Sustainable home design is growing in popularity as more of us seek to live in better harmony with the earth. In fact, nowadays 91% of home builders report incorporating energy-efficient approaches in their projects — even on homes not officially designated as “eco-friendly”, per the National Association of Home Builders. Smart lighting, solar and wind features, and reclaimed materials are green design ideas that allow homeowners to cut energy costs, help the environment, and increase property value.
Smart lighting
Smart home technology has the potential to transform the way we live and smart lighting is just one of the ways it’s doing so. Smart lighting installed around the home improves convenience in daily life, saves electricity, and even slashes electricity bills. A feature unique to smart lighting is it can be controlled from your smartphone and a corresponding app. Homeowners therefore will no longer need to worry about having left the lights on at home and can easily switch them on or off remotely. Saving electricity with smart lighting also benefits the environment — wasted electricity from lighting results in 17% of all carbon emissions.
Solar and wind
Energy bills are becoming increasingly expensive with the average American household spending an average of $1,856 on them a month. Renewable energy systems are effective and sustainable alternatives with the power to lower energy bills, help the environment, and minimize your carbon footprint. In particular, solar and wind features can be installed to generate natural energy, representatives of this Home Builders in Austin reveal. These features can be used either along with city utilities or to take the property completely off-grid. Your home generates energy as you need it with the option to sell the excess back to the community.
Reclaimed materials
Building the average 2,000 square foot home creates as much as 8,000 pounds of waste. Even though roughly 85% of that waste could be reused or recycled, the majority of it ends up in landfills. Fortunately, incorporating vintage, reclaimed, and recycled materials in home design is becoming an increasingly popular choice that reduces unnecessary waste. For example, bamboo, cork, and recycled metal can be used for doors, windows, and flooring. Reclaimed wood flooring is also a nice option — using wide planks of vintage wood is much cheaper than installing thinner, brand new wooden floor panels.
Sustainable home design is a growing priority for many people. Smart lighting, solar and wind features, and reclaimed materials are some of the best ways homeowners can introduce eco-friendly touches into their homes.
