Sustainable Home Creation: Current and Future Improvements

Current 

Future Improvements 

I stay in the suburban areas of Texas Houston. 

Houston experiences a humid subtropical climate encountering warm summers almost throughout the year (Johnson, 2017). 

Texas is located along the Mexico Gulf with approximately 367 miles of shoreline. This coastal line is prone to the wrath of hurricanes and Tornadoes (Johnson, 2017). 

The location of my home is ideal particularly because of the warm temperatures owing to the subtropical climate. Also, the proximity to the ocean makes residing here exciting since I have a keen interest in marine life and beaches. 

We have to go into the city when we need access to amenities that are mostly easy to access in the city. There is a need to bring these essential amenities closer to people residing in the suburban regions of Houston. 

The infrastructure linking the suburban areas to the city is also in dire need for transformation. 

Water 

Electric power 

Gas 

Reusing water used in the kitchen for gardening purpose and that used for laundry for floor cleaning purposes. 

Since Houston is relatively warm, simple habits such as keeping windows open and ventilating at night and of course, using energy saving bulbs will promote sustainable energy consumption. 

Driving less and walking or cycling to places to cut down on the carbon print ( 12 Ways to Live More Sustainably. (2019). 

What are 3 things that use the most energy in your home? 

Refrigerator- Despite their huge inefficiency in households by preserving perishable consumers, the fridge ranks high in energy consumption. 

Television is potentially one of the most used appliances in my home. 

Tumble dryer -I have been using this appliance since I was young, and statistics indicate that the average family uses it at least 150 times annually 

How can you decrease your energy consumption? 

Check the seals to ensure the refrigerator door closes tightly. 

Sustainable refrigeration habits such as cooling hot meals before putting them into the freezer or refrigeration and labeling foods to ensure one finds what they are looking for fast 

Minimizing the backlight setting on televisions helps cut down on its energy consumption. 

The most basic tip is ensuring that the TV is only powered when someone is using, which will make it more sustainable. 

Plan laundry days ahead, use weather forecasts, and hold off laundry for when it is warm and sunny and peg it out to dry. 

Filling up the dryer to capacity because when it is filled to maximum, it consumes comparatively less energy. 

What are 3 things that use the most water in your home? 

Shower 

Laundry 

Kitchen purposes 

How can you decrease your water consumption? 

Cutting back on the shower periods to minimize water consumption (10 Ways to Go Green and Save Green, 2006) 

Adapting good water conserving practices like ensuring taps are not left running. 

Doing laundry in bulk and avoiding washing clothes daily in smaller portions. 

Adopting water saving habits such as ensuring the tap is not left running if it is not in use. 

Use biodegradable utensils to avoid frequent dishwashing