Energy efficiency is the buzzword of today and the promise of a better tomorrow. All the best minds around the world are looking for the most efficient ways to harness necessary power without leaving an energy footprint (not to mention a carbon footprint) and these methods have an application in the endless range of industries, businesses and, indeed, private properties. Living a green lifestyle is not only about you, it is also about the space you inhabit. With that in mind, here are five ways to increase energy efficiency in your home.
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Bigger windows
Sunlight is free and, as far as a human individual is concerned, eternal. This is why, if you want to increase energy efficiency in your home, you should use it to your advantage in every conceivable way. This is especially convenient if you live in sunlit cities like Perth. One of the best starting projects for green homes is to install bigger windows, possibly ones that have coverage from floor to ceiling. If your “glass wall” is turned westside, you will have a more efficient influx of sunlight and you won’t have to keep the lights on for long.
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Install sliding panels
However, unless you have bought windows which are resistant to heating up, the glasshouse effect is practically unavoidable and your house can turn into a bona fide furnace, especially in hot and humid places like Australia. This is why you should install sliding panels instead of shutters or automated electrical blinds (you are trying to cut the costs, remember). If these panels are white and installed on the outside, with the mechanical handle on the inside so you can move it, you can close the windows and protect your house from heating up.
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Or go for insulated glazing
Still, if sliding panels appear to be too cumbersome or they simply don’t mesh well with the overall aesthetic appeal of your household, you can rely on insulated glazing. As it has been mentioned before, the new and ingenious energy-efficient technologies and methods are springing up every day and this is surely one of them. It essentially comes down to creating double-pane windows with two or more glass panels which are separated by some sort of gas or vacuum in order to impede heat transfer. You can easily find experts for double glazing in Perth if this works for you, and it is definitely a sound energy-efficient solution for your home.
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Install a cool roof
Houses are not eternal. Every now and then, you need to commit to a large scale housing project and renovate an entire part of your household. Roughly once every two decades, you need to replace an entire roof and, while you are at it, you can opt to install a cool roof – which is designed to reflect sunlight which significantly decreases the influx of heat for your entire household. These roofs are mostly made in the vein of familiar materials such as shingles and tiles, so the aesthetic change won’t be as dramatic as you might think. This is an ideal solution for households in parts of the world that have a consistent warm climate; your steep electricity bills due to constant air conditioning will positively nosedive.
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Exterior paint makes a world of difference
Here’s a way to increase energy efficiency in your home which can easily be turned into a DIY project, if you and your family members have enough time on your hands. People tend to overlook this factor, but the color of your home dramatically contributes to the temperature levels within your house. If you live in a tropical environment or near the beachside, painting your entire house exterior white can be a lifesaver. Bright tones generally reflect the sunrays, so it’s only logical that, should you live in a cold environment, you should stick to the darker tones. If you just take a few days out of your busy schedule to choose the appropriate color scheme according to this simple fact and repaint the house, you are guaranteed to notice the difference as soon as tomorrow.
Most of these home improvements can fall under the category of regular renovation projects, yet if you opt for energy-efficient variants, you will invest in the future, both yours and of the immediate environment. These ways to increase energy efficiency in your home are also sound methods to decrease the cost of your living conditions and other maintenance bills. You will increase the integrity of your home and feel much more comfortable as you will get a better grip on the temperature control in your household and, since most of these ways to increase energy efficiency also add to the overall appeal to the home, enjoy the aesthetic impact of the said changes.