The Costs of Not Building Green
Despite the narrowing gap in cost between green building and traditional "to-code" building, most builders and home buyers still perceive the green option to be significantly more expensive. The reality is that due to increased builder education and an influx of affordable green building products, a building can be built green within the same budget as a non-green building. According to Clark Wilson, CEO of Austin based Green Builders, Inc., "It’s our job as builders to find those green products that don’t drive up the price of the home."
Saving Energy
My wife and I are trying to reduce our carbon footprint. We took the following steps.
• We sold our thirsty petrol V6 and bought an economical turbo diesel 4 cylinder car.
• We bought a small fold down caravan. Our fuel consumption when towing is 7.3L/100km (39mpg).
• We usually go shopping just once a week.
• We bought a plug-in rechargeable electric bike.
• We built a house with the following features.
o 4 large windows on the north side to catch the winter Sun.
o A garage on the west side to stop the summer Sun.
o A verandah on the south side, a cool place in summer.
o 2 small windows on the east side to reduce the heat in summer.
o We insulated the roof, ceiling and walls.
o A solar HWS and a 1kW grid solar power supply.
o Blinds that roll up, not down – they can stop the Sun shining in the bottom of the window when it is hot.
o Reverse cycle a/c for efficient heating and cooling, this is mainly used for heating.
o A light coloured roof to reflect the heat.
o Efficient light globes and appliances.
o A large water tank and a septic waste system.
o A veggie garden and fruit trees and a vegetarian diet.