A sustainable home means autonomous property that solely depends on itself for electricity, water supply, vegetables, fruits, sewage systems, etc. Every self-sustainable house gets designed differently. It depends on the location, climate, and needs of homeowners.
There are some must-haves for developing a self-sustainable home, which you need to incorporate in your project. You can read the discussions on Brianstorming.com, where a lot of people participate, and post great ideas about self-sustained homes.
Build using recycled products
If you are building from a scratch, then choose recycled products. Recycled products are made from waste, so you are choosing it. You can even consider choosing natural products, for example, people choose straw bales rather than regular insulation. You can research and build a green and efficient home from products available around your locality.
Heating & cooling
Several different systems can be combined like insulation, solar panel system, and geothermal technique for heating and cooling needs. Besides, ensure that windows are carefully positioned to allow sufficient heat in cold months. Awnings need to be placed well so that sun rays bounce away from home in warm weather. Ensure that the position of the house is accurate, to get proper air and light.
Electricity and lighting
Combined systems like hydro turbines, geothermal systems, wind turbines, and solar panels help in energy production. You can even feed extra energy back on the grid and earn money. Some homes design their houses strategically, so during the daytime, the room stays bright, so no need for extra energy. Solar, wind, or hydro-powered LED lights are great. LED releases less heat and keeps home interiors cool.
Water supply
Well dug on the property is perfect for fulfilling water needs. Another way to supplement water needs is to collect and store rainwater for washing, gardening, etc.
Waste management
You can have toilets hooked to a compost system. Use the filtration system to recycle greywater to flush toilets. The greywater contains soap, food particles, and hair that slip while showering, which can even be used to water the garden. Waste can be handled in several eco-friendly ways.
Grow your own food
Include a greenhouse, if you have space to cultivate food for the whole year. Even add a herb garden, orchard, and garden. For eggs and dairy products add dairy animals and chicken coop. Instead of large dairy animals, you can add goats as they eat different vegetation and are a good dairy and meat source.
With a self-sustainable home, you can live a self-sufficient life. There is no need to depend on outside resources to fulfill your basic needs. It can help to reduce the huge impact on the environment. However, you cannot get self-sufficient but choosing some ways can profoundly impact the environment.
Homeowners can turn their current home into sustainable ones by planting fruit trees, growing their herbs & vegetables, building compost bins, recycling household & garden waste, building rain barrels for garden irrigation, choosing solar appliances, dry clothes on a clothesline rather than an electric dryer, and more.
Building a self-sustain home is time-consuming and expensive, but over time you save money and the environment.
