First of two parts

PLANNING to build your dream house? Have you considered making it a ?green? dream house? If so, then you are on the right track. By building green, you help protect the environment and reap the many benefits of living in a green house.

But what if you can?t afford to build a new house and you are stuck with a poorly ventilated energy-guzzling old house? Can you still do something about it?

If such is the case, then perhaps it?s time to consider retro-greening your house.

What is retro-greening?

Retro-greening refers to the retrofit, renovation or improvement of a house to make it conform to thermal, acoustic and visual comforts while saving energy and improving the quality of life of the occupants.

A common argument that I normally encounter when renovating an old house is, ?why not demolish the house and start building a new one from scratch?? While this may seem to be an easy way out, demolishing existing structures is not a green strategy. It means discarding materials that are already installed and replacing them with virgin materials that consumed energy in their production and transport.

Again, this is not a hard and fast rule. In some cases it is better to demolish and start anew. This is when structural elements are damaged or weak and may endanger lives. Another case would be where the existing structure may not be strong enough to support an additional upper level and expansion.

For the vast majority of houses, though, green-retrofitting is a viable alternative. This includes ancestral homes that are irreplaceable due to their historical value.

What can be done

The first thing to remember is that retro-greening does not necessarily cost an arm and a leg. Forward planning can help keep costs under control if you know what you are trying to accomplish.

? Stick to the basic goals

Green-retrofitting your house aims primarily at reducing your house?s energy consumption. It also aims to improve the indoor air quality with respect to temperature and humidity.

Another important goal is the conservation and recycling of water. The 3 Rs of sustainability ? reduce, reuse and recycle ? apply to both water and materials. Retro-greening can also mean developing the garden or open space around the house to be an eco-garden so it can be a refuge for nature and a good place to have peace and quiet.

? Energy

Let?s start with energy efficiency and conservation. This is one of the fastest ways to retro-green your house and also one of the most tangible ways to see the effects of the improvement in your house. As a result you will enjoy the benefits of lower electricity bills.

Lighting takes up around 20 percent of energy bills. Start replacing your incandescent bulbs with energy-saving compact fluorescent lamps or CFLs. This includes replacing those halogen lamps. Not only are these lamps inefficient in the use of energy, they also give off so much heat that more cooling load is needed to counter their effect. Smart houses use dimmers and motion sensors to provide light only where, when and in the amount necessary. Task lighting is recommended in areas where reading, writing, cooking and other meticulous works are done.

Check your appliances, too. Refrigerators and air conditioners are the biggest consumers of energy in a typical household and are responsible for up to 60 percent of energy cost. We must check maintenance and operation costs before purchasing these appliances by reading the Energy Guide labels to compare energy use and efficiency of competing brands.

Is your house properly insulated against heat? There are many types of thermal insulation that you can use for the ceiling or walls all designed to cut down heat and reduce your energy consumption. If your house is made cooler by insulation, then you use less of mechanical equipment like fans and air conditioners.

For comments or inquiries, email amadodejesus@gmail.com.