How to Build a Sustainable House: A Complete Guide
As wildfires tear California apart, the Pacific Northwest experiences the hottest temperatures in modern history, and the Gulf of Mexico literally burns, more and more people are starting to realize the severity of climate change.
While it’s clear that top-down change needs to occur, that doesn’t mean that individuals can’t help make a difference. The truth is there are a plethora of things you can.
Today we’re going to look at how to build a sustainable house. By the time you finish reading, you’ll have the knowledge you need to start living your greenest life possible.
Read on to learn about different sustainable house features you can add to your home to help make a difference.
Orient Your House Towards the Right Direction
When you’re constructing your house, think about the direction you orient it. Doing so allows you to cut back on energy usage.
In the Northern Hemisphere, having windows that face south will allow light to come in and heat things in the winter. You can even plant some deciduous trees in front of the windows. That way, they’ll block the light and also keep things cool in the summer.
Paying attention to your home’s orientation allows you to reduce your energy consumption through natural heating and cooling.
Use Recycled Materials During Construction
No matter where you live, you should be able to buy recycled products. Buying these instead of new materials is one of the most important parts of building a sustainable home.
From reclaimed wood to roof shingles with recycled content, do some research to find the areas where you can go green.
Upgrade to Energy Star Appliances
Regardless of whether you’re building a new home or living in an existing one, look into upgrading to energy star appliances.
Dishwashers, washing machines, and computer monitors all have energy star ratings. Investing in higher-rated ones will help the environment and save you money later on.
Invest in Sustainable Energy
While energy star appliances, LED lightbulbs, and other small changes are all great, most people still hook them up to the local power grid. But what if you didn’t need to do that?
Solar and wind energy are two popular options that more and more people are turning to. Investing in them allows you to reduce your reliance on fossil fuels, and in some cases, become energy independent altogether.
Of course, make sure that you work with the right wind or solar company.
Wondering How to Build a Sustainable House? This Guide Should Help
While corporations might be the real climate change culprits, that doesn’t mean that individuals can’t help make a difference. On top of contacting your representatives and holding big businesses accountable, you can also look into sustainable house design.
Use this guide to help you better understand how to build a sustainable house. As this guide explains, there are many things you can do both before and during construction that can help the environment.
Are you looking for more sustainable house ideas? If so, don’t forget to check out the rest of our site for more great content.
