Santa Cruz Eco-Friendly Homes: What makes a home Eco-Friendly?

Nestled along California's Central Coast, Santa Cruz is a city whose very existence is characterized by an Eco-friendly mentality. Whether it's current efforts to add a desalinization plant to provide water, or the community's interest in green power sources, Santa Cruz is one of many communities across the United States that has inspired Eco-friendly behavior in its citizens.

There is probably nowhere easier for people to take environmentally positive steps than between the walls of their own homes. So what does it mean to have an Eco-friendly home? We'll discuss the materials used in home construction, the energy efficiency of a home, and the construction techniques relevant to Santa Cruz real estate that make Santa Cruz homes, Eco-friendly homes.

Location, location, location

The location of a home can be the single largest factor in the amount of energy used to maintain the home. Homes in extreme climates will require more energy to maintain comfortable internal temperatures. Additionally, homes in extreme climates will require more maintenance than homes in moderate climates. This added maintenance consumes resources and energy further increasing the energy consumption of homes in extreme climates. By contrast, homes located in mild climates such as Santa Cruz will use less energy to maintain a comfortable internal temperature. Because of the mild climate along California's central coast, homes in this area require less energy for heating and cooling. The cool ocean breeze that comes in every afternoon mitigates afternoon heat associated with many other parts of the nation during the summer.

Built smarter, maybe by accident

Current green building techniques involve facing homes to the south to take advantage of the sun for natural heating. In California our climate is generally warm enough that many times the only temperature issue we face is cooling our homes in the summer. Because many of the homes in Santa Cruz are situated to face the west, the brunt of southern afternoon sun falls on the southwest portion of the home as opposed to the western face of the property. Generally this results in slightly lower internal temperatures. The orientation of the home combined with the onshore afternoon breeze in Santa Cruz mitigates the need for running air conditioning.

Green construction and furnishing in Santa Cruz

Up until recently Santa Cruz enjoyed having two dedicated Eco-friendly materials providers for construction and furnishing. Despite the economic hardships that have curtailed spending in many areas, you can still get everything you need for your Santa Cruz eco-friendly home at Greenspacecompany. By having a local green building materials provider, Santa Cruz contractors and residents have access to ecologically friendly paints, plaster, flooring, counter tops, sealers, and landscaping supplies. Operating an Eco-friendly home is just one aspect of going green. Choosing to use ecologically friendly materials in the construction of your home will ensure that every aspect of your residence makes a minimal impact on our environment. Each of us individually can make a difference, eventually our leaders will follow.