Every household consumes energy in various forms to support daily living. Statistics indicated that almost 50% of a home energy is used by its HVAC system (provides heating and cooling services in buildings) while 12% goes into the lighting. When you build a new home or renovate the older one, then you must acquire a number of energy-efficient features and these have been listed as below:
Make Your Home Very Well Insulated
A well-insulated home plays a crucial role in retaining warmth and enhancing energy savings. Proper insulation, in the right quantity, will trap heat in your home and you no need not to pay any unnecessary heating costs.
Additionally, proper insulation enhances indoor comfort by keeping temperatures consistent year-round.
There are wide ranges of insulation options that homeowners place in their homes, but some options are precisely designed for certain areas. Effective methods to insulate your home well can considerably reduce the heat loss while lowering down your heat bills. Discover the following factors to do this in your home:
Roof
Insulating your roof with proper and effective insulation materials is an effective as well as simple method to diminish the heat loss & lower your electricity bills. This is only operative for minimum 40 hours and it pays for itself several times over.
You can use materials such as spray foam, fiberglass, or cellulose to insulate the attic area, which is often overlooked but highly effective.
You can also install solar panels, which not only help reduce heat absorption on your roof but also generate eco-friendly electricity. Depending on your needs, you can choose between On-Grid and Off-Grid systems.
On-Grid solar systems are connected to the main power supply and can reduce your electricity bills significantly, while Off-Grid solar systems are ideal for remote areas with no power access, offering complete energy independence with battery backup.
Floor
By insulating the floorboards on the ground floor, you can cover the gaps among the striking boards and floors to reduce the draughts.
This not only enhances warmth but also minimizes the risk of moisture build-up, which can damage floorboards over time.
Draught-Proofing
It is one of the effective and inexpensive methods to save energy in house. Controlled air circulation helps to decrease condensation, by permitting the fresh air to get in when needed.
Pipes, Tanks and Radiators
You can prevent heat loss by insulating the pipes and water tanks located behind your radiators.
Add More Ceiling Fans
Ceiling fans keep your home cool during summer season with their ‘wind-chill effect.’ In winter season, these fans save energy in the reverse setting by circulation the hot air that rises to the ceiling and blow it back down into the room.
They are particularly useful in open-plan spaces or rooms with high ceilings where temperature regulation is more challenging.
You must install ‘Energy Star’ ceiling fans, as these fans circulate air with 20% more efficiency. The height of the ceiling fan should be at least 8 feet, as the ceiling fans move more air and cool at a lower speed as compared to smaller fans.
Make sure the blades are properly balanced and clean, as dusty or misaligned fans consume more electricity.
Thus, ceiling fans contribute significantly to home electricity consumption, specifically in the countries which have warm climate.
Interchange the Older With New Fittings
Most of the people evade replacing the older CFL bulbs with energy-efficient LED bulbs, because the LED bulbs are too costlier. It is true that the cost of LED bulbs is five to six times’ costlier than standard bulbs. So, why to switch over LED Lighting? The need of hour is for energy-efficient substitutions and LED lighting is one of them and it constitutes of the following features:
- LED lights come with a 5 year guarantee.
- These lights have a longer life span i.e. around 50,000 to 80,000 hours.
- If we compare these lights with the conventional one then LED lights are 80% more energy efficient.
- They are also available in various color temperatures that allow perfect integration with any room’s style and purpose.
Advantages
LED lights have following advantages:
- These lights don’t comprise of any contaminated chemicals and is a very safe type of lighting for your property.
- These lights are recyclable and highly durable.
- These lights don’t produce much heat. This aspect has a great impact on cooling expenses.
Thus, by using LED lights you can reduce at least 60% to 85% in your energy bills.
Diminishes the Exposure to Rays on Sun
Installing exterior shades is one of the easiest and most efficient ways to block heat from entering your space. These can be permanent shades or any other structure that will help in blocking the direct rays of the sun. If you are constructing a new home, position the building of your house in such a way that a fewer windows must face towards the west.
You can also consider reflective films or thermal curtains for existing glass surfaces.
The direct rays of the sun produce the same heat as a single bar radiator produces over each square meter of a surface, but to block 90% of the heat you can use effective shading. By shading the outdoor part of the building, you can reduce the temperature in summer and as a result, you can save a lot of energy. Thus, shading glass reduces the unwanted heat that is exposed by the rays of the sun.
Architectural elements such as pergolas, trellises, or awnings add both aesthetic and functional value by controlling sunlight exposure.
Summing Up
Hence, use the electrical services, as the electricians are experts in handling all the electrical devices and appliances more responsibly, and as result, your home’s energy bills gets reduced to approx… 20%. So, always seek their services before buying energy rated equipment’s and appliances, as these consume far fewer energy than the standard one.
Professional electricians can also conduct energy audits and recommend custom solutions based on your specific energy consumption patterns.