Building Tomorrow: Designing an Energy-Efficient Home
Energy efficiency has become a hot topic, especially when it comes to buildings. Many people are looking for ways to increase their energy efficiency–especially since that often comes with monthly savings and a more comfortable home.
If you’re designing or building a home, there are several methods, materials, and techniques you can use to ensure your house is as energy efficient as possible. These not only lower the environmental impact of your home, but help you create a more livable space.
Not to mention that renovating and adding onto your home is inherently sustainable. When we reinvest into existing homes and communities, we make those homes last longer and decrease the pressure on green-field development.
At Joy Architecture and Interior Design, we’re passionate about sustainability, so let’s explore some ways homeowners and builders can ensure their homes are more eco-friendly.
Renovating is Green
There are several eco-friendly ways to renovate and upgrade your home. Many of these contribute to monthly savings on your energy bills and a comfier home–that’s a win-win!
Insulation. If you have a historic home, insulation turns it from charmingly drafty to cozy and energy efficient.
Window Upgrades. Single-pane windows were once the norm, but there are more energy-efficient options now. Swapping out old single pane glazed windows for double pane windows improves the performance in multiple ways: prevents drafts, omits condensation which often leads to mold growth, adds a layer of UV protection, and decreases the impact of outdoor noise on indoor experience.
Increasing Functionality Means Increasing Sustainability. While historic windows are charming with their wavy glass and putty profiled mullions, they often are painted shut and inoperable. Upgrading to new, functional windows allows you to take advantage of passive cooling methods in the summer and enjoy a little fresh air now and then.
Learn The Vernacular. Improving or accentuating the vernacular architecture allows you to take advantage of passive cooling methods. These include utilizing covered porches on south and west facades, minimizing large expanses of glass on north facades in the cooler climates, and creating opportunities for stack-effect drafts in the warmer months. Stack effect cooling is often under utilized in modern architecture, but in craftsman style homes, it was created with a front covered porch, a central staircase, and an operable window at the top of the stairs. In historic Charleston single house style architecture, the stack effect came from an open central stair facing a double side porch with large windows and doors facing the shaded porch-side of the house.
Modernize Your Appliances. While many older appliances are still fully functional, they are not the most energy efficient. Upgrading to Energy Star appliances will save energy–as well as money on your electric bills–since they work more efficiently than their vintage counterparts. The same goes for your heating and cooling systems.
Invest in New Heating Methods. In-floor heating is the most effective way to heat in colder climates, the air does not draft or stratify, and the warm floor heats the most temperature sensitive parts of our bodies: our feet! Thus, making us feel much warmer at lower thermostat settings.
Choose Durable Materials. Exterior materials such as fibercement board and brick masonry or stucco are durable exterior finishes that will retain their integrity and last much longer than other lower quality materials such as vinyl.
Quality Over Quantity. When the details of a home are beautifully finished and each space is thoughtfully designed, the space for a family to live in does not need to be so large. Well built homes will not only last longer but will also be valued over longer periods of time, thus reducing the “throw away” mentality of large scale home building trends.
Stormwater Management and Natural Daylight
Sustainable building includes a holistic approach and considers the surrounding area for best practices in stormwater management and natural daylight access.
When it comes to stormwater, you can reduce impervious surface area by adding permeable pavers or grass-grid technology. Raingardens in the site design are also a great way to help absorb stormwater on site. For on-site irrigation, use gutters and rainspouts with rain barrels or cisterns.
Work with landscape designers to select native, hardy, and pollinator-friendly vegetation. This helps the local wildlife and requires less upkeep since the plants are native to your area. Low-maintenance landscaping? Yes, please!
Reduce indoor lighting demands by properly locating windows and doors with glazing for maximum daylight exposure inside the home.
Passive Heating and Cooling Techniques for a Comfortable Home
Passive cooling and heating refers to the strategic use of the sun, insulation, ventilation, window position, and shade to keep your home at a comfortable temperature. To effectively create a “Passive Home” the architecture must be designed specifically to take advantage of the local climate and site conditions.
One of the best passive heating and cooling methods is ensuring your home is properly insulated. Investing in the best insulation for your climate may cost more up front, but it’ll save you money on electric bills down the road. The better your home is insulated, the less you have to rely on your HVAC system to keep your home comfortable. This also reduces your greenhouse gas emissions, making it a win-win for you and the planet!
You should also consider natural light. In addition to being more pleasant overall, the sun naturally warms up any space. Just open your blinds and curtains and enjoy a little free heat! Make the most of the sun by spending time in the rooms that the sun hits most. For instance, if you work from home, set up your home office in the room that gets the most sunlight.
In the summer, closing the blinds and curtains in rooms that receive more sunlight will help keep those rooms–and your entire home–cooler.
Make Sustainable Choices in Your Home Design
At Joy Architecture and Interior Design, sustainability is important. We want to create the best home for your lifestyle and we believe that means making every home as sustainable and energy efficient as possible. Choosing eco-friendly raw materials, energy-efficient appliances, and the right doors and windows can make a huge difference in your monthly bills and quality of life.