What Is so Special about Today’s Green Homes?
What is it about today’s homes that make them “greener” than those made just a few years ago? For one thing, today’s new home designs have new innovations added to them that make them more efficient at energy savings than others. In fact, EnergyStar homes are becoming ever more popular and showing up in more places every year.
In order to be registered as an EnergyStar home, the home has to be at least 15% more efficient than homes built prior to 2004, and also has to include many additional energy saving features that can make them even 20-30 percent more efficient than standard residences.
The EnergyStar program begins with new construction, and today’s green homes have many energy saving features. For example, today’s wall insulation is not fiberglass. Instead, it’s recycled cellulose insulation that provides better insulation than fiberglass and also fills up wall spaces and those in the attic much better than fiberglass did. You can also install this type of insulation either in dry form or by using it as a semi liquid that you can spray between the walls. Besides these benefits, cellulose is a much better thermal protectant than standard types of insulation are.
Power sources, too, offer choice. You’re not limited to being connected to standard utility power grids, and instead can opt for installation of renewable energy sources, like wind, solar, or geothermal energy, depending on where your house is located. You can also combine these methods of power generation, such as solar and wind power, so that you get a more reliable energy source. You can incorporate these renewable energy sources into new construction and existing homes, too. These renewable energy source installations give you many advantages, including a reduction or elimination of utility bill expenses, and not having to worry about brown- or blackouts, as you would with traditional “on the grid” power hookups.
Besides these alternative power sources, you also can incorporate high-efficiency appliances that are currently on the market and are comparable in cost to other appliances that are not “high-efficiency.” Some of these options include efficient heating and cooling systems, stoves, clothes watchers, dishwashers, and heating and cooling systems, as well as such energy saving devices as tankless water heaters. You also don’t have to limit yourself to certain power sources. If you’re still connected to the grid, for example, you can use natural gas or propane as a more efficient energy source that other traditional “grid” resources.
Windows, too, get in on green energy savings. Windows can help save on energy or increase energy efficiency by having things like double panes with inert gases inserted so the harmful UV rays are kept out and heat or cooling are kept in, as applicable. If you can’t afford these types of windows, you can also apply film directly to your existing windows that will serve the same function by providing UV protection and insulating qualities.
There are many new techniques available to make your home more efficient right at the start, but the question many first time home builders ask is how much more does a green home cost to construct? The answer is that these homes can be up to 17% higher in initial cost to build, but the energy savings alone can pay for these extra costs.
You can find out more about EnergyStar homes and appliances online. Many of the materials, like the cellulose insulation, inline water heaters, and many other green items can be found at local home improvement stores, saving on shipping costs. There are many websites for those do it yourself people that provide plans and kits for alternative energy sources.
About the author: Jerry Dyess has been involved in the Texas Electricity market segment for the past 7 years. He has published many articles on Texas Electric rates.
