Energy-Efficient Custom Homes: Benefits and Tips for Building One
Most modern homes are built with energy efficiency in mind meaning their design and materials help prevent energy loss and high energy bills. Working with an experienced custom home builder ensures your house is built with high-quality materials, is energy efficient, and meets your needs and budget. This article reviews what an energy-efficient custom home should include.
Energy-Efficient Custom Home Must Haves
Effective Insulation
A properly insulated home prevents drafts and keeps the heating and cooling energy bills low. Insulation also stops the air and moisture from outside from entering your home. In addition, the proper humidity level helps regulate the temperature inside your home, allowing the HVAC system to work efficiently to maintain a consistent temperature.
Seal Ductwork and Joints Tightly
Joints and ductwork in the home are notorious for energy leaks. They are, however, essential for proper ventilation—poorly sealed ducts leak. Improper ventilation might also result from poor installation and design, which also causes further energy loss. Air leaks and lack of good ventilation cause energy loss making it harder to regulate the temperature in your home. As a result, your HVAC system works harder to compensate, and you will most likely see your energy bills increase.
Energy-Efficient Windows
High-performance, energy-efficient windows help seal out extreme temperatures and keep the moderate temperatures inside. These are higher quality and more expensive windows, which, over time, help provide you savings on energy bills. In addition, energy-efficient windows help keep the heat in your home when it's cold and cool in warmer months.
Ceiling Fans in Major Rooms
Ceiling fans help circulate air throughout the room. They are also used to help regulate and keep a consistent temperature. They help assist cooling efforts but are only a good fit in rooms with high ceilings.
Solar Panels
Solar panels help supplement your electricity usage providing energy savings across the board. Even if you have to use power from your electricity provider, solar panels can dramatically cut the cost of heating and cooling in your home.
ENERGY STAR Appliances
The EPA designed the ENERGY STAR rating system to help homeowners improve their energy savings. When an appliance is rated as energy efficient by this rating system, you can count on that information and be assured that the product is energy-efficient. Energy-efficient appliances don't drain your home's energy system and don't inflate your energy bills.
Smart Thermostats
In an energy-efficient custom home, you get modern technology and building methods. With this, you get the most efficient heating and cooling systems, water heaters, and more. Make sure a smart thermostat is also included in the new home.
If your heating and cooling system runs unabated, this seriously hinders your energy-saving efforts. One of the most common home heating mistakes is not installing a smart thermostat or at least a way of managing heating and cooling.
With smart technology operating the heating and cooling system, the more efficient your system can be. A smart thermostat turns heating and cooling off when necessary and optimizes it according to your home uses and needs instead of running the system endlessly and wasting money.
Hire the Right Builder
An energy-efficient home is easy to build with the right custom home builder. The one you choose should be an experienced builder with a good reputation for delivering quality work and one who will cover all the above tips. With such a builder, you won't have to worry about installation issues, poor construction, or improper sealing causing problems down the road.
Grayson Homes
Are you ready to build an energy-efficient custom home? Contact Grayson Homes today to help bring your dream home to life. Call us at 919-578-6222 and see what we can do for you.