People are increasingly waking up to the potential of eco-homes as new construction products arrive on the market. Thanks to advancements in sustainable building techniques, green homes are more efficient and easier to build than ever.
As the eco-home market looks to the future, what trends are starting to make their mark on sustainable construction in 2020? In the list below are some of the biggest innovations currently impacting eco-home building, including educational advancements, construction philosophies, and green building tools.
Prefabricated homes will continue to be embraced by homeowners as more companies arrive in the market with their house kits. New property types are arriving that are compliant with LEED or ZNE green building standards.
Because so-called kit homes are built in a controlled manufacturing environment, they often have greater quality control and construction is not affected by bad weather. Over the next decade, expect prefabricated homes to become more popular. They will increase in quality and become more affordable.
While eco-friendly homes were once for people with a dedication to the environment, they are now becoming important for a population that is becoming more environmentally conscience. People want to ease the situation around global climate change and are seeking more energy-efficient homes.
Zero Net Energy homes are starting to trend. If you are unfamiliar with a ZNE property, it is a house that can be self-sustaining and generate its own energy. This includes an energy-efficient building, construction techniques to ensure the home consumes as little energy as possible, and power coming from renewable energy sources like wind and solar.
During 2019, cities around the United States released regulations that require homeowners to disclose the energy rating of the home before they sell it. Other nations are already adopting similar legislation, ensuring homeowners must provide significantly more information about the energy efficiency of their house.
Many regions across the globe are facing a freshwater crisis and governments will be restricting water consumption in many areas. 2019 was the second hottest year on record and there are genuine concerns about the long-term viability of many sustainable water sources. Construction companies are now seeking ways to reduce water usage in the building process.
What You Need to Know About Eco Construction
Construction companies are increasingly looking to embrace environmentally friendly practices into new home builds. For building companies, implementing eco construction techniques is more important than ever, but some organizations still don’t understand what eco friendly construction is. In this article, you can read about the basics of eco building and its various benefits.
What is Eco Construction?
Ecological construction is a building that incorporates elements that are conscious of the environment. This can be either parts of the structure that have environmental benefits or a complete construction that causes no harm to the environment (self-sustaining). The latter is an efficient building that uses renewable energy sources to both build it and then sustain it.
Eco construction was born from the clear fact construction of, and the lasting impact of buildings can be harmful to the environment. So-called green buildings will reduce the impact of moving materials, emissions caused in the construction process, and the management of energy once the building is complete.
Among the benefits of eco construction are:
Notable Features of an Eco Building
Green buildings are based on the concept of combining technology and materials to achieve an environmentally friendly building technique. In terms of materials, this means locally sourced sustainable products, such as pulped recycled paper for insulation. Similarly, timber comes from local harvests in sustainable forests. You may also find green buildings have some or all the following features:
Getting the Building Know-How
Construction companies looking to move into eco construction can get a solid footing by doing some good research. Whether it is online or through contacts in the industry, learning as much as possible about eco construction techniques is important. For example, where to source materials, and how to build in an environmentally friendly way.
Local and federal governments often have details on green home standards that must be adhered to, so it is worth consulting with a government authority local to the building site.
Conclusion
As more homeowners seek to move into sustainability, eco construction is becoming an increasingly important skillset for builders. By embracing green building techniques, both construction companies and homeowners are preparing for a cleaner future.