Energy efficiency is often the number one concern for home owners. How can you design a beautiful home that still helps you save each month on your energy bill? Listed below are 15 energy efficient designing tips that will give your home beauty and help you save money.
- Choosing fans over light fixtures.
When choosing fixtures for your home, choose to add fans in each room instead of decorative lighting. Fans can help your home feel cooler and can reduce the amount of energy you use to cool you house during the summer. - Quality bathroom fixtures.
The fixtures you choose for everyone in your house should be quality and efficient. Toilets, sinks, faucets, and other fixtures must be chosen with care. Quality doesn’t always mean higher priced. - Windows placed in the right location.
You don’t want to put a ton of windows on the side of your house where the sun sets. Doing this will cause your home to be harder to cool during the summer. Strategically place window in the right location to keep your home as energy efficient as you possibly can. - Proper window coverings.
Draperies, curtains, and blinds can also help keep your home energy efficient. Choose window covers that will help control the temperature of the inside of your home. Small things like window covering will make a big difference. - Rugs and carpet.
During the winter months, rugs and carpeting can help you home be more energy efficient. They help trap warm air and make your home feel cozy and warm without the extra costs. Home décor is a great way to add in efficiency and style to your space. - Installing a fire place.
A fireplace is a good way to add beauty and efficiency to your home. It will keep your home warm in the winter without the excessive heating bill. It is a great way to add elegance and efficiency to any room in your home. - Ceilings.
The lower your ceilings, the more energy efficient your home will be. Higher ceiling are hard to heat and cool. While high ceiling are more popular and make the home feel more spacious, lower ceiling will help reduce energy costs of the home. - Hot water system.
A tankless hot water system can help you heat and cool water for very little cost. While they may be expensive in initial installation, they will save you money over time. Make sure your hot water system will withstand time and be energy efficient. - Insulation.
How insulated your home will greatly affect the energy efficiency. Choose quality insulation products when designing your home. Insulation that is blown in is quickly becoming the insulation of choice. - Proper ventilation.
Ensure that your home is properly ventilated for the safety of your family. While it may not directly affect the efficiency, it will be helpful. - Roofing materials.
Dark shingles attract heat and cause your energy bill to soar during the summer months. Metal or light colored shingles are the better option when designing a home that is energy efficient. - Skylights.
Sky lights can help add natural lighting to your home during the day. You will use less electricity with light coming in from the ceiling. - Coloring of outdoor walls.
When choosing brick, a light colored brick will help your home stay cooler during the summer months. The lighter the color, the more energy efficient your home will be. - Toned glass.
Tinted or toned glass will help keep the heat out. Choose to add this to the windows where the heat seems to come in the most. - Eaves.
Large eaves on your house will also help block out the sun and improve your home’s efficiency. When designing your home, make sure the eaves are large enough to shade the windows in your home. If you do not have eaves, consider installing window awnings.
When designing an energy efficient home, use the tips above to help you. From choosing the right fixtures to adding eaves to the design, energy efficiency should always be of concern. How energy efficient will your home be? It is completely up to you.
Original Article on Greener.Ideal
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I was so happy to see your post tonight. Not nearly enough attention is given to efficient design and value engineering. I had just written a post on this same topic and we had little overlap. I know that my readers will be happy to see a link to your site in that article for your additional tips.
There are only two items that you posted that, as a design professional dedicated to efficiency and sustainability for over 25 years, I would like to comment on. I’d like to suggest solatubes instead of skylights. Skylights have maintenance and design issues that we’ve found commonly cause leaking in four season climates. They also allow hot air out in winter and hot air in in the summer.
The other thing is #15 above- eaves. While eaves are VERY effective and mandatory on the south side of homes, I caution a blanket recommendation. They need to be designed properly, with solar calculations and engineering considerations to be most effective.
Keep up the good work. I look forward to reading future posts here.
Great tips! Also think about getting new windows, old ones can let your air escape!