Having spent decades in innovative home solutions for the ideal living standards with sustainability at its core, I am laying down a few simple steps that one can embrace to create a sustainable home. It is critical for people to maintain a healthy & stress-free life by creating the right conditions in their homes.
Home Is, Where the Heart Is
We invest in homes for our comfort and security. We design our homes to make it beautiful, showcasing our taste, and maximizing the comfort of our family. Howsoever, we also need to transform our homes to make it healthy and sustainable.
The process of making our homes healthy and sustainable has to be built into our design right from inception. Sunshine and air are the elements that mainly contribute to a healthy environment in our homes.
Even though both these elements are available naturally to us in plenty, we need to control them to match our level of comfort and health. The control of sunshine is obtained through various modes like awnings, curtains, films, tinted windows, etc. Controlling air, however, is the challenge that is faced mainly when designing our homes and is often ignored.
Focus on the Basics – Air & Water
Our homes and rooms must have cross ventilation built at the building designing stage itself, but it’s challenging on account of high-rise and multi-storey apartments. Closed or tight built houses are a need of the hour, on account of extensive noise pollution, air pollution, and changing harsh climates. We need to use air conditioning to make ourselves comfortable in our homes. As our homes become more compact and face the challenges of increasing noise and air pollution, we are compelled to depend on a diverse range of gadgets and appliances to ensure our comfort.
This gives rise to a situation where our indoor air quality starts deteriorating, making our environment unhealthy. Steps need to be taken when designing our homes to remove stale air and bring in fresh clean air in a controlled manner. To ensure comfortable spaces, it is crucial to provide our homes with the ability to breathe.
This approach enables us to not only create a comfortable living environment but also foster a healthy surrounding.There are various solutions that can be used to introduce controlled and cleanair in our houses such as supply ventilation:extract ventilation, balanced ventilation,balanced ventilation with energy recovery.Therefore, it is imperative for us to prioritize sustainability when designing our homes and selecting the products we use.
Ventilation, the Key to Pure Air
Balanced ventilation involves the controlled supply of fresh air which simultaneously involves controlled extraction of stale air from our house. This enables an equilibrium of pressure which helps achieve a controlled ventilated atmosphere in our homes. All the above modes of ventilation take us towards making our homes healthier. Balanced ventilation with energy recoverynot only makes our homes healthier but also results in creating a sustainable energy saving environment.
Air Conditioning, the Right Way
The moment we talk about introducing ventilation while we condition our homes, we need to account for higher air conditioning loads to tackle the outside air temperature and humidity being introduced.However, should we really condition our homes without fresh air?
The answer is no. We can’t afford to do that as thiswould result in gradual degradationof our health.To achieve proper ventilation and promote a healthier, more sustainable home environment, balanced ventilation with energy recovery is the optimal solution. This approach alleviates the burden on air conditioning systems while effectively maintaining indoor air quality.
A Simple Yet Effective Guide to Water Heaters
Water heating is another important factor directly linked to the well-being and sustainability of our homes.Our reliance on water heating appliances for enjoyable baths, clean dishes, and fresh laundry is significant. However, the process of heating water consumes substantial amounts of energy. Therefore, it is crucial to explore sustainable solutions that allow us to utilize heated water while minimizing our environmental impact.
There are two broad categories of water heating options, centralized water heating and decentralized water heating. Centralised water heating systems is not only unsustainable but at the same time it is unhygienic. The storage of hot water at temperatures between 40 to 60 degrees is a fertile environment for growth of bacteria’s.
Thus, decentralised water heating systems are a sustainable and hygienic way to go, while designing our homes. Amongst the decentralised methods of water heating, the modern tankless water heaters which are electronically controlled should be the preferred choice as this heats up only the quantum of water required at the time of usage, which makes this system the most sustainable and hygienic.
Water Purifier, Make the Right Choice
Another very important element for a sustainable and healthy environment in our homes is water. Sediment filtration of water that is consumed for bathing should be considered in the plumbing design of our homes. The quality of water consumed has a direct impact on our health. Proper filtration through the use of, backwash sediment filters,installed at the point of use, enables us to consume hygienic water for bathing.
This also increases the life and hygiene of our plumbing pipes and all bath fittings which in turn makes our homes more sustainable. For drinking water, optingforon demand fresh water purifiers with natural control of native essential minerals like calcium and magnesium maximises hygiene levels and makes our drinking water tasty and healthy.
Key Takeaways
In conclusion, it is imperative for us to consider and address the aforementioned key factors in order to implement optimal solutions that will effectively transform our homes into healthier, more sustainable living environments. By doing so, we can create a positive impact on both our well-being and the environment, ultimately fostering a better quality of life for ourselves and future generations.
Rajesh Sachdev is the visionary CEO of Blutherm, carries an unwavering passion for energy efficiency and spearheading the low carbon revolution. His expertise has empowered him to deliver an extraordinary array of solutions in the space of water heating, ventilation, and water purification.
His deep-rooted understanding of energy efficiency fuels his relentless pursuit of innovative solutions that go beyond the ordinary. His vision extends far beyond mere business success; it encompasses a profound commitment to leaving a lasting impact on the world.
Inspired by the negligence towards ventilation, Mr. Sachdev has authored the book “The Ignored Element – A Creators Guide to a Healthy Home.” The book sheds light on the importance of proper ventilation in various settings, including homes and large offices. Outside of his professional endeavours, Mr. Rajesh Sachdev indulges in hobbies such as reading, exploring and learning about emerging technologies.