How are we staying environmentally friendly?

When we first decided to tackle this job of building a house, we decided that having environmental science being part of this class would be very important. Making sure this house in environmentally friendly and sustainable is one of our top priorities, and here is how we are doing just that.

SIPS Panels: We have decided to use SIPS panels to build the main structure of our house. SIPS panels are structurally insulated panels made out of an insulted layer of rigid core, sandwiched by two layers of structural board composite. These panels will help us reduce the footprint we leave after the house is finished. We wont have to use materials that would typically have a negative effect on the environment. The SIPS website reads,

"The major components of SIPs, foam and oriented strand board (OSB), take less energy and raw materials to produce than other structural building systems. SIPs are also fabricated in a controlled environment, allowing for greater efficiency than site-built framing. The NAHB estimates that the construction of a 2000 sq. ft. home produces 7,000 lbs. of waste. SIPs have the ability to drastically reduce the waste generated during construction by using advanced optimization software and automated fabrication technology to ensure the most efficient use of material."

https://www.sips.org/green-building/green-building-with-sips

Recycled Materials: In hopes to save money and reduce our environmental footprint, we are using repurposed wood, as well as getting donated materials from people throughout the valley, to build the floor of the house. We are hoping to get started on building next week.

Solar Panels: We have acquired 18 used solar panels from Sage Brush Solar for our project. The capacity of each individual panel was 150 wats and now overtime have gone down to about 130 watts each, which means that total we have 2,340 watts. To power a normal tiny house it takes usually 2,000 watts meaning we now have enough power. We are hoping that the power generated from the solar panels will help offset the power used during the building process and make the overall process more eco friendly.