What is a Sustainable Home? A Guide to Making Your Home Eco-Friendly and Energy-Efficient
/What is a Sustainable Home? A Guide to Making Your Home Eco-Friendly and Energy-Efficient
A sustainable home is designed, constructed, and operated in an eco-friendly manner. Therefore, it is a home that reduces its impact on the environment by maximizing the efficiency of its energy and water consumption.
Benefits of a sustainable home
Having a sustainable home provides numerous financial and environmental advantages. These include:
Improving indoor air quality
Lowering your carbon footprint
Increasing your property's value
Reducing energy and water bills
Furthermore, it is an excellent investment for the future of our country. When everyone contributes to a more sustainable life, we can collectively reduce the frequency of wildfires, water shortages, and air pollution.
How to make your home more sustainable
Making your home more sustainable is easier than you think. Here are some easy methods to make your home more environmentally friendly:
Re-insulate your property
Over time, insulation can wear down. It can get old, weather damaged, or eaten by cockroaches, making it less effective and energy efficient. Ensuring that your walls, ceiling, and floors are adequately insulated will help you save around 11% on your energy bills and about 15% on your heating and cooling expenses.
Utilize renewable energy
Electricity and natural gas are becoming too pricey for most American homeowners. Additionally, it is detrimental to the environment. By switching to sustainable energy sources, such as solar, you can save around $1,500 per year while positively impacting the environment.
With the increasing popularity of renewable energy, several financing options exist for solar power. You can get them on nearly any budget, with payment options including cash purchases, Power Purchase Agreements (PPA), leases, and loans.
Install Energy Star appliances
You can replace your appliances with Energy Star-certified ones. This label/rating was established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and is acknowledged as a trustworthy label for energy-efficient appliances. These upgrades will cut your energy consumption and utility bills.
Add energy-efficient doors and windows
It would help if you also considered installing energy-efficient doors and windows. These can be indicated by the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC). Similar to the Energy Star rating, the NFRC Certification guarantees that the windows, doors, and skylights feature the most energy-efficient qualities to their standard.
Improve your water management
Water management is an often-overlooked part of sustainable living, yet it is essential for minimizing your environmental impact. Consider installing low-flow shower heads, toilets, and faucets, or even a greywater system to reuse household water for irrigation. It will considerably cut your water consumption and the pressure on local water resources.
Conclusion
Improving the sustainability of your home is a good investment for your future and the environment. It will not only make you more environmentally friendly, but it can also save you money.
If you want to start reaching for a more environmentally responsible future, consider contacting us. We are a residential construction company headquartered in the Washington DC metro area, and we are prepared to make your home more sustainable.
