Why Should I Care About My Home's Carbon Footprint?
Are you looking for new energy-efficient ways to build or renovate or wondering why you should even care how much of a carbon footprint your house has? Whether it is residential or commercial properties, building with the latest energy-efficient techniques means creating buildings and homes that cost less to run by using much less electricity and gas. And not only have improvements been made in the last decade on energy efficient building technology but the materials are often much more aesthetically beautiful than a slab of concrete or a wall of bricks.
Energy-efficient homes mean they cost less to run by using less gas and electricity. And whether the cost of living is the driving reason or wanting to build without making a large carbon footprint the end result is the same. Less of a carbon footprint and less cost of living expenses.
Energy efficiency is critical for several reasons, including reducing carbon emissions and saving money on energy bills. Residential homes are responsible for a significant amount of energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. By improving the energy efficiency of homes, we can reduce our carbon footprint and save money on energy bills.
Is It More Expensive to Build Energy-Efficient Homes?
Conserving energy is good for the planet and good for people's hip pockets. Sometimes building with more energy-efficient building materials may cost more than traditional steel and concrete but the day-to-day cost saving for the homeowner makes up for it. Take for instance rammed earth built homes. They cost more to build than a traditional timber or steel framed home. But they are so much more energy efficient than most rammed earth homes and don’t need much heating or cooling. The rammed earth walls thermal mass is such an insulation barrier that the temperature inside the home is not greatly affected by the temperature outside the home. Plus the lifespan of rammed earth homes is much greater than traditionally built homes. Making them much more energy efficient as they will not need more building materials used for renovations etc.
Energy efficiency is critical for several reasons, including reducing carbon emissions and saving money on energy bills. Residential homes are responsible for a significant amount of energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. By improving the energy efficiency of homes, we can reduce our carbon footprint and save money on energy bills.
How Can I Make My Home More Energy Efficient in The Planning Stage?
Technology improvements in building material to be much more energy efficient is not the only advancement either. Orientation of the home is critically important to how energy efficient a home will be. Planning the home to take advantage of its local climate and orientation to the sun means again less reliance on heating and cooling. For colder climates facing living spaces in a northerly aspect will take advantage of the sun's natural heat. Speak to your local council as they often have great advice on building orientation in their area.
Why Should I Care About My Home's Carbon Footprint?
A home that has a lower carbon footprint benefits your wallet as the home uses less energy to run, and remember you pay for energy. So the less your home uses the less you pay! By making your home more energy-efficient, you can reduce your energy bills significantly.
Energy-efficient insulation for instance means the home requires less heating and cooling. Not only saving money but giving your home a lower carbon footprint. Plus it's been found to be very good for resale value as a lot of buyers look for this point of difference when deciding to buy a home. So the money you spend on the energy rating of your home can be added to the resale value.
Not Building And Want To Make Your Existing Home More Energy Efficient?
Insulation
Adding insulation to your walls, floors, and roof space is one of the most effective ways to improve the energy efficiency of your home. Insulation helps to prevent heat loss during the winter and heat gain during the summer. Look for an insulation material that is rated high for energy efficiency as that correlates directly to the savings on the cost of living and carbon footprint.
Upgrading the insulation of your existing home is a great way to make an immediate impact on your carbon footprint and lower your bills. can be used in homes are
Windows
Replacing old, inefficient windows with new, energy-efficient windows can also help reduce energy loss. Energy-efficient windows are designed to prevent heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer. If you have single-glazed windows you can double the energy efficiency of the windows by installing double-glazed windows. And there are also companies with new technology that can retrofit existing single-glazed windows to have the energy efficiency of double-glazed windows. So It does not need to be a major renovation.
Upgrading Appliances
Upgrading energy-efficient appliances, such as refrigerators, dishwashers, and washing machines, can also help reduce energy consumption. Yes, you will be spending money but again the electricity and gas bills will be lower. A budget-conscious way is to replace a large appliance every year. And research for any groups that collect the old appliance for charity or repurposing.
Solar Panels
Solar panels save the average household $1000 per year on bills. The average cost of installing solar panels is $5000. So after 5 years the payback period is done and everything you save is profit so to speak.
Roof Painting
Paint technology has improved vastly in the last decade and you can buy roof paint that absorbs more than half of the sun's UV rays keeping your home cooler in the hot summer weather. Which again means less use of the air conditioners.
Australian Households Make Up 24% of The Nations Overall Electricity Use
The environmental impact of typical construction often takes people by surprise. At least one-fifth of Australia's greenhouse gas emissions, or about 18 tonnes per family annually, are produced by households.
However, depending on where you live and how you live, that figure might increase to 30 tonnes or more. Additionally, Australian households account for 24% of the nation's overall electricity usage. Without a doubt, how we design and maintain our built environment has a significant impact on the future of our world.
Australia is at 18 out of the 25 leading world economies for performance in adopting and carrying out energy-efficient standards and technologies, but thanks to a growing understanding of our collective carbon footprint, new home builders and renovators are in a prime position to bring about positive change. Australia is moving towards an eco-friendlier future.