Green Building through energy efficiency

• Isolation – There are many ways to increase the R-value of your home. Some are as simple as adding insulation to your attic, walls and crawl spaces. There are also new products that are more efficient than traditional fiberglass insulation insulation. You can also build your house with insulated concrete form (ICF), Structural Insulated Panels (SIP) or building a straw bale house. • Windows and doors, windows and doors are becoming more and more efficient low-E glass, argon-filled windows and three windows.
• airtight buildings – There are many products and techniques that can be used to make buildings more airtight, such as caulking, weather stripping and foam shapes to put all the electrical plugs and switches.
• Designing the building – One of the most obvious strategy for designing an energy-efficient home that smaller is better. Sarah Susanka’s book, “Not So Big House” is a great reference for ideas in this area. The orientation of your home in the parking lot and the placement of windows can have a profound effect on your energy costs. Here in the mountains of Colorado, one should try to maximize passive solar strategies to integrate the design of the house as possible.
• Renewable Energy – It can take an active solar energy generated, photovoltaic and wind at home. This product is becoming more and more cost-effective, but they are still more expensive than traditional systems. There are also government incentives that help offset the cost.
• energy-efficient lighting and appliances – you can now buy energy saving lamps and fluorescent light bulbs and fixtures almost all sold. There are also many choices of energy-efficient appliances, and they are not much more expensive than less efficient models.
• Mechanical Systems, have also been developments in furnaces, boilers, water heaters and air conditioning units. You can now water heaters heat water only when needed. There is a boiler that your home and your domestic hot water heater in one unit.
Even if you have a house airtight and well insulated building you will be able to buy a small stove to heat the same space.