Best Practices
The Tremendous Environmental and Financial Advantages of Self-Sufficient Ecological Houses
The market for environmentally friendly homes has become massive in recent years. Market analysts found that the market is still worth $45 billion, even in spite of a global slowdown due to COVID-19.
The benefits of eco-friendly homes are obvious to both environmentally and financially conscious customers. Saving money and protecting the environment have both become top priorities for many people building a new home. Therefore, in recent years, the market for self-sufficient green homes has boomed and become a much more respectful way of living and helped people integrate with nature.
Building self-sufficient ecological houses is possible, although we can still encounter a variety of obstacles, such as the price of materials. However, some houses have even been built with recycled materials and have used ingenuity and creativity to produce energy ecologically.
Green houses must use sustainable materials for their construction. These are materials that produce a low environmental impact in their manufacture, placement and maintenance. Also, sustainable materials must be durable, recyclable and natural (earth, cork, bamboo, adobe, wood).
Self-sufficient ecological houses: how they can benefit you
Self-sufficient greenhouses can have many advantages for their owners and the natural environment, such as the following:
- Low energy consumption – a sustainable home with adequate insulation will facilitate savings in the cost of heating, which will, in turn, save on electricity consumption. The Department of Energy has found that the average energy savings amount to $573 a year.
- Increased durability – self-sufficient ecological houses are built with high-quality materials so that they are durable and require fewer repairs, thus reducing the cost of maintenance.
- Health improvements – for the construction of a sustainable ecological house, natural materials are used, free of toxins, which favors the health of its inhabitants.
- Environmental benefits – green homes use less energy than standard homes by using alternative energy sources and reducing dependency on conventional energy sources.
- Protection of natural resources – green building uses fewer natural resources since many of the materials used are recycled, based on the fundamental principle of protecting the environment.
- Generation of income – in some cases, an ecological house can not only be self-sufficient from the energy point of view but also generate an excess of energy that can be sold to third parties if you have the necessary infrastructure and have the relevant permits.
Keys to an ecological home
A home must meet certain characteristics to be ecological and sustainable, among which the following can be highlighted:
- Location – it is essential for energy saving to take advantage of the location of the house so that the windows are oriented towards the place where there is more sun and more heat. The environment is also important since the existence of trees must be taken into account to protect the house from the sun in summer.
- Greenhouse effect – although it is a term with a bad reputation if we refer to our planet, it is a beneficial effect in a sustainable home. Through the glass of large windows, the currents and the convection of the air due to the temperature difference make it possible to regulate the interior climate efficiently. For this, there must be good insulation in the house.
- Natural building materials – as we have discussed previously, a sustainable house is built with natural materials that respect the environment. They must be materials that facilitate breathing and isolate noise and outside temperature. Effective thermal and sound insulation testing is essential during the early stages of planning and construction.
These are critical benefits that cannot be overlooked.
Investing in Ecological Homes Should Be a Top Priority
There are a lot of changes that you need to make if you want to engage in an eco-friendly lifestyle. You can make a big difference by switching to an eco-friendly home. You should be more likely to make this transition if you follow the steps listed above.
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