According to Handy, creating an eco-friendly and sustainable home allows you to reduce your carbon footprint and negative impact on the environment, and also allows you to enjoy better energy efficiency which helps to reduce your monthly energy bills. Although constructing an eco-friendly home can be more costly, it is worth it in the long term when you consider the positive effect on the environment and the amount of money you will save in the long term.
Tips & Tricks
Here are a few tips you can follow to create an eco-friendly home:
- Use eco-friendly energy-efficient appliances – One of the best ways to ensure that your house remains eco-friendly is to only use modern appliances that are labeled eco-friendly and have a high energy star rating. These include refrigerators, washer-dryers, dishwashers, water heaters, and more.
It is also recommended that you install a programmable Wi-Fi thermostat since these enable you to monitor and control the heating and cooling system in your house remotely and adjust the efficiency as required.
Additionally, you should also invest in smart LED lighting systems since these are much more energy-efficient than CFL bulbs and have better durability too. Additionally, you can control the brightness and color temperature of smart LED lights with a smartphone app.
- Use sustainable building materials – In order to build a truly green home, you need to use materials that are eco-friendly and sourced through sustainable means. Thus, every part of your house from the roofing and insulation to the walls and the flooring should be environmentally friendly.
Thankfully, there are a lot of eco-friendly building materials available nowadays including reclaimed wood, bamboo, linoleum, cork, and more. And, contrary to popular belief, many eco-friendly materials such as recycled linoleum and bamboo are much cheaper than hardwood flooring which takes years to grow.
It is also recommended that you use eco-friendly paint on the house walls that are devoid of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These include water-borne and plant-based paints labeled as ‘VOC-free’.
- Improve the water efficiency – Installing a rainwater harvesting system during the construction process can enable you to collect rainwater and store it in a water tank for later use for supplying water to the sprinkler systems for garden maintenance, plumbing, and toilets.
You can also install low-flow plumbing fixtures in toilets, showers, and faucets since they are more water-efficient and can enable you to save up to 60 percent more water.
- Use solar energy – Installing solar panels can be expensive at first but they can allow you to save much energy and money in the long term. And, since solar energy is a form of renewable energy source it is green energy that is not harmful to the environment.
Handy suggests you consider installing a cool roof since it can help to reduce the overall energy consumption in your household. Unlike traditional roofs, cool roofs reflect the sunlight instead of absorbing it and are great for reducing the load of air conditioners during hot weather. It is also recommended that you insulate and airtight your house properly.