Consider using light-colored reflective roofing materials to reduce heat gain. Building materials can be harmful to the environment in a variety of ways, from the air, water, and land pollution they generate how to make your home more environmentally friendly in production to the energy required to create them. One of the best sustainable home improvements is to electrify your home and disconnect from fossil fuel and nonrenewable energy sources like gas.
Install a Tankless Water Heater
The average eco-friendly home with solar panels, double-glazed windows, and smart lighting can reduce energy bills by as much as 30%. ‘Smart appliances don’t just turn off during times of peak electricity demand – instead, they use subtle ways to shift energy use,’ explain experts at The U.S. Department of Energy. You can choose the most sustainable structural elements, fill your walls and roof with eco-responsible insulation and wrap the entire building in green siding.
Installing Efficient Systems Saves Energy and Cost
In many cases, green technology is about prioritizing renewable energy sources and making those resources accessible to the home now or in the future. “Every home that we build is solar ready; the PV can be installed at the time of the build or at a later date,” says Homa. Being eco-friendly at home means adopting practices and improvements that reduce your environmental impact. This can involve energy-efficient appliances, sustainable building materials, and designs that minimize energy consumption and waste. As homeowners and DIY lovers who want to minimize our impact on the environment, we want to ensure our home projects are aiding in this goal of reducing our footprint.
The Bottom Line: Sustainable Home Improvements
Professional services or even your local utility provider will offer energy assessments to help you evaluate where your home’s inefficiencies are. Once you know where the inefficiencies are then it’s easier to create a plan of action to get the most bang for your buck. Transforming your yard into an eco-friendly oasis is simpler than you might think. Embrace native plants and drought-resistant species that require less water and maintenance, which helps conserve valuable resources while still creating a beautiful outdoor space. Incorporating smart thermostats into your home is a savvy way to boost energy efficiency. Installing a rainwater harvesting system is an excellent way to make your home more sustainable.
Considerations When Building A New Home
Greener Ideal helps you live in more sustainable ways with green living tips, commentary on the latest environment news, green product reviews, healthy recipes, and more. Get access to AI tools to help track your move, transfer services, and save money. The better insulated your home is, the better it is protected from the elements.
- This approach includes using natural light, incorporating living plants into interiors, and using materials that mimic natural environments to create a healthier and more soothing living space.
- Systems like smart lights, smart plugs, and energy management systems allow you to control devices and appliances remotely, ensuring they are only on when needed and thereby reducing unnecessary power consumption.
- Peeling away the layers of past renovations can reveal original features like exposed brick or millwork that can add character to the space with a little TLC.
- We still have some lawn areas with plans for the future to continue to convert them to food or pollinator gardens.
- If you’re shopping for curtains, keep in mind that light colors will reflect the most sunlight from entering your home.
- While energy-efficient doors and windows are a great start, new technologies are upping the green factor with innovations like smart glass.
As a landscape architect, I spent many weeks helping determine the best place to locate a building on a site and there are many factors to consider. You can typically find a local native plant list online from the state websites, extension centers, a botanical garden, or even universities. A quick internet search for “native plant list” along with your city’s or state’s name will usually give you a good place to start. We’re in Missouri, and I love utilizing Missouri Botancial Garden or Grow Native’s detailed info.
- If you’re upgrading appliances and the old one is still in working condition, then consider donating the old appliance.
- These small changes can help reduce water usage and runoff, improve soil health, provide habitat for local wildlife, and provide hyper-local fresh food.
- Homeowners are increasingly adopting systems that provide real-time data on energy consumption.
- During the summer months when you need to keep your home cool, pulling curtains over your windows can ease the burden on your air conditioner.
We also switched our gas-powered hot water heater for an energy-efficient electric heat pump water heater. These of course tend to be larger investments than more standard appliances, but the long-term energy savings make it worth it as well as reducing the carbon footprint by eliminating gas usage. This not only lowers your energy bills but also minimizes your environmental impact. High-quality insulation materials like fiberglass, foam board, or spray foam are effective at sealing gaps and preventing air leaks. Investing in proper insulation creates a more comfortable living environment while enhancing your home’s sustainability over time. Solar is a green, renewable energy and because sunlight is free, once you’ve paid and installed your solar panels, your electricity costs will drastically reduce, and so will your carbon dioxide emissions.
- One option is to install a more energy-efficient mechanical ventilation system that uses fans or heat recovery ventilators to circulate air throughout the home.
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- Considered to be one of the most well-insulated building systems around, SIPS stop unwanted air from exiting or entering the home and even help with indoor air quality.
- Chief benefits include reduced carbon emissions and the conservation of precious natural resources in the age of a climate emergency.
Along with integrating technology into the home, homeowners are interested in alternative energy sources for their personal properties to reduce their energy needs from the local power grid. More importantly, there is no emerging market of new and improved materials made of post-consumer recycled products or by-products of other industries that are used in home construction. Architectural salvage includes both contemporary materials and fixtures as well as vintage and antique salvage, stripped from historic homes or buildings. The raw materials in concrete are either naturally occurring or waste byproducts of manufacturing.