Green Building Technologies for New Homes

What is green building technology? Geothermal energy. Minimizing use of concrete. Making windows more energy efficient. There are many ways that new homes can showcase environmentally-friendly technologies. Here are a few of the current trends and innovated energy solutions in home building for buyers looking to decrease their energy consumption or their carbon footprint.

Geothermal Heat Pumps

The average American household uses well over 50 percent of total energy consumption on heating and cooling. Anything you can do to decrease the amount of energy you use puts less stress on the city's energy supply and also saves money. Geothermal heat pumps rely on the relatively stable temperature of the earth to heat and cool the home throughout the year. Heat pumps move heat from one place to another, instead of heating or cooling air independently. Since the heat pump is built partially underground, it can take advantage of cooler temperatures in summer and warmer temperatures in winter to keep the home more comfortable. You can even hook it up to a water heater in a lot of instances. Although geothermal heat pumps tend to be more expensive, they use far less energy and can last up to 50 years.

Cement Alternatives

If you want to know of a building item that is really on the black list of carbon emissions, cement would be it. The trouble is that cement is a primary component of concrete, which is the most common building material. Lowering a home's carbon footprint means cutting back on the amount of cement needed for the job. Fortunately, new innovations can help you achieve this goal. For example, some builders are choosing to place rigid foam structures inside a concrete foundation, requiring far less cement but retaining the same stability. Others are relying on alternatives to cement in the making of concrete, such as steel dust, a byproduct of steel manufacturing.

Energy-Efficient Windows

When you consider energy efficiency for your home, and which sustainable home improvements to make first, you have two areas to focus on: the production of the energy, and the efficiency of the structure to use it. Windows are some of the most inefficient parts of the home structure, because they hold very little insulation. New and advanced green innovations promote window efficiency. Double-paned windows help to decrease the heat transfer from one side of the home to the other. Adding a low-E coating helps to block non-solar heat gain. You can even have a special gas placed between the panes to improve insulation even further.

Sustainable Home Insulation

High-quality insulation keeps the home cool in the summer and warm in the winter while keeping energy usage lower. There are many green alternatives now that are sustainable to install as they are to use. Each offers unique benefits.

Icynene is a spray-foam insulation option that is made from castor beans. This substance is sprayed on, then expands to trap air and create extremely efficient insulation. It blocks drafts and also dampens noise see here. It seals a house so effectively that a ventilation system must be installed in homes that use Icynene.

For those drawn to recycled building materials, cotton insulation is a great choice. Cotton insulation is made from denim left over after manufacturing blue jeans. This product performs much like fiberglass insulation. However, it can be made without the use of dangerous formaldehyde, which has been associated with elevated cancer risk.

Sheep wool insulation, besides being from renewable sources, has some unusual advantages over other types of insulation. In humid climates, this insulation absorbs moisture and uses it to create heat. This keeps houses warmer in the winter and also means that homeowners can rely less on their homes' HVAC systems.

Renewable Energy Sources

In the past, using a renewable energy source has been a balance of paying extra money and hoping for additional benefits. Green building technology companies seek to make your investment more fruitful over a long period of time. What is green technology's effect on home building? One example is solar panels, which can save you money on energy and provide a renewable-energy source for the property. The latest developments make installation very simple and even allow you to pack up the panels and take them with you when you move. That way, you can easily maintain your roof while you live there, and you do not have to worry about the return on investment if you do not plan to live in the home for many years.

Building an Anchorage house that decreases your family's carbon footprint takes some careful planning and in a lot of cases, a bigger investment. With these green building technologies, you can reduce energy consumption and do your part to preserve the environment.

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