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An Eco-house (or Eco-home) is an environmentally low-impact home designed and built using materials and technology that reduces its
carbon footprint A carbon footprint (or greenhouse gas footprint) is a calculated value or index that makes it possible to compare the total amount of greenhouse gases that an activity, product, company or country Greenhouse gas emissions, adds to the atmospher ...
and lowers its energy needs. Eco-homes are measured in multiple ways meeting
sustainability Sustainability is a social goal for people to co-exist on Earth over a long period of time. Definitions of this term are disputed and have varied with literature, context, and time. Sustainability usually has three dimensions (or pillars): env ...
needs such as water conservation, reducing wastes through reusing and recycling materials, controlling pollution to limit global warming, energy generation and conservation, and decreasing CO2 emissions. An Eco-house could include some or all of the following: * Higher than normal levels of
thermal insulation Thermal insulation is the reduction of heat transfer (i.e., the transfer of thermal energy between objects of differing temperature) between objects in thermal contact or in range of radiative influence. Thermal insulation can be achieved with s ...
* Better than normal air-tightness * Good level of daylight * Passive solar orientation — glazing oriented south for light and heat * Thermal mass to absorb that solar heat * Minimum north-facing glazing — to reduce heat loss * Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) system * Heating from
renewable resource A renewable resource (also known as a flow resource) is a natural resource which will replenish to replace the portion depleted by usage and consumption, either through natural reproduction or other recurring processes in a finite amount of t ...
s (such as solar,
heat pump A heat pump is a device that uses electricity to transfer heat from a colder place to a warmer place. Specifically, the heat pump transfers thermal energy using a heat pump and refrigeration cycle, cooling the cool space and warming the warm s ...
or biomass) *
Photovoltaic panel Photovoltaics (PV) is the conversion of light into electricity using semiconducting materials that exhibit the photovoltaic effect, a phenomenon studied in physics, photochemistry, and electrochemistry. The photovoltaic effect is commercially ...
s,
small wind turbine Small wind turbines, also known as micro wind turbines or urban wind turbines, are wind turbines that generate electricity for Microgeneration, small-scale use. These turbines are typically smaller than those found in wind farms. Small wind tur ...
or electricity from a 'green' supplier * Natural materials — avoidance of PVCu and other plastics *
Rainwater harvesting Rainwater harvesting (RWH) is the collection and storage of rain, rather than allowing it to run off. Rainwater is collected from a roof-like surface and redirected to a Rainwater tank, tank, cistern, deep pit (well, shaft, or borehole), Aquifer s ...
* Grey-water collection *
Composting toilet A composting toilet is a type of dry toilet that treats human waste by a biological process called composting. This process leads to the decomposition of organic matter and turns human waste into compost-like material. Composting is carried out b ...
* Glass that has two or three layers with a vacuum in between to prevent heat loss (double or triple-glazed windows) * Solar panels or wind turbines * Geothermal heating and growing plants on the roof to regulate temperature, quiet the house, and produce oxygen * A vegetable patch outside the house for some food


Building concepts


Energy loss

Buildings use up enormous amounts of energy. Home energy as well contributes to global warming. According to The Energy Information Administration, home energy contributes to 21% of all greenhouse gases in the United States alone. In construction as well, 48% of greenhouse gases is emitted. Some calculations make it as much as 70% of all the energy used when all that are well insulated and make the best use of natural light.


Insulation

Increasing the amount of thermal insulation is the main component of preventing energy loss. According to the EPA Office of Air and Radiation, indoor air is more polluted than outdoor air, and is in the top five human health risks. Such pollution could be caused by toxic chemicals and mold and could lead to asthma induced illnesses. Insulation in Eco-homes include draft exclusion, glazing, wall, roof insulation, and other nontoxic materials. By installing insulation not only are you paying less money for heating bills, but you are also reducing exposure to toxic materials such as the carcinogen formaldehyde found in manufactured wood.


Passive solar gain

In the northern hemisphere, a south-facing site will be a much better location than a north facing site because of access to sunlight and protection from the cold northerly wind. An eco-house starts life facing the Sun. Ideally, the site for the house should have a south westerly aspect and be protected from the north and east. It is not always possible to do this but there will usually be an opportunity to take advantage of the passive
solar gain Solar gain (also known as solar heat gain or passive solar gain) is the increase in thermal energy of a space, object or structure as it absorbs incident solar radiation. The amount of solar gain a space experiences is a function of the total i ...
by having more glazing on either the front or the back of the building. Planting trees and creating windbreaks on the north and east sides of the site can enhanced the solar gain effect by protecting the house from the cold north easterly winds. Having faced the house towards the Sun, high performance windows are used to draw in as much light and warmth as possible. Sunlight then floods into the house and any heat generated is retained by a highly insulated building shell, draught proof windows and doors and thermal mass within the building.


Active solar gain

Orientation towards the Sun also means that active solar systems can be fitted, both
solar water heating Solar water heating (SWH) is water heating, heating water by sunlight, using a solar thermal collector. A variety of configurations are available at varying cost to provide solutions in different climates and latitudes. SWHs are widely used for ...
panels and electricity generating solar panels on the roofs, further adding to the free heat and electricity gained from the sun.


Living gain

Living in the house also generates heat. Active human beings can produce as much heat as a one bar electric fire. Add to this heat from cooking, washing, lights etc. and you can begin to see how an eco-house could get too hot. Conventionally opening the windows reduces heat, but an eco-house design could include heat recovery ventilation systems.


Heat recovery ventilation

These systems extract the warm, moist air from bathrooms and kitchens and take the heat out of the stale, damp air before venting it outside. The heat recovery system transfers this collected heat to fresh air coming into the building and distributes it to the bedrooms and living rooms, which creates fresh air at room temperature. An added benefit is that filters can be fitted on the air intake to provide a barrier to pollen or other irritants.


Living heat loss

With the passive and active solar gains, insulation, draft proofed building shell and heat recovery system, eco-houses could be zero heat; that is, in theory, one should not need to keep pumping heat into them from a central heating system. In practice, heat loss inevitably occurs as the inhabitants open the home's doors and windows for various reasons. An eco-house can incorporate design to have heating systems that can react quickly and efficiently to any changes in room temperature as well as providing a heat boost to the water temperature down-stream of the solar panels.


Sustainable materials

One of the wider issues of
energy efficiency Energy efficiency may refer to: * Energy efficiency (physics), the ratio between the useful output and input of an energy conversion process ** Electrical efficiency, useful power output per electrical power consumed ** Mechanical efficiency, a rat ...
is the
embodied energy Embodied energy is the sum of all the energy required to produce any goods or services, considered as if that energy were incorporated or 'embodied' in the product itself. The concept can help determine the effectiveness of energy-producing or ...
within the construction materials. (Embodied energy is the energy taken up with producing and transporting the materials used).


Timber

Wood is a primary
building material Building material is material used for construction. Many naturally occurring substances, such as clay, rocks, sand, wood, and even twigs and leaves, have been used to construct buildings and other structures, like bridges. Apart from natur ...
for eco-housing. This is because trees grow using energy from the Sun, do not pollute, produce oxygen, absorb CO2, provide a wildlife habitat, can be replanted, can be sourced locally, and the timber can be put to some other use after a building is demolished.


Lime

Cement is a very useful building material and there are places where we have to be practical and use it. However, one alternative to cement is lime. Lime has been used as a building material for thousands of years and although energy and CO2 are used in its production it gently returns to limestone in time, taking in CO2 in the process.


Reclaimed materials

There is also the use of reclaimed materials, particularly bricks, slates and roof tiles, to make use of the embodied energy within these materials. This can also help new buildings to blend in with their surroundings.


Health

Other benefits of an Eco-house, aside from having minimal heating costs, are a healthy living environment. The heat recovery system can eliminate dampness and hazardous mold growth. The air intake filters prevent dust coming in with the incoming fresh air and the internal vacuum cleaner system extracts dust from the house and vents it (via the dust collection bag and filter) to the outside; thus no microscopic particles of dust remain in the house. Load bearing internal walls are minimised to allow rearrangements of the interior spaces, and the build technology is such that local trades can carry out alterations and easy maintenance. For the health of the householder, and the planet, an Eco-house should be built with materials that are free, wherever possible, from toxins or harmful products of the petro-chemical industry. The better indoor environmental quality of Eco-houses has also improved health and satisfaction among occupants by reducing exposure to pollutants, allergens, and other contaminants. According to Dr. Joseph Allen and his research at
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health is the public health school at Harvard University, located in the Longwood Medical Area of Boston, Massachusetts. It was named after Hong Kong entrepreneur Chan Tseng-hsi in 2014 following a US$350 ...
, this leads to inhabitants of Eco-houses suffering less from
sick building syndrome Sick building syndrome (SBS) is a condition in which people develop symptoms of illness or become infected with chronic disease from the building in which they work or reside. In scientific literature, SBS is also known as building-related illn ...
while maintaining positive mental and physical stability.


Costs

Generally, Eco-houses are labelled as costly and expensive for the average citizen to afford. Perceptions of costs are one of the main issues for many builders and owners. This perception is induced by the medias coverage of Eco-houses built according to the standards of above average income homeowners. According to ''SmartMarket Report,'' around two-thirds of Eco-house owners, who built their own homes, had an annual budget of over $50,000. This above average income and the freedom in building their own design, furniture, and materials for their Eco-houses attributes to the addition of more expensive features, but this does not mean there are not affordable Eco-houses on the market. It all depends where you allocate your money. The Ecohome Network successfully built Canada's first LEED Platinum V4 home, the Edelweiss House, in the harsh climate of Quebec for around the same cost as a code-built home - Canada Green Building Council President Thomas Mueller calledhttps://www.ecohome.net/guides/1204/canadas-first-leed-v4-platinum-house/ Ecohome's Edelweiss House "A phenomenal achievement". Builders of Eco-houses are also taking initiatives to reduce the costs associated with general homes. The main factors contributing to cost for any house includes land, planning, infrastructure, professional fees, accreditation, compliance fees, labour, materials, market, and occupation. With this being said, initiatives being done to reduce house costs for Eco-houses are directed towards materials and the market. In decreasing material costs, Eco-house builders use reclaimed materials. Eco-house builders can also gain community land trust for ownership of land. For example, in Colorado, US, Eco-builders were able to eliminate costs by building on cheap land in an absent location while using reclaimed materials. With building in a remote location, the Colorado Eco-builders eliminated land costs.


See also

*
Green home A green home is a type of house designed to be Sustainability, environmentally sustainable. Green homes focus on the efficient use of "Low-energy house, energy, Water conservation, water, and Sustainable architecture, building materials". A gree ...
*
Biophilic design Biophilic design is a concept used within the building industry to increase occupant connectivity to the natural environment through the use of direct nature, indirect nature, and space and place conditions. Used at both the building and city-scal ...
*
Green building Green building (also known as green construction, sustainable building, or eco-friendly building) refers to both a structure and the application of processes that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building's li ...
*
Energy-plus-house An energy-plus building (also called: plus energy building, plus-energy house, efficiency-plus house) produces more energy from renewable energy sources, over the course of a year, than it imports from external sources. This is achieved using ...
*
Low-energy house A low-energy house is characterized by an energy-efficient design and technical features which enable it to provide high living standards and comfort with low energy consumption and carbon emissions. Traditional heating and active cooling systems ...
* First EcoHouse


References

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Eco-Houses
Find out how important an eco-friendly house is for our environment.
Eco Homes Vietnam
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