Green buildings are more popular than ever. Designing an eco-friendly building will help reduce your carbon footprint, create a more healthy and comfortable living space, and could also save you money on energy bills. With this in mind, here are five tips for designing a green building.
1. Choose a Green Location
When deciding on a site to build on, make sure you choose somewhere that is good for both you and the environment by considering the following:
- Try to choose a site that is near public transport. This will help minimize carbon emissions by reducing your need to drive.
- Always avoid building in environmentally sensitive locations. This includes areas with endangered wildlife and wetlands.
- Consider building on a site where water and sewer connections are already in place – this is known as a greyfield site. Reusing existing foundation reduces the amount of energy and resources needed during building works.
2. Use Eco-Friendly Materials
When designing a building, be sure to choose eco-friendly construction materials. For example, concrete is one of the most eco-friendly materials on the market. It is made from readily available natural materials and is highly durable and long-lasting, meaning it needs replacing less often. Concrete also promotes sustainable energy as it naturally insulates buildings from both heat and cold. This will help you manage your property temperature more efficiently and reduce energy waste, which saves you money on energy bills. Take a look at concreteflooringsolutions.co.uk for a great selection of concrete flooring for both commercial and residential properties.
3. Embrace Solar Power
The sun is the ultimate source of green, low-cost energy. When you are designing a new building, you have the perfect opportunity to include solar panels in your design plan. You can take advantage of positioning and sunlight to enable your solar panels to work in the most efficient way possible. This makes sure that you will get the most out of your investment. Take a look at this article for some amazing benefits of installing solar panels on your property.
4. Install Energy Star Windows
Energy Star windows are recognizable as the most energy-efficient brand available on the market. The new generation of windows are more effective than ever and can significantly reduce energy usage by insulating your property from both heat and cold. Installing Energy Star windows can result in savings of thousands of dollars a year. These high-quality windows will also help create a more comfortable living space by reducing outside noise and improving the security of your property.
5. Include Natural Light
Make sure you consider the importance of natural light in your building plans. Having sufficient natural light reduces the need for artificial lighting. This helps minimize the amount of electricity being used and reduces carbon emissions. Include plenty of large windows in your design plan to allow natural light to flood into the space. You should also consider installing skylights and glass walls to further improve the amount of natural light entering the building.