Green products for home

Green home design is becoming more and more popular as people begin to realize the effects of wastefulness on the environment. Here is something to consider … the amount of new or remodeled homes incorporating a green home design was only 2% of the total market in 2005. However, it is estimated that by the year 2010, homes using green home design will approach or exceed 10% of all homes on the market. So if you think that you would like to make your home greener, right now is an excellent time to get started.

Using a green home design for your living space accomplishes many things in addition to helping the environment, including saving you money. Homes that are built or remodeled using green home design concepts are naturally more energy efficient, which translates into savings on your energy bill. Besides saving you money, a home that makes use of green home design is also healthier for everyone living inside the space. These benefits of green home design are realized immediately.

If you are considering green home design, you will be pleased to know that you do not have to build a completely new home. Green concepts can be incorporated into an already existing home. One of the factors that concerns many people about homes using green home design concepts is cost. Currently, designing or remodeling a home to be a greener living space can be a little costly .

However, the initial sticker shock that you may experience recedes into the background when you begin to weigh the benefits. It helps to keep your green project in perspective also … it is not necessarily to completely redesign your home into a greener space all at once. And as time goes on, the cost of green home design will continue to decrease and become less of a prohibitive factor. Also, finding a builder who is familiar with green home building concepts will help to lower the initial costs substantially.

If you decide to incorporate green home design concepts in your home, you can expect to benefit from a home that is cost efficient, healthier for your family, and friendly to the environment as well. Green home design makes use of toxin free building materials which improves the quality of the air inside your home greatly. Use of natural and mechanical ventilation systems in green homes help to filter the air and make it healthier for breathing. It should also be noted that homes using green home design concepts experience far fewer mold and mildew issues.

Though building a home or updating a home using green home design will cost you more initially, the benefits you experience as time goes on definitely offset these upfront costs. By considering building a new home or remodeling your current home using green home design, you have peace of mind that you are doing your part to reduce your footprint on the environment as well as reaping the natural rewards of green home design.

The Green home building initiative has its genesis in the Green Movement, which was in its heyday in the 1960s, especially among the Hippies. Thereafter, the Green movement evolved differently in the United States and Europe. The political authority of the green movement gained significantly with the institution of the German Green Party in 1970s. This gave rise to the creation of many more Green politics and following in Europe with an institutional role. Many of these Green parties formed part of coalition governments in Europe thus giving governmental support to green initiatives quite early on. A prime example is the green legislation tax passed in the late 1990s by the German government.

No such legislative activity took place in the States. In this country, the Green movement has continued its march without any federal support. Initially, building green homes was much more costly to build than regular houses. The American building industry following the pragmatic capitalist line, sought to maximize profits unlike the European builders who had the pressure of the governments and influential NGOs to persevere building green.

Building Biology is a well recognized 30 year old movement in Europe, and the main argument forwarded by its proponents is that indigenously available materials are healthier than concrete, steel and plastic foam construction material. Consequently, over the years, Europeans have been building walls with the help of loam. Contributing to the conservation efforts is also possible by using recycled paper as insulation. Till very recently, Americans considered used bathing water as waste water; instead this is an invaluable resource to be used for landscaping. The LEED norms in vogue in the United States are not legal regulations yet. One may look at the French initiative, to implement its local building green norms in the European Union, as a positive influence on the State.

For ages, Americans have built their houses with wood, a cheap and plentiful commodity. However, the housing boom in the Untied States led to increased import of timber and thus saw a rapid denuding of tropical rainforest. The real estate developers did not see it fit to consider the incalculable harm that was being done to the global environment. In contrast, forest conservation has been a priority with the European nations and this has resulted in them shifting to using quick rowing wood such as bamboo for construction purposes. Little surprise as to the reason Europeans seem far ahead in structuring green homes as against Americans.

Every day, it seems like citizens and governments all over the world are becoming increasingly aware of the need to conserve. And even though the United States is doing more every day to conserve energy, Americans are still a step behind in the energy conservation movement. Many countries, especially European countries, have been the frontrunners in conserving energy and using green home building for decades.

Energy Conservation in Europe

Europe is at the forefront of the green movement, including green home design… and with good reason. Because on the continent, gasoline, natural gases, and energy costs significantly more than it does in America, and it has been that way for many years. Because of this, both individual Europeans and European governments are much more energy conscious than Americans. This instinct for energy conservation is seen in Europe in several key ways.

One of the main ways that Europeans save energy is through a tightly knit and efficient public transport system. Almost every major city in Europe has an efficient public transport system (with underground trains, overground trains, buses, trams, etc.) that is well patronized by residents. While cars are common in Europe, many more Europeans use public transport (or even ride bicycles) than would be found in the U.S..

Europeans also build their homes with energy conservation in mind. In large European cities in particular, green home building concepts are widely used. Most city dwellers live in apartments with far less square footage than American homes. In addition, most European houses, apartments, and businesses use simple green home building ideas to keep their spaces cool in summer instead of the air conditioning so common in the U.S. These include roll down screens, patio shading, double windows, and more.The Green Home Building Trend in the U.S.

To sum it up: in Europe, the people have been conscious of the need to switch off the lights when they are not using them for decades… because they needed to save money. Americans, who are used to thinking of energy as a cheap and limitless commodity, are just starting to adjust to a “more European” mindset… including remembering to turn out the lights. This changing mindset is evidenced by the increasing popularity of green home building.

Green home building and design uses concepts, such as smaller home size, basic insulation, and position to the sun to conserve energy, as well as alternative energy technology (such as solar power) to provide power to homes. Green home building also incorporates more complex concepts, such as the use of sustainable materials and less harmful products, to protect the environment and conserve energy in the long run. America is a little behind, but with luck will start catching up to the standard set by Europe.