How green is your home?

The frontline in the fight for a greener planet is not only in some distant ocean or rainforest – your home is part of the picture. Here’s how you can do your bit

words by Scott Berman
illustrations by Sylvie Pinsonneaux / eyecandy.co.uk

While many of us are keen to earn our green credentials, we may be a little confused about the best way to go about it. Taking even modest steps towards achieving a more environmentally friendly home can make a significant difference, as our experts explain – and you’ll probably save yourself some money along the way…

heat pumps

The heating of a home is a large proportion of overall energy consu mption, and there are some attractive alternatives to fossil fuel systems. The technology and convenience of heat pumps, particularly ground source pumps, should make them extremely interesting for homeowners, according to Anders Sælan, an architect and associate at Henning Larsen Architects, which is applying integrated green technologies to a project in Denmark’s Høje-Taastrup.

Figures vary widely on how much a heat pump can save you on your energy bill, but the savings can be significant. When considering this and the other options that follow, talk to qualified professionals.

lighting

Modest investments can pay off. For example, on sale almost everywhere, LED light bulbs (Light Emitting Diodes) save energy, money and cut CO2 emissions. In fact, Denmark’s Ministry for the Environment has estimated that if Danish homeowners and businesses replaced 70% of all their conventional light bulbs with energy-saving ones, the nation would cut its CO2 emissions by 280,000 tonnes annually. It’s surely worth making that change now.

flooring

Making a home more eco-friendly starts from the ground up – literally. Some makes of linoleum and wood flooring use materials that are easy on the environment. Ask for flooring with the Nordic Swan label, which indicates a good environmental choice. It’s manufactured with materials such as pine rosins, wood flour, limestone, natural pigments and linseed oil.

dishwashers

Choosing an eco-friendly dishwasher is a no-brainer. They wash and dry as well as other models but use less energy and less water. To get certification at least 75% of the components in the dishwasher must be recyclable, too. Find one with the best EU energy mark, (A), and the Nordic Swan label.

furniture

A green home also means green furnishings. For a piece of furniture to earn the Nordic Swan, at least 70% of the wood must be from sustainable forestry, according to Susan Alsing, spokesperson for Denmark’s eco-labelling authority. And that’s not all: it mustn’t contain any PVC (polyvinyl chloride plastic), and part of the furniture’s metal components must be made of recycled metal.

wood-burning stoves

If you’re buying a wood-burning stove – or, for that matter, other products – look out for the Nordic Swan label. These labels indicate that the product has met stringent environmental, health and quality standards and minimises CO2 emissions. According to eco-labelling expert Susan Alsing, wood-burning stoves displaying the Nordic Swan labels have a low solid-particle pollution (5g per kg wood), a level that is twice as strict as that required by current Danish legislation. To find out more about a wide range of eco-label products, visit www.ecolabel.dk.

windows

Well insulated windows are important to a green home as they prevent heat-loss from the house. Homeowners should consider not just the window panes – there should be two or three layers – but all components of the window, says Lars Jorgensen, a Danish contractor and green building materials manufacturer. Jorgensen recommends window elements made of wood grown in northern Europe: the small growing cycles of these trees result in small, hard rings, providing much greater insulation than fast-growing, softer woods.

paint

Wall and ceiling paints can be green (and they come in many other colours, by the way). Jorgensen suggests using water-based, linseed oil paints that do not contain binding and colouring ingredients that can damage the environment; and such paints produce no fumes in your home.

insulation

Textile insulation is a viable green alternative, according to Jorgensen. Textile insulation is manufactured with fibres from scraps of material. Less energy is needed to manufacture the product than conventional systems, and when its use cycle is over, textile insulation can be composted. Such insulation costs about 30% more than the cheapest conventional insulations, but its use is growing, says Jorgensen.

wood pellet burners

Wood pellet burners are similar to oil burners but use pellets made from waste wood products. “The burner generates heat without emitting much carbon dioxide or smoke,” explains architect Anders Sælan. Again, estimates vary, but some report significant energy bill savings

water collection systems

These systems typically collect water from the roof and channel it to a filter. Jorgensen, who has such a system in his home, says it enables him to cut his use of public utility water by 30% to 50%. Rainwater is ideal for washing dishes and clothes and in toilets because it contains no calcium. Calcium is responsible for clogging fixtures and appliances, requiring the use of strong detergents, which put another strain on the environment.

Rainwater is also ideal for use in gardens, and here also there’s lots you can do to earn your green credentials. Two garden tips: keep as much excavated earth on your property as you can, integrating it into an attractive landscape. The less that is trucked away, the less CO2 is emitted. And composting is worth it.

wind turbines

Danish architect Peter Qvist Lorentsen, who works with renewable energy design, suggests that interested homeowners look into so-called second-generation super-silent turbine systems. There are many factors you need to consider: local zoning rules, whether to choose a mast- or roof-mounted turbine (mast systems are for use on rural properties while small, roof models can suit urban homes). Like energy savings, estimates on costs vary greatly, depending on market, from about £1,500 (€1,910) to many times more for the largest systems, according to Britain’s Energy Saving Trust – see www.energysavingtrust.org.uk.

integrated systems

Integrated green energy systems for homes hold much promise, according to Anders Sælan. He suggests that homeowners should look into hybrid systems that alternate automatically as needed between heat pumps, solar panels and, in the near future, wind turbines.

Lorentsen describes an integrated green system under development that would use solar, wind turbines and fuel cells to produce and store electricity and hydrogen for alternating use in the home and hybrid cars.

solar heating panels

Homeowners can augment their heating systems with solar heating panels on their roofs, but first call your local municipality, advises contractor Lars Lorentsen. You need to check whether you can connect your home’s heating system to a solar energy system and check the local regulations. According to Lorentsen, a professional energy audit of your home can identify costs, savings, and the compatibility with your current system.

As an architect who advocates the use of green technologies, Anders Sælan has discovered that most homeowners want a house that looks conventional but is also friendly to the environment. For this reason, he suggests designs where slate roofs have integrated, inconspicuous solar panels.

small steps for mankind

Taking a few basic eco-steps when building or renovating is important, says Danish architect Katrin Ragnars of Zoom Architects. Ragnars puts green thinking into practice as one of the architects, contractors and developers involved in an eco-friendly housing development in Køge, Denmark. “We use toilets with the eco-label, put water reducers on taps, use countertop woods from sustainable sources,” she explains. “We also have small windows on the north side, combined with larger windows on the other sides with shades on glass to the south.” For information, see www.fremtidensparcelhuse.dk