Building an energy-efficient home starts with a commitment to reduced emissions and a desire to create homes that are healthy, safe, and practical for ordinary families. We all recognize the importance of reducing our carbon footprint and while we may not be able to stop burning fossil fuels like oil and coal, we can learn to live better lives by using energy efficient home construction methods and materials. Two paths to meet your energy efficient residential construction goals exist, and both bring about an efficient, durable home that you’ll enjoy for many years to come! First, let’s look at how you can go about meeting your energy efficiency goals without a commitment to reduce fossil fuel emissions. This option may not appeal to you because it doesn’t involve any of the changes described above.
Recommendations for Energy Efficient Home Construction
You can achieve greater energy efficiency through following the recommendations found in “The Energy Star Guide to Net Zero Energy” which is published by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The guide advises builders to implement certain processes, such as the incorporation of energy efficiency improvements into the homes designs and construction techniques, improving air quality throughout the house, including improved insulation, venting and air conditioning, eliminating or reducing the use of unvented and vented spaces, the reduction of waste gases, including the use of low-emitting sources of air conditioning and heating, and more. If you would like to meet your energy efficiency goals, but aren’t quite sure how, then you might want to consider a home construction company that has completed projects with the EPA as an option. These types of companies typically receive credits for the improvements they make to a home, rather than actual building credits.
Solar Energy in Energy Efficient Home Construction
Now let’s take a look at how we can go about meeting our energy efficient home construction goals by adding solar energy incentives to our efforts! Utilizing solar energy incentives can reduce your electricity and gas bill costs by up to 30%! When it comes to solar energy incentives, the benefits are highest for those homeowners who choose to purchase solar cells to use as their primary energy source. For this reason, many people who have access to a lot of sunlight prefer to install active solar heating and cooling systems on their roofs. Unfortunately many homeowners never get around to purchasing a solar power system. There is no reason why this should be the case, especially if you can hire a reputable roofing contractor to install them!
Are Solar Panels a Good Option For You?
With the recent interest in green building, and the need for “going green” in general, many people are wanting to know if solar panels can be used as part of a complete energy efficient home construction project. The simple answer is yes – solar panels are often used in both the construction of a new home, as well as retrofitting of existing homes. There are a few things that must be understood about solar panels before deciding whether they are right for your home. A solar panel’s system is designed to collect solar energy and convert it to electricity using photovoltaic cells (solar cells are chips that use photovoltaic effect to change the amount of light energy received by the semiconductor particles into electricity). If your home uses more electricity than it needs, or if your gated community or residence is located in an area that receives very little sun, you might want to consider purchasing and using a solar power system to offset your energy needs.
Why Are Homeowners Interested in Using Solar Panels?
Many homeowners are also interested in solar panels due to the tax credits available to them for energy-efficient home construction and installation. As more people are able to take advantage of the incentives provided for new construction and retrofitting of existing homes, the cost of these projects is becoming less expensive than ever. Many homeowners may also qualify for federal programs that provide financial assistance for energy-efficient home construction and installation. These programs have helped to make building a new home more affordable for homeowners and could ultimately save you thousands of dollars over the life of the loan.
Conclusion
One of the most important benefits of using renewable energy resources is that they will greatly reduce the impact your household or condominium has on the environment. Building a home that is “green” will help the environment – and this in turn will increase your property value, lower your monthly utility bills, and most importantly, increase your peace of mind. In addition, your home will be contributing towards an overall decrease in greenhouse gas emissions, which will in turn benefit our health and the environment.