A Quick Guide to Having a Carbon Neutral Home
The climate crisis can be disheartening, and as individuals, we can feel powerless to do anything about it. However, everyone has a sphere of influence, and we can all do our part to help the environment in our own backyard.
One essential way to help is to reevaluate your house’s energy usage. Follow this quick guide to having a carbon-neutral home to transform your house into an eco-friendly abode.
What is a “Carbon-Neutral” Home?
The term “carbon-neutral” refers to a house or other building that emits the same amount of carbon it offsets. For example, if a building produces carbon through electricity, it might offset this by installing solar panels. This ends up making its net impact on the environment zero.
Benefits of Having a Carbon-Neutral Home
Naturally, owning a home that uses less energy is good for the environment because it reduces the strain on power plants and decreases the number of fossil fuels used by your home. There are many benefits to having a carbon-neutral home for homeowners, such as:
- Lower cost of utilities
- Improved indoor air quality
- Increased home value
- Added comfort during extreme temperatures
Tips for Creating a Carbon-Neutral Home
Consider Installing Solar Panels
Home solar panels can drastically cut a home’s energy usage, producing hundreds of kilowatts worth of electricity a year. Solar panels can also significantly cut down your electric bills.
You can even install solar panels in areas that don’t get direct sunlight all day. While you will have to rely on grid energy on gloomy days, you will use it significantly less.
Choose Energy Efficient Appliances
Home appliances like dishwashers, refrigerators, showers, or washing machines use a great deal of energy in our homes. Fortunately, manufacturers sell energy-efficient variations of these appliances. They use less electricity and water to perform the same task.
Even if you can’t buy a sustainable appliance, you can still use conventional appliances more efficiently. For instance, washing clothes in cold water or using low-heat drying cycles will cut energy consumption considerably.
Make Your Home Efficient to Heating and Cooling
According to the US Energy Information Administration, heating and air conditioning account for most of a home’s energy usage. To cut down on these costs, homeowners should help design their homes so their HVAC systems don’t have to work as hard. A few ways to do this include:
- Sealing areas around windows and doors
- Investing in energy-efficient windows
- Using quality blinds and drapes
- Keeping doors closed
- Using a thermostat timer
Painting the outer walls of your home with light colors will improve your home’s efficiency. To maximize sustainability, consider opting for water-based paints. When you order paint online through ECOS Paints, you can ensure your paint job will be both beautiful and environmentally friendly.
