A carbon negative home?
Thought I’ll list down all the ways in which one can reduce carbon emissions from a home. This is becoming a hot topic these days, especially with regard to companies trading in carbon credits and so forth. For the uninitiated, one carbon credit is equivalent to one ton of carbon emissions and the price I believe, ranges from around $15 to $20. ITC for one, has made a big brouhaha about becoming carbon negative. But that’s beside the point. The point being that even ordinary homes can try to become carbon negative if they care about global warming. I really don’t know the figures involved here (whether a carbon negative home is feasible or not) and will have to research this much more before giving a clear path for people to follow. Google actually gave me a result of exactly one when I searched ‘carbon negative home’. Amazing. Anyway, that has to wait. For now, am just making a list of the various ways in which carbon emissions can be reduced from our homes.
- Plant trees if you have space. More the better. Needless, to say this is a good investment for the future, if you choose the right sapling (say like teak). Besides that it looks great in your garden apart from the shade.
- Keep some plants indoor if you live in an apartment. When well done, it is quite charming.
- Use a solar water heater. This will actually save you significant amount of money as well, and is fast becoming a mainstream option in the Indian climate.
- Go in for solar lighting.
- Use CFL instead of incandescent lamps.
- Always buy energy efficient devices.
- Get your car to run on LPG. This can also save you quite a bit of money.
- Be kind on the air conditioner (and to yourself) by keeping it at moderate temperatures like 26 than the sub 24 ones. After all, there is no need to live in the Arctic even if it has become Sahara outside.
- And finally the one you mother always told you to do, ‘switch off that light if you are not using it’.
As you might have noticed all the actions focus on one of three things:
- Reducing your indirect emissions (reduce power consumption -> less power is generated -> less emissions)
- Reducing your direct emissions (from your vehicle etc.)
- Increasing carbon intake (growing our green cousins)
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Posted by Williams
on Aug 31 2007 Filed under Environment.
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[...] carbon negative, environment friendly home, global warming, Green home trackback In an earlier post, we had briefly touched upon some activities that one can do in order to keep one’s home as [...]
[...] A carbon negative home? [...]
[...] A carbon negative home? [...]
CARBON NEGATIVE is POSSIBLE … AND ACHIEVED …
My 1979 3250 sq ft (Walkout ranch with 1650 up and 1600 down)home was standard …. it is now WAY carbon negative. It even runs my Plug In Prius … with spare electricity. The main things I did:
1) Insulate – in attic – Cellulose – Cheap – DIY
Solar PV 4600 watts … my utility paid
1.5) Turn Water Heater setting down to mid-warm …
far cheaper than getting solar hot water.
Free DIY
2) 103 CFLs – Now Cheap … DIY
2.5) Add 6 large Solar Tubes:
3 each: 22 inch and 14 inch …$2100
3) Insulate – More in attic – cheap – DIY
3.5) Ventilate Attic – cheap – DIY
4) 95.5 % efficient condensing furnace – $3200.
5) Insulate – Basement Wall cavities with blown
fibergalss – Professional – $889
6) Caulk and seal and caulk and seal. Cheap – DIY.
7) Windows … some the expensive way –
triple glased avveraging $700 each … then
even better I added a Double Pane Vinyl inside
my existing remaining Double Pane Aluminum
.. a $79 conversion … which anyone who is
willing to get a little dirty can do.
$20,700 of the price. US paid $ 2000. I paid
$10,500.
9) Evaporative Cooler – permanently mounted –
A “window Unit” put permanently through the
wall a 3000 CFM … $ 296 total cost – DIY …
my utility than gave me $200 rebate since I
did not install AC and increase their
generation loads at peak times.
My Net Cost – $ 96 for WHOLE HOUSE COOLING.
10) More Solar PV – 2400 Watts – My utility paid
$10,800 of the price. US paid $ 2000. I paid
about $ 4500.
11) Cunningly clever insulation … More.
12) 2400 Watts More Solar PV. … again a deal
with rebates and US incentives.
13) Convert 2007 Prius to Plug in … to use the
spare power … and get above 100 MPG.
As a RESULT … I ma WAY WAY CARBON NEGATIVE … on
my home/museum:
Golden Oldy Cyclery …
“The Sustainable Museum of Sustainable Transportation”
I give talks to organizations with the pictures and details of all of the projects.
Steve
That is really helpful. It gave me several ideas and I’ll be placing them on my blog eventually. I’m bookmarking your site and I’ll be back again. Thank you again!
I’m shocked! Your post has really made me sit back and ponder. I will write about this.
Thanks!