It should start with where you live and roll out to lifestyle choices from there. In the following article, we’ll be sharing some tips for how you can make self-sustaining homes more possible. Let’s begin!
1. Build Smaller
The first step to a green home is to reduce the size of the home where you’re planning to live. Trends show that homeowners are already doing this, and it’s easy to see why. Consumerism may be alive and well, but it doesn’t come in the big-box variety that it used to. Microwaves and televisions used to weigh significantly more than they do now. Zack Morris’s cellphone was like a giant walkie-talkie compared to the modern smartphone. Moreover, physical media has gone to the cloud with more people enjoying eBooks and digital movies rather than door-stopper collections of books and discs that take up space. The smaller sizes and the change to digital media have made larger homes no longer as necessary as they used to be.
2. Switch to Wood in the Winters
Another step toward more sustainable homes is to change the way you create heat energy during the winter months. By going to a wood-based stove, you can essentially get all the heat that you and your family need without being “on the grid.” All it ends up “costing” you is the price of the wood. This can be a great way to save hundreds of dollars each year.
3. Grow Some Veggies
A more sustainable home also is possible by how you choose to shop for groceries. Instead of buying at the supermarket, then having to find some way to get rid of the bags, store the food safely, etc., you can simply grow your own food in a vegetable garden. Get with a friend who has a green thumb or use the Internet to cultivate gardening tips. The more food you can turn your house into a self-sustaining grocery store, the less demand you’ll place on the environment.
4. Install Solar Panels
It’s almost impossible and greatly undesirable to live without electricity, but the vast amount of homes in the world use nuclear energy due to its simplicity and availability. Solar companies are doing their best to change that, and you can help them by installing solar panels and using that as your primary source of electricity. Going solar has higher startup costs, but you may qualify for tax incentives. It can also slash your home energy costs by several hundred dollars per year.
5. Recycle Rainwater
Rain barrel systems allow you to collect and reuse rainwater to keep your lawn looking great. It also makes your vegetable garden (see No. 3) more hands-free and functional.
Self-Sustaining Homes Are Vital to Our Environment
The time to embrace the concept of self-sustaining homes is now, our environment is depending on us. Looking for more information on going green and sustainability? Make sure to check out the rest of our blog!
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