5 Tips to make your home more sustainable

Living in a sustainable home is now easier and we're going to show you how. A sustainable home is a house that has the lowest possible negative impact on our environment. This means energy efficiency, avoiding environmental toxins, and using materials and resources in a responsible manner. When you make your house more sustainable, you’re making a contribution to improving the environment. But that’s not all. Home sustainability can lower the recurring costs of your home, save energy, water and maintenance on systems and appliances. Moreover, you create a healthier environment for yourself, your family and pets. There are various ways an individual can make sustainable changes in order to lower the negative effect that our daily lives usually have on the environment.

Benefits of having a sustainable home

A sustainable home is a home that’s built or retrofitted with the purpose of respecting resources, optimizing energy and water use, and long lasting due to low impact, high performance and high quality materials. Not only will a sustainable home contribute to improving our environment but it will also save you money every month on your utility bills and create a healthier home environment for your family. The average household in the United States consumes almost 900-kilowatt hours of energy per month which adds up to nearly 1 billion metric tons of CO2 emissions by the residential sector (U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2021). To capture that amount of CO2, approximately 50 billion trees need to grow for one year. These are overwhelming numbers but just by reducing your own energy consumption and lowering those almost 900-kilowatt hours by a bit, you can make a difference. 

5 tips to make your home more sustainable
 

1. Install efficient light fixtures

LED light bulbs will save you up to 90% of energy and last up to 25 times longer than traditional incandescent bulbs. These bulbs shine bright and come in a variety of colors, shapes, sizes and indoor/outdoor options. While LEDs are slightly more expensive than traditional bulbs, they still save money because they last a long time and have very low energy use.

2. Install solar panels on your roof

Living in the South Miami area actually makes solar panels on your roof a really smart choice - the Sunshine State provides us with plenty of solar energy! However, with an average price of $15.000, solar panels are an expensive home improvement project; especially since the state’s government is likely to eradicate the 26% tax credit for solar panel installation in 2022. So if you’re in the market for solar panels, act quick and start generating your own energy.

3. Make your home a smart home

It’s impressive how you can basically turn your home into one giant computer nowadays and control everything from your smartphone. Smart homes save up to 30-40% of energy compared to traditional homes and allow you to have greater control of your energy use, all while automating things like adjusting temperature, turning on and off lights and opening and closing windows. A smart home is surely not for everyone but can offer great energy savings!

4. Install energy-efficient appliances

It might be time to throw out that dishwasher that came with the house 10 years ago or upgrade that dryer your mom gifted you for your first place. Over the last few years, there have been great advances in regards to energy-efficient appliances and the market now offers a variety of options for all budgets. Upgrade now to Energy Star approved appliances for energy savings that will benefit the environment and your wallet.

5. Install insulation in your attic

The average American home could save 15% off their monthly energy bill by installing insulation in their attic (and walls, crawlspace, etc. if needed). Insulation is one of the most effective home improvement projects to increase energy efficiency and offers different options for different budgets; from batt insulation to blown-in fiberglass or cellulose and the most premium, high-performing spray foam insulation.

How does insulation make a home more sustainable?
 

As Tim Pullen, author of “The Sustainable Building Bible”, said - “Thermal efficiency is a core element of any eco home and insulation is a key component of that. Focus on getting the insulation as consistent as possible on the whole envelope.” Thermal efficiency is the result of thermal regulation which is the main job of insulation. By limiting the impact of outside weather conditions, insulation keeps your home’s temperature regulated and reduces the need for heating or cooling and therefore the need for electricity, natural gas, etc. With that, insulation benefits the environment in the form of reduced emissions of pollutants such as carbon dioxide. 

Contact our team from Koala Insulation of South Miami today and find out how insulation could increase the energy efficiency and sustainability of your home!