If you were designing a slightly-better-than average new house, what Green- or alternate energy / heating / cooling features or systems would you incorporate?

Geothermal would be a must. I’d want a large, southern-facing Tesla solar roof and power walls, some kind of rainwater storage solution, veggie garden/compost, spray foam insulation.

Geothermal heat pump for heating and cooling.

R-38 insulation in attic

R-24 in outside wall and crawl spaces. If it is a crawl space 6 or 8 mil plastic vapor barrier.

I’d like to experiment with an underground house. All you would see would be the grass and the trees that grew on the ground above it.

It would have the advantage of not needing much heating in winter or cooling in summer and it would be completely windproof. It would be nice and quiet and you could play music as loud as you like without disturbing the neighbours.

Heat pump is a must have.

I’m in Florida. Solar panels for sure. If not solar for electric, then at least solar for water.

I also would have a tank to capture water from the roof to water the lawn if I was in an area that doesn’t absorb the rainfall well. Some parts of Florida the ground is sand and the water goes through the surface really fast and sometimes a well for the grass is a good idea.

I had a radiant barrier when I lived in Tarpon Springs and it was amazing. I had a 4,000 sq ft house with 12 and 10 ft ceilings and and the electric bill averaged $120 a month. We did have gas water heaters and stove. Plus, wanting good insulation too.

I have a AC/heat pump and it works well. My auxiliary heat doesn’t come on much.

Repurposed materials. I like the broken glass countertops, I assume that helps the environment, maybe not in the end, I really never researched it.

I really like the stained cement floors, I saw that a lot in Memphis when I lived there. I assume that uses less materials, they just use the slab already laid down for the house.

@flutherother I could get into that if it was half underground, I wouldn’t want to feel like I was in a basement. As long as one side of the house had windows. As long as the windows were facing the right direction it should still be a very moderate temperature I would think.

I recently read about bricks made out of recycled plastic. That would be nice. My dad invented a steam heating system which would go well (now lost due to building regulations). I would insist on the right amount so insulation for the walls and ceiling. Many housing tracts skim on that. Solar collectors on the roof to help with electricity.

@flutherother
http://www.underground-homes.com/underground-home-plans.htm

@Inspired_2write Thank you

Modern framing and insulation techniques do a lot for sustainability. We have the techniques now to build houses with less wood. with better insulation and better moisture control. These houses require less energy to heat and cool, require fewer resources to build, and last longer, all of which are in the “Reduce” category of the “3 Rs”, which is the superior R.

A lot of green houses in the 70s and 80s used a lot of experimental techniques, with only marginal success, and some epic failures. Houses can be built now with thicker walls holding more insulation, and using less wood than in years past. Windows are significantly better than back then. These aren’t sexy technological advancements, but advancements they are.

That said, my dream home has radiant in floor heating/cooling, connected to a water heater and water heating solar panels, plus a rocket mass heater or other masonry stove. Solar panels for electricity for sure, though I prefer grid-tied at this point in my life.