When creating your dream home, you may be among the millions of planet-loving people who prioritise energy efficiency. Today, energy efficient custom homes are as aesthetically pleasing as they are pleasing to the planet. This is thanks to a wide choice of smart features, all designed to make your custom home more energy efficient, while looking beautiful and saving you money too. In this article, we’ll look at some of the most interesting and effective energy-efficient features for your custom home.
Improving your insulation
This may seem like a simple one, but cooling can be responsible for up to a quarter of your energy consumption. In fact, according to The Australian Government – 60% to 85% of all heat loss is due to inadequate wall and ceiling insulation and air leakage within homes. The first step to reducing your energy consumption is to ensure your home has proper insulation. Instead of investing in a larger or more efficient heater or aircon, upgrade your insulation and you’ll get all the benefits of climate control, without all the energy costs. Sustainability Victoria offers an in-depth guide to improving the insulation in your home.
With tech performing as many tasks as it does today, there’s no surprise that it can help us make our homes more energy efficient. The most energy efficient homes employ several clever pieces of technology to reduce their energy usage. One of the most effective examples is a smart thermostat. Having a heating and cooling system that features a smart thermostat will mean that your system can monitor and adjust your home’s temperature automatically. This means you’re spending much less energy heating up a cold home from scratch, because maintaining the temperature requires much less energy over time.
Another clever piece of technology that you see in most energy efficient custom homes is smart lighting. These systems regulate the light within a room using a dimmer. They can also be scheduled to turn on and off, eliminating the chance of you leaving them on when you go out.
Start outside
Having an energy efficient custom home starts outside. You may not know it, but your home’s landscaping directly impacts its energy efficiency. Well-placed trees will keep you cool in the shade when you’re in the garden, but will also let that much needed sunshine warm up your home in the winter months, meaning you won’t need to use your heater quite as much. A line of trees on a boundary wall may also shield your home from wind, which will also help maintain the temperature within your house in the colder months.
Show your true colours
This is an unexpected point when it comes to energy efficiency, but the colour you choose for your home won’t just improve your mood, it’ll also mean you spend less on energy. Lighter coloured paint options reflect light better, leaving a room much lighter, so you’ll need less lighting in the room, resulting in less energy used. Another interesting fact is that light colours used in rooms and external walls reflect heat, while darker colours absorb and retain it. Because our region is slightly cooler, choosing a darker colour is going to help you keep your home warmer.
On track with energy
Our last tip is one that puts the power in your hands, quite literally. There are many energy usage tracking apps available that let you track your energy usage live and in real time, so you always know if you’re on track. You could even set an energy usage goal for the month, and use your app to track your progress towards achieving it.
Energy efficient dream homes
There are so many ways you can create an energy efficient custom home, and the benefits are just as endless. By making use of just a few of the energy efficient features in this article, you’ll be doing your part for the environment, and you’ll be saving hundreds of dollars on energy.
If you’re looking for a partner who has helped their clients build energy-efficient custom homes exactly as they imagined them, get in touch with Enso Homes today. We offer a superior level of quality, as well as years of expertise and independent quality assurance on every job.
