When most people hear the phrase “environmentally friendly home,” they often imagine a small wooden hut that uses fire for heat. But this could not be further from the truth thanks to modern advancements in technology and home features.
Many custom home builders are able to help in the fight against climate change, and offer designer home plans that include features meant to aid in environmental conservation. So what can you add to your luxury home plans to live an eco-friendly life? Here are a few options to consider:
- Temperature control: Moderating a home’s temperature is one of the most energy consuming factors in almost any house, especially now that luxury home models are increasing in size. Regular HVAC systems end up pumping hot and cool air with powerful fans to spread it across the house. New Geothermal systems have been shown to use as much as 25 to 50% less energy than any conventional heating counterparts. They are also able to reduce any harmful emissions.
- Windows: Most people would be shocked at how much heat and cool air are lost through windows, both as a result of leaks and the insufficiency of windows being able to block the transfer of temperatures. Now, window experts say that double-paned wood or vinyl-framed windows can cut energy costs from anywhere between 18% and 24% in both hot summers and cold winters as compared to single-pane windows. Windows are one of the easier features to add to designer home plans.
- Appliances: Besides just structural components, appliances can play a large role in energy consumption. Especially nowadays with people constantly on computers, watching television, or using dozens of other household devices. But an easy eco-friendly appliance to install, and will likely use very regularly, is energy efficient ovens. Convection ovens, for example, are able to cook food up to 25% faster while simultaneously using less energy to do so.
There’s no reason you shouldn’t be able to both live in the lap of luxury while still trying to lead an environmentally friendly life. Just a few simple tweaks to custom designer home plans and you could be living the eco-friendly high life.
