There is no single prototype for living green. Lowering energy bills is the best way to increase the long-term affordability of home ownership. Some builders are creating smaller spaces with a luxurious feel or rustic Santa Fe-style adobe homes. The quest to lower electric bills is increasing the outdoor market for solar and wind power.
It is not one size fits all. Being green is based on reducing the carbon footprint. It includes a new solar or hybrid car, solar pool heaters, solar hot water heaters, increased attic or wall insulation, and energy-efficient home monitoring systems to reduce energy use.
Installing solar lights along the driveway is easy and affordable. Solar gates have been used on ranches for over a decade, avoiding costly electrical wiring in remote areas. These solar gates work very well with battery backup.
Water problems are a key factor in ecological living. It requires changing shower heads to those that use less water and replacing old toilets with low-flow toilets. Overhauling old home systems with new solar air conditioning, tankless water heaters, water efficient dishwashers, and solar exterior house lights bring a new modernity to older homes.
California has experienced drought for more than a decade. Electronic metering and remote metering systems reduce water consumption and lower water bills. Native landscaping often lowers water bills in many parts of the world.
Green living focuses on living with less waste and greater energy efficiency. Green homes are optimized for energy efficient appliances, solar heating and cooling systems that use less energy and water. Green building materials can be recycled or natural.
Green energy includes windmills, recycled water for lawns, cisterns to collect water, and/or solar power. It could be reducing water use and rezoning air conditioning systems to react to the smartphone app. Is it possible to use smartphone apps to lower your home thermostat as you ride down the elevator from the office to your car? Many home automation systems control kitchen appliances, light bulbs, water heaters, home thermostats, and pool systems. The best systems offer exterior and interior lights, along with home security systems. Smartphone apps are encrypted and quite secure. Nothing is perfect and hackers can get past the encryption that protects car computers for navigation. Change passwords frequently and never give them to your neighbors.
Windmills and solar farms can seem expensive. These renewable energy systems can be financed. Homeowners can sell excess energy to the local utility company. Windmills have few maintenance problems and can last a century or more.