What Are Green Homes Like Today?

Article Written By: Jerry Dyess

What is it about today's homes that make them "greener" than those made just a few years ago? For one thing, today's new home designs have new innovations added to them that make them more efficient at energy savings than others. In fact, EnergyStar homes are becoming ever more popular and showing up in more places every year.

For an EnergyStar home to be qualified as such, it has to be at least 15% more energy efficient than a home built before 2004, and it also has to include energy saving features such that it's 20 to 30% more efficient than a standard residence.

Starting with new construction, green homes of today incorporate many energy saving ideas. For example, when it comes to insulation in between walls, instead of using the old traditional fiberglass insulation, this has been replaced by recycled cellulose insulation. This insulation material provides much better insulation and fills up spaces in the walls and in the attic much better than fiberglass. There are a couple of different ways it can be installed, either in dry form, or by turning it into a semi liquid that can be sprayed in between walls. Cellulose provides a much better thermal protection layer than standard methods.

Power sources, too, can be changeable with a green home. You don't just have to be connected to a power grid, but can incorporate renewable power sources including wind, solar, and geothermal energy, depending on where you live. If necessary, you can also combine different types of power sources (such as solar and wind) so that your power source is more reliable. You can put this type of "alternative energy source" supply in an existing home as well as in new construction. Getting your power from these types of alternative energy sources can give you many advantages, such as not having utility bills he is high (or not having utility bills at all), and not having to depend on the power grid for your power, such that you will be immune to brown or black outs, as those using conventional power sources might.

Along with alternative power sources, there are also high efficiency appliances that are readily available, at costs comparable to other regular appliances. These can include inline, tankless water heaters, highly efficient heating and cooling systems, refrigerators, stoves, dishwashers and clothes washers. You are not limited to power sources here either. If you are still connected to the grid, you can use clean burning propane or natural gas.

Insulating factors matter, too, and windows are no exception. Double paned, high-efficiency windows can do a number of things to help with energy savings. Some are constructed with inert gases between the panes so that harmful UV rays are kept out, even as they keep heat or cool from escaping from within the house. If you choose not to replace your windows, you can still save energy, such as applying films to the windowpanes to seal them up and protect against UV rays, less expensively.

There are lots of new techniques available that can make your home more efficient even if you don't have an "EnergyStar" residence, but when it comes to new home construction, you may be asking, "How much more does it cost to construct a 'green' home?" The answer to that is that these types of homes are up to 17% more expensive to build initially, but energy savings will recoup that extra cost over time.

To learn more about EnergyStar homes and appliances, do some research online. Many materials like cellulose insulation or tankless water heaters can be found at your local home improvement store, so that you can save on shipping costs. Many websites will have information for you that will provide the plans and kits you need to install your own alternative energy power sources.

About the Author

Jerry Dyess has been involved in the Texas Electricity market segment for the past 7 years. He has published many articles on Texas Electric rates.

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This Article Has Been Published on Sat, 31 Oct 2009 and Read 132 Times

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