What can be considered a “Green” House?

Today, being eco-friendly is everybody’s responsibility. The way we manage our house certainly plays a big part in helping the environment. There are various factors that need to be considered when you think of what your home needs to be considered “green.” Here is what you need to know. 

1. Energy Efficient

If your house is not considered to be energy efficient, there is a great chance that the government, in your country, will help you improve it with help plans built on tax exemption. That is how important it is to them, and to all of us, if we want to keep this planet alive and well. The reason is simple: The more we consume energy, the more we need to take it from our planet. Petroleum products and all other types of energy which are not natural, unlike solar panel or wind-based, are hurtful and need to be used as little as possible.

This means that you will have to ask for an efficiency test. Then, you will be advised on what needs to be worked on, in order to make your home an energy efficient one. You will probably need to install new system aluminium windows and doors, as older ones are often the main culprits, when it comes to losing warm or cool air to the outside. Then, the roof isolation will also be another factor that can cause energy loss. Finally, the basement and the floors will have to be reviewed and revisited, if need be.

2. What is a Sustainable House?

The first explanation is what we have already mentioned: It needs to have a low energy consumption and leave as little carbon footprint as possible. But this is not the only thing to take in account. It also needs to respect the environment, in other ways. The materials used in the construction or when renovating, have to be considered as non-toxic. Therefore, you need to choose materials that are natural, recyclable and non-pollutant. There are various types of houses considered as sustainable or green. Below you will find two of them. 

1. BIOCLIMATIC HOUSE

The most important element of a bioclimatic house is its positioning. It is what defines it the most. It should be using the sun to keep it warm during the winter months, primarily. Therefore, main common rooms, such as the kitchen, living room and dining room should be opened to the outside world through floor to ceiling aluminium windows or glass doors. The bedrooms should be covered by trees to keep them cool. In the end, their goal is to use as little energy as possible, simply because of the way they face the sun or are protected from it, in certain parts of the house.

2. PASSIVE HOUSE

A passive house is one that creates most of the energy it uses, by itself. To do so, it will feed from energy created by solar panels, placed in different locations on the house. To complete the heating, fully window walls should be facing the sun, in order to keep the rooms warm solely through sun rays coming in. Evidently, it will have to be fully energy efficient, in order to keep the warmth inside.