Building a house is an expensive affair. An eco-friendly or green home is considered pricier than a traditional house but it eventually pays off, Even so, you can build an eco-friendly home on a budget, provided you are free to make certain changes in your lifestyle. All you need is the backup of a reputed green home builder, a bunch of ideas, and the will to take on some upfront costs towards a better future. Here are seven sustainable home ideas that you can incorporate into your home.
Make your Main Rooms Face North
Your home orientation can serve dual purposes. Since most homes are rectangular, the long side of the house should face north or south since the east or west receives the most light. This will ensure the sun’s heat passes through a narrower area and doesn’t hit you directly. Secondly, you can design windows and avenues for the light to come in without the excess heat in the house by using double-glazed window panes.
Pick Out Energy-Saving Appliances
Switching to a green home means making some changes with regard to lights, bulbs, and appliances that run on electricity. To reduce your carbon footprint, it is crucial to bring down energy costs and you can do so by swapping old-age bulbs and energy-hogging appliances with energy-efficient ones. Almost all appliances have Energy Star ratings that will help you understand what amount of energy you can save.
Set Up Solar Panels
No checklist of sustainable home ideas will be complete without a mention of solar panels. Solar panels harvest the solar radiation from the sun and convert it into clean energy that you can use to power your house. Setting up solar panels on the roof can be expensive and requires an upfront fee, however, it all boils down to maintenance and minor repairs and your solar panels will produce more electricity as it goes.
With solar panels, you can produce electricity in the day and utilize it in the nighttime too. You can even return unused energy to the grid so you are charged for lesser units utilized. Pair it with energy-saving light bulbs, fixtures, and other appliances and your energy bills will be drastically reduced.
Insulate Your Homes
A well-insulated home will essentially trap the heat or the cold air inside the house and refrain it from escaping outside. Since it works in both hot and cold climates, insulating your home reduces your carbon footprint as you will be using a minimal amount of energy to keep your home cool or hot. Sealing off vents, holes, doors, and windows will essentially enhance the effectiveness of the insulation.
Opt for a Light Shade of Paint
Neutral and light colors, such as white, tend to fend off the heat while darker colors absorb more heat. Simply painting the rooms and the exteriors with lighter color shades will reflect excess heat and regulate the energy expenditure during the summer.
Install Ceiling Fans for the Summers and Winters
Opt for ceiling fans that can run both clockwise and anti-clockwise. During the winter, fans running anti-clockwise will keep the rooms warm while clockwise rotation during summer helps regulate the circulation of cool air.
Ensure Cross Ventilation
If you are building your home from scratch, it’s time to think about cross ventilation in case you live in a hotter region. The placement of windows ensures less consumption of energy to cool off the rooms, which translates into lower energy bills. No doubt it is one of the most practical sustainable home ideas.
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