most important thing is really internalizing the values of the green movement and trying to live them in your everyday life.
Who cares what kind of light bulbs or dishwasher you have? If you run your lights all night, fire up the dishwasher when it is only half full, bring home tons of plastic containers or live in a way that is conspicuously unsustainable, you have wasted the potential of your green home. Science will not fix the coming environmental catastrophe. That is a responsibility that each one of must accept and live at every moment of every day.
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