Build your own 90% energy efficient green home
Green Home’s FREE passive solar companion book is available (scroll to bottom). Green building is a sustainable construction method that has a low impact on the environment. Green buildings usually incorporate LEED standard construction requirements in order to become certified; however, a homeowner can be an “owner builder” and construct their own home without the need of hiring a General Contractor in many cases, plus they usually do not need certification even if they build to LEED standards.
Conventional or Alternative
Although standard construction methods and materials are often used to build a green home, such as 2×4 or 2×6 framing with fiberglass insulation, or SIP panels, alternative construction materials like straw bales, adobe, earthbags, rock, or other new, used or salvaged materials can be combined in a way that both eco-friendly and non-toxic, plus it can save money.
The energy efficiency of a home, when designed well, can be as much as 90% efficient, cutting utility bills to an extreme.
Instead of a tiny house, build a Core House
A tiny house or small “core house” (with all the living essentials–kitchen, bath, living/sleeping area) can be designed into the floorplan wall system so the owner-builder can add on extra bedrooms later on. Some small changes are placed into the wall system for ease in adding on later.
This helps the homeowner to construct their house in a shorter time so they can move in sooner, saving money and even being mortgage-free, if chosen.
The ultimate green home
Truly sustainable homes should include these features:
– eco-friendly materials and site design
– energy efficiency
– life cycle considerations
– super-insulating the envelope
– interior thermal mass (thermal stability)
– passive solar home design (orientation, overhangs, design)
– airtightness and elimination of thermal bridging
– mechanical ventilation heat recovery (for 80% thermal recovery and indoor air quality)
3 Secrets to home affordability
There are three main advantages to the owner-builder that contractors do not have, which include time, building in phases, and lower cost.
1. Time is on the side of the homeowner because they can build a core house. It does not take as much time to build a tiny house compared to a huge one. This means the owner can move in that much sooner, yet has time to add onto the home later as time permits.
2. Building in phases is another advantage, which a core house provides. Think big, but start small. Designed into the walls are the structure and elements needed to add on with ease later on for extra bedrooms, baths, walk-in closets, office, and so on, to make the home as big as you want it to be. This is part of the plan from the beginning (so house does not look piecemeal). All additions are done in phases, as the homeowner can afford it.
3. Lower cost is the third advantage. Alternative materials/products can be utilized rather than purchasing everything new. Green materials often includes salvaged/used (lowest impact to the environment!), recycled, upcycled, bartered, and even free building materials, windows, doors, lumber, and other items, which can be purchased when found and stored until needed. This can potentially save the homeowner thousands of dollars. Many green homes are built mortgage-free in this manner.
Passive Solar House
Free passive solar home design book
The book (available on Amazon) I wrote that is titled DIY: How to Design Your Own Energy Efficient Green Home: Construction Alternatives and Sample Passive Solar Straw Bale House Design, which has a companion book offer:
Passive solar house companion e-book (v1) that you can download free here.
The printed (version 2) books are available on Amazon as well as my Createspace site links, and if you are an AmazonPrime member then you can get my v2 books for free.
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(click on image to see book cover)
Simple Passive Solar House book… the green home book named above also is one of a set, and the book that completes the pair is DIY: Simple Passive Solar House: Design for 90% Energy Efficiency to Save Money on Heating and Cooling (v2)
Are you overrun in utility bills? In my book set on green homes and passive solar home design I show you how to cut your energy heating and cooling bills by up to 90%, plus show you how to save money on construction costs, what due diligence is needed when you shop for land, how to find used and free building materials, and I provide a real-world example of the passive solar straw bale house that we built (with photos), and more.