Tips For Eco-Friendly Homes and Building
By Steven A Robinson
Tips for eco-friendly Housing
Building in eco-friendly products into your home is becoming common and
in fact some are becoming law for new buildings. Not only does it save the
impact on the planet and the local environment but each household will save
money over the long term that will more than pay for the eco changes. These
eco-friendly tips involve insulation, solar power, water efficient taps,
water tanks, dual flush toilets, and grey water systems.
Insulation
One of the easiest ways to make your home more eco-friendly is to add insulation.
Insulation can be added to an existing home or built in during construction.
Adding during construction is starting to become law and in fact for renovations
over a particular size. Insulation is the most important factor in conserving
energy for a house. It works by keeping the warmth in winter within the
house and cold air out. In summer the cool air within and heat out making
air conditioners more efficient or you do not need an air conditioner at
all.
To apply insulation to your home there are three main areas. The most important
of these is the roof insulation to block the summer heat and the winter
cold or frost. Insulating the walls and floor make the house very energy
efficient, however this is mainly done during building. Thus if you are
building a home you can add all of the insulation you like while you build
to help the energy efficiency of the building. This will lower your over
all energy costs over many years. If you are insulating an existing home
it is easy to insulate your ceiling attic space, however it can be fairly
difficult to do because of a lack of access.
Solar Power
Solar power, via panels installed on your roof, is a great option to provide
a house with its own power for lighting or the full power requirements of
the house. Solar power can be expensive and the cost starts around $10,000
for a small two bedroom home to $40,000 for a four bedroom large size home.
However the costs depend on the energy use of the family and the amount
and size of the appliances used. However with the panels still working well
beyond 20years old it is a long term investment. Solar power makes a great
choice for the eco-friendly house and with electricity prices continuing
to rise; solar power is a great way to stop these prices from affecting
your household budget. Grid fed solar power is the most efficient way to
have an eco-friendly house, feeding the extra power into the grid and draw
power into your home when you need it.
Water efficient taps
It is easy to add a water efficient shower head and taps with the cost
only around $100 for the average three bedroom home. The bathroom and kitchen
taps can also have aerators fitted to them mixing the water with air and
thus reducing the water usage. These small changes bring an average saving
of $100 dollars per year thus saving the eco-friendly house owner over the
long term.
Rain Water tanks
Rain water tanks are a great way to have an eco-friend house saving you
both money and water year by year. Your state government may also have eco
grants in place to help you purchase a new rain water tank. The water from
a rain water tank can be connected to toilets, showers, washing machines
and other appliances not just the garden. The cost depends on the size and
shape as well as the installation position and water application. Costing
starts around $700 plus a pump and plumbing.
Dual flush toilets
Dual flush toilets are another great eco-friendly tip that will save water
and money for many years. These can be added to an existing toilet by add
a new dual flush cistern or install as part of a new complete toilet. Most
local government or building authorities require that all new houses have
dual flush toilets fitted at the time of building.
Grey Water System
Grey water is a fairly huge amount of water per household over a year. However
there are now many grey water systems that will deal with the water and
pump it on to the garden or trees. Note that this is not a black water system
which is sewer including dishwasher and kitchen sink waste. Thus black water
must be treated with a sewer system. Grey water is water from:
Washing Machines
Shower and bath
Most grey water systems filter the water and treat the Bactria in the water
and then pump it out to be used by plants. However not vegetables as the
water is not fit for drinking.
All of the above eco tips will save you money over the long term however
while most require a cost to set up, However, the long term benefits out
weight the costs. Saving money and the environment does require an investment
however with electrical and water costs on the rise each household can out
weight theses cost and help save the impact on the planet.
By Steven Robinson - Renovation Robot
Want to know more and see repairs in action then visit the Renovation Robot web site for free advise and tips! http://www.renovationrobot.com.au