No matter how charming or attractive a home is, if it doesn’t feel warm in winter, it’s not doing its job. If you have to wear extra layers inside or can’t read a book in the window seat because the draft is too cold, you’re not receiving the full benefits of your home.
Building a new house gives you the opportunity to get the best of both worlds: the look you want and affordable comfort all year long. When building a new green home, the following three elements work together to keep you warm and cozy in the colder months.
Airtight Construction
If you have ever lived in a drafty house, you know what it feels like to have cold air come through gaps in window frames and around door frames. You also know what this does to your wallet when the heating bill arrives.
What you might not know is that a lot more heated air is lost through areas you can’t see or feel. For example, leaks around electrical outlets, pipes, and conduits for wires all allow heated air to escape. These might seem like small losses, but they add up to more expensive heating bills and a home that’s not as comfortable as it should be.
Even new homes can suffer from the same problems if they’re not built with airtight construction in mind. When a green home is built, all the gaps are sealed to keep the heat in and the cold out in winter, so you don’t have to pay to heat the outdoors and you can leave that extra sweater in your closet.
Passive Solar Heating
Comfort is also affected by how a home is designed. By orienting your home in a way that allows winter sun to enter the windows in your living areas, you get the benefit of free heat. This means that your heating system doesn’t have to work as hard to meet your thermostat settings, which translates to monthly savings on utilities. As an extra bonus, this type of design also provides more natural light during the day.
Energy-Efficient Heat Pumps
A tightly sealed house requires less heat in winter, which means you can ditch the oil- or gas-burning furnace and use energy-efficient heat pumps instead. Heat pumps provide both heating in winter and cooling in summer without consuming a lot of energy, and if you have solar panels to generate electricity, your monthly utility bills will be even lower.
Because they produce no exhaust, heat pumps are also better for the air quality in your home. You also have much more control over the temperature in each area in the house, which is great for family members with different comfort preferences.
All of these green home components also help keep you cool in summer. Airtight construction keeps cooler air inside, smart shading helps reduce heat caused by solar gain, and heat pumps also provide low-cost cooling.
If you’re considering building a new home and you want to be sure you stay warm in winter without breaking the bank:
Every BrightBuilt Home uses these three important concepts to ensure both comfort and predictable utility costs. If you’d like to learn more about building a green home with BrightBuilt, contact us today.
