Energy Efficient Homes

Energy Efficient Homes- The Basics

Thinking of building energy efficient homes?

In these challenging times, building energy efficient homes will not only have a healthy effect on your bottom line over the long term, it will also have a significant impact on environmental protection and resources conservation.

Designing energy efficient homes is easy - for the architects and builders, that is - with their advanced design software and wide array of choices when it comes to energy-saving innovations.

But here's the thing. If you want your new home to be both energy-efficient and something you'll be quite thrilled to live in, you have to be involved in this process. Choose an architect or new home builder with a proven track record or experience in designing green buildings. Having a reliable professional work for you makes the design process a stress-free stage in building your energy efficient homes.

Ask your architect what his plans are to ensure that energy loss in the building would be minimal during the winter and cold days. Pay attention on his or her plans to insulate your home. More than half of heat loss occurs through under-insulated walls and windows. A poorly designed ventilation system could also contribute to massive energy loss.

The structure's orientation is also extremely important. Marcus Vitruvius Pollio (born c. 80-70 BC, died after c. 15 BC), known as "the first architect" has advocated since antiquity to use nature and existing wind patterns to provide natural ventilation to a house as well as to provide natural protection against the cold in winter. A north-south orientation (large windows in the south, small or no windows in the north) combined with excellent insulation is deemed to be the most practical arrangement in reducing heat loss.

Even if you're not a trained architect, conceptualizing your energy-efficient home to get the most or at least, adapt to existing weather and climatic conditions while minimizing investment on high-end insulation and ventilation technology, could be an exciting challenge. The possibilities are limitless, if you put your mind to it.

What if instead of spending money on trying to insulate every square foot of exposed surface in the new house, you make use instead of the stable temperature of the ground and have a home built with half or two-thirds built below ground level. Or, instead of having expensive glazing installed in your windows, what if those windows open to a shady part of the house like a covered deck, or porch?

If your current home is poorly insulated, and you have no plans to rebuild or move in the near future, you can still implement some low-cost measures to improve insulation. Start with the obvious channels of heat loss - the doors and windows. You can choose to have your windows layered with transparent low-emittance (Low-E) coating that minimizes the passage of thermal radiation from the house to the outside (during winter) or from the outside into the house during the hot sunny days. Draught excluders help too, so don't forget installing these. Wall insulation is also necessary, you might want to have external (on the outside), internal (in the inside wall surfaces) or cavity (embedded) insulation material installed.

Solar systems and Boilers

What type of boiler do you have in your house? Chances are, if it's old (10-15 years) it's diffusing a lot more energy than you're actually able to use. Replacing your old boiler with a more efficient one that could convert 88% fuel to energy will clearly make a significant impact in your budget. If replacing your old reliable is not an option at this time, you'll still be able to realize some savings and energy efficiency by thoroughly insulating your pipes and water tank.

If you're still not harnessing solar power and you can afford it (costs are somehow rising, despite new tech breakthroughs) go ahead and have those solar panels installed. Installation is easy and there's generally no need to rewire your house, the installers will use "inverters" attached directly to your main breaker and utility meter. Since you will be connected to your town's grid, this means that you will pay only for the electricity from the grid, if your solar panels aren't producing enough juice.

Lighting

Your home may be quite energy-efficient as far as insulation goes, but you'll get a failing grade if you haven't taken care of your lighting. Consider this: an ordinary incandescent bulb consumes 300% more energy than a compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulb. CFL bulbs are markedly more expensive than your traditional bulbs, but the savings you'd get from efficient energy consumption and longer lifespan will more than cover the difference.

These are just the fundamentals on building highly energy efficient homes. In the context of tough economic times, dwindling resources, and environmental conservation, it's by far, the best way to go.