Building Energy Efficient Homes

There has never been an advocacy as strong as "Going Green" in the 21st century. Global warming and the greenhouse effect have taken their toll on our planet causing major shifts in climate, temperature and even natural phenomena.

The idea of "Going Green' is to reduce the harmful effects of industrialization, lessen our dependence on foreign oil and preserve our natural resources for future generations. Our generation has depleted mother nature of its gifts - it is just proper that we pay back so our children and grandchildren may live in the world we once had in our childhood.

One way we can contribute to living green is to consider the building materials that go into the construction of our homes and edifices. There are numerous energy saving home products and structural designs we should consider so we may protect our environment from further damage. When new homes and buildings are constructed, we should take into account sustainable features that will greatly reduce power consumption. In many areas around the world, power is shared and shifted because there isn't much energy available to sustain the needs of the population.

Insulation is one area where people can help in the going green advocacy. Thermal insulation is measured by its R-value which is the amount thermal resistance used in the building and construction industry. The bigger the value, the better the structure's insulation is. When homes are properly insulated, there is lesser demand for energy to run the homes. Home construction materials that have higher R-values come in the form of fibreglass, cellulose, cotton and foam, all of which have more favourable greening components.

Other areas where energy saving is crucial are lighting, windows, doors and plumbing fixtures and construction quality. Leaks around door and window casings can contribute up to 40% in energy loss due to heating or cooling efforts. The use of energy saving bulbs over incandescent not only allows for lesser energy use, it also helps reduce cost to the user by its durability and longer life cycles.

Everyone should take the advocacy of "Going Green" quite seriously. If we are to pass on an inhabitable world to the next generation, there's so much that we need to do to reverse the effects of today's global warming.

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Andrea has written articles on many aspects of life for over 3 years and recommends that you check out coupon organizer as well as marketing strategies!

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