Ensuring you live in an environmentally-conscious environment improves your personal wellbeing and helps tackle climate change. From home insulation to eco-lifts, this comprehensive guide outlines how you can create a safe and sustainable home. Read on to find out everything you need to know.
What is a sustainable home?
Sustainable homes are designed to have a minimal impact on the environment. These are some general rules to keep in mind when it comes to implementing eco-friendly and renewable practices in your household:
● Add features that ensure optimal energy efficiency
● Make the best use of naturally occurring sources of heat and light
● Reuse materials where possible and avoid waste
● Use as few environmental toxins as possible
● Include natural materials as much as possible
The benefits of sustainability in the home
There are countless economic and environmental benefits to improving your home sustainability levels. These include:
Reduced carbon footprint
Implementing sustainable measures in your home will help reduce your carbon footprint. Renewable energy systems like solar panels and biomass boilers lower emissions and decrease your energy consumption, which all contribute to global efforts to combat climate change. Additionally, switching to high-quality and ethical materials such as reclaimed wood and recycled items will reduce your waste and leave you with quality homes that are built to last.
Healthier living conditions
Making your home more eco-friendly will result in healthier living conditions. Building and furnishing materials such as paint and cleaning products often contain chemicals like formaldehyde, which is a well-known human carcinogen. Switching to sustainable materials will purify the indoor air and reduce the amount of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in your home. Plus, investing in measures such as double-glazing will help tackle condensation and mould. This is especially important for those who suffer from allergies or other respiratory issues.
Cost effective
With a cost of living crisis in the UK, energy prices are only set to rise. Incorporating energy efficient systems throughout your home, such as insulation, solar panels and double-glazed windows, will noticeably cut the cost of your energy bills - plus, the initial fees will soon be earned back through the savings you’ll make in the long run. Sustainable homes also run on lower operating costs and are easily maintainable, ensuring that you can benefit from reliable heating and cooling features that match your requirements for a reduced price.
Increased property value
Creating a safe and sustainable home is a worthwhile investment that will benefit you in the long run. When it comes to putting your property on the market, it’s important to note that buyers are increasingly opting for eco-friendly homes. From lower running costs to a more sustainable way of living, buildings with environmentally-conscious features attract a much higher property value than their non-green counterparts.
Improving safety and sustainability in the home
There are plenty of different ways to increase sustainability in the home. Here are some things you can do to make your home more eco-friendly while also saving money in the long run:
Use natural materials
Using natural construction materials that can be reused and recycled is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint. These can include:
● Recycled steel
● Bamboo
● Sheep’s wool
● Precast concrete
● Reclaimed or recycled wood
When it comes to decorating your home, opt for low VOC paints - these contain fewer volatile organic compounds (VOC) than regular paints. VOCs are chemical compounds found in all kinds of products and are potentially damaging to health and the environment. One example of this is formaldehyde, a known carcinogen. Reducing the amount of toxins you come into contact with in your home will create a safer, cleaner environment.
Consider renewable energy systems
Traditional forms of energy production are damaging to the environment. The burning of non-renewable sources such as natural gas, oil and coal produce emissions that contribute significantly to climate change - these fossil fuels are also limited in supply, meaning they will eventually run out. If you’d like to make your home more eco friendly, it’s best to opt for renewable energy systems. These include:
● Solar panels
● Biomass boilers
● Ground source heat pumps
● Air source heat pumps
Replacing oil and gas boilers with electric heating will not only improve your home sustainability, but they’ll also help you save money on your energy bills. Additionally, consider investing in fully renewable systems such as solar panels. Solar panels harness energy from the sun to generate electricity that you can use to power your appliances, or even charge your electric car. It’s likely there will be times when your solar panels are generating more electricity than you can use. Unless you have a PV diverter or battery, you’ll probably be exporting that extra electricity back to the grid, helping to decarbonise the electricity someone else is using.
Invest in insulation
Effective insulation can make a considerable difference to your energy efficiency, as it works to prevent heat loss through walls and floors. This will help cost-savings on energy bills, as it means you’ll be less likely to switch on the heating. Common types of insulation include:
● Cavity wall insulation
● Solid wall insulation
● Floor insulation
● Loft insulation
Insulation is made from a variety of materials with different types of insulating properties - these include spray foam, fibreglass, mineral wool, rigid foam, loose-fill and double reflective foil. Each material is given an R-value, which indicates how efficient it is - the higher the number, the better the material will be at insulating.
Update your windows
Upgrading your windows is an easy way to improve your home sustainability. Single-glazed windows lose a significant amount of heat throughout the year and can cause your home to be cold and draughty. Replacing these with double-glazed windows will help prevent draughts and heat loss through the window frame. Additionally, they can also reduce the volume of outside noise and thwart structural damage due to mould growth and condensation - making upgrading your windows a worthy investment in all aspects.
Opt for alternative water systems
To cut down on your mains water usage, consider collecting rainwater to use elsewhere in your home. Even a simple yet inexpensive water butt can significantly reduce the amount of water you use in the dryer months. Another solution to save water is by installing a rainwater harvesting system. Domestic rainwater harvesting systems thoroughly filter collected rainwater before storing it below ground at a constant, cool temperature away from light - it can then be used for flushing toilets, washing machines and for outdoor irrigation. This particular system can reduce mains water use by 50%.
Install an eco-lift
Eco-friendly lifts play a significant role in promoting sustainable building practices. These lifts significantly reduce energy consumption, which leads to lower energy bills and greater energy efficiency. The use of renewable energy sources, such as solar power, in green elevators further reduces reliance on fossil fuels and helps combat climate change. What’s more, buildings equipped with green lifts can earn certificates such as LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) - this increases their market value and makes properties more attractive to environmentally-conscious tenants. Users can also expect shorter wait times and quieter operation, which makes the prospect of eco-lifts even more appealing.
Choose energy-saving lifts from ADL Lift Services
ADL Lift Services Ltd can offer an efficient and modern energy saving elevator, which includes energy recovery technology to enhance your business. Ideal for an office or large commercial build, help to combat environmentally damaging processes when you choose us for installation. Our energy-saving modern lifts come in standard models as well as being available in machine room-less (MRL) with an innovative built-in power recovery drive. Eco elevators built as MRL means making use of building space within all relevant regulations as well as lower construction costs as there is no need to build a machine room. You can also count on a reliable control system with microprocessor and CAN (Controller Area Network) technology. This is extremely efficient and the basis of an energy-saving elevator - when the eco-lift motor brakes, it generates electricity which can then be fed back into the electricity grid. Our modern lifts services are second to none, so
contact us today for more information on installation.
