Eco Houses as a Step to a Greener Environment - Essay Example

Eco Houses: A Step to a Greener Environment Introduction The development of “eco houses” is one of the green efforts in preserving the environment through the use of renewable and alternative sources of energy rather than fueled electricity on households and offices. This paper aims to show how the design of these houses really does conserve energy and preserve the environment. At this stage, it is important to know if these environmental projects are being supported by the government and other institutions. More importantly, this tries to assess the relevance of these developments in addressing the issues surrounding the global climate change. This paper also suggests different measures of conserving energy and protecting the environment even without the eco houses. Chapter 1: Overview and Background on Eco Houses The notion of “eco house” came from the rising awareness on building structures not only for living purposes but also on keeping the surroundings clean and green. According to the Clean Air Gardening and Virtual Architect, the green house that is planned to be built is designed to save more energy resources and preserve the environment’s natural resources or our Mother Nature. Their project, the Environmental House Plan1, is a response from the practice that modern houses built today are growing in terms of size but not also on design merit. They argue that the feeling of comfort of the ones who are living in a house does not rely on size alone or on how large the home is. This is achieved through modifying the houses that will match the way human beings really live, and also to the “scale and proportions of our human form”. (Clean Air Gardening and Virtual Architect) News on eco houses are published and featured on newspapers and magazines. In the Philippines, the Philippine Daily Inquirer released news2 regarding the development of an efficient house in the country. The “EcoHome Magazine3” is published by the Hanley Wood Company in informing the builders and designers on the latest green technology, products and measures that will improve the construction of eco houses. In the United States, the election of Barack Obama will allow green initiatives like building efficiency, using renewable energies, and also green jobs. In an article released by the Ecohome Magazine, Obama’s support for green movements in response to the up and down price changes in fuel and the climate change is one factor that helped him to victory in the recent U.S. elections. Chapter 2: Design and other System Components The Clean Air Gardening and Virtual Architect present three (3) categories on classifying green houses: (1) the planning, (2) the materials, and (3) the technology. 1. Planning For the first category, it is important to be taken into consideration the site where the house will be built. Site orientation is essential in building houses that will block cold winds coming from the north but are open to warm solar heat coming from the south. As seen in Figure 14, this design is attained by having little openings or a robust wall installed to block the cold winds. Also, overhangs and louvers can be placed to shield from high angle sun rays during the summer season but also permit low angle sunlight during the winter season. The orientation of the house towards the southeast will make the roofs be situated facing the southwest which according to them will be the best location for solar panels. These solar panels can be an alternative source of energy. (Clean Air Gardening and Virtual Architect) Another important thing in the planning category is the building configuration. The house mass will be concentrated more on the north or the northwest side because it will act as a shield for the cold winds and aside from that plumbing and heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) can be properly run on this side. The roof part of the house is designed to gather rain water and the rest of the house has an open design for natural air to circulate through door panels and windows. The water that will be gather can be used in different household activities like cleaning floors, laundering clothes, watering plants and other chores. The overhangs and louvers also provide the outdoor space aside from being the sunlight filters. Another, the raised pier foundation of the house enables air to flow freely around the structure and also prevents disturbance to the natural drainage system. As seen in Figure 25, the design of the first floor can be modified into different combinations of either two or three bedrooms or even expanded living room, it will be up to the owners. (Clean Air Gardening and Virtual Architect) 2. Materials The Clean Air Gardening and Visual Architect cite two (2) factors that affect the choice of materials: (1) efficiency and (2) ease of delivery. Materials that are efficient consist of foam forms that are filled with concrete or core area blocks, and engineered lumber such as TrusJoist, which is formed from wood chips and strands. Also, the high tech insulated materials like panels that are structurally protected are also efficient and worth the money. For the second factor, according to them, local materials from local suppliers contribute to speedier deliveries and also increased sustainability because people do not need to import which is time and energy consuming. (Clean Air Gardening and Virtual Architect) 3. Technology For the last category, the Clean Air Gardening and Visual Architect suggest using the most energy efficient windows, doors, water heaters, HVAC units, insulations which are also affordable. This design also allows the addition of rainwater collection, solar panels, gray water reuse, and wind power. These additional components contribute to the overall sustainability of the structure. Wind and solar power combinations also can be used in the green house. (Clean Air Gardening and Virtual Architect) The PV System The Severn Wye Energy Agency has developed a system that will make eco houses self-sufficient in generating electricity. The system of 2.73kW includes 34 mono-crystalline modules that are grouped in an array with measurements of 9.8 meters by 2.4 meters. According to the agency, if this system is combined with appliances and lightings that are energy efficient, the house does not need electricity coming from the usual power plants. For testing purposes, the PV system was installed in the Wilderness Center 6(as seen in Figure 37) in Mitcheldean in the United Kingdom. For the installation of the PV system, the roofs were modified by replacing some parts with solar panels. The performance of the PV system is monitored through a “remote read out device” that shows the real time power output measured in kW, cumulative power output in kWh, and cumulative CO2 savings in tons. (Severn Wye Energy Agency) The benefit of the PV system economically and environmentally is that it can generate electricity of around 2,040 kWh and can lessen overall CO2 emissions by 877.2 kilograms annually. Its guaranteed lifetime is 25 years while the anticipated lifetime is at 40 years. By that time, the system had offset 21.8 tons and 34.8 tons of CO2 respectively. According to the agency, the installation of the PV system is the first measure of attaining “carbon neutral” which means zero net CO2 releases. It can be enhanced by also having energy efficient appliances and lightings and renewable energy generation. One main plus for the roof solar panels is that the outline of the structure is not modified since the roofs are only replaced with these solar panels. The materials which are sustainable ones were used by local contractors on the refurbishing process which contributed to the local economy and reduced transport costs and carbon emissions. (Severn Wye Energy Agency) On the other hand, the PV system including the installation is costly. According to the Severn Wye Energy Agency who facilitated the installation of the solar panels in Wilderness Center, the PV system costs 19,858.30 British Pounds or 28,753 US Dollars. For the funding, half of the system cost was shouldered by the DTI Major Photovoltaic Demonstration Program and the remainder came from Gloucestershire County Council and the EDF Green Energy Fund. (Severn Wye Energy Agency) Chapter 3: Analysis and Suggestions The term “going green” also refers to diverting to alternative sources of energy like solar, hydro, wind, and other renewable sources of energy. As mentioned above, if the establishment of an eco house is accompanied by the usage of energy saving measures can make a household self-sufficient in electricity. The conservation of energy is not only limited to those who can avail those eco houses. Even those living in ordinary homes can practice energy conservation measures. Ways of Conserving the Energy and Environment in Offices and Households WNBC (2007) and Green Dream post ways of going green in the office and household. These are: Paying Bills Online – Paying bills electronically with the use of computer not only saves time and money but also prevents additional paper wastes. (WNBC) Recycling Appliances – Aside from office machines like printers, scanners, and fax machines, used gadgets like cell phones, PDA’s, and laptops can still be reused by others. There are existing organizations which refurbish these gadgets for low income families. (WNBC) Becoming Battery Smart – Stretching battery use like putting used batteries in flashlights in TV remotes fully utilizes the battery and also saves users from buying a different set. (WNBC) Lighting the House with CFLs – The use of compact fluorescent lights is proven to be more efficient than the traditional light bulbs. Although they cost more, the electricity that these lights can save offset the cost and can last ten times longer. Saving in the Bathroom – The use of water-efficient shower heads can save as much as 280 gallons per month on a family of four. (Green Dream) Adjusting Temperature on Refs – The refrigerators usually eat up most of the electricity in the household. In order to maximize efficiency, temperature on fridge must be kept at 37 degrees Fahrenheit and the freezer at 0 degree Fahrenheit. (Green Dream) Growing Plants inside – Plants can get rid of indoor pollutants such as formaldehyde and benzene. Plants such as Golden photos, English ivy and peace lilies are plants that can be grown easily indoors and are proven toxin fighters. (Green Dreem) Using Filtered Tap Water – Filtering tap water can save money since bottled waters are more expensive. It also prevents the additional disposal of plastic bottles. (WNBC) Conclusion: The discussion of the eco house on Chapter 1 displays the main features of the house and the purpose of its unusual design as compared to modern houses nowadays. It also explains how the eco houses are advertised for support from green movements and of the government like in the United States. In Chapter 2, the design of the eco house is given an extreme detail including the materials being used for the structure. In that chapter also, the PV system is introduced as a way of converting an ordinary house into an eco house as shown by the Wilderness Center with PV system installed. Chapter 3 stresses on the use of renewable sources of energy like solar energy, water energy, wind energy and other forms. Suggestions for observing a “green environment” in households and offices are also mentioned. As a response to the perceived effects of the climate change the whole world is experiencing, the eco house development plan is really a good start in becoming more aware of the state of the environment in the global scale. Efforts in informing the whole world of what the Earth would look like after 50 or more years are evident. The famous “An Inconvenient Truth” which is starred by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore deals with the future status of the world as supported by hard and scientific facts. The best way to start the reform is in the household since it is the basic group of the society. If these households practice green measures or convert their regular houses to eco houses, imagine how much carbon which is the source of global warming will be offset in total. The eco house plan proved to its objective of being independent in using electricity coming from fossil fueled power plants and rely on alternative forms of energy like wind and solar. The design of the house as shown by the Clean Air Gardening and Visual Architect is purposed on making the home really fit with the human way of living. The PV system is one way of converting a single house into an eco house. Although the eco house and the PV system are expensive, they can save a lot of energy in the long run and most importantly save the earth for more generations to come. Fossil fuels are limited and becoming scarce as seen by the rising of fuel prices and oil peeks. The use of other sources of energy which are less harmful to the environment is now getting the spotlight. Works Cited: “50 Ways To Go Green”. WNBC.Com New York. 2007. “50 Ways to Go Green: Around the House”. The Green Dream. Eco-friendly Showcase. Clean Air Gardening and Visual Architect. “Environmental House Plan”. 2005 Lee, Jeffrey. “Obama Wins, Green Movement Wins” November 5, 2008. Ecohome. Severn Wye Energy Agency. “Case Study: Eco-house PV System”. 2003. Mitcheldean Gloucestershire. Pp. 1-2. Read More