Subsistance living - going green and living 'off' the grid
Subsistence living has been on for the last hundreds of centuries. Subsistence living could be defined as living "off" grid. It is living off what you can grow and make. By gardening and farming you can try to grow your own food. As you become more adept, you can have your very own subsistence homestead where you can have tend to your own herd of cows, or poultry or pig pens. The essence of subsistence living is being independent from commercial produce and the modern trappings of man regarding some forms of technology. Living off grid is a way to prepare for some catastrophic events that could bring about the shortage of man's basic needs.
Then there is sustainable living as another school of thought. Sustainable living is conforming to and adhering to a lifestyle that is fulfilling, satisfying, appealing and at the same time accountable to the environment. With this school of thought, it is alright to buy a car as long as you take it easy on the gas pedal. You do not have to grow your own food as long as you contribute in preserving the resources of mother earth.
Going "Green"
Contributing to the preservation of earth's natural resources and minimizing the harmful effects of man's technology can be done by making buildings energy efficient. A study shows that more than a third of energy produced is consumed by buildings worldwide. This would account for 15% of greenhouse gas emissions globally. In urban cities alone, buildings are accounted for 80@ of CO2 emission. As old buildings were not designed to be energy-efficient they can still be modified by implementing new technologies in their systems to reach an acceptable level of energy saving factor and lessen greenhouse effect. There are varied interpretations of the meaning of a "green building". The common denominator is that a green or sustainable building should be designed, operated and maintained to reduce the overall impact of the building on human health and the natural environment. A "green" building must be able to:
- To use energy, water and other resources
- To protect the health and well-being of its occupants
- To reduce waste and pollution including environmental degradation
Towards a Self-sufficient Building
As more people become aware of the importance of preserving our natural resources, conserving energy and lessening the overall greenhouse effect worldwide, the use of renewable resources, building green roofs and an inclination towards green architecture in designing and constructing new buildings is growing in popularity.
Solar Power
Renewable resources are natural resources that could be replaced by the natural process at a rate that is parallel to the rate of consumption. Examples of some natural resources are: solar radiation, wind energy, tides, and hydroelectricity. Other resources that could be termed renewable as long as its consumption is within sustainable level are: wood, leather and paper. One way of conserving energy in terms of heating, cooling and lighting a building is through the use of solar energy.
Solar radiation can be converted into solar energy by the use of photovoltaic (PV). This is a more direct means of harvesting solar radiation and converts it to energy to use for lighting, heating, cooling and ventilating a building. There are a lot of buildings now that are "off grid" in terms of their electrical supply. These buildings have invested time and money to set up large PV units to gather and harness the sun's radiation and convert it to solar power. There are a few companies who have put up solar plants as an alternative power source. There are building materials that are designed as solar cells for an energy-effective building.
Solar power has a lot of potential to cut energy cost. A large building would have to invest on big-scale PV units in order to be thoroughly off grid in terms of electricity but starting out on a smaller scale could sufficiently be helpful. The use of solar-power in heating water would be a big defining factor in making a building energy-efficient.
Green Roof
A green roof is roof of a building that is partially or fully covered with vegetation. It is also called "living roofs," as the green roof is multi-functional. The green roof can absorb rain water, provide insulation, can serve as a roof top garden, and help in lowering urban air temperature. A green roof can also effectively minimize heat island effect. A heat island is an area (populated or not) that is hotter than its surrounding area.
You have the option to plant fruits and vegetables on your green roof that could lead you towards a partial state of subsistence living. You can set a catch basin to gather rainwater and use it to water the plants in your green garden.
Autonomous Building
The road to an autonomous building has been paved since the 1930s by no less than Buckminster Fuller. The objective of an autonomous building is for it to be completely independent from the services or facilities such as electric power and gas grids, municipal water and sewage systems, communication services and in extreme cases, even roads and transportation systems. An autonomous building has many advantages and one of these is it is highly energy-efficient and therefore cost-effective. An autonomous building is not always environmental friendly as its goal is to be self-sufficient and not necessarily to be a sustainable building. However, since an autonomous building has to some degree a level of sustainability through the use of renewable resources.
One glaring disadvantage is that complete independence is harder than you think. It is one thing to be off grid in terms of utilities but being growing your own food is time consuming and may well be the focus of your daily tasks. Your social life may also be impaired as you build your own cocoon in your autonomous building. The bottom line is, go "green" but don't do to extremes.
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