According to Buildipedia.com – here’s what to watch for in the next few months.
Many of these trends will sound very familiar; some have evolved out of economic necessity, while others exist thanks to great advances in technology. Whether you already own a home or plan to build a new one, there’s bound to be at least one trend that appeals to you.
Renovation Nation
It’s not news that home construction has been on the decline for the past few years (thanks a lot, economy!), but that might not be an entirely bad thing. In many cases, it makes more sense financially to renovate an existing home rather than start from scratch, and renovation actually can be a green move. Renovations save on building materials and waste and also preserve undeveloped natural land.
Smaller Footprints
When the opportunity does present itself to build anew, most of us will be building smaller in 2012. Less square footage means less cost for materials and labor, as well as less energy to heat and cool the finished spaces. It’s a win–win and – we promise! – a smaller home doesn’t have to mean a cramped home.
Net Zero
For those overachievers out there, just saving energy is not enough. Why not go all the way and make your home net-zero? A net-zero home generates as much energy as it consumes, netting out at, well, zero energy.
Energy Monitoring Systems
Programmable thermostats were a genius invention, but technology now allows us to monitor our energy use more comprehensively and in real time. These new gadgets tie into your home’s circuit and allow you to examine the data on a screen or even from the convenience of your laptop or smartphone.
LEDs
By now you’ve accepted that incandescent bulbs, despite their warm glow, aren’t very energy-efficient. Compact fluorescents (CFLs) have been touted as the best replacement. However, LEDs use even less energy than CFLs and have much longer lifetimes. Although LEDs were previously dismissed for residential use because of their many drawbacks – cool color temperatures, low lighting output and high price – they’ve come a long way in recent years.
According to Buildipedia.com, we need to watch for these green trends to continue throughout 2012 and beyond and keep our eyes open for trends that no one has spotted yet!
Courtland Building Company would love to help you plan your green home, call us today: (281) 932-4494
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