Below, I will address some options to consider when designing and building a highly efficient home. These options help to regulate the energy in a home, effectively reducing utilities and the homes impact on the environment. Factors such as the design of the homes windows and roofs can affect the amount of energy required to maintain a comfortable living temperature, while using minimal energy. |
Building Envelope
The building envelope is the interface between the interior of a home, and the outside climate. It is important to have a well designed building envelope which includes the roofing, foundation, doors, windows, and storm drainage systems. The design impacts the overall energy consumption of the building, through the protection from wind, water, heat and cold.
Passive Solar Design
Passive solar designs utilize the suns energy to heat and cool the interior of a home. During the summer, roof overhangs shield the windows from the high sun, effectively reducing the amount of heat in the home. In the winter, the low sun is allowed to pass through the windows heating the interior of the home.
Building Orientation
To reduce a buildings dependence on energy, the orientation of a building is extremely important. Depending on the direction a home sits, the sun can either keep a building warm during the winter, or turn it into a greenhouse during the summer. Landscaping is also important when determining the orientation, helping to channel cool breezes during the summer, and blocking harsh winds during the winter.
Tiny Homes
Tiny homes have been gaining popularity over the past few years due to their efficiency and affordability. Their smaller footprint requires less energy to live in comfortably. Often, they are built on wheels allowing their orientation on a lot to be repositioned, depending on the season, maximizing their passive solar usage. |
Hemp Houses
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A building option that is not only good for the environment, but also good for the inhabitants seems almost too god to be true. But hemp is proving to be a material that is just that. Not only is hemp renewable and relatively inexpensive, it is also strong and lightweight, requiring less wood to build a structure. The energy efficiency is great, helping to regulate the temperature of the home. The hemp walls absorb carbon dioxide from the air, and produce no harsh chemicals. Regulations governing the growing and production of hemp in the United States have not allowed many instances of utilizing this building material, but several homes in Europe have been built in recent years. The possibilities of using this as an alternative building material are very intriguing, and will likely be the future of green building materials.
Megan