Building an Environmentally Sustainable Home - Research Paper Example

While putting in place windows, it is vital to ensure that they are better insulated and sealed. Multipane windows insulated with gas; for instance, argon, inside the spaces in between them can help prevent heat loss. The glass used on these windows is sometimes glazed to regulate the amount of solar energy coming into the house. This reduces glare and builds on windows’ solar heat gain coefficient that is the ability of the window to prevent sunlight from increasing indoor temperatures.

The efficiency of a window increases with a decrease in the value of its solar heat gain coefficient. Combining the technologies of multipane and glazing boosts the ability of windows to insulate a house. If one cannot afford these technologies, they can opt for non-metallic window frames (Maczulak 38). Sometimes, a house can heat up too much during sunny seasons. In such a case, it is essential to install reflective insulation.  Comprehensive insulation combines both reflective insulation and thermal insulation.

People use a lot of energy in tending their home yards. People commonly use lawn mowers powered by fossil fuels or string trimmers but this emits harmful gases to the environment. Green lawns and gardens are grown using fertilizers that have chemicals that can find their way into groundwater and contaminate it. This can by extension contaminates drinking water. Poor drainage of rain runoff can degenerate into floods and burst sewers. Native plants make eco-friendly lawns that are way better than grass seeds that are bagged.

Landscaping should seek to save on space with native wildflowers. Native wildflowers do not require a lot of fertilizers to grow, and one gets to cut on the harmful chemicals released into the surroundings. They also save groundwater from pollution and reduce money needed to tend a lawn. Eco-friendly landscaping directs the planting of shade trees that help protect the house from too much solar energy especially sunny seasons (Wubben 37). It is crucial to check on how one manages water in and around the house.

Some studies suggest that water heating consumes up to about a third of the total energy consumption in a house. Tankless water heating is a good way to cut on unnecessary energy use. It heats water as and when needed without keeping it in a chamber that is insulated. They are expensive to install, but they are very efficient in saving energy. Other ways to manage energy used in water heating include ensuring that the water heater used is proportional to the people living in the house (Brebbia 47).