The main goal of a green home is to lessen environmental impacts while creating a healthier and more comfortable home. This is accomplished through several means, but generally focuses on increased energy efficiency, smart water use, use of healthier sustainable materials, and careful site selection to minimize impacts to the natural environment. Let's review the most common factors in green building and construction.
Energy Efficiency - a green home certainly takes advantage of every possible way to become more energy efficient. From the appliances, to the heating and cooling systems, a green home is designed to be more efficient and less costly to operate -- from the ground up.
Water Conservation - a green home will have low-flow shower heads, efficient toilets, and often tankless water heaters. Modern improvements have made these fixtures better so that you can't even tell the difference (except in the cost to operate, which is lower!).
Air Quality - this is one of the most important factors of a green home. According to EPA studies, indoor air quality can be 3-4 times more toxic than outdoor air! A green home will be properly sealed and ventilated so that the indoor air is cleaner, and thus the green home is a healthier home, especially for children or those suffering from allergies.
Effective Mechanical Systems - A green home will take advantage of modern systems such as heating/cooling, electrical, and even plumbing, to make sure that the most energy efficient and cost effective models are being used.
Good Insulation - proper insulation is important to reduce the loss of heating and cooling. This is also one of the best possible ways to lower energy bills.
Better Building Materials = Less Toxins. One of the ways to make a green home a healthier home is to use materials that have less toxins to start with. A green home will use low emission materials such as no-VOC paint to reduce any toxic fumes or odors into the air. Additionally the home will feature reclaimed, recycled and other environmentally-friendly building materials.
Eco-Friendly Lighting And Appliances - Energy Star rated appliances and lighting fixtures will prove to be far more energy efficient and less costly to operate than older, less efficient models.
Eco-Friendly Landscaping - outdoor considerations in the green home include thoughtful landscaping that minimizes water usage. Less lawn space and more use of xeriscaping, native, drought-tolerant planting, more trees, and drip-irrigation or reclaimed water are just some of the methods used in a green home.
In summary, everything in the green home is intended to improve efficiency, lower operational costs, and reduce any potential negative impacts either to the human inhabitants, or to the environment. Green homes are healthier homes, all around.
I'm Nestor Santtia, an experienced General Contractor, Certified Green Building Technical Professional, and proud member of the U.S. Green Building Council. I'm confident in helping you with home energy deficiencies and poor performance. Learn more on my website at:
http://www.ecorealtor101.ning.com
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