Green Homes Conserve Resources
Besides the cost benefits of a green home, green homes also protect the environment by reducing the pollution that contributes to climate change and contamination.
Reduced Greenhouse Gas Emissions
For every 1 kilowatt-hour of electricity your green home doesn’t use, you avoid adding another 1.34 pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Coal-burning power plants — which supply the electricity for most homes — release damaging amounts of carbon dioxide, mercury, and other pollutants into the atmosphere each day. Even worse, nuclear power plants generate radioactive waste. A green home uses minimal electricity, which in turn cuts down on the pollutants released by power plants.
Energy-efficient Lighting
About 10-15% of the electricity in homes is used for lighting. In green homes, fluorescent lights can reduce the amount of electricity needed for light by up to 75%. Additionally, fluorescent lights usually last 13 times longer. The environmental impact of fluorescent lighting is huge — one study reports that if every U.S. home switched 5 incandescent bulbs for fluorescent ones, it would be equivalent to removing 8 million cars from the roads for a year.
Recycled, Safe Building Materials
The building materials in green homes avoid toxic substances such as formaldehyde, lead, mercury, and carcinogens. All paints, adhesives, and sealers avoid volatile organic compounds, which contaminate the environment and water with harmful toxins. Additionally, recycled materials are used for metal roofs and aluminum gutters, facia, and soffits.
Minimized Water Usage
Water consumption in your green home can be significantly reduced through low-flow toilets and showers. Each time you flush the toilet or take a shower, low-flow technology requires less water to achieve the same result. Not only does this conserve the earth’s clean water, it also reduces your water and electricity bills. Additionally, water consumption can be reduced through xeriscaping — a technique that uses drought-tolerant plants and shrubs rather than water-intensive grass.