Not so very long ago, the green lifestyle movement was more of a left wing religion than a real mainstream practical approach to new construction and home remodeling. As technology and construction materials and methods evolved, it became more practical, but the return on investment just wasn't there.
Now that's all starting to change. Architects and building contractors are seeing the value and are responding to consumer demand. Home buyers and owners are willing to make the initial investment in green equity. There are some interesting trends emerging.
Lifecycle Analysis Provides Valuable Metrics
As the sustainable and energy efficient building material industry matures, it's possible to collect some accurate and informative metrics. This tells the industry what works in the long term and what doesn't. This information in turn stimulates further innovation. It's the free enterprise capitalist system at its best.
For example, consider home insulation. We've come a long way from simply stuffing exterior walls with fiberglass batts. One interesting development is spray foam insulation from soy beans. It sounds odd, but it's very effective. It's energy efficient, affordable, and inert so it doesn't attract mold or insects.
Water Conservation With Rainwater Harvesting and Gray Water
Many areas have serious water availability issues. Two techniques to that address this issue are rainwater harvesting and using gray water for watering the lawn and irrigating. Harvesting rainwater is as simple as collecting rain from your roof and storing it in a cistern. It's much better for your lawn and raised bed vegetable garden because the PH is better for plants than tap water.
Gray water is all used water from the home except for the raw sewage from the toilet. Using it rather than just sending it down the sewer lowers potable water use and eases the strain on municipal water treatment plants.
Grid-Aware and Energy Star Appliances
When you replace an appliance or buy one for a new home, you are faced with two basic choices: a conventional model or one boasting the Energy Star label. Energy Star is increasingly a better choice. Certainly the price tag will hurt a bit more, but not only will you save money on electricity bills, but in many cases you'll qualify for an energy tax credit.
What are grid-aware appliances? It's kind of a fuzzy concept at this point but the concept is that the appliance can monitor its own energy usage and can either self-adjust or simply report details. Although this concept has traditionally been used with thermostat-regulated appliances, manufacturers are expanding the use.
Source:
Kelly Smith - Kelly has over 30 years experience as a journeyman carpenter and 20 as a freelance writer and photographer.
Join the Conversation