When you are building an environmentally-friendly custom home, there are a number of areas in the building process where you can take advantage of considerable energy benefits and reduced costs. The best time to address most of these areas is early in the design and planning phase, when you are working with your architect/designer/builder. Covering these particular energy-saving aspects early on will help you save a significant amount of money down the road, as well as create a healthier house to live in.
- A major first step in the design process is to limit the size of the overall footprint of your home. Although it is very tempting to add additional square footage and create the large, spacious home you’ve always dreamt about, the design really should be restricted to include only the amount of space your family needs. Implementing this principal alone will help conserve your energy right from the beginning.
- When choosing windows, keep in mind that the overall performance of your energy-efficiency plan will be achieved more effectively by using the highest quality windows. Glass (even double pane glass) tends to breach the thermal insulating layer of your home, allowing heat to escape, so be sure to choose wisely.
- By including natural daylight for lighting, as well as heat within the general home plans, you’re able to scale down the size of mechanized systems and lighting fixtures in the home.
- Think about using an alternative energy such as geothermal, solar or wind for heating and cooling your home and water.
- By incorporating an air exchanger or an HRV system (heat recovery ventilator) in your custom home building plans, the stagnant air within your home will be continually replaced with fresh air from outside…all the while, maintaining the inside temperature and cutting down on energy usage.
There are other areas in a house which can tweaked to boost energy proficiency as well as reduce costs throughout the lifespan of your home. In the early development stages of the home planning and designing process, your DFW green home building expert will cover the many possibilities that can help lower your costs while furnishing a healthier, eco-friendly environment for you and your family.
Bud Bartley Family of Builders, specializes in modern and affordable DFW custom homes. Please contact their office with any questions at (972) 539-0459 or visit their website at www.NewGreenHomesNorthTexas.com.
