Energy & Emissions  |  Mar 30, 2011 9:00 AM EDT

Richard is a Justmeans staff writer for the Energy and Emissions category. He is a recent graduate of Western Carolina University in North Carolina where he studied History and Professional Writing. With an interest in the development and application of the latest computer, energy, and fuel technologies, he believes that the world must strive, with the help of these services, to better our societi...

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Home, Sweet Environmentally Friendly Home

ashevilleef1Changing our everyday lives to be greener and more environmentally friendly is, in many ways, just as important as the next big renewable energy policy change on the governmental or national level. Without changes on all levels of society any single change in one area is not likely to be as effective as it ultimately could be when all things are considered. One interesting way that some renewable energy advocates have found to make their own difference is by building houses that are capable of producing more energy than they use.

One example of a house that is capable of such a feat is located in Asheville, North Carolina and boasts an interesting variety of designs that contribute to its overall status as an environmentally friendly home. According to the Asheville Citizen Times, the house, which is owned by a young couple in the Asheville area, is powered primarily by solar voltaic panels that are situated on the roof and are capable of generating roughly 350-400 kilowatt hours per month. Since they are able to produce more than is required to keep everything in the house running the couple is able to sell the extra power to the local energy company.

The rest of the house is designed in such as way as to remove any unnecessary space and to take full advantage of the sun in order to provide temperature control in the home. During the winter, the house was placed in a way that allows the sun's rays to heat the concrete substance used to build the house while in the summer the sun has less of an impact on the house. The home also features a variety of water saving systems in order to ensure that nothing goes wasted.

Asheville itself is home to many communities that are vocal advocates of living on the benefits of being environmentally friendly and giving back to the planet as a whole.

Photo Credit: Alicia Pimental

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