The following contribution is from another author.
You may well be wondering why you would want an eco-friendly home from the future? Well, not only could it save you a significant amount of money of your monthly outgoings, but you and your family can live comfortably, in harmony with the environment as well, making it a pretty darn cool thing to aim for. In fact, that is why we have come up with the post below, where you can find out how to convert your house into a futuristic green home.
Generate your own energy
The first project to get to grips with if you want a futuristic eco-friendly home is how your source your energy. Of course, homes built in the future will have facilities to generate their own power on site, but few are currently made like this at the moment. That doesn’t mean all is lost though, as it may be possible to install some green energy generation methods into your current property.
The first one to consider is solar power, something that can be used not only to heat up water for home use but also generates electricity as well through the use of photovoltaic panels. Such panels are often installed on the roof of a building, and by doing this, you can actually cover all of your energy needs.
However, it’s also worth considering going straight for the most cutting-edge tech in this market, which is the Tesla Powerwall and Solar Roof. This is solar panel tech that is designed to make it unnoticeable from the street. Something that makes it a much more appealing option to many homeowners, as they can often be concerned that even though there are many benefits to install traditional panels, that they will affect the value of their home.
Although it’s important to remember that solar power is not the only form of energy that you can harness to bring you home into the future and take better care of the environment.
In fact, another futuristic option is using geothermal energy, something that can be harnessed in three different ways to provide various utilities to your home. The first method is by tapping thermal reservoirs under the ground, something that can provide naturally hot water and so reduce the use of power needed in heating cold water up. Of course, this method does mean that you need to build your house or have the good luck of being near a naturally hot geothermal reservoir.
Wind power may just be the clean energy source of the future that you are looking for.
The second method is by using geothermal energy to power a heat pump. This works because under the surface the ground maintains a constant temperature. Therefore this heat can be harnessed within the home instead of using expensive central heating methods.
Lastly, it is possible to generate electricity as well as just heat from geothermal energy. Although, this is also something that needs direct access to a sizeable geothermal reservoir, and so it not best suited to the conversion projects that we are concerned with here, but to new builds where you can first survey the location instead.
Alternatively, another renewable energy source that is suited to most home including ones that are already built is wind power. This method works because the wind is captured by the sails of a windmill, which then is used to drive a motor, generating electricity.
The key benefit to this type of renewable energy is that you can install different sizes of windmills, as well as multiple units, making it easy to match the level of power that you need to be generated for your homes’ needs. Something that makes it a fantastic choice for those looking to update their homes in an eco-friendly manner.
Dual flush and composting loos
Toilets aren’t always talked about in great detail, but they can have a tremendous ecological impact. For starters, when you replace your lavatory and cistern next, be sure to install a dual flush system. This is something that can help to preserve a great deal of water because you can tailor the type of flush you choose to the needs of the situation.
However, if you are looking to do even more as you convert your home, then you may wish to consider a composting toilet. This is a type of lavatory that utilities human waste and turns it into nutritious fertilizer that can be used in your domestic and vegetable gardens.
Of course, you will find some Heath Robinson style instructions on the web of how to make your own composting toilet. However, in a family home, it’s usually a much better idea to install a professionally crafted one, as this will have the ventilation pipes and the barriers to prevent any smells leaking into your living area. After all, if your home smells like a toilet, it isn’t going to be very pleasant or futuristic, no matter how green it is!
Tankless water heaters
For those families looking to convert their house into a futuristic green home, installing a tankless water heater is another smart idea.
Tankless water heaters use natural gas to heat up any water needed for showing, bathing or washing, instantly. They are much more efficient than a traditional immersion heater too, and so can reduce your energy consumption, as well as save your family money.
Of course, just like any other water-related tech in your home, you will need professional like Maplewood Plumbing & Sewer LLC to install your tankless heater. After all, safety should be a priority along with the green credentials of any tech for your home.
Repurpose recycled material
One eco-friendly trend that can be hugely useful when converting your home is to repurpose and recycle materials. In fact, this so valuable because by doing so you are stopping them going into landfill, as well as reducing the strain placed on the world’s resources by producing new items.
You may even be pretty surprised as to what you can reuse and upcycle in and around the home as well. For example, a smaller way of using this principle is to install a fire log maker, which converts waste paper by compacting it down to provide a material that can be burned for that is not wood.
One that has more impact, but can be seen to be in use currently is purchasing old steel piping that is used in oil processing. This can then be used to support structures like carports and even to create fences on your property as well. All at a low price, and without having to manufacture new materials at the cost of the environment.
Could these containers be used to extend your home?
Then there are the trends that can be seen in the eco-friendly houses of the future like these ones, that can be used as well. One of these is utilizing shipping containers as the outer shell of a room extension. A tactic that could not only be used in on your current property and save you money but also reduce the environmental impact of making your home larger as well.
Improved insulation
One feature that home of the future will definitely exhibit is being insulated in the most effective manner. In fact, by insulating a home properly, you can keep it cool, or hot as needed much more easily and without having to resort to energy draining cooling and heating techniques.
Now some of the top futuristic home designs actually build advanced insulation and heat efficiency into their architecture. Although, this won’t be an option if you are converting your current property. Luckily, this should be too much of a problem because you can add extra insulation to cavities in the walls and to your roof to ensure the heat loss in your home is reduced.
The best thing about adding extra insulation is that you don’t have to rely on un-eco-friendly products like fiberglass or slag wool any more. In fact, progressive insulation companies are now creating their products from recycled plastic instead. Something that means you can keep your home toasty and warm and prevent lots of old drinking bottles and cartons ending up in a landfill and polluting the environment too. It really is a win-win.
Smart devices and products
Finally, when it comes to converting your house into a green home via futuristic methods, nothing is more intelligent than smart devices.
Such products are devices including thermostats, white goods, and lightning that can be connected up to the internet of things. This allows their users to control them quickly and easily, and even remotely. Something that can help to minimize energy usage, and prevent waste in a very convenient manner and futuristic manner.
You’ll be pleased to note too that, while as more recent, high-end home on the market are starting to be developed with these devices as standard, you can buy them all separately and install them into your current abode as well.
Something that therefore makes the installation of smart devices; a project that combines not only futuristic tech but also an eco-friendly mindset, too, making it perfect for your home conversion.
