If you are building a new custom home, you don’t have to buy completely into the green movement to have an energy-efficient home. There are plenty of moves you can make here that, over time, will pay off significantly for you. We have quite a few ideas here, so pick and choose what will work best for you and your budget.
Energy Efficient Appliances
This is going to be one of the easiest ways to make your home more energy efficient. Since you are likely purchasing all-new appliances for the home, you might as well take advantage of the rebates that are available and buy high-quality energy-efficient appliances. For some of these appliances, you would be amazed at how quickly you can recover your investment. In some cases, you may have the appliance pay for itself in less than five years.
Washers, dryers, and dishwashers are some of the appliances that can save you significant money every year. For instance, these dishwashers use far less water than their predecessors to clean a full load of dishes and even running it every day can save you money. The Energy Star washers use less energy and water, and the dryers use less energy as well.
Refrigerators and ranges also offer significant savings, not to mention purchasing additional appliances, such as a multi-functional air fryer, that give you an alternative to wasting electricity by using an oven to only cook one or two items.
We might as all include electronics in this category as well, as everything from laptops to printers to TVs are more energy efficient these days.
Energy Efficient Lightbulbs
Lightbulbs, believe it or not, have been in the news lately. There is a new EPA rule about to go into effect that will ban traditional lightbulbs, so you might as well start incorporating LED lighting and CFL lighting now, because incandescent bulbs will not even be available in the near future. In fact, the government has already started issuing warnings to retailers that the expiration date on being able to sell them is coming up, so many retailers are just exhausting their current supplies.
Now, there can be some sticker shock associated with these lightbulbs, but they do last considerably longer than the traditional bulbs most of us have used for decades.
Seal the Home
If there is one area that we highly suggest you invest in energy efficiency, it is your windows and doors. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that the average home loses as much as 30 percent of its energy through windows and doors. Need proof? Stand next to a single-glazed window in the winter and feel how cold it is. When you add those extra layers, it helps keep the outside air out, retaining your heat or air conditioning.
You can also tighten up the house by using insulated doors. And the same goes for doors that have windows that we noted above. Try to get a door that, at the very least, has double-glazed windows.
Use Landscaping
Not every home can take advantage of this, but those that can will be able to save significantly on summer air conditioning bills. And if you live in a climate that is warm all year round, you definitely want to try to take advantage of this. If you have larger trees on the property, have them face the southern part of the home. This will block the sunlight from getting in and provide natural shade, which will keep your home naturally cooler.
These are just a few of the ideas that we have to help make your new custom home more energy efficient. This is yet another area where a residential construction project manager or consultant can help when it comes to designing the home and overseeing the construction itself. If you would like to learn more about construction management services, click here.