Eco-Upgrades For Any Style Of Home
The earth is taking housewarming gifts way too literally - we’re currently moving into our new home in the middle of a California heatwave, in the midst of an energy FLEX alert. Which got us seriously consideirng some eco-upgrades to the new spot. Whether building a home or just updating your current home (like us), incorporating some eco-friendly upgrades is one of the best things one can do for the earth - as well as themselves.
Since we’re making these adjustments ourselves, we thought we’d take you through some of the eco-friendly changes that make a huge difference in a home.
Going Solar
We’re aiming for solar by the end of the year and have just started the process ourselves. Solar energy is truly incredible - even if you live somewhere that tends to be very overcast, it’s surprising how much energy the sun can still produce. Having just a few solar panels on the roof is always a helpful thing, as it is a completely renewable and green source of energy and something that is generally going to make a huge difference to how sustainable your home is. And believe it or not, it’s getting easier and easier for homes to be run entirely on solar, anywhere in the world.
We suggest setting up 3-4 consultations from different companies (All Seasons Energy is a good example) . Out of all the eco-upgrades, solar is probably one of the most impactful.
Heat Pumps
Solar is all good for electricity, but what about heating your water and your walls? There’s actually a super effective kind of heating system that a lot of people still don’t know much about, called heat pumps. There are two main varieties of heat pumps - air source and ground source - and both are incredibly efficient and highly renewable ways to be able to heat a home and the water easily and quickly.
The technology works by simply moving water around from the ground to the home and back. What’s more, it can even be used as a cooling system in summer, so it really is one of those solutions that seem to have a little of everything. You might be surprised at the kind of difference it can make to your home in general.
Energy-Efficient Lighting
How we light our home is another important thing to think about - even if all electricity is solar. Having energy-efficient lighting is a really important way to make sure that we are keeping our consumption as low as possible. The simple act of changing your light bulbs for more efficient ones can make a surprising amount of difference - especially for such minimal effort and cost. This is definitely one of the most quick and easy ways to upgrade the home so that it is much more eco-friendly.
Grow Your Own Veg
This is one that we’re super excited about ourselves - especially since we learned the history of victory gardens. If you have the space in the yard, consider growing your own veg and fruit as well. There are a lot of options for this, and it can make a really make a huge difference to your home’s eco-friendliness - and actually, your overall budget if the veggies are planned accordingly for low water usage.
