Eco-homes have become incredibly popular in the housing market in the past decade, and there are many reasons why. Many governments across the world have committed to reaching net zero, which means that eco and energy-efficient homes will be needed in order to help the country achieve these goals. Commercial buildings and older homes will have to be retrofitted in order to make them more energy-efficient too. If you’re building a new home, it’s in your best interests to make it as eco-friendly as possible.

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Many builders and home construction experts are interested in building new eco homes or making existing properties eco-friendly for many different reasons. Of course, the most important reason is down to helping the planet and preventing climate change. However, there are many other benefits – including better air health and saving a lot of money in the long run.

What Is An Eco-Home? 

An eco-home is defined as a living space, house, apartment or otherwise, that has the least possible impact on the environment. Eco-homes are made with as many sustainable materials as possible, and are designed to create as little pollution and waste as possible. They are also designed to use less energy and materials to prevent the effect on the local environment. Eco-homes need to use as little energy and create as little waste as possible both in the construction process and when the home is inhabited. It’s essential that eco homes are truly eco in every sense of the word, from when they are constructed to when they are eventually lived in. Eco homes are usually designed and built by professional contractors like Rotelle Studio(e), and companies like this will always have an eye on sustainability. As well as all of this, eco-homes have the added bonus of being better for your overall health as they are much better at improving the air quality indoors.

Promoting sustainable construction is essential if we want to take the necessary steps to make the world green. The sustainable construction industry is an essential part of helping countries across the world meet their net-zero goals by 2050, which was outlined at the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015. Building eco-homes and buildings is an essential part of cultivating a net zero society – but what specifically do you need to do to create eco-homes?

The Main Principles of An Eco-Home 

When looking into creating an eco home, there are many principles that you will need to adhere to if you want to truly create a sustainable building. If you’re looking for ways that you can start your project, you will need to keep these three principles at the forefront of your plan.

Reducing Energy Usage 

One of the key parts of building an eco home is finding ways to reduce energy usage as much as possible. There are many ways you can do this, through using timers, energy-efficient products, and other methods to reduce the amount of energy needed to run the home. Reducing the amount of energy that is needed by the home is a crucial part of building an eco-home and should be at the forefront of eco-home planning.

Moreover, incorporating insights from Olympia Lighting’s post on metal halide replacement can be beneficial for homeowners looking to enhance energy efficiency. The post discusses how transitioning from traditional metal halide bulbs to LED alternatives can lead to significant energy savings. By understanding the various advantages of LED technology, such as lower power consumption and longer lifespans, individuals can make informed choices that contribute to a more sustainable and eco-friendly home environment. Consequently, this approach aligns well with your goal to minimize energy usage in your eco home.

Reducing Waste

Reducing the amount of waste that is created in the construction of a home is also essential when creating eco homes. The amount of waste that is created through common building materials such as concrete, steel, and glass is notorious for creating waste products and damaging the environment. Furthermore, UK homes are responsible for high amounts of water waste – on average, a home of 4 people creates 600 litres of water waste a day. Toilets, showers and leaking pipes are the biggest reason for all of this. By building homes that reduce all waste where possible, you can vastly reduce this.

Using Recycled Products Where Possible 

Using recycled products is one of the most crucial parts of creating a truly eco home. The waste that is created from producing common building materials such as cement, concrete, steel and glass is a huge contributor to worldwide waste. Using recycled versions of these products should be an essential part of creating an eco home, as well as opting for different products such as bamboo and hempcrete where possible. 

These three principles are crucial when it comes to building an eco home – and you should make sure that you’re keeping all of them in mind when you’re planning the build. 

Why Will Eco Homes Be Needed? 

Eco homes will become essential in construction over the next decade – already expanding on its already high demand. In the near future, every home or commercial building will need to take into consideration eco principles, becoming as green as possible. 

At the Paris Climate Agreement, most countries agreed to the terms – meaning we all have to reach our net zero goals by 2050. A huge part of being able to achieve these goals is through creating eco homes so that energy use and waste are reduced on a massive scale. This means that the homes we all live in will need to use much less energy, waste less water, and don’t harm the planet during construction. This will help us all to reach net zero, which is the systematic removal of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.

The demand for building eco-homes and buildings, as well as making existing dwellings energy-efficient, is predicted to explode over the next couple of decades. The construction industry needs to be prepared to face this demand and be able to supply the eco homes that will be needed. Preparing for the demand by educating staff about sustainable construction, investing in the appropriate construction NVQs to be able to complete the work, and marketing yourself to achieve green construction work should all be essential parts of preparing for the demand for eco homes.

What You Need To Focus On

If you’re working in the construction industry or even thinking about building your own eco home, you need to consider these main points during the design, planning, and building stages.

Maximising Natural Light 

One of the best things you can do if you want to make your home eco-friendly is to maximise the distribution of natural light throughout each room. A lot of energy is wasted through the use of artificial lights during the daytime when you could be using natural light – especially in the spring and summer months. You can increase the amount of natural light in your home by carefully considering the positioning of windows, skylights, sun pipes and more. Be aware – skylights use less insulated glass – so the home designer will need to strike a careful balance to ensure the home remains energy-efficient.

Using Sustainable Materials 

The construction industry uses some of the most wasteful materials when it comes to building homes and other properties. For example, the production and use of steel, concrete and glass can create a lot of harmful byproducts that are damaging to the environment. They also take a lot of energy to create. However, using recycled versions of these building materials is essential if you want to build eco homes – as well as using sustainable materials such as bamboo, hemp, and sheep wool insulation. When you use sustainable and recycled materials, you reduce the amount of damage caused to the environment through construction.

Preventing Water Wastage

Wasting water is one of the worst ways that the environment is damaged – in Europe, the average human uses 150 litres of water per day. This is a staggering amount when you really think about it – that’s 54,750 litres of water in a year. If you think about 54,750-litre bottles – this is truly a staggering amount! However, eco homes can help to prevent some of this precious water from being wasted through fitting eco toilets and sinks, rainwater harvesting systems, and water recycling devices. When you design your home to preserve water as much as possible, you will be able to ensure your home remains green. You can also retrofit an existing property with these systems if you want to make your existing house sustainable.

Investing In Renewable Energy 

One of the best ways you can make your home eco-friendly is to invest in renewable energy methods that will help to reduce your reliance on non-renewable energy sources. For example, opting for Solar Panel Installation is one of the best things you can do if you want to reduce your reliance on fossil fuels. Solar panels can make a huge difference when it comes to your energy use – in some cases, you can even make enough energy to sell energy back to the energy company! As well as reducing your reliance on fossil fuels, solar panels can save you a lot of money in the long run. Biomass boilers and air-source heat pumps may also be a useful sources of renewable energy if you’re looking to make your home even more non-polluting.

Improving Air Tightness and Insulation 

Building an eco home means that you have to pay close attention to the insulation sources and air tightness that occur in the building. For example, when there are many gaps in the walls of your home (such as near doors and windows), energy can be lost as heat when it escapes through these gaps. Closing these gaps through structural measures is one of the best things you can do if you want to make your home energy-efficient. Furthermore, insulation is also a crucial way in which people can make their homes green, as it prevents energy from escaping – it is usually very effective. There are many methods of home insulation, including underfloor, cavity wall, external cladding, and loft insulation. You can add insulation during the planning process or even retrofit insulation into an older home, helping to make it energy-efficient. If you want to have insulation work on your home, make sure that you are considering what retrofit qualifications they have – a qualified installer will help to do a better job.

Building green homes will be a huge part of cultivating a completely sustainable future – and will help us all save the planet and achieve our net zero goals.