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Eco-Friendly Homes
The words “eco-friendly”, “green” and “sustainable” seem to be on everyone’s lips. Everyone from homeowners to architects and engineers is making a collective effort to reduce pollution, uncontrolled resource exploitation and wildlife habitat destruction by making their homes more eco-friendly. If you too want to start the “green revolution” in your home, here’s where you can start.
Size of the building
A truly sustainable and eco-friendly home can never be the size of a huge mansion. Big homes have too many energy-saving challenges to take care of and can never be as efficient as smaller homes. Luckily, people who care about being eco-friendly often go for quality and efficiency and not quantity and size.
Locally-harvested materials
Using materials available at your building site used to be the norm. Today, cargo ships make even materials from the other part of the world cheap and easy to come by. However, the amount of pollution they leave behind is astounding, marine life being especially affected. That’s why opting for locally-sourced materials and timber that comes from controlled local wood farms is a great way to go. This reduces the time and fuel required for shipping and the pollution goes down too.
Energy-efficient lighting
Traditional bulbs might be super cheap, but they are not exactly the eco-friendliest choice. Switching to LED’s is a very easy and quick way to boost energy efficiency and reduce the carbon footprint you produce. LED’s also have a longer lifespan and you won’t have to buy a new bulb every few months.
Solar panels
Solar panels were never more practical and effective than they are today, so it’s not a surprise that more and more people decide to harness the sun for their benefit. Plus, companies with a huge following, such as Tesla, made solar panels very popular. When combined with batteries, a good solar panel system can supply the entire home with sustainable energy and save up some power for emergency situations.
Water conservation
Especially if you live in a drought-prone area, water conservation is very important and adding a rain harvesting system can be a great way to reduce your water consumption. Collected rainwater can later be used for plant watering, car washing, toilet flushing and even drinking (if it’s thoroughly purified. Additionally, adding a hard water conditioner to your system can prevent calcium and magnesium buildup and limescale problems, which ensures a longer life for your pipes, appliances, baths and pools.
Energy Star appliances
Appliances that carry the Energy Star label can save up to 40% of electricity and water when compared to standard models. Their elegant design and eco-friendly character are a great addition to every green home.
Green decoration
One easy and beautiful way to boost eco-friendliness in your home is to replace artificial decoration with something more natural. Filling the space with greenery and flowers will not only boost your aesthetic appeal and give your home a pop of color, but you will also enjoy fresher and less polluted indoor air. Some plants have an amazing ability to remove harmful chemicals from the air from the formaldehyde and benzene to xylene and ammonia, plus they help reduce noise pollution and help people with stress management. Elements like living walls are also quite popular today both for their aesthetic appeal and health benefits, but they require a little more care.
There are plenty of eco-friendly Homes For Sale in Orange County, so if you can’t afford to build your own home, then maybe purchasing a home designed to save you money may be a more suitable option. You can still live the high life whilst saving money, without worrying about a new home that is being built for that very purpose.
As you can see, being eco-friendly doesn’t involve living a Spartan life. All the luxuries and comforts of modern living can still be available to you with these green home elements.
