What Is an Energy Efficient Building?
An energy efficient building is a structure or home that’s energy consumption is reduced but can improve and provide the same services within the building. This is achieved through a myriad of construction methods and home details.
What Are the Benefits of Energy Efficiency?
There are multiple benefits of an energy-efficient building, including:
Lower Costs
Over a course of time the return on investment is large. The economical aspect of an energy efficient building ensures that the operating and utility bills are very low. The energy consumed is much less to provide the same amount of services and so it is very cost-effective.
Environmentally Conscious –
The energy efficiency of a building equals to lower greenhouse gas emissions released due to steps taken to prevent the use of as many fossil fuels to power the building- benefitting the environment for all.
Comfortability
A meticulously designed home that considers the systems, mechanical and electrical components collaborate to maintain and accomplish stable indoor temperatures allowing it to be a consistently comfortable environment.
Enhanced Health
The outcomes related to energy efficiency improves the health of individuals as a result of cleaner air quality and ventilation, less mould, the consistent temperature indoors that improves the well-being mentally and physically. The cleaner ventilation prevents allergens and toxins from circulating in your building and home.
Economic Value
Energy-efficient buildings lower costs have long-term benefits recurring bills, allowing the buildings to last longer increasing its property value as a bonus thus intriguing businesses for investments.
Long-Lasting
Homes and buildings constructed with energy efficient plans in place practice better design techniques that amplify the quality of the home. The design focuses on details such as airways and more to reduce its environmental footprint further allowing it to be more durable and longer-lasting.
What Are the Features of An Energy Efficient House?
1. Airtight Construction
some of the most important ways to make your building energy efficient is the ability to have a well-designed home with air-tight construction and insulation. A major amount of heat and energy is lost through various places of the home such as the roof, windows, any gaps in construction and doorways, uninsulated walls and floors. The ability to control the loss of heating and cooling is extremely effective in energy efficiency.
2. Furnace Consumption
Modern built furnaces available are catered to being energy efficient. The amount of fuel wasted from old furnaces that were made in the 1990s was not made to be cautious about maintaining and reserving energy in the home. A furnace with a newer, more efficient model could cut your home’s fuel consumption drastically is a feature of an energy efficient home.
3. Water System
Insulated water pipelines and fixtures will assist in avoiding energy being drained. Furthermore, heat- on-demand tankers drastically improve the efficiency and is another factor in energy efficient homes as it heats water when needed rather than storing hot water (and therefore wasting more energy).
4. Lighting
Lighting is the third contender behind heating, cooling and water heating for household energy consumption. A way to combat this is through replacing any incandescent light bulbs in your home with more energy friendly light bulbs such as – CFLs and LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes). Using LED lightbulbs and this technique is an efficient way to save energy as they save you more money and energy over time due to their long lifespan.
5. The Surrounding Environment
The orientation of your home can affect the amount of sun let in or lack of it depending on the season, this is an external factor that can affect the heating and cooling of your home. At times the old ways are as yet worth utilizing. Planting trees around your house is probably the most established strategy for improving energy productivity and atmosphere control. In addition to the fact that trees increase your house value, they can likewise assist you with eliminating your costs.
6. Appliances
Machines and appliances can be a huge factor in draining and wasting energy, particularly things like your fridge, dishwasher, and other daily appliances used around the house. Energy Star machines have a long-life span which saves you money in the long run instead of repurchasing new ones constantly. Furthermore, higher productivity machines give a certain amount of protection against energy costs increasing the home value when it comes time to resell.
Which Parts of The House Use the Most Energy?
The heating and cooling of a house usually take up the most energy, followed closely by water heating. Average costs per year starting from 1,000 just for the heating and cooling of a home. Whereas water heating can run you up to 300 a year. With energy efficient homes, you are not only being conscious of your consumption- but you are saving on your household expenditure.
How Do I Test My Home Efficiency?
There are plenty of organizations across all territories and provinces in the country that can help assess your home’s energy efficiency with an energy audit or a pre-retrofit evaluation. These assessments usually include a rating (of your home’s efficiency), along with recommended upgrades to maximize your home’s energy efficiency.
Find a service provider in your area today: https://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/residential/personal/home-improvement/service/contact-advisors.cfm
How Can I Make an Inexpensive Energy-Efficient Home?
- Calculate your energy usage through online calculators or with hired professionals- knowing what to improve in your home is the first step.
- Tracking your energy consumption is integral to cutting down on wastage.
- Lighting is a cost-effective way to cut down on simple energy usage- replacing any incandescent light bulbs with CFLs or LEDs can help in your battle against energy wastage.
- Lowering your water heating to 120 Fahrenheit can help to reduce the energy used for water heating- which, even, dormant, can take up a large part of your monthly bills.
Are Brick Homes More Energy Efficient?
Because of its dense makeup, brick walls can moderate home temperatures more effectively- this is called thermal mass. Due to its thermal mass, brick is more able to absorb heat and prevent it from permeating through your home’s walls- therefore, allowing you to spend less on cooling. Brick is also useful in winter for storing heat in a home and promoting insulation due to its density.