Since the dawn of time, when we emerged from the primordial ooze, man has always needed to innovate. First came fire, then came the wheel, then came the shed. The desire for a shed is ingrained in the DNA of a man as deeply as are the colour of his eyes. No matter how big, or for what purpose the shed is intended, we all must have one. In this day and age, saving the world is the order of the day and a shed can give us a place where a multitude of projects can be carried out.
There are a multitude of garden buildings and log stores available at Shedstore and other reputable retailers online. Let’s discuss in this article, four ways you could use your shed to save the planet.
A living Roof
Yes, it is hard to believe isn’t it? Take a look at the image. Living roofs are becoming ever more popular. Not only do they have excellent insulating properties, but you can also grow a small crop up there. To create your living roof takes a few different layers:
- Roofing material
- Insulation
- Waterproof membrane
- Drainage layer
- Water absorbing later
- Growing medium
The obvious caveat to building your own living roof is to ensure that the structure can take the weight. A relatively small amount of wet soil can weigh a lot.
In no time at all you could have your own little vegetable plot or alpine landscape on your own roof.
Water Conservation
Fit good quality guttering to your shed and have two or three water butts, in which to store the captured water. You will save hundreds of gallons of water every year by using your store. If you are very adventurous, would you consider making your own water filter? Using simple materials such as sand and gravel, a very efficient filter can be made. Always be sure to have the filtered water tested before consuming any to make sure it is safe.
Solar Panels
Generating your own electricity from solar energy can be expensive. However, if you can drop on a few second hand panels it is viable. You will need to acquire a charge controller and battery for storage. The rule is that the bigger your roof, the more solar panels you can fit on it. Therefore, the more power you can generate. Soon enough you can be running your garden pond pump and garden lighting for free. You could even be using solar power to pump stored water to your flower beds.
Wind Power
If you are interested in delving into the world of wind power, mounting a turbine on your shed can be a fascinating project to get your teeth into. The turbine itself can be made from a 24v electric motor. When you have carefully crafted and attached the blades, connect cables to the motor and fix it to a pole. Mount the pole on your shed and run the wires inside. Here, you can have one or more batteries that store the energy provided by your turbine. As with the solar charging, you will need a charge controller to regulate the electricity to your batteries. Turbines can produce a lot of power. Raise it as high as practicably possible to catch as much wind as it can.
Sheds are great. The possibilities are endless. Using your shed to recycle and reduce your carbon footprint is just the beginning. Once you have perfected your systems there is no reason why you couldn’t scale them up to install in your home. Then you can begin saving money on those utility and water bills. That can only be good.