15 ways to go Green

For most people, it isn’t the easiest transition to make. Going green is prohibitively expensive. Contrary to popular perception, it reduces the cost of living in the long run. Here are some ways you can convert your home.

WHAT’S A GREEN HOME?

Green home is a generic term for houses which are environment friendly, uses recyclable or sustainable resources and reduces waste. They aim to improve the quality of life in terms of the air you breathe, the materials used for construction and the money saved.

A building’s initial construction expense is just 20-30% of the cost incurred during its lifetime. Usually, the cost of constructing green building sis 15% - 20% more than that for regular structures, but they help you save nearly 30% energy annually and up to 50% in water consumption. Here are some options that can help cut costs, either through a lifestyle change, intelligent construction, or use of efficient appliances and fixtures in your home.

STRUCTURE & VENTILATION

Potential saving on power bill: 10%

1. A well- lighted house: Daylight should infuse at least 50% of the house. Use light colored paints as they absorb less heat. The reverse is true for houses in colder regions.

2. Design of sunshade: The angle of the sunshade should allow some light and heat from low winter sun, but help block summer’s heat and bright light.

3. Intelligent Layout: Wet areas in the house, such as kitchen and bathroom, should be close to each other to reduce plumbing and consumption of hot water.

4. Direction of windows:  Windows should face the north or south direction. In hot climates build bigger windows in the north and smaller windows in the south.

LIGHTING

Potential saving on power bill: 25%

1. Shift to CFL, solar lights: CFL bulbs use 20% of power compared with regular bulbs and last 10 times more. Cut power bills by 80% by using a mix of CFL and solar lighting.

2. Use dimmers and timers: Lights needn’t be uniformly bright all the time. Save power by installing dimmers. Timers turn off lights automatically after a preset time.

3. Install light sensors: If you never remember to turn of the lights, get motion sensors. These are more useful for lights in common passages or at the entry.

4. Fix points wisely: Don’t fix bulb points where light isn’t needed (close to windows), while leaving out darker areas. As far as possible, try to use task lights.

AC & THERMOSTAT 

Potential saving on power bill: 50%

1.      Keep fan on: A fan with AC makes you feel cooler. Save power by setting a thermostat for higher temperature.

2.      Reflective glass: reflective/ tinted glass in windows keeps out the heat, cuts power bills.

3.      Insulate: A false ceiling or a fire retardant thermocol on the ceiling can insulate from heat or cold.

WATER

Potential saving on water bill: 50%

1. Use thrifty taps and flush: Taps with aerated flow save up to 30% water compared with regular taps. An efficient and dual-flush system cuts the use of toilet water by up to 60%. A low – tech alternative is to keep a brick or plastic jug filled with pebbles in the tank. The space it takes up reduces the amount of water needed to fill the tank, so you’ll save water – and money.

2. Slow on shower: Give the shower a miss and use a bucket instead. It reduces water usage by over 50%.

3. Fix the leaks: A leaking tap or commode can waste several buckets of water a day. It usually costs very little time and money to repair.

4. Recycle used water: Use a filter and appropriate plumbing to recycle the water flowing out of a wash basin, bathing area or sink for use in the flush to irrigate plants.