Incorporating sustainability into your projects by carefully choosing an efficient design and conscious materials not only will help you reduce energy bills. In addition, it will help your economy, health, and planet long-term as sustainable designs provide resistant, long-lasting, healthy homes.
But how to start? Read the following tips to know how 🙂
Passive House Design
A house with a passive design will make the homeowners (and guests) feel very comfortable. In addition, its conscious orientation to profit from the sun and excellent ventilation will make rooms cool and heat up spontaneously, reducing the energy investment.
Insulation in your walls, floor, and ceilings
The more insulation is incorporated into the walls, roof, and base, the more heat will be retained and the more efficient it will be. Thus, insulation supports saving money on energy bills and making the house more temperature balanced as it will keep a comfortable temperature inside despite the outside weather. Contemplate also using insulation with acoustic qualities; it will help make the house more tranquil and quiet.
Also, double-glazed windows will help to insulate the house, making it cooler during summer and warmer during winter. Finally, if your budget is already pretty tight, you may want to check thermal blackout curtains.
Indoor doors: energy-efficient
Your AC may be finding its way out along the edges of your doors and most probably is overworking in summer… Unfortunately, it means heat is escaping out of your house. Having air-tight doors eliminates those gaps and the extra cost of heat and air conditioning.
Maximise the amount of natural light
Good application and orientation of windows, roof lights, big window doors…will help reduce the need for artificial lighting, hence saving in your monthly bills.
Sustainable materials
Choose environmentally conscious, non-toxic, and long life cycle materials to lower the impact of constructing a house; and, if you can use circular and local materials, the better. Using circular materials originates less debris as it can be reintroduced in the production circle again, whereas local materials reduce the amount of pollution emitted during transportation. It is also essential that the materials are resistant, durable, and recyclable. It means a longer life cycle for your home.
Renewable technology
Swapping regular electrical appliances to renewable technologies like solar photovoltaic panels, wind turbines, or rainwater harvesting will supply clean and free electricity, making the house more eco-friendly.
Energy-efficient tools
Lockable taps
Turning off the taps after usage helps to avoid water wastage. Ensuring that the faucets are turned off after using them avoids the misuse of water, and in the long-term, it contributes to saving on water bills hence increased sustainability.
Energy-saving bulbs in the house
If we replace incandescent light bulbs with LED bulbs, we will employ 75% less energy than incandescent lighting (Source: Arcadia).
Low-flush toilets
Low-flush toilets can significantly help to reduce water wastage as opposed to traditional ones that use 6 liters of water per flush. Low-flush toilets use approximately 4.5 liters per flush (Source E.C).
Programmable thermostats
Thermostats help us to monitor the house temperature, keeping it warmer or cooler when nobody is around.
Monitor sensing lights
Monitor sensing lights will help control the lights when somebody utilises a room and turn them off when there is no one (how many times have you forget to turn the lights off when leaving the house?).
Sustainable paneling materials
Sustainable panels will make the walls appear more attractive (as you can have a wide variety of designs) and durable. In addition, panels suffer more minor scratches and stains than painted walls, so you are giving a longer life to the appearance of your walls.
Hope you have find all these tips, useful and remember, building a sustainable house is not only saving your pennies, it is taking care of the planet’s future resources.
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