6 reasons to make your home energy efficient

When buying or building a house, the most common concerns tend to be location, design, and price... While all these concerns are valid and necessary, how many of us think of the characteristics of an energy-efficient house as a factor? decisive?

An energy-efficient house often has a lower interior temperature compared to a conventional one. This is because energy-efficient houses are built with materials that make it difficult for heat to enter. Insulating materials for ceilings and walls, and reflective paint, among others, protect our home from heat and help maintain a more comfortable interior temperature and, at the same time, save on electricity bills.

The roof of our house is a fundamental element considering energy efficiency. We can insulate and soundproof the ceilings in vertical buildings to protect them acoustically and thermally. The climatic conditions of the area must be taken into account to choose the most suitable roof (2-pitch, with a broken roof, 1-pitch…) Generally, the use of slate is very common in cold areas with recurring rains.

In humid areas with moderate rainfall, we recommend an increasingly recurrent resource: roofs with vegetation and even small bushes planted on them. Green roofs favour natural protection against solar radiation and a level of waterproofing incomparable to that obtained with industrial materials.

This catalogue shows us the most studied plants for use on green roofs with their most relevant characteristics. The results presented in the publication correspond to the data obtained from the monitoring of 3 green roofs in the City of Buenos Aires and its surroundings. It was carried out for two years with frequent visits, where the mortality of the plants and their behaviour in terms of growth, health and phenology -a science that studies the relationship between climatic factors and the cycles of living beings- were evaluated. In all cases, the cover was composed of a mixture of commercial Sedum for green roofs of European origin, and a percentage of native species.

Energy-efficient homes are often equipped with efficient lighting systems, which not only help lower our bills but are also better for our vision and health. Efficient lighting systems do not contain mercury and are therefore safer for the home. They also produce less heat than conventional lights.

Today, the most efficient lamps are energy-saving light bulbs, which use 80% less energy to produce the same amount of light as traditional light bulbs. We must remember that if we use this type of bulb, we must deposit them at the appropriate collection points when they stop working. Also, LED bulbs are characterized by a life of 70,000 hours, almost 50 years. They do not contain any type of toxic element.

According to the Gas Natural Fenosa Foundation, with efficient use of lighting, we could save 26.2% per year (about 340 million euros per year) in Spanish households as a whole, just by using low-consumption light bulbs -from 11W to 15W- o LED bulbs -which have experienced a clear increase in recent years-. The good condition of the lamps is also relevant since it is possible to avoid spending up to 20% on lighting.

With some lighting regulation systems, we can save up to 50% on our bills. Some of the most efficient lighting systems are presence detectors, which are only activated when they detect the presence of people and turn off when they leave the room using infrared rays that detect movement; photoelectric cells are activated according to natural light levels, very effective outdoors in all types of homes. For rooms such as toilets or bathrooms, we can use timer switches, which we can program for a certain time, after the chosen time, it will turn off immediately.

If you are thinking of renting or selling your home, an energy-efficient home is a guarantee for the future. We should never flinch at the thought of higher electricity rates. If we are buying houses for investment, the efficient houses are those that have the highest resale value. Efficiency saves money, and practising and betting on these efficient systems often help you get the most out of your purchase.

An efficient home will help us save energy and therefore pay less on our bills, which is why it is a very noteworthy point with a view to the future sale of the home, highlighting all the features, appliances, systems and, ultimately, all the elements that will help us save energy and money.

If we buy a house that does not consume energy and then decide to convert it into an efficient house, we may have to invest a large budget. Also, the features will be limited to what can be adapted in the house. Observations like the orientation are impossible to change in a house, and if it is built with bricks that absorb heat, we can only make it a little more efficient if we invest more in thermal insulation.

The more energy we consume, the more emissions harmful to our environment are produced. If we live in an energy-efficient home, we will consume less energy and electricity. This benefits the environment as our home indirectly releases fewer carbon emissions that contribute to pollution and climate change.

In Spain, there are different institutions involved in the fight against climate change, such as the Spanish Office for Climate Change and the National Climate Council, but it is increasingly necessary to implement all the measures that help us take care of our mistreated environment. with small changes in our consumption and execution habits.

An energy-efficient house often has a lower interior temperature compared to a conventional one. This is because energy-efficient houses are built with materials that make it difficult for heat to enter. Insulating materials for ceilings and walls, and reflective paint, among others, protect our home from heat and help maintain a more comfortable interior temperature and, at the same time, save on electricity bills.

The roof of our house is a fundamental element considering energy efficiency. We can insulate and soundproof the ceilings in vertical buildings to protect them acoustically and thermally. The climatic conditions of the area must be taken into account to choose the most suitable roof (2-pitch, with a broken roof, 1-pitch…) Generally, the use of slate is very common in cold areas with recurring rains.

In humid areas with moderate rainfall, we recommend an increasingly recurrent resource: roofs with vegetation and even small bushes planted on them. Green roofs favour natural protection against solar radiation and a level of waterproofing incomparable to that obtained with industrial materials.

This catalogue shows us the most studied plants for use on green roofs with their most relevant characteristics. The results presented in the publication correspond to the data obtained from the monitoring of 3 green roofs in the City of Buenos Aires and its surroundings. It was carried out for two years with frequent visits, where the mortality of the plants and their behaviour in terms of growth, health and phenology -a science that studies the relationship between climatic factors and the cycles of living beings- were evaluated.

In all cases, the cover was composed of a mixture of commercial Sedum for green roofs of European origin, and a percentage of native species.

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), by using less energy for cooling and lighting and choosing 5-star energy-efficient appliances, a household can save 20% annually on bills.

During the seven or eight years that a family lives in an energy-efficient house, we can save thousands of euros in maintenance. We have named some elements in lighting that can help us save energy, but we must also take into account the issue of energy efficiency when we buy appliances.

All of them have an energy label that allows consumers to know the energy efficiency of the products they use. The energy label, used in household appliances, lighting equipment and automobiles, informs us about its consumption, performance, capacity, noise, etc.

These labels can be of great help when deciding between one model or another. Many times the price of a device may not be as important as the consumption it will make during its useful life, since low consumption can amortize the higher price that is usually associated with more efficient devices in a short time. There are 7 energy classes ranging from the letter A (Most efficient) to the letter G (Less efficient) depending on electricity consumption.

In Spain, 5 years after the entry into force of the Royal Decree on Energy Certification of buildings, the "E" rating is the most common in most autonomous communities, according to data from Certalia. The A and B have been very punctual, with only 4 cases of A between Madrid and Catalonia and 36 cases of B between Aragon, Catalonia, Madrid, Galicia and Andalusia.

Learn more about our architecture studio: Pacheco & Asociados Architects. We have been in the architecture and decoration sector for more than 25 years. We offer our services both nationally and internationally. Our team of architects and more professionals always manage to design the specifications, needs and wishes of the clients.