Today, more than ever before, designing an energy-efficient custom home is a priority. New government regulations are making this a priority, and depending on where the construction is being done, you may be required to incorporate certain aspects of green energy into the construction of the home, such as solar roof panels. To ensure you do this properly, we put together some quick tips, but we would also recommend hiring a residential construction project manager or construction consultant to aid you in these design ideas.
Orientation and Layout of Home
When you are designing the home, especially if incorporating solar panels, you will want to make sure certain areas of the home are getting the most sunlight possible while at the same time not adding to your summer cooling bills. You can also harness the benefits of natural lighting, reducing the need for artificial lighting that runs up that electric bill.
High-Performance Windows and Doors
Doors and windows are not the place to start to look to save money. By putting out a little more now, you can and will have significant money in the future. You would be surprised how much energy costs can go up because of cheap windows and doors that allow drafts and are not properly insulated. We suggest windows with low-emissivity (Low-E) coatings as well as doors that are sealed and insulated.
Insulation
Speaking of insulation, that does not stop at your doors. Walls, floors, and roofs all need to be properly insulated to prevent heat from seeping out of the home. Some of the most popular choices for insulation are cellulose, fiberglass, and spray foam.
Sustainable Building Materials
The materials used in building a home will have a direct impact on the energy efficiency of the home. In addition to using materials that can take advantage of thermal mass properties, such as brick, concrete, and stone, consider using locally sourced, sustainable, and recycled materials for the construction of your home.
Heating and Cooling Systems
It is a safe bet that since you are building a new custom home, you will want to have the most advanced HVAC systems in the home. Today’s systems are for more efficient than the HVAC systems that were coming to market as recently as 10 years ago, not to mention the fact you can tie all these systems into your smart home system.
Renewable Energy
As we noted above, some aspects of renewable energy are now commonplace in home construction, especially solar panels. The pushback on this is the upfront costs, but the long-term savings as well as tax breaks you can now obtain for incorporating this into your custom home should help you recover the additional investment in a rather short period of time.
Give Us a Call
Need help with your custom home project? Build Better Now offers multiple services, including residential construction project manager and construction consultant, that can help. Give us a call today at 888-402-4180.