What are complete self-sustaining households

What are complete self-sustaining households?

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Self-sustainability is a lifestyle that aims to reduce the individual or social use of natural and personal resources. Self-sustainability methods try to reduce the emissions of carbon compounds by changing the mode of transport and use of energy and food. Those who advocate for self-sustainability live lives in accordance with the “ecology of nature”, following its cycles.

Self-sustaining life is an ability and practice in securing all personal needs and needs of households without taking any help or resources beyond that household. It relies on a multitude of skills and knowledge, as well as on the desire of the individual and the community towards autonomy.

“On the spot”

From a socioeconomic point of view, such “bioconstruction” is more profitable than a house built by conventional materials, because raw materials from the face of the place are cheaper while creating the need for more labor. Maintenance costs of these structures are reduced because its materials are natural and adapted to changes in temperature and humidity. Savings in this way of a building are over 35 percent.

Building materials are everywhere. Their transmission from large distances is not environmentally sound, as it requires excessive energy consumption. Building materials must be easily accessible to an ordinary person and their use must have a small impact on the planet’s energy situation. The process of its modeling in the form of use should consume little or no energy.

Thermal mass

In order to maintain a favorable temperature for the lives of people and plants, a self-sustaining house with its construction and materials must be like a battery for energy storage. The materials must be charged and massive to maintain the temperature.

self-sustaining house

Stamina

Wood is organic and biodegradable. It disappears over time, and we have devised a variety of toxic chemical products to “mend” its longevity. In your surroundings, you should look for materials that can last in their nature. Wood is a good material where the mass does not play a role and where it will not be exposed to destructive factors, so it does not need to be secured further.

Resistance

Earthquakes are a major problem in many parts of the world. As earthquakes cause horizontal shifts or chiseling of the structure, highly resistant materials or those with sufficient flexibility to move with these movements are recommended. Fragile materials such as concrete, are prone to cracking and breaking.

How to get a garden on the terrace?

How to get a garden on the terrace?

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In order to have a garden on the terrace, we need to answer several questions, and among the first is – how much space do we have. It can be assessed by anyone, to see if there is room for vertical shelves, or to hang something on the fence. With a good layout, you can plant everything. If you are well organized on your terrace almost everything can be cultivated: vegetables, fruits, spices and medicinal herbs. Vertical gardens are an excellent solution for small courtyards and balconies.

Determine how much sun you have on the terrace

The second thing to determine is how much sunshine you have on the terrace. Not all plants need the same amount of sunlight. This is related to how much heat the selected space receives. On this basis, certain plants are selected. The amount of heat depends on the material of the paved terrace and whether it is closed, open or semi-open. An open veranda is always the best solution, although each has its advantages and disadvantages. If you want to cultivate edible plants, you need to know – vegetables require more sunny hours than other plants. Also, we can not grow them in any kind of pots, they need more care and water.

How much wind is there?

Gareden on terraceThe next thing is whether the terrace is windy, which is important, because the wind can drain the earth and the plants to die, and sometimes it is necessary to water them several times a day. It’s important when the winter comes to know how cold is it because maybe you wish for your plants to stay on the terrace during winters. It is certainly better to choose multi-year plants that can survive outside.

How much attention can you give?

How much attention and care are you willing to provide to plants, is the next question that you should ask yourself. What if you travel a lot, so you will not be able to water them regularly? For a start, buy a dozen plants and see if you like gardening enough.

How to choose the right type of solar system for your home

How to choose the right type of solar system for your home

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There is a whole set of things to account for in order to determine the final price, say the type of solar system, then the position and distance of the object, the type of roof, the need for the grid and construction…

If we assume that we determined how much electricity is spent in the house, it is still necessary to select a type of solar system. Solar panels are used for the production of electricity, which can be connected to a stand-alone system or a network-connected system. The prices of stand-alone systems are higher because these systems use solar batteries to store energy.

The difference between these two systems is that the autonomous systems are completely independent and have absolutely nothing to do with the distribution, while the network systems connect to the electricity distribution network and use it to “store” energy. Therefore, for the installation and operation of a network-connected system, you need to be connected to the power distribution network, and you will continue to receive an electricity bill, only that it will be reduced because you will use solar panels for some or for all of your needs.

But which one is for you?

Now you’re probably wondering which system is right for you? If you are already connected to a power distribution network then your network connected solar system is certainly more profitable, if you are not connected to the electricity distribution network then you should consider installing a standalone system. Also important is the amount for which you want to reduce your electricity bill, so you have an option to reduce the part of the account, or to reduce all of it. You can also start with a smaller system and later expand it. The final price depends on your wishes, but if you are not sure, it may be the best to first reduce your monthly bill to a half.

Solar System

Installation of a solar system

This includes the costs of the assembly itself which is individual for each object and can not be counted as fixed. So the distance of the object on which the solar system will be set determines how much the cost, in the end, will be. The type and orientation of the roof on the building depend on which construction or possible sub construction for solar panels will be used and, of course, the price depends on it. The cost of the installation itself is not large and is usually fixed. But all the other factors are specific for each household and should be negotiated directly with a company you will hire to help you install your solar system.

Why choose wooden ecological furniture

Why choose wooden ecological furniture?

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Wooden ecological furniture is made of solid wood. When finishing, no lacquers, even water-based, are used, but only vegetable oils or waxes. Wooden ecological furniture is made of solid wood. The most common types of wood are oak, beech, ash, and fir.

There are several basic reasons why it’s good to decide on wooden ecological furniture. When creating products, the health of workers participating in various production processes is not compromised. It is especially important to emphasize that, since there is no finishing of varnishes – there are no toxic vapors in the atmosphere. In this way, the environment is already protected at the time of production itself. Furthermore, when it comes to an office or home, wooden ecological furniture is a source of health because it comes from a healthy forest.

wooden furniture

Quality and characteristics of ecological furniture

The product is extremely long-lasting, and in a certain way “saves” further use of a wood raw material. It can also serve as a moisture regulator. After all, since they do not use artificial materials – there are no hazardous radiation and vapors in the room, as is the case with furniture from a chipboard and lacquered media pan panels. Wooden furniture finished with vegetable oils has the possibility of future restoration. In the event of damage, it is very easy to repair it without major interventions.

Eco-design

The design, which is referred to as “eco-design” in this case, has the following task: to shape a natural form into something that we will use on a daily basis. At the end of its life story, wooden ecological furniture is fully recyclable because it is biodegradable, which of course is not the case with furniture from artificial materials. It returns completely back to nature from which we just borrowed it.

Asian origin

Beautiful, comfortable, easy to maintain and move, furniture from bamboo and rattan has been among the most sought after for years, not only for furnishing cafes and terraces but also for decorating your home. Natural materials of Asian origin have many advantages over wood or plastic, and their exploitation does not disturb the ecological balance. Unlike wood, bamboo and rattan are quickly renewed.

Bamboo

Due to the wooden stem, it is suitable for making furniture. Convenient and simple, the products of this material are extremely sturdy, elastic and light so they do not visually load the space. Bamboo is also used to produce floor coverings that are longer and more flexible than many types of wood, while at the same time they look exotic and elegant.

Rattan

This is especially popular for garden sets because it is extremely humid. Rattan is easily shaped and well received, so it can be found in all nuances. It is suitable for making furniture of simple shapes, but skilled masters can create gorgeous forms that capture original beauty. Rattan furniture is easy, so it can be easily moved from one place to another, it is long lasting and resistant to climate change.

Characteristics of organic and permaculture gardens

Characteristics of organic and permaculture gardens

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Organic and permaculture gardens have similarities, but also differences. While organic farming focuses on growing food, permaculture is a much wider concept and permaculture food production is just one segment.

What connects these two gardens is high respect for environmental principles, non-use of synthetic resources, production with the application of natural processes and materials, development of a sustainable agriculture system, rationalization of the use of natural resources, conservation of natural diversity and environmental protection.

Growing food – the same goal

Both gardens have the same purpose – growing food. Precisely in this way of cultivation is the key difference between organic and permaculture gardens. In both gardens, the use of mineral fertilizers and chemicals for plant protection is not allowed.

In organic production there is a smaller variety of plants, sowing or planting is carried out every year. Most of the solutions used in conventional or integral agriculture exist in the organic. Thus, we encounter heavy machinery for soil treatment, irrigation systems, and more. There is a large share of human labor, especially on small surfaces.

Permaculture is a much wider concept of the concept of organic gardens and represents a further approach to nature. In permaculture, all human activity tends to fit into the environment, so that everything becomes a whole. The permaculture garden uses organic and agricultural practices that do not disturb the environment.

The focus on biodiversity

While organic farming involves growing food with a lot of work invested, permaculture agriculture can be called “lazy agriculture”. Permaculture is a focus on biodiversity, perennial plants. This means that this garden should be periodically maintained and that we are not obligated to perform planting every year.

Irrigation systems are not channels or hoses that are the only function to supply water for irrigation. Rainwater is used, lakes are being dug, which aim to provide reserve water, passive irrigation and at the same time use as ponds.

The biggest difference is land treatment

The greatest difference between conventional and integral agriculture and organic and permaculture is in land treatment. In conventional and integral agriculture, the soil is a substrate for crop growth, while in organic agriculture and permaculture the soil is treated as a living organism.

By adding high-quality organic material, the soil becomes more fertile every year, and therefore the need for fertilizers is no longer needed. Land exploitation ceases and works in cooperation with nature.

land treatment

The advantage of natural self-regulation

Permaculture is much more diverse in terms of plants grown. In this garden, a lot of self-grown vegetables and other plants are grown. We can say that the garden is permaculture if there are many self-rooted vegetables and perennial herbs.

In an organic and permaculture garden, “there is no panic” when an insect or some other pest is detected. The advantage is given to natural self-regulation and balance. In the case of plant protection, priority is given to preventive methods, plants are treated with plant preparations that strengthen the resistance and health of plants.