Sometimes when we dream of building our ideal home we think about a window in the kitchen, a large porch, or a master bathroom. All of these are great ideas for your dream home, but what if we also took into consideration its efficiency? Energy efficiency is becoming easier to manage in new homes. With newer products and the change in understanding the science that goes into them, we can cut down on monthly costs created by poor energy streams. So what can we consider when looking at a green home?
It’s the most commonly known piece of green living. Solar panels take the light from solar rays and turn them into power. The power is stored in a generator, and it is then ready to use and run off of. Solar panels have been known as being a bit of an eye sore, which has veered many a new homemaker from adding them to their homes despite wanting a more energy-efficient residence. Thankfully, they’ve been working on it, and solar panels now come in more styled and well-fitting panels than they used to. Talk with your contractor about how to incorporate them into the design of your home.
Love natural light? Use a skylight! These windows in the ceiling are the perfect way to avoid having to turn lights on during the day. Inner rooms of a home can get dark and need the bulbs for extra light, but with a. Skylight, you can cut back on that need. They are great additions to bathrooms, hallways, and back bedrooms.
How your home is lain out does matter. Ask your contractor about optimizing the airflow of your home. Both the inner airflow while also creating sealed ventilation is going to create a big difference. Making sure your insulation is top tier will also make an improvement you’ll notice.
Maybe you’re looking for energy saving, not in a new home, but in your “old” one. It’s difficult to keep up with a home that is fifty to a hundred years old without fully renovating it. Some changes to make that aren’t installing solar panels or adding skylights are as follows:
Old windows, especially single pains, are drafty and poorly sealed. If you want to save on the efficacy of your home, the windows have to be updated and redone. Newer windows will help trap the airflow inside your home to keep a constant temperature. This is why people tend to put plastic over their windows or keep their curtains drawn in the winter. Plastic traps outside air out and inside air in, and curtains act as insulation.
Add insulation to your floor. If you have an older floor with the basic wooden beams or plywood under the styled flooring of your home, add insulation. The insulation will of course help with temperature control, and thusly cut down on costs.
Keep your furnace up to date. Routine inspections or an updated furnace can help with the efficiency of your home simply by how the newer installation functions!
Update appliances. Just like with the furnace, having an updated washer and dryer, dishwasher, and fridge can help lower costs because they are products created to help homes be more efficient.
Whether you are building or fixing your home, it’s possible to make changes to aid with your footprint and energy usage. If you’re concerned your home just isn’t cut out for an energy renovation, talk with River Valley regarding their homes and what they do to help create energy-efficient residencies. Together we can start building homes that aren’t just good for our families, but good for our planet as well!