The Latest Eco Home Innovations

Luckily for the environment (and for people who like saving money on their energy bills), eco technology is developing all the time. Environmentally friendly technology for the home is no exception and while some of these innovations are improvements of older ideas, some of them are really quite new and surprising. They’re all rather cool though so here are some of the latest eco home innovations:

Living Roofs

Obviously, living roofs aren’t a new idea but there are some very clever modern ways of installing them including using modular units which integrate solar and wind energy generating systems with automatic irrigation systems and basically everything needed to maintain the plants. Buildings in urban areas using systems like this have reported reduced energy costs in heating and cooling, noise reduction and fewer harmful substances in the air where their use is widespread.

Composting Toilets

Not only are these not a new idea, they’re actually a very old one but bringing them into modern homes does require some modern innovation. An important factor for stopping unpleasant smells from occurring is separating urine from faeces as well as having an effective venting system that doesn’t let in flies. Modern composting toilets are designed with all this in mind so people can use them without any worry.

Corn Carpet

Involving no animals but all natural ingredients, SmartStrand carpet is made by making extracted sugar from corn into strands that are woven into a carpet. It sounds rather strange but it does create nice soft carpets apparently.

Biofuel Fireplace

Fireplaces burning bioethanol are so clean that they don’t even need a flue and chimney as there is no smoke to speak of. Bioethanol is made by fermenting the sugar and starch from plant by-products so is very sustainable as well as burning very cleanly.

Castor Oil Insulation

Icynene is an expanding insulation material made from castor oil that can be sprayed onto surfaces very thinly but then expands up to 100 times its volume. It’s so effective at keeping out drafts that it needs to be used with an appropriate ventilation system as it stops air coming in completely. As such, it’s also very effective at muffling noise and has the added bonus of preventing mould from forming.

Intelligent Garden Watering

This innovation saves water rather than energy. A highly sophisticated automated gardening system which connects to the internet to monitor the weather so it can activate a sprinkler system and deliver just the right amount of water needed when it is needed. Clearly, users need to input the size of the area and certain parameters based on how various areas are planted but once it is all set up, it can automatically water gardens using no more water than is necessary.

With so many different environmentally friendly products out for the home, it is hard to know which would be the most appropriate for individual homes so it is a good idea to talk to an expert in this area if you would like to make eco-friendly changes to your property. If you’re planning a major building project, speak to Marc about helping you manage it on 01273 281624 or email info@tatesurveyingservices.co.uk.