Sustainable living is a goal for many homeowners in the United States, with nearly four million households using solar power for residential purposes. Making efforts to reduce consumption is beneficial for the environment and your bank account. It’s a way to harness the latent energy in sunlight, wind, and water.

Building or converting your house into a net zero home is the ultimate way to reduce your carbon footprint and save money on your monthly energy bill. Understanding the investments and changes you can make will help you make progress by using renewable energy sources.

The good news is that you’re in the ideal place to learn about the strategies you can use to create an energy-efficient home. Continue reading to learn more today!

Install Insulation and Seal the Home

The first thing to do when making a net zero home is to seal the windows and doors to prevent energy loss. Old windows are among the worst culprits for energy consumption. Your windows will cause your household to use 20 to 30 percent more energy for heating and cooling.

Pair your sealing efforts with new insulation for your home’s roof and walls. The insulation will hold heat and cold air for a comfortable interior environment in all seasons.

Take extra care when sealing and insulating the spaces around windows and doors. These areas are the most vulnerable to energy loss.

Invest in Continuous Ventilation

Sealing your home makes it air-tight, which is excellent news for energy use. The drawback is that your home can feel stuffy and stale. The best way to counter the staleness in your home is by installing a continuous ventilation system. 

Your family and pets will enjoy a continuous flow of clean and dry air in the house. Energy Recovery Ventilation and Heat Recovery Ventilation are the best air circulation systems.

Both systems help to circulate the air in your home. The Heat Recovery Ventilation system is extra beneficial because it removes warm and stale air from your home, circulates it, and removes the heat for a comfortable interior temperature.

Buy a Solar Energy System

If you’re building a new home, consider the solar orientation when designing window locations. You can harness natural light from the sun to illuminate living spaces. The light will also provide warm and comfortable heat for your home during winter.

The injection of light and heat into your home helps to ensure a net zero house by limiting the energy you’ll use to light the home’s interior and create heat. South-facing windows are excellent if you live in a cold winter climate.

Shade-providing structures are an intelligent investment to lower heat during the summer. You’ll reduce your indoor cooling costs with these small investments and modifications.

The other way to harness sunlight is through solar panels. Consider placing solar panels on your home’s roof or yard to collect energy from the sun throughout the day.

A premium solar panel installation in St. Cloud will eliminate your electric bill and provide the power you need for appliances, lighting, heat, and air conditioning.

You can also harness solar power to charge an electric vehicle at home. It’s one of the most cost-effective ways to convert your home into a net zero home. 

Efficient HVAC System

Heating and cooling your home is vital to ensure comfortable interior temperatures in all four seasons. HVAC systems are expensive, and paying a bit extra to ensure an efficient system is worth it.

Look for a ductless heat pump system, as these options are far more economical than traditional HVAC systems. Forced-air and central heating systems are less efficient, costing you more money.

Geothermal heat pumps are another popular option but expensive to install and operate. Look into systems to reuse the heat in water and air from your home.

Heat recovery devices will help you recycle energy to heat your household’s air and water. It’s an excellent way to save money and help the environment.

Efficient Water Heater

Hot water benefits your physical and mental health and helps when doing laundry or washing the dishes. Heating water for your residential needs also uses a substantial amount of energy.

Research the most efficient water heater options if you’re building a new home and using net zero home principles. Look for options using the latest technologies to continue your net zero trajectory.

Buy Efficient Appliances

Appliances are a significant use of energy in the home. One of the ways you can overcome energy use and reduce your carbon footprint is by investing in Energy Star appliances for your household to enjoy. These appliances are designed to use less energy and water to conduct efficient processes and improve quality of life.

Buying Energy Star appliances protects against phantom energy loss and higher bills from energy companies. Inefficient appliances will sap electricity through the outlets when the appliance is not functioning.

Improve Your Home’s Lighting

Lighting is a significant source of power consumption for many households. Installing a solar panel system for your home will help you lower the light bill, but there are other upgrades you can make to make further progress toward becoming a net zero home.

LED light bulbs use less energy than traditional bulbs and last much longer. You can count on your new LED bulbs to last up to 10 years, making them a more cost-effective option than maintaining the status quo. Combine your government rebates on solar with LED bulbs to save money.

Reap the Benefits of a Net Zero Home Today

A net zero home is a fantastic goal, as it will save you money on power consumption while helping the environment by limiting your household’s dependence on fossil fuels. Install home insulation and invest in a solar energy system to harness renewable energy sources. Plan your home’s windows to capture natural light and heat during the colder months.

An investment in energy efficiency is a step toward a better future. Check out our Blog content for more insights and tips to enjoy a better life today!

Most people leave their power strips and phone chargers plugged in, thinking nothing of it. That may be a huge mistake — both for their wallets, and the planet. The “phantom” energy things like this draw can make up 40% of the average building’s energy consumption.

This is just one tiny example of how easy it is to have a high carbon footprint without realizing it. Further research into your personal habits could reveal even more ways you’re wasting energy. What are the best ways to reduce carbon emissions in your everyday life?

Let’s take a look at small and big ways to cut down on your carbon footprint.

Install Solar Panels

Solar energy is a no-brainer in this day and age. It’s free energy from the sun and is currently one of the cheapest types of electricity available. The upfront cost of an expert solar panel installation pays itself off later in reduced utility bills.

Solar panels are relatively low maintenance. You only have to dust them off every few months and schedule bi-annual maintenance. Barring foul weather, they do their job well — especially if you live in an extra-sunny climate.

Plus, the installation of a battery array lets you use that solar power at night. You can sell excess energy back to the grid as well. All told, there’s very little reason beyond your budget to not install a solar system.

Don’t Buy Single-Use Plastics

It’s no secret that plastic pollution is ruining the planet. We have literal islands of trash in the ocean, most of which are single-use plastics. That plastic breaks down as it’s consumed by wildlife, entering our bodies as harmful microplastics.

To combat this, avoid buying single-use plastic as much as possible. Instead of disposable water bottles, buy a high-quality reusable water bottle. Bring fabric grocery bags to the store and use your own utensils for fast food.

Skip Fast Fashion

Fast fashion is all the rage, but it’s devastating to the environment. Fast fashion refers to cheap clothes that you throw out at the end of the season. They are so low quality that even nations in the global south can’t resell them.

Don’t purchase from companies that offer cheap clothes intended to be replaced by the year’s end. Instead, prefer brands that make an actual effort to produce long-lasting clothing. Choose ones that recycle their products, or use recycled material.

Bike or Walk Instead of Driving

Your vehicle is one of the highest contributors to carbon emissions in your home. While it’s understandable that you might not want to bike to work, you should find ways to bike or walk otherwise. For example, choosing to bike to your nearby grocery store or library instead of driving.

Walking in suburban America is not the best choice for getting somewhere, that much is true. However, there are some errands you can walk to if necessary. Instead of driving by the mailbox or a neighbor who’s a few blocks over, walk.

Eat Locally-Grown Food

Locally grown food doesn’t just support food producers in your area. It’s less carbon intensive than buying something that was imported. Imported vegetables and fruits may be cheap in dollars, but they come at a high cost to the environment.

Many places in the US have ways to buy directly from farmers and other small growers. Chances are this produce will be fresher, better tasting, and more nutritious. 

Cut Down on Red Meat

Red meat is problematic not just for ethical reasons, but for environmental ones as well. Red meat takes many, many more times the energy to produce than vegetables with the same calorie content. It requires a huge industry and a ton of feed crops to put just a kilogram of beef in your freezer.

So, consider instead eating more fish. Consider having a diet that is more vegetable-oriented. If you’re truly dedicated, you can go fully vegetarian or vegan.

Change Clothing Cleaning Habits

There are ways to cut down on your carbon footprint with how you wash and dry your clothes. Consider washing your clothes in cold water and doing larger loads.

In addition to this, consider selling off your dryer and doing your drying the old-fashioned way. Drying your clothes outside is free, and better for your clothing. Line-dried articles smell fresher and don’t suffer heat damage from the dryer. 

Take Shorter Showers

Everyone loves to take a long, hot shower, but the planet isn’t so happy when you do. As nice as it may be, consider instead taking short, cold showers. Most people don’t need longer than five to ten minutes unless they need to shave.

Cold showers are a hard sell, but most people who do them are glad they made the switch. They make you feel better afterward, and don’t cause you to feel sleepy before work.

Switch to LED Bulbs

Your typical cheap vacuum bulbs cost a few cents, which is why many are reticent about giving them up. Despite being affordable, they guzzle electricity compared to more efficient bulb types. In the long run, that cheap bulb you saved money on ends up costing you more later on.

So, consider installing LED bulbs. They have a higher upfront cost, but they only sip wall juice by comparison. They are brighter, too, with a clean white light.

Take the Stairs

Those who live in apartment buildings or work in office skyscrapers don’t think twice about taking the elevator. Even if their destination is only two or three floors up. It’s a shame, since elevators use up a ton of electricity, especially if they’re just taking one person.

Time and physical stamina permitting, take the stairs instead. It doesn’t just help the planet, it’s good for your health. Your body will be happy if you get your blood pumping before sitting in that office chair all day. 

Find Other Ways to Cut Carbon Emissions

Cutting your carbon emissions can be drastic, like going solar, or small, like taking short showers. Almost everyone can find easy, virtually painless ways to reduce their carbon footprint. These small things add up, so making just a few changes in your habits will go a long way.

Follow our blog for more great articles.

“Vampire” energy sounds like when Dracula drinks from wall outlets, not neck veins. In reality, it’s just wasted energy by unused chargers, surge protectors, and even candle warmers. It’s estimated a building wastes 40% of its energy on vampire energy.

For the environmentally conscious, vampire energy is only a drop in the bucket. Many other energy-wasting aspects of our homes deserve addressing. Much of this energy wastage simply comes from bad design – designs we can change.

What are some passive house designs that help you be more sustainable? Let’s take a look at eight specific ones you can and should invest in. 

1. Passive Solar Home

Perhaps the best and most no-nonsense way to make your home more sustainable is with solar. Once you install solar panels, they work more or less hands-off. You dust them off every couple of months and schedule bi-annual maintenance, and that’s it.

In the meantime, they contribute green electricity to your energy usage needs. Some people are able to achieve a net zero home using solar panels and sell excess volts back to the grid. 

Custom solar energy solutions allow you to build a solar system that’s perfect for your needs. You can invest in popular add-ons like solar batteries, or newer, higher-efficiency panels. Solar panels are easy to upgrade as your budget for them changes.

2. Heat Pump Heating and Cooling

The next big upgrade you can and should make is a heat pump. These are exploding in popularity across the US for their efficiency. It may not give you renewable energy, like geothermal, but it will massively cut down on your utility bill.

A heat pump uses thermodynamics to avoid heating or cooling air at its most extreme temperature. It uses existing heat or cold, such as the cool ground beneath your home. This action results in exceptional energy savings and efficiency.

3. Super Insulation

The next step and sustainable living is improving your insulation. Obviously, this will be difficult for an existing home. However, for a new build, or one undergoing renovations, this is a must-have.

The focus here is to create comprehensive insulation that surrounds your entire home, or “shell.” In most cases, this means doubling up the regulated requirement for insulation. You should also go for environmentally friendly insulation such as cellulose or sheep’s wool if you can afford it.

Improving your insulation gives you exceptional thermal control, cutting down on energy usage.

4. Airtight Shell Design

Following the previous point, making sure your home is airtight is also critical to thermal control. You need to patch up any holes, no matter how small, which could be leaking out treated air.

In addition to this, you may need to rework your outside-facing doors. Either install better seals or replace the doors entirely to prevent leakage at these locations.

5. Thermal Bridge Removal

Thermal bridges are just segments of your home where insulation is thinner than in the surrounding area. These are problematic because they ruin the thermal control of an area. For example, a thermal bridge in the roof wastes all the heat your home generates during winter to keep warm.

This one is much easier than replacing all of the insulation. A skilled expert uses a thermal reader to deduce where the thermal bridges are. Then, they bulk up those areas to prevent further leakage.

6. Better Windows

It’s key to your sanity to have windows with natural light. That said, windows can also be big energy wasters. Like doors, they can have subpar seals that leak air.

The biggest concern with windows, though, is that many are only single or double-pane. More panes allow for better insulation, so triple-pane windows are the best. 

Aside from this, you also want to UV-treat your windows. Install light-reactive window tints to keep heat out in the summer and prevent indoor sunburns.

If this is a new build, then consider carefully the orientation of the home. For example, you want south-facing windows to have a high solar heat gain coefficient. When winter comes, the low-angle winter sun won’t be lost and will heat your home.

7. Landscaping 

Many people fail to realize landscaping could be working against them. A perfect example is not planting trees to naturally shade your house. Big deciduous trees with widespread canopies, for example, can massively cut down on summer cooling costs.

This being said, you don’t want to cover your entire home in tree shade. Winter could become especially frigid if you can’t take advantage of natural solar heating when it’s there. 

It’s also important not to form a heat island around your home. Concrete and asphalt, for example, suck up the heat during the day and emit it during the night. This could result in an unbearably hot home in the summer, one that costs more to cool down.

Pave your driveway and sidewalks with materials that don’t absorb as much heat. Try to go for natural coverings as much as possible, such as lawns or a garden. Having a gravel yard may be low maintenance, sure, but choosing the wrong type of gravel could make it into an unintended heat island.

8. Mechanical Ventilation

Opening the windows is nice when the weather is good. In most cases, though, you won’t be opening your windows more than a few times a year. So now you have a problem: a heavily insulated and airtight home that can’t ventilate easily.

Getting a ventilation system that isn’t running heating or cooling is essential. You need filtered, free-flowing air without a huge hit to your utility bill. Houses built for sustainable living have such a system, including features like heat and energy recovery.

Find Other Passive House Designs

Passive house designs allow your home to be more sustainable beyond your everyday efforts to cut carbon emissions. Most of these things are simple upgrades; new windows, new doors, and a reduction in thermal bridges. Others are more expensive and labor-intensive, such as new insulation and solar panels, but they may be worth it.

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Rugs not only add a touch of elegance to your home but also provide comfort and warmth. A multi color area rug can be a striking centerpiece in any room, but its beauty can quickly fade without proper care and maintenance.

Below, we offer some essential tips and tricks to help you keep your vibrant rug looking as good as new.

Routine Maintenance

Make your rug styles stay awesome looking! You got to clean it a lot. Every week, grab your vacuum and go zoom-zoom all over it. Spills? No sweat. Jump on them quickly with a wet cloth but don’t rub it in. Every couple of months, flip it over like a pancake and vacuum the back too.

If it starts looking sad, maybe it’s time to bath it – but not a real bath! Send it to a pro cleaner and they’ll make it all shiny again. Keep it away from too much sun or it might get a sunburn, and remember, no shoes mean a happier modern carpet!

Deep Cleaning

When regular vacuuming and spot-cleaning just aren’t cutting it, it’s probably time to think about getting your rug deep-cleaned. This is where the big guns come in, not literally, but you know what we mean. A proper deep clean gets rid of all that invisible gunk that regular cleaning can’t.

We’re talking dust mites, pet dander, and the bits of leftovers from that pizza you ate while binging your favorite show. Now, you could try and do it yourself, but there’s a risk of turning your rug into a science experiment gone wrong.

Instead, why not leave it to the pros? For those living in the neighborhood, Sherman Oaks carpet cleaning services are your go-to. They’ve got the skills and gear to make your rug look and feel like it just came out of the showroom, all fresh and clean.

Spot Treatment

Got a spill? Don’t freak out! Quick, grab a clean towel, and press down on that mess. Don’t rub it, or it’ll just get worse. Do something super sticky? Mix a little bit of dish soap with water and dab it gently on the spot.

Remember, be gentle and patient. Oh, and if it’s something like wine or coffee, you might want to call those pro cleaners. They know all the magic tricks to make those mean spots disappear without leaving a trace.

Preventative Measures

Wanna keep your rug looking top-notch? Here’s the game plan – it’s all about playing defense. First off, tell everyone to kick off their shoes at the door. No shoes, no dirt, it’s simple. Then, think about where the sun hits. Too much sun and your rug’s going to fade, like a cool t-shirt left out in the summer.

Throw down some curtains or blinds to keep those rays at bay. Next, think about your fur babies. Pets? They’re adorable but can be messy. Try to keep them clean and maybe teach them to stay off the rug. 

Learn All About Multi Color Area Rug

Alright, wrapping this all up, just remember – a multi color area rug is like pets but without the barking. Take care of them with some simple stuff we talked about, and they’ll stick around, making your place cozy and snazzy. Don’t forget to give them a little spa day now and then with a pro clean.

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