Can big also be green?

One of the largest efforts of the green movement is to ask consumers to reconsider the size of their home. From 1950s to the 2000s the average size of the American home more than doubled from around 1,100 to 2,400 square feet. During the same period of time the average family actually decreased in size.   It is clear that we, as a society, are living in homes that are larger than they need to be. Which translates to a lot of wasted energy.

 

That said, there are still people who, for one reason or another will still choose to live in a large home. And there are certainly efforts that they can make to make their home more energy efficient than a comparable size home.   Here we will look at a couple energy saving steps that a larger home may be able to do better than a smaller one.

 

Solar Energy is most commonly captured via the use of solar panels found on the roof of a home. More roof space = more opportunity to generate solar energy.   

 

If the larger home is built on a large property, there is an opportunity for a geothermal pond.   Geothermal ponds can heat and cool a home year around based on the principal that the temperature a few feet below earths surface stays around 55 degrees.   Through the use of a heat pump, this can mean very little energy is used keeping the house cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

 

Consider cubic feet (i.e., ceiling height).   A large home with towering 22 ft ceilings is very different than one with modest 10ft ceilings.   Keep the ceiling heights within reason and you will see a considerably smaller electricity bill. 

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