JAG Blog

Building an energy efficient home in the Triangle

The JAG Team

February 28, 2022

Technology is dominating the real estate market in the Triangle, particularly as it enhances the ability to provide energy efficiency in the home. In today’s market, building a new home to be as energy efficient as possible is fully on-trend. It’s also providing cost savings that are beneficial to you as a homeowner, as well as an environmental impact that’s positive for the entire world.

If you’re considering building a new home in 2022, there’s never been a better time to focus on building an energy efficient home. As you start planning with your builder, ask about the following options for building an energy efficient home in the Triangle.

Discuss your options for smart design. A builder that understands smart design is already aware that there are many features that can create a high-performance home. A site with access to solar options and little exposure to weather, as well as the orientation of your home’s footprint can provide passive heating and cooling options for your home. Today’s air barrier systems, heating and cooling solutions, ventilation systems, and more can be planned to provide you with an efficient housing system that will reduce your carbon footprint before you’ve even moved in.

Stay off the grid. While solar panels can be expensive to install on an older home, you may want to discuss the installation of a solar system if you’re building new. While you’re selecting your site, keep in mind that a home powered by the sun needs several hours of unobstructed sunlight, so your site may make the ultimate determination about whether solar is possible for your home. Solar power offers incredible cost savings to you while significantly reducing the effects of electricity consumption. It’s a solution you’ll be proud you chose for years to come.

Choose energy efficient appliances and electronics. Most modern appliances are now Energy Star certified, which meet specific energy-efficient specifications set by the U.S. EPA. While many of these appliances provide you with outstanding options that ensure your energy usage stays low, you may also want to talk to your builder about wiring your house for smart technology, too. A whole-house monitoring system connects to your smart phone, and some are compatible with Alexa, Google Assistant, and even Siri voice commands. That means you can control your appliances and the lights in your home, even when you’re away.

Super-seal and super-insulate the home. Any builder that knows how to create efficiency in a home is already thinking about sealing and insulating your home to optimize your cost savings strategies. Your builder will weatherize your home for a North Carolina climate, seal the spaces where air could leak in or out, and will even seal places that could create moisture or let in outside air. The goal is to make your home as comfortable as possible while improving the air quality inside.

Choose modern ways to heat and cool. Energy efficient heating and cooling systems are more commonplace in today’s market. Still, it’s the control system for your thermostat that can create the biggest cost savings and efficiency. Talk to your builder about installing a smart thermostat in your home. These thermostats are now advanced enough to adapt to your schedule, and some can even detect the number of people in your home and adjust the temperature accordingly. Studies also show the average homeowner can save between 8 to 15 percent per year on heating and cooling costs with the use of smart thermostats. It’s a simple solution any homeowner will appreciate.

Shop for the most efficient windows and doors you can find. Modern windows and doors provide homeowners with the ability to reduce heating, cooling, and lighting costs while improving the comfort of your home. Your builder will ensure your windows and doors are installed with precision and fully insulated to maximize their efficiency.

The Triangle’s top builders are well-versed with the latest solutions for energy efficient design and can help you walk through the right solutions for your family. Be sure to ask your builder about the latest trends so you can immediately begin enjoying cost savings upon move-in.

The Jim Allen Group provides access to information on this blog/website as a public service for educational purposes only. Although reasonable efforts have been made to ensure that all of the information made available is current, accurate, and complete…[read more]