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Living Green - Home Design. Ideas, Tips & Tricks! Part 1

4/11/2015

19 Comments

 
​Transportable homes
Woah! Hold on a second! A design company suggesting a transportable home? Yes that's right. Why? A transportable or pre-built home will take less resources and energy to construct. Your site will remain unmolested by months of building work too.

Combine this with good orientation and landscaping, solar energy, adequate insulation and ventilation and even materials developed from recycled materials, and you will have a comfy, affordable home to be proud of with a minimal environmental impact. And the best part... it will save you $$$'s.
Build Smaller
Really? When we live in a world where everyone needs more than they need? Believe it or not, smaller homes can be beneficial not only to your pocket, but also to the environment.

Do you really need a whole room dedicated to your home gym? Do you really need a home theater room? If you do, then go for it! But if you don't, consider this. 

The biggest issue to the climate is your energy consumption. Homes use energy to heat and cool to create a comfortable living environment. A smaller home needs less energy to heat and cool each room and therefore is much more energy efficient than a large home with unused rooms and unnecessary building footprint. Combining this with energy conscious building materials and renewable resources, and you have the makings of a very self-sufficient home with a lot less energy consumption.
Give precedence to self-sufficiency
When designing your home to have minimal environmental impact, considering being completely self-sufficient should never be off the table. Consider never needing mains power, water or sewerage services. And think of the money you will save!

What will you need to be completely self-sufficient? You will need a waste-water treatment plant such as a Biolytix system. This will allow you to treat and reuse your waste water for landscaping etc. 

You will need a means of generating electricity. One of the most cost-effective and practical ways of getting power is installing solar powered electrical system. The number of panels you will need depends on the size of your home and your energy consumption. 

And finally, you will need sufficient rainwater tank(s) for your drinking water. All of this combined with an environmentally smart home design will set you up for life.
Passive heating
Significant energy is required in order to give you a hot shower, bath or just to wash the dishes. We have a marvelous heat source at our fingertips but we rarely consider it. The sun! Ever wondered what those things on house rooftops were? Well now you know.

With a solar hot water system, water is stored in a a tank above the solar collector panel(s). Through a very simple, naturally occurring process called a thermosiphon flow, cold water leaves the bottom of the tank and goes to the bottom of the collectors. Once the water heats up from the sunlight , it rises back up through the collectors heating up further, and then goes into the top of the tank and voila, hot water! No pumps, no electricity. Though in bad weather or winter, they may use a supplementary heating source such as gas or electricity.

In order to heat the floor in your home, and in turn the home itself, you can use a hydronic in-slab heating system. A hydronic heating system uses hot water running through pipes beneath your feet to heat the floor and as the heat rises, the room as well.

Both of these are great ways to maximize on your desire for true energy efficiency.

This concludes Part 1 of our Living Green series of articles. Stay tuned for part 2 or 'LIKE' us on Facebook or 'FOLLOW' us on Twitter (links at the top of this page) to get updated with tons of new home design ideas!
19 Comments
April T link
11/6/2022 07:43:33 pm

Awesome piece, thank you for sharing this. It's really helpful nowadays to share information about sustainable homes and green energy. These are the only free and clean resources that we can rely on to help also reverse the impact of climate change.

Reply
Best Solar System Repairs Near You? link
5/9/2024 05:13:59 am

In any case, could we start by understanding what solar sheets are and the way that they work. Solar sheets are devices that get light and convert it into power.

Reply
New Roof Thetford, Norfolk link
11/10/2024 08:58:47 pm

Thank you for highlighting the importance of combining these elements for a sustainable home! It's inspiring to see how we can create a comfortable space while minimizing our environmental impact. If you happen to need roof services, feel free to visit our site.

Reply
Roof Repairs Near Me link
11/10/2024 09:00:23 pm

Great insights on creating an eco-friendly home! Integrating solar energy and recycled materials is such a smart move. If you're ever in need of roof services, don't hesitate to check out our site

Reply
Roof Repairs Clay Cross, Derbyshire link
12/11/2024 11:18:59 pm

Thank you for these sustainable building ideas! Combining orientation, landscaping, and recycled materials can make a big difference. If you happen to need roof services, feel free to visit our site

Reply
Lead Flashing link
17/12/2024 02:19:05 am

Thank you for sharing these sustainable home ideas! Combining these features makes for a comfortable and eco-friendly space. If you happen to need roof services, feel free to visit our site.

Reply
Roofers Near me link
17/12/2024 02:20:21 am

I love the focus on sustainability and comfort! These tips are perfect for creating a home with minimal environmental impact. If you're ever in need of roof services, don't hesitate to check out our site.

Reply
Roofer Contractor Belper, Derbyshire link
18/12/2024 12:38:21 am

Thank you for sharing these great tips! Combining energy efficiency with sustainable materials is such a smart approach. If you happen to need roof services, feel free to visit our site.

Reply
Pitched Roof link
18/12/2024 12:39:58 am

I appreciate the focus on sustainability and energy efficiency! Good insulation and ventilation make all the difference. If you're ever in need of roof services, don't hesitate to check out our site.

Reply
Roofer Contractor Sawston, Cambridgeshire link
12/1/2025 02:00:25 am

Thank you for sharing this innovative idea! Transportable homes sound like a great eco-friendly option that minimizes site disruption. If you happen to need tree services, feel free to visit our site.

Reply
Roofer Contractor Soham, Cambridgeshire link
12/1/2025 02:02:37 am

I love the concept of transportable homes! It's a smart way to save resources and protect the environment during construction. If you're ever in need of tree services, don't hesitate to check out our site

Reply
Roof Repairs Near Me link
14/1/2025 12:21:03 am

Thank you for sharing these sustainable home ideas! Combining these elements really makes for a comfortable and eco-friendly living space. If you happen to need roof services, feel free to visit our site.

Reply
Roofer Contractor Shirebrook, Derbyshire link
14/1/2025 12:24:40 am

I love the focus on creating a home with minimal environmental impact! Great tips on combining solar energy and recycled materials. If you're ever in need of roof services, don't hesitate to check out our site.

Reply
Roof Repair Saffron Walden link
7/2/2025 01:09:25 am

Thank you for highlighting the benefits of transportable homes. Their efficiency and minimal site disruption are indeed advantageous. If you happen to need roof services, feel free to visit our site.

Reply
Roofers Near me link
11/2/2025 12:30:29 am

Thank you for this great insight! If you ever need roofing services to complement your eco-friendly home, feel free to visit our website—we’d love to help!

Reply
New Roof Whetstone, Leicestershire link
12/2/2025 01:53:32 am

Thank you for this great information! If you’re ever in need of roofing services to complement your eco-friendly home, feel free to visit our site.

Reply
Slate Roof link
12/2/2025 01:55:06 am

Love the focus on sustainable living! If you happen to need roofing services to complete your home project, we’d be happy to help—visit our site anytime!

Reply
Roofer Contractor Thurmaston, Leicestershire link
13/3/2025 12:41:51 am

Great advice! A well-designed home with good insulation and solar energy can make a huge difference. If you ever need roofing services, feel free to check out our site!

Reply
Roof Repair Upper Stoke link
13/3/2025 12:44:16 am

Thank you for sharing! Sustainable choices like these not only help the environment but also make homes more efficient. If you're looking for quality roofing services, we'd be happy to help!

Reply



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    Sam Davies

    Hi there & welcome! My focus as Managing Director of Queensland Designer Homes, is to provide you with helpful articles that will assist you in getting you everything than you would wish for in your home design! Got a comment? We'd love to hear from you. Sam.

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