Green Efficient Space Planning in the Home Tips: Every Floor Counts

Everyone is becoming acquainted with the value of owning a green home. A green home has less of an impact on the Earth and often saves money as well as provides a healthier living environment. While having materials made from renewable resources and using sustainable techniques matter, having a good design is important, too. There are ways to plan space that make it so the home is more efficient spatially as well as when it comes to heating and cooling. A little careful designing and thought can help make the home a better, greener one.

One way to be green is to have less of the home touching the ground. The more horizontal space the home takes up, the more it demands on the Earth. It is better to build a higher structure than one that is sprawled out. This allows for density of development and less of an impact on the surrounding area.

There are other ways to plan a home to take advantage of the sun without any advanced solar technology, called passive solar. Passive solar technologies are means of using sunlight for useful energy without the use of active solar systems. Such technologies convert sunlight into usable heat and cause air movement for ventilation with little use of other energy sources. Passive cooling is the use of the same design principles to reduce summer cooling requirements. Another good way to plan out space is to have trees planted strategically to protect the home from wind and sun during the different seasons.   This will help conserve energy needs as the home will be protected from the elements.

Inside the home, there are a few design tricks to try as well. One good way to save space is to use sliding doors instead of conventional ones that turn on a pivot. This also helps to seal in a room. Unneeded heating and cooling won’t tend to leak into rooms that are not being used. Other good space planning techniques are to have rooms strategically placed so that no space goes unused or without a seriously purpose.

EnviroCitizen.org has found that there are ways to get wonderful green house plans. One way is to find them online at websites like freegreen.com. Better yet, you can also get help from a green professional certified in green building who has experience with green homes that can make them fit the ecological patterns of your area. EnviroCitizen.org suggests you do a bit of research on both green designs as well as any green professionals you are considering before you start so that you can find the right fit for you and your project.