From using one-off fuel sources to employing renewable energy sources and installing ordinary windows to invest in insulated glass windows, home construction trends are progressively shifting towards building green and eco-friendly.
We will discuss some practical ideas for designing an eco-friendly and energy-efficient home in this blog. Follow along to effectively lower your carbon footprint on the planet.
Typically there are two ways of making your home sustainable and attractive.
- One – By building the home on energy-efficient grounds
- Two – By choosing eco-friendly appliances for everyday use.
We will touch both areas, so let’s dive in.
What is a Sustainable House?
An eco-friendly or sustainable house is one that is built on the grounds of reduced energy consumption and demand for non-renewable sources so that it has the least negative impacts on the environment. The general practices include employing renewable energy sources, making the home airtight, well-insulated, and healthier for the inhabitants. Building an eco-friendly home not only reduces the harmful effects on the environment but also helps save big bucks in the long run.
5 Ideas to Design an Eco-Friendly and Energy Efficient Home
You can make your home energy-efficient by making some sustainable design decisions in the construction phase. We will shed light on some of the most effective ideas for making the home green.
1. The right location does wonders
Choosing the right location is the first step in making the home energy-efficient. Proper location and orientation influences the solar heat absorption and thus your energy consumption.
Make sure to consider different orientations before finalizing your home layout. Consult the experts and position your house to maximize the passive solar heat. A passive solar home usually has a considerable number of south-facing windows.
This window orientation is very effective in collecting the sunlight and heat which, in turn, reduces energy consumption. Optimize the energy needs by incorporating large windows facing within 30 degrees of the south in your sustainable home design.
Experts claim that you can save up to 40% to 90% of the heating and lighting expenses by choosing the right home orientation and location. So it’s worth your time!
2. Use natural resources to regulate proper temperature
Nothing can be better than using the power of nature to regulate the perfect temperature within your home.
Large south-facing windows are super-effective in maintaining an ideal home temperature in the colder regions. However, what if you live in an area where summer heat hits the top charts?
Well, you can still make the most out of your passive solar home by employing some simple tricks.
As we all know that in summers the broad-leaved trees are in full-bloom, therefore, you can leverage some deciduous plants to keep your home from overheating. Plant them near the south-facing windows to function as a heat barrier. In severe colds, these plants lose their leaves, thus, allowing the solar heat to effectively pass through and warm up the home.
Sunshades, awnings, and roof overhangs can also be used to block excessive heat.
3. Insulate the home, PROPERLY!
No matter how much we invest in home sustainability, we can never achieve the effect if the home is not properly insulated.
According to the experts, an uninsulated or poorly insulated building loses around 40% of its energy which is a huge step back in energy conservation. So make sure to close all the openings and penetrations in the walls to maintain a suitable temperature inside.
There are a number of energy-efficient insulations; blown-in insulation, insulation batts and rolls, fiberglass insulation, foam board insulation and spray foam insulations are some of the most popular ones. Spray foam insulation is the most energy-savvy insulation out of all the insulations. It prevents energy loss even from the nooks and crannies. You will reap the benefits of home insulation for decades so it’s worth the money.
4. Get the best return by investing in insulated glass windows and doors
Do you know that the elements you incorporate to bring more natural light and energy in can be the very element that contributes to energy losses the most? Well, that’s actually a fact!
Glass windows and doors are employed in passive solar homes to allow more light and heat in. However, glass windows and doors can actually be the point of energy loss if the right glass is not used. The ordinary glass allows light and heat to come in but cannot hold the energy inside. Therefore, insulated glass is used in windows and doors to retain the energy.
Insulated glass is composed of two or more glass panes (according to the level of insulation you want). The glass panes are separated with a vacuum or inert gas. The vacuum or gas-filled interlayer is responsible for restricting the heat transfer. The insulated glass windows keep the cold air inside and don’t allow the outside heat to flow through the house in the summers. Thus, reinforcing the home air conditioning system. While in winters, the insulated windows and doors keep the hot air from leaving the interior. Thus maintaining a perfect temperature inside the house. Insulated windows and doors effectively lower the utility bills by reducing energy consumption so investing in insulated glass is a win-win.
5. Switch to energy-efficient lighting
Lights are a must-part of our home interiors. Although we consider the bulbs and lights in our homes to be little devices that do not affect the energy utility significantly. However, the converse is true, actually! The lights in our homes make up at least 14% of the total electricity bill which is a whopping number for such small devices.
However, thanks to state-of-art technology, you can effectively save on the home lighting system. Energy-efficient bulbs are extensively available in the market that consumes very little energy as compared to conventional bulbs. Moreover, energy-saving bulbs offer much more durability than incandescent bulbs. So make sure to replace your ordinary lights with energy-efficient ones!
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Final words!
Making your home energy-efficient is super easy now. The masses are more inclined towards making sustainable choices now. So companies are working towards launching more and more energy-efficient appliances. There are multiple choices for the homeowners now. Make the right choices, invest in energy-savvy ideas, make your home energy-efficient, and contribute towards the betterment of the environment. We owe it to Mother Nature!