How to build an ecological and self -sufficient house

To start, you have to take into account the main aspects before launching to build such a home. Therefore, in Ecology Verde we give you the following tips and keys to make an ecological and self -sufficient house:

• Set a budget.
• Know how to guide the ecological house.
• Use renewable energy and energy efficiency.
• Use ecological materials.
• Manage water properly.
• Have an Ecofriendly lifestyle in accordance with the functioning of the house.

Next, we better explain all these aspects to take into account.

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Since there is no self -sufficient house model, we have to base ourselves on a series of key principles that will help us design our own project to achieve the long -awaited self -sufficiency or energy independence, and even food.

Unless laudable exceptions that today are anecdotal, normally Building ecological and self -sufficient housing requires a greater budgetso the costs will shoot, although their posterior amortization will make this first blow softer. However, the money invested will depend completely on space, the quality of materials and systems and other details, so it can be quite variable From one project to another.

On the other hand, if we want to reduce energy consumption and also generate it, we will have to decide how we are going to do it, resorting to one or the other technologies depending on the characteristics of the area, depending on whether it is more or less rainy, windy or sunny.

In turn, the house must be isolated doing Use of sustainable materialsin addition to being able to reinforce this point with the installation of green roofs and vertical gardens on facades and also inside the house. Another aspect of vital importance for the use of the natural resources provided by the area, and this requires the investigation of the possibilities of the environment, since there could be wells or natural springs.

In this same sense mentioned above, the House orientation And the arrangement of the rooms will also be decided based on the weather (more or less wind, rains, temperatures, etc.) and the solar route throughout the year. Specifically, to know what is The solar angle We must obtain the solar chart, an scheme on the sun’s journey to know which part of the facade will receive more and less sun.

Once the location of the house and its orientation is determined, it would be interesting to make a intelligent distribution of windows, doors, windows, porches, terraces and other elements and materials as required of greater or lesser insulation in different areas of the house.

If with these strategies we manage to minimize the use of heating and refrigeration at home, we will have advanced in the path of self -sufficiency.

The fact of improving our goal will require the Use of clean energy to cover the needs of air conditioning. The options are numerous: photovoltaic, geothermal, wind, biomass boilers, biofuel generator, solar thermal energy … Any of them will have different applications, so we can obtain hot water and heating at the same time or, for example, a cooling of the environment and using that clean energy as a source that provides electricity.

The Biogas or Solar Kitchen It can also be an excellent solution, as it uses renewable sources that can come from our garden or natural biomass of companies that market it, in which case the alleged self -sufficiency would resent.

When using it, to live in it, logically a life will be made according to the ecological characteristics of the house, for example following the three erres of sustainability: reduce, recycle and reuse To maximize the efficiency of technology, the usefulness of waste, for example transforming them into fertilizer or purifying wastewater.

It will also make a big difference in this regard to reduce consumerism, cultivate a bio orchard, of course, use renewable energies. And not only by photovoltical cells or wind turbines, but for example taking advantage of the hours of light, the wind to dry the clothes or biomass for cooking or for heating.

Therefore, when building an ecological and self -sufficient house it is essential

The wood it’s a Ecological and natural material If it comes from plantations managed sustainably. It can be used for structure, for auctions, for walls and, mixed with other materials, also as wall insulation. Although the most ecological material is anyone that is reused, such as plastic bottles stuffed with sand or glass bottles.

It must also be borne in mind that the materials that last a lifetime are more ecological, because they do not become waste. In any case, it is preferable that they are Recyclable. Cement, stone and brick can last several generations. Finally, we must use materials that do not release toxins, which endangers people’s health.

They must be acquired Low consumption appliances and heating, cooling and water heaters must obtain their energy from renewable sources. The ecological design must take into account, on the one hand, a good isolation that retains heat in winter, and, on the other, windows and other elements that allow proper ventilation throughout the house.

The House orientation It is also very important, depending on whether it interests that between the sun in winter. Trees can be planted that shade in summer and cool the rooms.

One has to take the rainwatercollecting it to water the gardens and plants. You can install gray water recycling systems in toilets and showers to use in the gardens. Toilets must have the possibility of discharge. There are even composting toilets, which do not use water.

Purify watereither to make it suitable for human consumption, for irrigation, to recycle or reuse it once it has been used admits different solutions according to its level of pollution and uses. We will find good allies in the barrels that collect rainwater or even in large deposits that allow accumulating large amounts of water, ideal to accumulate it during rainy seasons.

However, it should be analyzed to guarantee its health, and it may still be necessary to give it a purification treatment. Similarly, wastewater will require biological treatment plants that do not need electricity. The ideal in these cases is that the purified water serves its reuse for irrigation, washing the car or, for example, for the maintenance of ponds.

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