Did you know that homes are the most significant contributors to our global cumulative carbon footprint? Your electrical system, insulation, and even water usage are some of the critical factors. We all want to do our part to keep our world habitable for the next generations. So, how can we make our homes sustainable and eco-friendly?
5 Home Projects for Sustainable Living
There are home projects you can do to reduce your carbon footprint drastically. Some of these may significantly change your lifestyle and how you look at your individual impact on the environment.
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Solar Panels
Investing in solar panels can significantly decrease your household’s electricity usage. The cost of solar panel installation has steadily decreased by over 70 percent in the last decade, making it more affordable and accessible to people. Having solar panels on your roof is one of the simplest and best ways to reduce your carbon footprint immediately.
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Air Sealing
Air sealing entails inspecting your home to identify possible leaks and patch them up to save energy. It cuts heating and cooling costs by about 15 percent, so it’s cost-effective.
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Climate-Friendly Yards
Green (as in environmentally-friendly) grass is an excellent addition to your landscape design. Climate experts say that planting native grass species in your yard reduces water usage and improves the local ecosystem.
Native grass also requires less maintenance, so not only can you redecorate your lawn with different flowers, grass, and trees, you’ll also be saving money! You may also choose weeds, shrub beds, flower beds, moss, and clover instead of grass.
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Passive Solar Home Design
If you’re doing major remodelling, you can redesign your home in a way that the layout adheres to the sun’s patterns of light and heat. This design reduces heat and electricity, especially for those living in warmer climates.
Making use of your home’s location, climate, and materials helps you minimize energy use. There are several ways you can do that, such as:
- Having windows that are within 30 degrees of true south and not blocked in the summertime.
- Using materials that gather thermal mass, such as tiles, concrete, and brick stone. They help absorb heat from sunlight and warm air.
- Planning a layout that considers how heat flows through the home, including radiation and convection.
- Taking advantage of roof overhangs, vents, thermostats, blinds, and insulating shutters to control passive heat going into the house.
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A Smart Home
Smart homes are the current hot trend in home construction and remodelling. When you have a smart home, all your appliances are interconnected and remotely controlled from your phone.
A smart home drastically reduces energy consumption now that you can turn lamps and light switches on and off from your phone. When someone isn’t using a room, you can simply turn off the light. Some homes also have motion sensors so that when you leave a room, the light automatically turns off.
Long Story Short
Creating an eco-friendly house has been one of the most common home trends in the past years. And why not? We all want to reduce our carbon footprint and encourage more people to live sustainably. If we have the option to help the environment, why wouldn’t we take that chance?
Sustainable living is at your fingertips with BMR Homes. We provide home restoration and remodeling in Homewood, Alabama, by focusing on reducing your home’s carbon footprint. We are restoration experts that provide environmentally friendly and cost-effective solutions to modern homes.
Begin your eco-sustainable journey with BMR Homes! Get in touch with us today and let us know how we can help.