Hello! We are looking to build a new "Green" home. How can we do this?

Question

We are really wanting every aspect of my new home envionmently friendly. Can anyone help us with information? Or share with me information about how they went green with their new home.

Recenty, I seen something on TV about a power panel that they can install that will power your whole house without the contributing to greenhouse gases.

Answer 1

There are several different building styles associated with the green building industry.
Strawbale homes (have insect, rodent and water damage issues.
Monolithic homes (use concrete and steel, along with closed cell polyeurothane insulation)
Rammed Earth (quite expensive to build)
Earth Sheltered (again, expensive and subject to water damage after a period of time)
Adobe homes (hard to seal them against the weather now, since Butynol has been taken off the market)

If you want natural cooling and heating, you would want to look into a home style that allows for high R value.
Strawbale is about 35-40 R value
Monolithic is around 50 R Value
Earth Sheltered is around 50 R value
Adobe is about 40 R value.

You would also want a south facing wall, with a glass, sun facing panel, loaded with black water barrels to absorb the sun's heat during winter.

Look online at www.homepower.com, for energy alternatives.
go to www.monolithicdome.org, to find out about what I think is the best one.
you can also do a websearch for strawbale and adobe.

Take some time and do your research and you will find many alternatives.

Monolithic dome institute offers a week long training class in Italy TX that will show you how to build your own home.

Good luck.

Answer 2

go to the web site for this old house.
they did a show in Texas about green houses and a guy in texas that specializes in this construction and its material.
was only on in the last six months.
hope this helps you out.

Answer 3

I would start with several gallons of Sherwin-Williams paint.