Ecological houses- It is increasingly necessary to apply technology and intelligence to reduce the impact that human beings have on the environment and on the planet as a whole. In this spirit, several projects are being developed focused on the creation of the so-called ecological houses, which are houses that are characterized by their respect to the environment and their reduced consumption when operating all the infrastructure associated with housing. If you want to know what sustainable ecological houses are and what advantages they have, keep reading Green Ecology and we’ll tell you.
What is meant by green sustainable house?
The houses are one of the buildings where more time is spent and, consequently, they are also a type of property that has a great impact on the environment, both in the space they occupy and in the resources they consume. In this way, for several decades, architects have been implementing different ideas with which to convert homes into spaces that are more respectful with the environment and with available natural resources.
This concept of highly efficient housing from an energy point of view and water consumption, as well as housing that is integrated in a respectful way in the natural environment in which it is located, is what is known as a sustainable ecological house .
This type of housing is characterized by using technology to reduce their energy consumption as much as possible. In this sense, these are homes that usually have:
- Solar panels that allow you to take advantage of the photo voltaic energy of the sun.
- They are built in an appropriate way to maximize the light and solar heat.
- They have tanks that allow to collect rainwater.
- Many of them also have a heating system that works from the geothermal energy obtained from the heat of the ground.
On the other hand, in addition to being sustainable housing, they are also sustainable housing. That is, they are developed in a way that respects the environment in which they are located. Instead of completely transforming the land, they adapt to the original nature and ecosystem, which allows a horizontal relationship to be established between the ecosystem and the house itself. This means that both plants and animals can continue their development in the environment, since the presence of the house does not lead to the destruction of their habitat. This is achieved through different aspects, such as adapting the architecture and the shape of the house to the space available, as well as the use of materials that have an impact on the environment, such as wood, or others that even reduce the negative impact that could have previously, for example, making use of recycled materials .
What are passivizes or passive houses?
Although there are many models of ecological and sustainable houses, one of the most popular is the passivizes or passive house. This concept was developed by professors BO Damson and Wolfgang Deist in the 8 of the 20th century. The concept defined a passive house as one that not only reduces energy consumption to almost zero , without relying on an external energy supply, but also was able to produce its own energy and, with the surplus, pour it to the public supply of energy. In this way, passive houses are houses that eliminate external energy dependence, which makes their impact on the environment practically nil.
There are different versions of passive houses but, in all cases, we are facing ecological houses with a great sustainable value. Some of the aspects that are taken into account is this type of housing is the use of resistant and durable materials, at the same time very good from an isolation perspective. This allows reducing consumption in both air conditioning and heating , which leads to a lower impact on the environment. In fact, some of these houses have become positioned as positive energy generation houses, that is, they produce more energy than they demand. This is achieved with different methods, although the most usual is that it is thanks to the use of solar panels and windmills.
Another element that incorporates sustainable ecological houses, and that allows further reducing their energy dependence are mechanical ventilation systems. This type of systems has a zero cost from an energy point of view, since it is achieved that the external ventilation passes to the interior by means of the wind itself and the difference between the interior and exterior pressure of the building, which allows to reduce even more the energy dependence.
Ecological houses: prices
The prices of this type of housing are as varied as houses we can find. However, we must bear in mind that, the savings associated with water, electricity and air conditioning, when living in one of these ecological homes is very high. Thus, although its initial cost may be higher, it is a money that is more than amortized after a few years.
Many companies manufacture standard homes that can be assembled in just under a week. In addition, this type of houses have such a strong insulation that they do not even require heating in winter. Although it has several models, one of the most commercialized homes can be purchased for$ 30,000, to which we must add the cost of acquiring the land where it will be previously located.
Sustainable and ecological houses, natural energy efficiency
Sustainable or ecological houses?
Sustainability is the part of the ecology that studies the balance of a species with the resources of its environment, and in this case it is applied to the idea that dwellings always consume less energy than they produce . For this reason, sustainable homes meet the needs of people without sacrificing their future demand.
Construction of sustainable houses with straw bales On the other hand, ecological constructions are considered those that, both their structure and their construction, are respectful of the space and environment in which they are located, and make an efficient use of resources during their useful life. And this is where the sustainable houses of bio climatic architecture come in , which focus on the optimization of energy by adapting buildings to the climatic conditions of their environment.
Self-consumption, energy efficiency, ecological materials and sustainable technologies are the common denominator of these constructions, which although they can be more expensive, their long-term amortization can mean an energy saving close to 70% .
In this case we speak of passive sustainability , that is, that the building’s own physiognomy is designed to optimize energy consumption taking advantage of climate characteristics, and if we use efficient equipment and renewable energies , these will be active sustainability actions . Examples of the first would be the installation of large windows well insulated to take advantage of the greatest natural light possible during the day, and the second, the placement of photo voltaic systems in the facade like this.
Advantages of bio climatic houses
Saving energy is not detrimental to the quality of life, but in favor of energy efficiency and housing health, which inevitably affects much lower bills . In this way, sustainable homes have the following advantages:
- They improve the thermal and sound insulation.
- They optimize energy consumption and reduce CO2 pollution.
- Increase energy savings, even allow self-sufficiency.
- Improve thermal comfort with natural and recycled materials.
- They are respectful with the environment and integrate the native flora to regulate the temperature.
- The creative design can adapt to any circumstance.
Keys to an ecological house
The main factor for sustainable houses is the location , since it will determine its configuration according to the climatic needs of the users and the natural resources to keep the cool in summer and the warmth in winter. The best orientation is north-south, to maintain solar radiation throughout the day in the most visited rooms and shade in the rooms, to avoid excess heat and generate cross-currents of air to maintain good ventilation.
Another key is the greenhouse effect, so reviled for affecting our planet. In sustainable homes, it plays an essential role: generating heat. Through the windows of large windows, the currents and the convection of the air by the difference of temperature it is possible to regulate the interior climate in a very efficient way, provided that they have good insulating walls of greater thickness .
Regarding the materials of construction of sustainable houses, the recommendable thing is that they are as natural as possible, since they facilitate the transpiration and isolate better the noise, although recycled plastics can also be used for dividing walls or load-bearing walls.
A jug to regulate the temperature
It seems like a joke, but no. The thermal operation of the bonito is so efficient that it has inspired students of Andalusia universities to develop a sustainable housing that self-regulates its temperature in a similar way to the ceramic piece. In the following video you can see how they got it:
As we have seen, sustainable homes are a very good option to be energy efficient, while we improve our comfort in an enviable healthy environment. However, we must be aware that technology has accustomed us to simplify certain behaviors in the home that must change, in order to adapt to new circumstances and make the most of our new ecological home
Finally, surely more than once you have come across a gallery of photos of houses with spectacular designs, mimicked by their surroundings and with an enviable interior … are the ecological house, constructions that in the last years have become very important both for its energy saving as for its functionality and comfort. After the real estate bubble of the last decade, sustainable or ecological housing is considered as an economic and environmentally friendly alternative , since in addition to reducing energy bills, improve comfort and livability by integrating naturally with climate and the lifestyle of its inhabitants. The change of mentality of the construction sector and the economic situation are propitiating the boom of this type of self-sufficient constructions , whose profitability is not as far as it might seem.