“Green” is a buzzword swimming around homes, schools and offices. The world has started paying attention to our current eco-status, and many are making lasting lifestyle changes – including getting off of the power grid.
Dave and Cathy Braden, of Puslinch, ON, are putting the finishing touches on their energy-free home. Together the two have physically built their self-sustaining home themselves. Since the 1980’s the Braden’s have dedicated their lives to building extreme low-energy houses, and in the past 27 years they have learned a lot about sustainable living. Wanting to take it one step further, the couple are nearly finished their energy-free home.
“When it’s done,” Dave begins excitedly, “this house will be completely off the grid. Most homes are just extremely low-energy. We’ll be no-energy.” The way they’ve built their house, the Braden’s will have no need for air-conditioning or even a furnace. “We’ll be able to heat our entire house with a common hairdryer,” Dave boasts. “No furnace even in the extreme Southern Ontario weather.”
Getting Off-The-Grid
The trend of off-the-grid living is on the rise, and a number of organizations exist to make this possible. For many, the initial cost of off-the-grid housing is a major deterrent; however, the long-term investment of this style of living pays off big time – both for the family and for the environment.
Off-the-grid homes are those homes which produce all of the energy they consume. They are not hooked up to the local power supply, and as such, don’t have the regular costs, both financial and environmental, associated with on-grid living.
There are a variety of ways to produce your own energy, wind and solar being the most common. But off-the-grid living is often more than just that. It is a green or eco-lifestyle that incorporates living a more sustainable lifestyle. Many off-the-grid homes are green in that they use environmentally friendly and sustainable building supplies, including reclaimed or recycled building materials. For such homeowners, environmentally sustainable living is more than a current trend – it’s a lifestyle they’ve fully adopted.
Benefits of Living Green
For the Bradens, and the thousands of others who have decided to get off the grid, the benefits of such living are exponential. They have made the ultimate change to living an environmentally sustainable lifestyle by building a new home. But making positive green-changes can start with the home you are currently living in.
In Love The One You’re With...Green the House You’re In, Rolf Priesnitz provides ideas for a green renovations. “Major home modifications like solar panels may jump to mind when you start thinking about a green home reno, but you might want to begin with “easier” changes like energy-efficient windows and doors. The typical home loses more than 25 percent of its heat through windows. So it’s a good investment in both kinds of green to replace older windows with energy-efficient ones, preferable with a low-E coating and argon gas fill.”
To help decrease energy costs, Priesnitz also suggests upgrading insulation, in the attic, basement and wherever pipes and electrical wiring pass from inside to out. Increasing natural lighting with the addition of windows, skylights or light tubes are other ways to decrease energy use. And of course, Priesnitz suggests replacing incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent, halogen or LED options.
Another easy green reno fix Priesnitz offers is upgrading furnaces and other appliances to energy-efficient models. Using programmable thermostats and relying on ceiling fans rather than air-conditioning are other green-changes that will help home owners save both money and their environment.
By making positive energy changes in your home, you will model for your children, and others, the importance of taking care of our environment. Living a sustainable lifestyle will do more than illustrate to others your desire to protect the earth for generations to come; it also shows them how easy going green can be.
Greening Your Home
While getting off the grid may be the ultimate in going green, there are plenty of ways you and your family can begin to make positive green changes in your home and neighbourhood.
3-Rs – Reducing, reusing and recycling at home is a great way to start your shift to going green. Get the whole family involved in the creation of a home recycling station. Do your best to reuse plastic containers, and avoid over-packaged foods (for more information, see It’s Easy Being Green, published in our November 2007 issue). By encouraging this behaviour in your home, you are modeling the importance of green living to your children – who in turn can model to classmates at school. A lot of cities have also begun a “green cart” program – a means of encouraging citizens to compost food waste. Check with your city to see what recycling and composting options exist in your community.
Switching Off – Did you know that when a TV is turned off, but still plugged in, it can still consume up to 80% of its full operating power? Using timed power-bars is one way to reduce the amount of phantom energy (standby energy consumed by most small and large appliances) your home consumes. Making sure that lights and appliances that are not in use are turned off will help you in your pursuit to go green.
Cooling Down – Decreasing your thermostat by only 1°C saves a home up to 10% on its annual heating bill. While making this downward shift in your home won’t be felt physically, doing so – and encouraging others to join you – can save the world a lot of energy.
Seal It In – Caulking and weather stripping leaking doors and windows is a great way to decrease the amount of heat loss in a home. This will save energy until you can replace your windows with more energy-efficient ones.
Planting a Future – As a family, get involved in local tree planting. Unsure of where to start? Try your own backyard. You can also encourage children to get back to basics by planting a small vegetable garden (cucumbers and tomatoes do well in containers on a deck or patio). By encouraging your children to garden and plant, you are getting them back in touch with nature, and helping to foster a green attitude.
There are many ways to begin making the steps towards living an environmentally sustainable lifestyle. While your family may not be ready to live totally off the grid, there are many ways to start making positive changes in your current home. So go ahead – get green.
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