As long as ten years ago home owners that wanted an eco-friendly or carbon neutral house had to spend large amounts of money to procure the technology and equipment. With climate change increasing and the public push for increasing use of renewable energy it is very easy to build a home that uses renewable energy.
The first step is to meet with your home builder. Our Concierge Service can help you to organize your needs and desires and realize the plan for your dream home.
When designing your home consider the site location and angle of the sun, the sun is extremely important in designing a home that has a low carbon footprint. Size and thermal boundaries are crucial topics to discuss with a home builder, these determine the area that will be cooled/heated.
For the use of solar panels a southern roof orientation ought to be used. Southern facing windows in the winter will also aid in warming the house without using energy.
The cost savings comparison in improving the energy efficiency of your home can be measured, as in the chart below (BaseZero,LLC).
Improvement Energy savings in BTUs
Wall from R30 to R40 200,000
Floor from R38 to R44 500,000
Windows from U-0.28 to U-0.22 700,000
Heat Pump HSPF from 9.5 to 10.5 300,000
ACH from 2.5 to 1.5 700,000
Adding 1kWh PV panels (solar) 4,800,000
Adding one 180 Watt PV panel 796,000
Ceilings from R50 to R60 300,000
With the invention of Smart Air systems that home owners can set and control from their smartphones, the ability to save energy and money is easier than ever. It should be noted that not all savings will be realized upfront. Some of these upgrades in insulation materials and heating/cooling equipment may be more expensive upfront. On the back-end, though, the monthly cost of energy will be a fraction that it used to be, and, as a home owner, will not be using as many fossil fuels.
Mike Blake Homes is committed to meeting the needs and expectations of our customers. Whether your dream home is a palatial mansion in the Hill Country or an off-the-grid Spanish Mission Revival home, we are dedicated to making it come true. Contact our Plan Concierge to start working on YOUR dream home.
