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In this article, we will learn how to maximize natural ventilation to make our homes eco friendly in the Philippines as presented by Paolo Bellosillo of BluHomes. Air is free. However, it is outside our homes. It will enter our homes using natural ventilation. Natural ventilation is the process of supplying air into the home without using any mechanical equipment.
There are three ways to maximize natural ventilation to make your home eco friendly: size of window openings, placement of windows and size of rooms 1. Size of window openingThe bigger the window opening, the better natural ventilation. What is important here is the size of the opening, the part of the window that can be opened. These are the 4 common types of windows being used in the Philippines. Fixed Windows are windows that cannot be opened and are used only for view. These windows do not promote natural ventilation in our homes. Sliding Windows are windows wherein when you open one side, the other side gets closed. When you open the other side, the other side gets closed as well. These windows only have 50% opening and do not really promote natural ventilation. What we need to maximize natural ventilation are Jalousie Windows and Casement Windows. There are windows that, when you open them, have 100% opening to promote natural air to come inside the home. This is the reason why casement windows are used in BluHomes, to maximize natural ventilation inside the home and make it eco friendly. 2. Placement of windowsAnother way to maximize natural ventilation for our homes is how the windows are positioned. These are the 2 common types of natural ventilation for homes: Single-Sided Ventilation is where the windows are placed in only one side of the room. Natural air will still enter the room but you will need bigger window openings. Cross Ventilation is where the windows are placed across each other and is the best for natural ventilation. 3. Size of roomThe third way to maximize natural ventilation in our homes is how big our rooms are. This includes not only the width and length of your room, but the ceiling height as well. The bigger the measurements, the better will air flow inside your home.
In BluHomes, aside from the spacious rooms, the ceiling height is 2.5 meters to promote natural ventilation inside the home. According to EDGE, a certification body that certified BluHomes Maya as a green building, if the size of the room is 10 square meters, the size of the window must be at least 20% of this or 2 square meters to support natural ventilation in the home. This is how BluHomes based the sizes of its window openings. If natural ventilation is well-promoted in our homes, it will be naturally cooler inside. With naturally cooler homes, use of air conditioners is lessened, energy consumption is reduced, and in turn pollution and carbon dioxide emission are reduced, making the home eco friendly. In BluHomes, we believe that we all have a moral obligation to protect our planet for our children and future generations. Our homes must be eco friendly. Learn more about the eco friendly homes of BluHomes at www.bluhomes.ph/ Let's all love nature!
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Discover how the colors of our home can make it eco-friendly. Notice that when you wear white shirt, you feel cooler. When you wear black shirt, you feel warmer. This is because of the science of colors. Light or what scientists call ‘visible light’ is composed of seven colors, like a rainbow.
For example, if light hits the surface of a blue object, what happens is that the color blue in the said rainbow is reflected and goes to your eyes. That is why you see it as blue in color. The other six colors in the rainbow are absorbed by the object.
If light hits the surface of a white object, all colors of the rainbow are reflected and hit your eyes, and you see it as white in color. The white object does not absorb any light. If light hits the surface of a black object, there is no light that is reflected and no light hits your eyes. That’s why you see it as color black. All the 7 colors of the light is absorbed by the object. And because this visible light moves like a wave or what is called ‘light waves,’ the darker the object, the more light waves are absorbed and thus the hotter the object becomes when hit by light. The same is true for our homes. If your home is painted with dark colors, when light hits it, it absorbs more light waves and more heat. This also applies to your roof if it is painted with dark colors. This is why your home is hotter inside. However, if your home is painted with light colors like BluHomes that is painted mainly with reflective white, it reflects more light waves and no heat is absorbed. The same also applies to your roof when painted with light colors, like the roof of BluHomes that is painted with white. This makes your home cooler inside. Because of the light colors of your exterior walls and roof, it will be naturally cooler inside. And because it is much more comfortable inside, your usage of air conditioners will be reduced, your energy consumption will be lessened, and the pollution and carbon dioxide that your home emits get reduced. Most important of all, it makes your home eco-friendly. In this article, we learned how important the colors of your home is for it to have less impact to the environment. We at BluHomes believe that our homes need to be eco-friendly. Let’s all love nature!  We always hear the term ‘global warming’ everywhere, but what is it really in simple terms? What are the causes of it and why do we care?
All around the world, people can feel that our weather nowadays is getting warmer and warmer. This phenomenon is called global warming, the gradual heating or increase in temperature of the Earth’s surface. Scientists measure the average temperature of the Earth yearly, shown in the graph below from www.climate.gov, and data really show the warming of the Earth.  Causes of global warmingGlobal warming is caused by the phenomenon called Greenhouse Effect, where certain gases, collectively called greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, gets emitted from our cars and power plants and stays in the Earth’s atmosphere. When the heat from the sun hits the Earth’s surface, these greenhouse gases trap this heat and causes the warming of the Earth. That is why we want to reduce the emission of carbon dioxide from our cars and power plants. Effects of global warmingBecause of global warming, our ice caps at the north and south poles are melting into the ocean and our sea level is steadily increasing. This is why, in the future, our coastal cities such as Manila and Cebu will be permanently under the water. That is, if we don’t do something to fight global warming. What you can doWe need to reduce our emission of carbon dioxide from our cars. Reduce our use of cars. Use public transportation or do carpooling if possible. Support energy-efficient and low-emission cars.
We need to reduce our emission of carbon dioxide from our power plants. Conserve electricity from our homes. Turn off lights and appliances that are not being used. Limit your use of air conditioners and open your windows for natural cooling. Support energy-efficient or inverter-type appliances. Support eco-friendly products. Our small individual efforts matter - a lot.  CNN reported last June 2019 that “Climate change could pose ‘existential threat’ by 2050.” It means that our children and grandchildren will be having a hard time surviving in 2050. According to the report, in 2050, our children and grandchildren will experience 20 days of lethal heat per year. Sea levels around the globe will rise, sinking some areas in the Philippines that are close to the sea, including Metro Manila and Cebu City. People living in those areas will be displaced. Many families will suffer. These are all due to climate change.
These things might happen in the future because of our negligence today. The good news is that we can do something about it now.
Eco-friendly products are products that have less negative impact to the environment. They use sustainable materials, conserve energy, and have low carbon emissions. They contribute significantly less, if not at all, to climate change. So why do we need to support eco-friendly products? Because we love our children and grandchildren. Because we have high hopes for the future generation. Because we don’t want them to suffer because of our negligence today. And more importantly, because we love the environment and appreciate how it provided us all we need to thrive on this planet. Going eco-friendly simply makes sense.  Native trees are our local trees that have naturally lived and thrived in the Philippines, like the Narra, Kamuning, and Gakakan. Why should we care to plant these native trees instead of the imported ones? Native trees require no water from usSince native trees have been living in the Philippines for thousands of years, they have already adapted to the local weather. We don’t need to water them because they have been living only with the local rain patterns ever since. Native trees require low maintenanceNative trees have already adapted to the local soil and environment in the Philippines. Because of this, they require no fertilizers, no supplements, and no preservatives. We don’t need to trim them or do anything to them for them to live. Compared to imported onesImported trees, on the other hand, are not used to the local weather, local air and local environment. When you plant them here, they will need plenty of maintenance and attention from us. We need to water them daily, some of them even twice a day, in order for them to live. We need to give them fertilizers and preservatives for them to grow. Planting imported trees might not even help in saving our environment, after all. Choose native treesYes, imported trees provide oxygen and help reduce carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, but so do native trees. If you have to choose, plant native trees instead of imported ones. It has much more benefit for our local environment. Native trees need helpAlthough native trees seem to not need any help from us, they actual do. They are being cut down. Their population is declining. People tend to prefer imported ones. Native trees need support from us by helping promote them and by planting more of them. That is why the success of BluHomes is not measured by its income statement or by the number of homes sold. BluHomes measures its success by the number of native trees planted. In every BluHomes development, we commit to plant a native tree on each home and on the common areas to help promote native trees and provide eco-friendly homes.
 There are several ways to cool your home, and one of them is free. That is natural ventilation. It is a way of harnessing the wind that nature provides to your advantage. Here are 5 ways to maximize natural ventilation to cool your home. 1. Open your windows and doorsThe best way to allow natural ventilation to flow into your home is by opening your windows and exterior doors. There is no other way for it to enter.
2. Install insect screenOpening your windows can leave your home wide open for insects. Installing insect screens on your windows will give you peace of mind that insects cannot enter your home and will encourage you to open your windows. You can install insect screen to your exterior doors as well. 3. Install window blindsOpening your windows will allow direct sunlight to penetrate into your home. You can block direct sunlight by installing window blinds. Window blinds are the best window cover for maximizing natural ventilation because its blades can block direct sunlight and the spacing between its blades allows outside air to penetrate. 4. Use casement windowsCasement windows or swing-type windows are best for natural ventilation because they are 100% openable, unlike the ordinary sliding windows that are only 50% openable. These casement windows will give you double the area of opening to allow more air to enter. 5. Plant trees in your yardPlanting trees in your yard, especially in front of your windows, can also help block direct sunlight from going into your windows so that you will not worry about heat coming into your home. Not to mention that these trees can naturally make the surrounding air cooler. As an example, BluHomes Breeze, an eco-friendly townhouse development in Amparo Caloocan, is designed to maximize natural ventilation. All its windows are casement-type windows for 100% window opening, and all are provided with insect screens and window blinds to encourage homeowners to open their windows. The front door and rear door are provided also with insect screens to allow natural air to flow through the home. The front yard is semi-landscaped to encourage homeowners to plant trees. The best part about using natural ventilation to cool your home is that it makes your home eco-friendly. You will use less air conditioners and electric fans, consume less energy, and help reduce carbon emissions to the atmosphere. And that can make your home eco-friendly.
 Your appliances have a secret. They consume electricity even when they are turned off. It is called “phantom load.” These are 6 appliances that typically have unwanted phantom loads and how we can eliminate it to save electricity. 6 appliances that have phantom loads
How do you know if an appliance has phantom load?
When kept plugged, most appliances still eat up electricity even when they are turned off. Notice that when you turn off your appliance and you keep it plugged, there is still some form of light on the appliance. It may be a small red light indicating that your TV, DVD player, printer and scanner are in “standby mode”. It may be a clock showing in your microwave oven. Even though small, these lights still consume a small amount of electricity, and they all add up. How can you eliminate phantom loads?Eliminating phantom loads is fairly easy. When you are not using your appliance, always make sure to unplug them from your electrical outlets. You may also install a disconnect switch, an extension cord with a switch on it, for your convenience so that in one switch, all the plugged loads are instantly disconnected from power. The best way to prevent phantom loads is to install an automatic voltage regulator or AVR. It is more expensive than the ordinary disconnect switch, but this AVR has the capability of preventing electrical surges from your power outlets that might destroy your appliance. However, these AVR and disconnect switch will not eliminate these unwanted phantom loads if you are not aware and mindful about switching them off.
 In this article, you will learn why you feel cooler when you wear white clothes and how this can make your home eco-friendly. Do you notice that you feel cooler when you wear white clothes, but when you wear black clothes you feel warmer? This is because of the science of colors and lights. And we can apply these principles in making our homes eco-friendly. The science of colorsThe colors of the rainbow, the ROYGBIV that we all know from preschool, make up what scientists call visible light that our human eyes can see. When light from the sun hits an object that is color blue, what happens is that the object reflects the color blue that we see with our eyes, and all the other colors of the visible light, the ROYGIV without the B, gets absorbed by the object. The more color is absorbed by the object, the hotter the object becomes. When our eyes see a black shirt, no light is reflected and all the ROYGBIV are absorbed by the shirt, making your shirt warmer. When our eyes see a white shirt, all the ROYGBIV are reflected and no light is absorbed, making your shirt absorb less heat.
Colors affect comfort in homesThe same science applies to homes. A home that is color white reflects all the ROYGBIV and no light is absorb, making the home cooler. A home that is color black absorbs all the ROYGBIV, making the home absorb more heat. The lighter the color of the home is, the less heat gets absorbed and the cooler it gets. Because of our warm climate, cooler homes are what we need in the Philippines. This means that a Filipino home needs to be in light colors for the house to be cooler and homeowners will be more comfortable. This will also make the home more energy-efficient and eco-friendly. Why are light colors eco-friendly?Dark-colored houses can make a house warmer as it absorbs the heat coming from the sun. Because of this, homeowners will tend to use more electric fans and air conditioners for them to be comfortable. On the other hand, light-colored houses can make a house cooler. Because of this, homeowners will tend to use less electric fans and air conditioners. With less consumption of electricity, less energy was generated from coal-fired power plants that use up oil, gas and fossil fuels, and less carbon dioxide was emitted to the atmosphere from these plants. The home becomes eco-friendly because it did not contribute to carbon dioxide emission that is the main cause of global warming. This is why the colors of the façade and roof of BluHomes Breeze are very light colors and mostly white, to make the home eco-friendly. Learn more about this eco-friendly townhouse project in Amparo Caloocan by clicking the link below:
 Nature has its way of cooling your home so you don’t need to rely so much on air conditioners. It’s called natural ventilation. It’s free and is not harmful to the environment. Here are 4 ways how BluHomes Breeze, an eco-friendly townhouse development in Amparo Caloocan, used natural ventilation to achieve a cool and comfortable home. 1. Casement Windows w/ Insect ScreenThe problem with a typical sliding window is that when you want to open one side, the other side needs to close. Only 50% of the window opening will be opened. To take advantage of natural ventilation, we need to maximize the window opening so more air outside will be able to enter the house. That is why casement windows are used in BluHomes Breeze. These windows are 100% openable, and its arms, when fully-swung outwards, can act like scoops for the breeze passing outside to be funneled inside the house. Also, to encourage the homeowners to open their windows, insect screens are provided on all openable windows. 2. Full Screen DoorsAside from the solid wooden doors at the front and rear of BluHomes Breeze, these doors are also provided with full screen doors. These are aluminum doors installed at the front door and rear door that are fully-screened. This will allow natural ventilation to pass through the house, from front to back, cooling the house naturally and taking advantage of the free air provided by nature. 3. Cross VentilationBelieve it or not, no matter how big your window is, air will not pass through your room if it is only on one side. There needs to be an opening on another side for air outside to pass through your room. This is cross ventilation. To maximize cross ventilation, the rooms in BluHomes Breeze are provided with interior windows that are facing the hallway. This will allow air outside to enter from the exterior windows of the room and exit to these interior windows. And, at the highest ceiling of the house on top of the stairs, there are high openable windows for these breezes to exit the house. This allows for natural breeze to move freely within the house to cool it. 4. Attic VentilationThe attic is the area of the house in between the roof and the second floor ceiling. This is the hottest portion of the house because it receives all the heat coming from the roof. In ordinary homes, the attic is not sufficiently ventilated so all the heat in this area will pass through the ceiling and into the house, making the second floor warm and uncomfortable.
The attic of BluHomes Breeze is fully ventilated by providing the roof eaves with slots or holes. This will allow for the heat to exit to the outside instead of passing through the ceiling and into the house. Natural ventilation doesn’t just make the house cooler and more comfortable, it also makes the house eco-friendly. Since their homes are already cooler, the homeowner will be able to use less air-conditioners and electric fans, reduce their energy consumption, lower their electric bills, and reduce their carbon emissions that contributes to global warming. These types of homes are what we need for the future. Learn more about BluHomes Breeze, an eco-friendly townhouse development in Amparo Caloocan, at www.bluhomes.ph/breeze.  In the Philippines, we don’t want the heat outside to go inside our homes. Otherwise, we end up using air-conditioners that consume lots of energy and contribute to carbon emissions that warm the Earth. The way to prevent that is by insulation. Insulation is the process of preventing unwanted temperatures outside to enter through the roof and exterior walls of the house, or what engineers call the building envelope. In the Philippines, this is by preventing heat from passing thought the roof and exterior walls of our house. Here are 4 ways how BluHomes Breeze, a townhouse in Amparo Caloocan, used insulation to make the house cooler and eco-friendly. 1. Super Insulated Roof
BluHomes Breeze uses magnesium oxide roof that is 1/4" thick and has a white reflective film on the exposed side. Magnesium oxide is a type of material that has very high insulating properties. When the roof receives heat of 40°C on its exterior side, it will only be 30°C on the inside, making the house cooler and more comfortable. 2. Insulated Exterior Wall
The exterior walls at BluHomes Breeze are insulated. Aside from the 6” thick concrete hollow blocks, it also has a 1/4" thick magnesium oxide board insulation on the inner side of the exterior walls, same material as the roof. This prevents heat from penetrating through the exterior walls. 3. Light Colors
Same is true for the homes. The lighter the color of the exterior walls, the less heat is absorbed and the cooler the house gets. That is why the colors of the façade of BluHomes Breeze are mostly white with accents of very light colors. 4. Semi-Landscaped
That is the reason why the front yard of BluHomes Breeze is planted with grass instead of concrete, and its sidewalk is made up of perforated paver blocks with grass to reduce the amount of concrete outside the house. This makes the surroundings of the house cooler. Insulating the house doesn’t just make the house cooler. It also makes the house eco-friendly. Since their homes are already cooler, the homeowner will be able to use less air-conditioners and electric fans, reduce their energy consumption, lower their electric bills, and reduce their carbon emissions that warm our Earth. These types of homes are what we need in the future. Learn more about BluHomes Breeze, an eco-friendly townhouse development in Amparo Caloocan, at www.aztala.com/bluhomesbreeze.  |
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