ECO SPECIAL..Get Yourself A Green House

Get Yourself A Green House  Contrary to popular notion, setting up an environment-friendly house is not expensive. In fact, it yields better returns in the long term by saving on your power bills.      While building a house or doing it up, we spend all our time and energy worrying about how it looks. But most of us ignore questions like is it energy efficient, will it cause pollution, or what will be its carbon footprint. We prefer to leave these things for policymakers, big corporates or hotel chains. Also, we tend to think eco-friendly is expensive. That is not necessarily the case, says renowned Bangalore-based architect Chitra Viswanath, managing director of Biome Environmental Solutions. “If you design a house that is energy efficient and uses rainwater harvesting, it will actually provide better returns in the long run,” she says. Follow these steps to make your home greener and more sustainable: The Foundation If you are building your own house, use materials that are available in the surroundings. Biome’s Viswanath uses mud from the construction site itself. Bricks made of fly-ash — the residue from coal-based power plants — are as durable as regular bricks. Similarly, fly-ash cement can be used for most houses. While designing your home, make sure there are large windows that let in natural light and breeze and reduce your dependence on electric lights, fans and air-conditioners. Also, check out whether a flat roof or a sloping roof works best for your region. In our tropical climate, large verandas and balconies are extremely useful. Also, invest in a rainwater harvesting system, which can cost as little as 10,000 for 1,000 litre. Furniture & Furnishings If you are buying a ready-to-move-in flat, it will be very difficult to make eco-friendly alterations to the structure. But you can still do your bit by picking up furniture that are certified environment-friendly. If that is not possible, buy furniture made of recyclable material like rubber or bamboo. Go for furnishings made of natural fibre like cotton or jute. For curtains, bedsheets and other furnishings, opt for fabric with natural dyes. Walls & Fittings Normal paints have volatile organic compounds (VOC) that are toxic. Use low-VOC paints that use water instead of petroleum solvents and, therefore, more environmentfriendly. While choosing fittings for your home, take some time to pick efficient models. Low-flow showerheads and dual-flush toilets use less water. Invest in energy-saving lighting like CFL. Install solar panels that can stand in for electric geysers at least when the sun is shining. Odds & Ends There are many more simple ways to make your home ecofriendly. Grow a garden, especially with local varieties, even if you have just a tiny balcony or a window box. House sparrows are fast disappearing from urban centres. You can do your bit to help these little birds by setting up a nest box that can be bought from Nature Forever Society. Or better still make one on your own — build a box from wood slabs or plywood with a sloping roof and a small hole into which only a sparrow can squeeze in. Turn your vegetable waste into compost that can be used in the garden. Use retractable khas-khas curtains in your balconies and verandas to keep you cool in summers, and save on your power bills as well!

Radhika P Nair ET130202