Green Home Considerations

Size of the home

One of the most basic and important considerations for a green home is its size. Larger homes require more energy to heat and cool over the life of the home. They also require more energy and material to build and maintain.

Size and location of the property

A home that is located on a smaller parcel near the center of town will have a much smaller environmental impact than one that is located on a larger lot away from town. Homes closer to work, shopping and schools reduce the cost and amount of energy used as well as pollution generated for everyday traveling. Smaller lots reduce the amount of energy needed to maintain grounds and pollution caused by lawn mowers, snowblowers, fertilizers, pesticides and other grounds maintenance activities.

Location of the house on the property

Every piece of property is unique, and it is important to site your home so as to take advantage of the unique attributes of your lot and preserve its local ecology. Orienting your house with regard to the sun and prevalent wind patterns can make your house more pleasant and energy-efficient. The siting should also take shade and wind cover into consideration to protect you from summer heat and winter winds, respectively. If you are considering using solar energy, the placement of solar panels must also be taken into account.

Renovation versus new construction

In most cases, it is environmentally preferable to renovate (and expand, if necessary) an existing home rather than build a new one. However, if the home is in poor condition and/or the desired changes are massive, it may be more cost and energy efficient to start anew.

Green building materials

There are sophisticated standards evolving to evaluate the environmental impacts of different building materials. These standards factor in energy used to produce the materials, pollution caused, impact on endanged plants, and waste generated. In general, the following guidelines should be followed:

• Select recycled materials when possible.
• Select products that require less energy to grow, extract, or manufacture.
• Select materials that are produced closer to home and therefore use less energy to bring to your home.
• Select engineered wood products over products made from old growth trees.
• Select materials that are durable.
• Select materials that require minimal maintenance and use of chemical finishes and/or cleaning products.

Alternative sources of energy

Solar energy can often be harnessed to minimize the carbon-based energy required to operate a home and its systems. One simple way to do this is to locate the house with the largest glass area facing south to capture the sun’s heat in the winter. Photovoltaic panels can also be used to generate electricity for use in the home and to feed surplus power back into the grid. Finally, solar hot water panels produce hot water for domestic use, as well as to help heat the home.

Geothermal heating/cooling systems are becoming popular. These extract heat from the ground to heat the home in the winter and dump heat into the ground in the summer. This is a highly efficient system with low operating costs.

Wind energy is by far the largest source of sustainable energy in the US. However, to be effective, a wind turbine must be located in an area with relatively high and constant winds. Also, many towns have zoning restrictions that prevent the installation of a turbine at the necessary height, which is usually over 30ft in the air.

Water conservation

Low-flow plumbing fixtures represent a great starting point for water conservation, but there are many other options. For example, your home could include a grey water system, which recaptures water from all uses (other than toilets) for re-use in an irrigation system. Other options include collecting and storing rain water for uses such as bathing and washing clothes and using composting toilets, which eliminate the need for fresh water to process human waste.