When designing and decorating your home, it\’s important to look for ways to make it energy efficient and eco-friendly, in addition to making it beautiful. A home with an energy efficient design can save you a lot of money over time, in addition to being easy on the environment. Even if you have to pay a bit more initially for energy-efficient appliances, products and building materials, they will generally pay for themselves in energy savings in a fairly short amount of time. Here are a few energy efficient ideas you can use when designing your home.

Insulation

Insulation can be very important when designing a home for maximum energy efficiency. If you have an existing home, you should inspect it for areas where more insulation might be needed. Walls, crawl spaces, basement walls and ceilings are all locations that can frequently benefit from more insulation. Blankets, batts, foam products and loose fill insulation are all insulation products that can be helpful. If you are building a new home, be sure to include plenty of insulation as part of the building and design process, taking advantage of the newest and most innovative products.

Windows

Windows are often to blame for a large portion of a home\’s energy loss. If your home has older windows, it\’s likely that they are quite inefficient at preventing heat loss. Older windows are also prone to having cracks and spaces that can allow cold air to leak in and heat to leak out. New energy efficient windows can be a very effective part of your overall home design. Although new windows are certainly not an inexpensive purchase, they can save a lot of money and energy over time. Insulated curtains, blinds and shades can also add beautiful and yet energy efficient design to your home.

Lighting

Although each individual lamp or light fixture in your home consumes a relatively small amount of electricity, your energy consumption can really add up when you consider how many total lights you have. Since lighting can be a very important part of your home design and decor, it\’s important to choose options that are attractive and yet energy efficient. Maximizing your use of daylight as part of your home design can be a very energy efficient approach. As long as you have energy efficient windows, you should feel free to open your curtains and blinds so that you can light your home naturally. On cold but sunny winter days, natural sunlight can sometimes even help to heat your home. However, if you live in an area that is quite hot and sunny, window film and glass designed to block UV rays can help prevent overheating your home, while still allowing you to take advantage of natural light.

You should also position your lamps and light fixtures strategically. For example, by placing a reading lamp close to your chair, you can often eliminate the need to use the room\’s overhead lights. Choosing the right bulbs is also important if you want to use less energy. Try replacing traditional bulbs with newer styles of compact fluorescent or LED bulbs.

With just a little bit of effort and planning, you\’ll be able to make your home more energy efficient, helping you save money and energy now and in the future.

Author Bio: Metal-Wall-Art.com regularly features articles by Alyssa Davis on decorating with tropical wall art and outdoor metal wall hanging.

Category: Home Management
Keywords: energy efficient,energy efficient windows,energy efficient design,home design,efficient design