5 Tips for Building an Energy Efficient Home

Are you in the beginning stages of building a new house? If so, we think that’s awesome. There’s nothing like having a house that is customized to suit your individual needs. That said, when it comes to building a new home, it’s important to keep in mind that you can significantly increase your property’s value by making your house an energy efficient one. Aside from the fact that it helps to preserve the environment, it can also save you quite a bit of money when it comes to your monthly utility bills.

So, what are some tips for building an energy efficient home? We have five great ideas for you below:

Consider having an open floor plan. If you take a look at a lot of homes that are considered to be “eco-friendly” in architecture and interior design magazines, you will notice that the floor plan tends to be pretty open. Not only does it provide more space and increase the capacity for light, but it also helps to keep central air well-circulated throughout the house which can keep energy bills down to a minimum.

Make sure it’s well-insulated. Another thing that can help to keep your home energy efficient is to make sure that it’s well-insulated; “green insulation” includes cellulose, soy spray foam or even recycled denim. Aside from the fact good insulation can reduce your annual energy costs by as much as 40 percent, it can also reduce the condensation that will try and develop within the walls of your home and also reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions that are in the atmosphere.

Use “green” roofing and flooring materials. There are some great roofing and flooring materials that are made from renewable items. For instance, you can make your roof from slate, tiles, shakes, metal and even what is known as a “living roof” (where you can seal up your roof and then place planters on top of it). All of these are long-lasting and non-damaging to the environment. As far as your floors, bamboo, cork and linoleum continue to be favorites of eco-friendly enthusiasts (for similar reasons as the roofing options that were suggested).

Install a “green” heating and hot water system. If you consulted with an electric company like ERH Power about what you should do to make your home more energy efficient, they would probably recommend that you get a green heating and hot water system (this applies to energy efficient appliances as well). Any kind of item like these that are manufactured by Energy Star will reduce the amount of energy that you use to heat your home or heat the water that you use.

Put in some double-pane windows. There are so many advantages that come with having double-pane windows. They minimize that amount of outside noise that you hear; because they are thicker, they provide better security; they are low-maintenance and yes, they definitely help you to use less energy to heat your home during the winter and keep it cool during the summer. They can be a bit on the pricey side, but what they save you in electric bills more than makes up for it, so definitely put this on your “must have green things” list.