5 Ways to Design an Eco-Friendly Home

If you've already made small eco-friendly changes to your lifestyle such as using canvas bags or reusable water bottles, you may want to start making changes to your home to make it more green. Here are five tips on designing an eco-friendly home.

Install Solar Panels

Solar panels work by absorbing energy emitted from the sun in order to generate an electricity flow. Installing solar panels on your roof can not only protect the environment by generating clean energy, but it can also cut down on your energy bills, improve your home's value, decrease your carbon footprint and even allow you to earn tax credits and other forms of compensation as your system produces electricity. Consider combining your solar panel system with a solar battery, which can save excess energy from your solar panels and use it to power your home at night or even in case of an emergency. Installing solar panels is a great investment that has both short- and long-term benefits.

Seal Your Home

During the winter, cold air can enter your home through various cracks and gaps, causing your heat to work harder in order to keep your home warm. Not only will this increase your utility bills, but it's also bad for the environment. Insulation is an affordable and effective way to prevent air from entering your home, and it's environmentally friendly due to the fact that it's constructed from green materials. There are many types of insulation to choose from, including blanket, concrete block, foam board or reflective. You can also use caulk to seal areas that are prone to air leakage, such as doors and window frames.

Change Your Light Bulbs

Although incandescent light bulbs are the most commonly used in the U.S., they're not the most environmentally friendly or efficient. Incandescent bulbs only convert about 10% of energy into light, while the other 90% is lost as heat. This causes your air conditioning to work harder to keep your home's temperature down, which increases your energy bills and has a negative impact on the environment. Instead, try opting for LED bulbs. These bulbs use up to 80% less energy than incandescent bulbs, and they can also last for up to 50,000 hours, as opposed to incandescent bulbs' short life of 1,000 hours. As an additional benefit, LED bulbs don't emit a lot of heat, so you don't have to worry about wasting energy to maintain an ideal temperature in your home.

Opt for Dual-Flush Toilets

If you're looking to reduce your water usage, consider installing dual-flush toilets. These toilets have two flush options: one for liquid waste, which uses approximately 0.8 gallons per flush, and one for solid waste, which uses about 1.6 gallons per flush. Dual-flush toilets can reduce your water consumption by up to 80%, which translates to 4,000 gallons of water per year. In addition, dual-flush toilets clog less than traditional toilets, saving you time and headaches.

Install a Programmable Thermostat

Unlike a traditional thermostat, a programmable thermostat is designed to adjust your heat or air conditioning depending on your needs. You can set specific times during which you want your home to be heated or cooled depending on the time of day, which can be useful when you're asleep or away from home for an extended period of time. Keep in mind that small changes can go a long way in protecting the environment, as raising your thermostat's temperature by just two degrees in the summer can save you up to $35 a year. Furthermore, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, lowering your thermostat by 10 degrees for eight hours, such as when you're asleep, can save you up to 15% on your electricity bill.

Designing an eco-friendly home is a worthwhile project that can benefit both the environment and your wallet for many years to come. Following these five tips can help you convert your home into an energy-efficient place to live.