Combining Green Steel Buildings with Alternative Energy Results in Higher Savings

Steel buildings are naturally a greener choice than traditional structures. The steel used in constructing a metal building is nearly always 100% recycled and recyclable, and since you’re using steel, you won’t be using up non-renewable resources like rain forest trees. They’re easier to insulate and more weather-tight, and require far less maintenance that can add pollutants to the air. When you’re done with your steel building, it can be recycled, or you can sell it, dismantle it and let the new owner reassemble it on his own property.

Overall, steel buildings are a good choice for the environment, but you can make them an even better choice by installing eco-friendly power systems and using alternative forms of energy. Metal buildings are wonderfully compatible with solar and wind energy generation systems, and as the alternative energy industry grows, they get even more compatible.

Solar Panels on Steel Buildings

Every metal building is precisely engineered to meet specific tolerances and building codes. That makes it very easy to specify the best roof angle for solar panels when ordering your building. A solar energy consultant can help you determine what that angle is in your location, and the engineers who design your building can work within the range to create a design that integrates seamlessly with solar panels, which will supply your new building with free electricity, further reducing the cost of ownership.

If you’re in an area with an electric company that purchases excess electricity, you may even be able to make money with your solar panels. Contact local electric companies for information on the possibilities for selling electricity back to the national grid.

In many cases, you won’t even have to engage your own solar consultant. There are a number of steel building companies that offer solar roof options for their steel buildings. But keep your eye on technological advances. Among the products already slated for production are flexible solar crystals that will fit to the curved roofs of many steel buildings and solar paint and solar coatings that generate electricity without the addition of solar panels.

Passive Solar Water Heating

If you’ll be plumbing your steel building, consider a design that incorporates a tankless water heating system that’s powered by the sun. Solar water heating systems are especially popular among the growing number of homeowners who are opting for residential steel buildings as homes. A good structural engineer can design your steel building to incorporate piping under the outer shell of your building and heat your water with the sun’s energy.

If you’re considering steel buildings because of their energy efficiency and their ecological goodness, why not take the extra step and look into fitting your project with solar energy or another renewable energy system?