2 Key Ideas To Consider When Building An Energy Efficient Home

Building a brand-new home is a popular choice for many Americans. It's quite simply the best way to get a house that meets all of your needs perfectly. As well as having complete control over the look, the size, and the layout of your new home, building from scratch also means that you can make your new home as energy efficient as possible.

Energy efficiency is a highly valued attribute for many people building new homes. This is partly due to the ever-increasing cost of energy and partly due to the increased awareness of how energy consumption can negatively impact the environment. If you hope to make your new home as energy efficient as possible, then here are two key ideas you'll need to consider.

1. Insulation

Insulation is one of the cornerstones of energy efficient construction. Insulation provides a thermal barrier that minimizes heat loss during the winter and heat gain during the summer. It's the best way to keep your home comfortable all year round and to reduce the need for energy guzzling heating and cooling appliances.

The key to achieving effective insulation is to make sure that you cover every base. As well as the walls of your new home, you should include insulation in the roof and in the foundations. This means that your entire home is a single, insulated unit with no weak points.

It's also important to remember your doors and windows. They're responsible for a lot of heat transfer in a home but are often neglected when it comes to insulation. Doors, door frames, and window frames should either be solid timber or metal with insulated cores. You can also opt for double glazing or insulating film to increase the energy efficiency of your glazing.

2. Positioning

The way that you position your home on the vacant block can also play a big role in how energy efficient your home is. Understanding the direction of sunlight at different times of the day and at different times throughout the year can help you use this natural source of heat and light to your best advantage.

Ideally, you should plan your home to maximize light and heat during the winter and keep the heat at bay during the summer. By doing this, you'll reduce the need for artificial lighting, heating and cooling all year round. This reduction in energy needs will keep your home at a comfortable temperature without the need for excessive and expensive energy consumption.

Get in touch with local home builders for more help.