While home building may be a little slow in these economic times, if you are one of the fortunate ones who is ready and able to build your dream home, first congratulations. Second, are you looking to build a home that is not only comfortable and functional, but is friendly to the environment?
Even you don’t give two licks about the environment, and if that’s true that’s too bad, building a green home is not only good for the Earth, but it can leave more green in your bank account.
Smaller Can Be Better
Make your floor plan efficient, which is code for smaller. Nobody is saying you should turn your dream home into a studio apartment plan, but just remember that the more rooms you have, the more heating and cooling you will need to do. Plus, the money you save on building that den or fifth bedroom can be used towards some other bells and whistles, some of which we will get into in this article.
Go Solar!
The first extra you may want to consider, even if your budget is flexible enough without cutting out floor space, is solar paneling. Not only can you work the expense into your mortgage, but it will pay for itself in a few short years through cost savings on your monthly bills.
Geothermal Heat Pumps
There are several cost-effective ways to go with heating your home and water, but you may want to consider going with a geothermal heat pump. This relatively new technology uses the thermal energy from the Earth to heat or cool your home and water. It can be used for space heating, cooling, water heating, or a combination of all of these.
While using the Earth’s warmth to provide heat, geothermal pumps also draw heat away, referred to as a “heat sink,” when you need cooler temperatures.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “geothermal heat pumps can reduce energy consumption – and corresponding emissions – up to 44 percent compared to air-source heat pumps and up to 72 percent compared to electric resistance heating with standard air-conditioning equipment.”
While the upfront cost is significantly higher than conventional systems, due to the drilling that is involved, if you are building a new home and the geothermal system is included in an Energy Efficient Mortgage (EEM), “the homeowner could have a positive cash flow from the beginning,” according to the California Energy Commission.
Use Recycled Materials
While many recycled material used for homes are a little on the quirky side, they aren’t all for the eccentric. You can have concrete countertops made from recycled paper fibers, glass, ceramics, or other materials. Recycled rubber and cork can be used in a composite material for flooring. The possibilities are almost endless!
