Green Home Building

Sustainable Architecture Building and Culture

The growing trends of Green Modular Buildings have been continually upraised every year. This year a well-known nonprofit institute Earth Advantage Institute predicts some significant trends consumers, builders, distributors as well as authorities will focus on. Green trends emphasize on environmentally responsible, resource-efficient throughout a building’s life span or as we know as a sustainable and high performance building.

Below are predicted green modular trends for the future:

Having high-efficient heating and cooling system: Residential industry is a major contributor of climate pollutants especially from gas emission of heating and cooling appliances. Green modular homes will call for tight sealing and effective insulation system using innovative technologies like electrochromic and ventilated double-skin facades to make a home even tighter. The use of Geothermal heating and cooling will help balancing home temperature and reducing the use of energy.

Reusing Grey water: Because of the scarcity of blue water in many communities, recyclability is back in action. The recycle of grey water, wastewater excepting toilet and food waste water, becomes very crucial and more systematic in storing. This will prevent wasting water entering sewer or septic systems and reduce using fresh water needed to supply a household.

Having Lifecycle Analysis (LCA): This analysis becomes more and more important for eco-friendly and sustainability among builders and authorities to find better resources and materials for better future. The study will measure the environmental impacts caused by the energy and material flows in all stages of a product’s life span, from infancy to crematory.

Social Network: Living in today technology, sharing or socializing through social networks like Facebook or Twitters are such a big hit. In construction field, there are also many websites and blogs to share all useful information. Among them, Earth Aid is a center to share all about energy consumption data as well as creative ideas to conserve energy from the members. The members can achieve pleasant awards from their productive ideas while the system can function as a database and develop more beneficial information.

Power of Community: Working alone in promoting energy-efficiency is unlikely possible, in this case the more the better. In a successful sample story of Portland community where neighbors team up in a program called Solarize Portland in attempt to access renewal energy. When everybody groups together, the power in price bargaining is also higher consistently. Consequently, they can obtain materials like solar panels under current prices and give all participants great cost savings.

Accessibility: In the economical recession time like this, everybody would love to get all accessibilities. The misunderstanding in cost for green buildings has still been in ambiguity. Being green is often associated with high costs because of its greener quality. The truth is the costs for both traditional buildings and modular green buildings are compatible, yet, over last decades the cost to access a green home is more affordable because of its precise and controllable of every construction stages and more favorable pricing from suppliers and innovation technologies. Anyway, since the concern in our nature is globally increased, retrofitting is also taken in account. The existing homeowners can upgrade their old pig home into a better greener building on budget.

Using energy codes: In green modular buildings, there are different locally or nationally codes builders need to take in practice. However, one of the practical codes used to evaluating and improving actual performance in remodeling or retrofitting existing buildings is outcome-based energy code. The code is basically based on achieving post-retrofit performance outcomes rather than applying prescriptive codes. The code is measure to be ensured that the buildings including its appliances and systems will deliver effective actual energy performance. Anyway, other than the code, to be certified in energy efficiency for small businesses is still struggling because of several factors. Fortunately, there are many certification programs like Earthcraft Light Commercial and Earth Advantage Commercial provided for better energy saving.

Accessory dwelling units: The consistency in developing for ADUs is continuing on their mission. Other than their performances, having more standardized size is on the serious evaluation. Having right size will enhance better efficiency, use natural resources wisely and leave less footprints on earth.

Smart Grid-aware technology: The development in using grid power for higher technology is climbing to another step. Manufacturers launch new grid- aware appliances you can control remotely anywhere you go likes having a smart phone. With remote operation system, better management abilities and precise timer, you can accurately program it to take benefit of off-peak hours or anytime you want.

Anyway, these trendy developments and strategies are well-accepted worldwide and consistently on their improvement for better future. However, the more people acknowledge and concern about our vitally impact on nature, the greener the nature can be.