As a engineer,i think that a cost inefficient project is a failure.
If a "eco-house" saves you about $100 x month (electric bill) but the initial cost of this house is over $20k (over the price of a regular house) then green house will become economically inviable project.
Plus, to self generate electricity have some hidden cost, for example maintenance and battery replacement.
The environmentally friendly and sustainable option is rarely the cheapest.
The point is that it pays off in the long term by improving society's quality of life. It would be cheaper to just urinate on the side of your house and dump your trash out of the window than bother with bagging and relocation and recycling and the like... for a while anyway.
Ground water pollution, poor air quality, ozone damage, wildlife impact, depletion of natural resources, and other such hazards do have real measurable costs associated with them as well. The only difference is thinking in terms of decades instead of years and that society as a whole is fronting the bill instead of you as an individual.
@magallanes Ask someone that bought a house 15 years ago how much it cost. Then ask them how much electricity and water costs.
While the costs of the house won't change over the next 20 years the ongoing costs of running it will definitely go up. What may save you $100/mo this year may save you $200/mo in 5 years.
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As a engineer,i think that a cost inefficient project is a failure.
If a "eco-house" saves you about $100 x month (electric bill) but the initial cost of this house is over $20k (over the price of a regular house) then green house will become economically inviable project.
Plus, to self generate electricity have some hidden cost, for example maintenance and battery replacement.
@magallanes
The environmentally friendly and sustainable option is rarely the cheapest.
The point is that it pays off in the long term by improving society's quality of life. It would be cheaper to just urinate on the side of your house and dump your trash out of the window than bother with bagging and relocation and recycling and the like... for a while anyway.
Ground water pollution, poor air quality, ozone damage, wildlife impact, depletion of natural resources, and other such hazards do have real measurable costs associated with them as well. The only difference is thinking in terms of decades instead of years and that society as a whole is fronting the bill instead of you as an individual.
@magallanes Ask someone that bought a house 15 years ago how much it cost. Then ask them how much electricity and water costs.
While the costs of the house won't change over the next 20 years the ongoing costs of running it will definitely go up. What may save you $100/mo this year may save you $200/mo in 5 years.