Caribbean Home Builder - Eco-building

How Green Roof Systems Save Your Business Money on Heating and Cooling

nospam@example.com (Terri Henry - Contributor) — Wed, 26 May 2010 20:54:17 -0500

There are many advancements in building materials that assist in
saving money and energy. Though research on this topic was initially
launched for energy preservation purposes, it also helps in saving money
as well as preserving environment.

U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) has determined that nearly $40 billion is spent to air
condition buildings in US, which amounts to one-sixth of the total
electricity generated annually. In order to cut down these costs, EPA
has come up with different roof materials and plans.

Roofing
products should meet two specific conditions namely (1) They must be
reflective, referring to the amount of light energy being reflected away
instead of absorbing and (2) They must have high emissivity, referring
to the quickness of how the absorbed energy is emitted into the
atmosphere again.

By research, it has been found that light colors
are effective in reduction of peak demand for cool energy in buildings.
Normally, the roof system is the heavily exposed part of a building to
sun and it tends to absorb energy, serving as a large heat sink. Hence
based on the color of the roof and its reflective nature, the
temperature rise within the roofing system can be altered. When the roof
is enveloped by a white reflective material similar to a single ply
membrane, plenum air space temperature lowers to 90ºF unlike 120ºF in
the case of dark-colored roofs.

Continue reading "How Green Roof Systems Save Your Business Money on Heating and Cooling"

Green Building in St John USVI

nospam@example.com (Terri Henry - Contributor) — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 18:55:29 -0600

St John in the US Virgin Islands has a reputation of being a natural paradise with two-thirds of the island being preserved as a National Park. Living in harmony with the environment is critical on such a small island which is only 9 miles long and 3 miles wide. To maintain the beauty of the island and its environmental integrity there is a push for private developers and owners to adopt an ecological approach to living on the island.

This year a comprehensive guide book was produced to advise all on all aspects of green living on the island. The contents of this booklet includes an outline of the native trees and vegetation, an overview of eco-friendly building, recipes to make green household cleaners and insights into the recycling and disposal of solid waste.

There are also a range of insightful tips for those who are new to the island and ways that visitors can minimize their environmental impact whilst on vacation. The booklet was produced by the Unitarian Universalist Church Green Committee and can be easily downloaded from their website.

St John also has some “Environmental Guidelines for Sustainable Residential Development” which aim to ‘promote the building of structures on St. John in balance and harmony with nature.’ This PDF guide instructs on all aspects of green building from site planning to the avoidance of light pollution and erosion control recommendations.

Continue reading "Green Building in St John USVI"

A Home from the Earth - Building with Cob

nospam@example.com (Terri Henry - Contributor) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 06:00:00 -0600

I recently went to visit some friends who have built a beautiful cob house in the hills of their Caribbean island home. Cob, which refers to a mixture consisting of earth, clay, sand, straw, and water, is an unusual choice for building materials in the Caribbean. Nevertheless Cob should definitely be considered by anyone looking to build a natural and ecological home.

The major benefits of using cob as a building material, is that it is very inexpensive and relatively easy to work with. Infact this family made their dwelling place themselves and all the children were involved in the process. The mixture can be mixed by hand although in larger projects some people opt to use more mechanical mixing tools.

The beauty of cob is that it is so organic and it can be shaped and developed with curves and bumps that result in a highly unique building. Extra parts can easily be added on to the original building when needed, so it can be a building that grows with the needs of a family. The finished cob building can be left as it is or finished with a range of natural plasters for a smoother and more sophisticated effect.
Continue reading "A Home from the Earth - Building with Cob"

Solar Solutions for Caribbean Properties.

nospam@example.com (Terri Henry - Contributor) — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 06:00:00 -0500

“Love and marriage, love and marriage, they go together like a horse and carriage. This I tell you brother you can’t have one without the other!”

This week I’ve been humming the Frank Sinatra tune above and while the sentiments may seem a little outdated for some, I was reflecting on how some things are just meant to go together. In particular my thought was that Caribbean properties and solar technology were made for each other. I do hope that in the future we will ensure that you can’t have one without the other!

The abundance of sun received by the region is the reason it is one of the most visited destinations in the world. As well as soaking the sun into our bodies we can now invest in more technology that enables us to harness free sunlight energy and use it to power our homes.
Continue reading "Solar Solutions for Caribbean Properties."

Once Is Not Enough – Making Use of Greywater

nospam@example.com (Terri Henry - Contributor) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 07:51:24 -0500

In looking into ways I can green my home I’m exploring the possibilities of using Greywater.

Greywater? I know it doesn’t sound all that appealing does it? Not like something you want to bathe and splash about in! But in light of the precious need to conserve water, the use of greywater can be an absolute essential for eco-living.

Greywater is the water that’s been used in a household for bathing, washing dishes and clothes, and for practical purposes also includes water collected from balconies and paved areas around a home, which can be contaminated with household cleaning products or other contaminants . It is generally not that dirty and much different from blackwater which is from the toilet and needs to be treated completely separately.

In my last blog I spoke about the benefits of using compost toilets which provides a solution to both the creation of blackwater and wastage of water caused by flushing. If however you were not convinced that a compost toilet is your best option you could instead flush with greywater rather than clean potable water and benefit doubly by saving resources and reusing a resource that would otherwise have gone to waste.
Continue reading "Once Is Not Enough – Making Use of Greywater"

To Flush or Not to Flush! – The Benefits of a Compost Toilet

nospam@example.com (Terri Henry - Contributor) — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 10:20:40 -0500

With water shortages and pollution becoming major issues around the world there are many things we need to transform in order to create more harmonious ways of living on the planet. One of the ways we can start is with a compost toilet!

Unfortunately the name and stigma attached makes people think of smelly pit latrines that were a feature of a past they would like to leave behind. But modern composting toilets are clean, efficient and as pleasant smelling as any regular WC.

Composting toilets effectively recycle human fecal waste into usable material that can eventually be used to enhance the soil. There are many options for composting toilets from simple DIY models to sophisticated commercial products. Some use electricity or solar power to ventilate the air and increase microbial activity, thus hastening the breakdown of waste. Waterless composting toilets ensure that houses can remain occupied even when water is shut off for periods of time – especially useful during dry and hurricane seasons.
Continue reading "To Flush or Not to Flush! – The Benefits of a Compost Toilet"