Solar Panel Home

Are you interested in making your residence more electricity efficient and green? With rising electricity costs and sky high utility bills, most of us are looking for ways to cut costs and save some money. You can begin right at residence, by making a few easy changes to make your house energy efficient and more eco friendly.

But beyond energy efficiency, there are numerous other vital factors that go into the model of a green home. For instance, water conservation, indoor air quality, and the use of safer constructing materials will all add to a more eco-friendly residence. This applies to new building, as well as renovating and greening an older residence for improvement and sale. Here’s a list of some of the factors to consider when remodeling your house, or buying a green home.

Proper Ventilation – The home ought to have the right number and placement of exhaust fans, proper ventilation, vapor barriers, and duct sealing. A well designed thermal envelope can make the home more comfortable and electricity efficient. Ventilation systems ought to be wrapped and sealed to prevent air loss.

Air Quality – To make the home healthier, safe building materials ought to be utilized to limit introduction of harmful and harmful vapors. For instance, use zero-VOC or no-VOC (volatile organic compounds) paint, and put in recycled, reclaimed, or sustainable flooring prepared from materials that don’t have formaldehyde, such as bamboo or cork. Think about installing physical termite barriers in its place of chemical treatments, where suitable.

Water Efficiency – Think about installing dual-flush toilets, low- flow wash heads, and a tankless water heater, or at a minimum; a more energy efficient Energy Star rated model.

Insulation – One of the top choices a consumer can make is to install added insulation. Use formaldehyde-free insulation. As well, install a radiant barrier on the underside of the roof, where appropriate.

Roofing – Consider metal or cement tile roofing, or durable shingles rated for 40 years or more.

Appliances and Furnaces – Use Energy Star rated appliances. The HVAC (air conditioning) systems ought to have a 17 SEER rating or better, and furnaces ought to have a 90+ rating. The heating and cooling unit size and placement ought to be properly thought out to add to efficiency.

Lighting – Install electricity efficient fixtures. Compact fluorescent light bulbs should be used in place of halogen or normal bulbs.

Windows and Doors – Install double-paned, Low-E windows. Correctly shade windows that face the sun, or install window overhangs. Install storm doors where suitable.

Thermostat Timers – Install a programmable thermostat and hot water furnace timer.

Outside – Think about installing low upkeep materials that make sense for your climate and region, such as fiber cement siding, 40-year shingles, and engineered wood framing.

Landscaping – Eco landscaping considers careful selection of plants, and concentrates on water management. Use green landscape design activities, such as reducing the size of the lawn. Think about the correct placement of trees to help shade the home and reduce cooling costs. Use hardscape materials to reduce weeds and do away with the use of pesticides and herbicides. Use local plants and xeriscape techniques to avoid the need for excessive care and watering. Compost. Install drip irrigation systems and think about reclaiming water.

You may see that from top to bottom, you can look at your whole home indoors and out to look for possible improvements to make it more eco friendly. It’s not too hard to make your existing residence a green residence. By making at least a few simple changes to improve electricity efficiency, in no time you will see the positive results in your utility statements. Plus, you have the extra benefit of knowing that you are doing more for the environment at the same time, and that always feels good.