A green house is a type of house that focuses on efficient use of energy, water and other building materials. Energy-efficient appliances can be used for building a green house. Along with energy-efficient appliances, specific building materials can be utilized to keep both cool and heated air inside a house. Everyone should dream to build a green house in order to conserve energy and water which will lead to a sustainable future.
1. Tankless water heater
Tankless water heaters are of two types. They are either gas or electric and these water heaters can be installed anywhere in the house except the near by areas of main water source. They can be installed inside or outside of your home. Instantaneous, continuous flow, on-demand or instant-on water heaters are some of the synonyms of tankless water heaters because of their characteristics. These waster heaters instantly heat water wasting not much of time and energy. They heat water on demand, so there is no waste of energy like other water heaters do by continually heating 40 to 50 gallons of water when you are not using them. There is never a shortage of hot water while using tankless water heaters.
2. Types of flooring
a. Bamboo flooring: Bamboo grows very quickly as compared to woods because bamboo is a grass. It is one of the fastest growing plant in the world, which makes it a great renewable resource. Bamboos can be installed horizontally or vertically with the knots present in them. It makes a good flooring option and also adds style to your home sweet home.
b. Eco-friendly wood flooring: Brazilian Cherry and White Tigerwood are certain types of exotic hardwoods. These woods come from well-managed forests with renewable resources. Brazilian Cherry is known as an engineered wood. It generally comes expensive but it is eco friendly option for your home.
3. Solar roof panels
One of the best way to go green is to go solar. Generally, solar power packages come costly but you can install them in a cheap way. You do not need to buy those expensive packages at once. Converter is a best way to start. Eventually, you will save money whenever you install a solar panel. One can even use evacuated tubes. These tubes are excellent solar collectors that work even in cold climate.
In California, many utility companies offer rebates and credits to the owners of the home who install solar panels. By using solar panels, they help sending back to the utility company. The best time to install a solar panel is during the installation of a new roof.
4. Fluorescent bulbs
All the standard light bulbs can be replaced with fluorescent ones. These fluorescent bulbs are called energy smart bulbs as they use 70 to 75% less energy and these bulbs last up to ten times longer. Fluorescent bulbs help people to save a lot of energy and money. For example, a 26-watt fluorescent light bulb can save up to $59 dollars on energy costs and lasts for five to seven years.
5. Dual pane windows
Windows are a source of winter time heat loss from the rooms. The best way to avoid this heat loss is to replace the old windows with double or triple pane windows. The cracks between the windows and the houses are required to be sealed properly. One can also hang blackout curtains to avoid heat loss and maintain the heat in the room. These curtains comparatively come very cheap. They reduce the heat loss by 25% and turn out to be a very effective substitute. They are available in any style and can be made from vinyl, metal or wood.
6. Programmable thermostat
A programmable thermostat can control the cooling and heating needs automatically. Up to fifteen percent on your heating bills can be saved by using a programmable thermostat. It does not only help in monetary saving, but it is also good for the environment too. The thermometer can be set according to oneâs convenience. You can set it when to turn on and turn off. When you are out of your place, you can set it to turn off. Up to $180 could be saved in a year by using a programmable thermostat.
7. Energy star products
Energy star is a program backed by government and it identifies products which make use of less energy as compared to others. The energy star products use less energy to operate. Its ceiling fans are 50% more efficient than conventional fans. Energy star qualified televisions use 30% less energy than average.
8. Low VOC paint
Give the walls of your house a new coat of paint and make it look beautiful. Painting the walls and the roofs with light and low VOC paints is the cheapest way to transfer the looks of the house as well as maintaining the required room temperature. VOC stands for volatile organic compounds. It pollutes the air and affects our respiratory organs. But you can go for low VOC paints and have a fresh smelling room always.
9. Install low flush toilets
Use of low flush toilet is a very inexpensive green home idea. It reduces a home’s water supply requirements. Standard toilets use 3.5 to 5.0 gallons per flush but low flow toilets use only about 1.1 to 1.6 gallons per flush. Up to 34,000 gallons of water can be saved by a standard size family by switching from an old flush toilet to a low flush toilet.
10. Cool roofs
During summers, we waste a lot of electricity by using air conditioners. One way to deal with this rising room temperature is to keep the rooms cool, by having cool roofs. The best way is to paint the roofs white, and you can also choose light colors which also reflect infrared rays. People also prefer to cover their roof tops with traditional materials but white-colored roof tops remain much more cooler than that. These colors help to reflect back the sun rays and they give off heat more rapidly.
Now that you know how to save nature in a stylish way, what are you waiting for? Just go out there and paint your home green!
