With the serious threat of global warming increasing, people are mixed on how to feel. Some rush to save the planet; doing everything they can to stop their usage of fossil fuel consumption. And some dismiss global warming as nothing but a theory, refusing to admit its existence. Regardless of your personal feelings about the potential crisis, energy costs are still at an all time high, with no high-water mark set yet. Every day across the globe, people are doing more to save energy in their homes. They’re drastically cutting back on energy consumption, both for the planet, and for their pockets.

Many people consider making these changes while their home is being constructed. More and more people are building energy-efficient homes across the globe. The demand for energy efficiency is surging due to the rapid rise of energy costs. Consumers understand this and are turning to home builders and architects for advisement.

How to incorporate energy efficiencies into your new homes construction:

Make sure you get solar panels for your home. This will be your homes main energy source. There’s no more paying your town or city’s outrageous bill. The sunlight on your solar panels will provide all the energy you will need to run all of your appliances.

Build to your specific environment. A home in California will not be the same as a home in Maine. Start from the beginning and design your home to its specific environment. If you’re installing solar panels on your home, make sure the have it built to maximize it’s sunlight from east to west. Make sure you don’t end up behind some trees which would shade it.

Make sure all your new appliances are energy-efficient. Start with the water and work your war around. A water heater which runs off of solar energy is your best option. Next, buying energy star appliances like a stove, refrigerator, air conditioners, etc, will cut back on the solar power they need to run.

Do you have the right windows? Make sure you select low-emissive windows when building your new home. These windows appear to be regular glass, but they are designed to reduce heat transfers through them. If your architect can incorporate overhangs on the windows, this will also reduce the heat gain and improve your overall energy efficiency.

Make sure to use energy-efficient heating and air conditioner systems. Heating and cooling your home can account for 70 percent of total energy consumption; especially in warmer climates. This should be a top priority in the design of your home. You should have one properly designed to fit your home. If it’s not the right size, it can cycle on and off, using up valuable energy.

The most important way you can incorporate energy efficiencies into your new home is actually deciding to do it. You won’t have to sacrifice anything, all the luxuries that you’re accustomed to can still be used in an energy-efficient home. Taking the huge step to live a more “green” lifestyle is half the battle. The investment will pay for itself in a few years. And, more importantly, you’re helping to save our planet.

Tags: green building, green construction, green houses, house building

This entry was posted on Saturday, March 22nd, 2008 at 8:46 am and is filed under Construction, Saving Energy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.