Happy Friday everyone. As we continue our blog series we follow up on our concept of Spiral Compounding Value Add and will begin to dive into the details of how it really works and the framework it is built upon.
As the title says “Healthy House, Healthy Person, Healthy Planet.” I’m sure you are asking yourself, what is a healthy home?
Healthy homes are living spaces that are designed and maintained to promote the well-being of the people who reside in them. These homes take into account specific indoor environmental qualities (IEQ) factors that include air quality, lighting, noise, temperature, and overall design to create a comfortable and safe environment for residents. The value of healthy homes goes beyond just physical comfort, as it also has a significant impact on a person’s mental and emotional well-being.
One of the most important benefits of healthy homes is indoor air quality. Poor indoor air quality can cause a range of health problems, including headaches, allergies, and respiratory issues. Healthy homes aim to reduce the levels of pollutants and allergens in the air, by using non-toxic building materials, controlling moisture and mold, and ensuring proper ventilation. We can aid this by reducing or ideally eliminating combustion from gas or oil-powered equipment used for heating and hot water generation or power production.
In addition to improved air quality, healthy homes also provide ideal natural and artificial lighting. Adequate natural light and artificial lighting can help improve mood, reduce eye strain, and increase productivity. This includes lighting not just within your home, but also in common areas and parking lots. We all know the “yellow” light or “white light” and I am sure that everyone has been in a situation where the light was just not right. Yellow light during the day or bright white light at night that hurts your eyes. Light color temperature can have different effects on human health, depending on the specific temperature and the individual’s circumstances. Generally, warm-toned light (lower color temperature) has been shown to promote relaxation and sleep, while cool-toned light (higher color temperature) can increase alertness and improve cognitive function. Additionally, exposure to natural light or light that mimics natural light patterns has been linked to improved mood and overall well-being. However, excessive exposure to blue light (high color temperature) from electronic devices at night can disrupt the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle and lead to sleep disorders. Overall, it is important to consider the context and timing of light exposure when determining the potential effects on human health. Take a look around you, what type of light do you have?
Temperature control allows for a comfortable living environment, and good design can create a sense of calm and ease within the home. Controlling the environment to eliminate uncontrolled moisture, and maintain comfortable conditions for working, playing, or sleeping and doing this with the right air-conditioning equipment that minimizes drafts or hot and cold spots within a room.
When you properly design and construct a healthy home by choosing the right materials, the right amount of light and the right space conditioning you create an ability to do it efficiently, reducing energy consumption. This in itself is value. Using heat pumps instead of gas/oil power equipment reduces not only utility bills but the strain on our fragile utility networks creating short paybacks for everyone. Lower energy consumption means you can offset that power with smaller renewable energy systems (again less money spent). These energy systems when combined with battery storage and provide emergency power for the unknown, but ever-increasing impact of nature upon us. Imagine if everyone had small power generation on their property (e.g. micro-grids). The reliance on central utility companies would reduce greatly and the ability to piggyback off each other the value add that compounds and spirals outward.
Overall, healthy homes provide a range of benefits for residents, the community, and the environment. They improve indoor air quality, provide better lighting, temperature control, and overall design, and promote energy efficiency. These elements contribute to improved physical, mental, and emotional well-being, as well as cost savings and environmental benefits. Investing in a healthy home is an investment in the well-being of the residents and the planet.
My concepts are not new and these ideas are proven and executed. What I present is the simplicity in its execution if one stops and restates their objectives and values.
