Electricity consumption in energy-efficient houses is 30%-90% less than in conventional ones,.This is directly reflected in utility bills. What you need to do in private houses and apartments is to save your money and the resources of the planet. This is a kind of home maintenance that includes electrical services.
In pursuit of the goal of making your home more energy-efficient. You can solve two of the most important tasks:
- save natural resources as much as possible;
- significantly reduce the financial cost of energy consumption.
Whether it’s installing solar panels, a smart home lighting system, or other ways to save energy, they will reduce financial costs. Some energy cost reduction measures require one-time investments without the need to monitor their implementation. Others, on the contrary, do not require financial investments but provide for a more careful attitude to certain things. At the same time, it is important to understand that energy efficiency should not become an end in itself, all measures should only be aimed at achieving comfortable living in the house. Do not be nervous if children forget to turn off the water tap or light. No savings can justify your shattered nerves and poor health. Even if you manage to make at least some progress towards saving energy, money, and natural resources, this is already worthy of praise. So, let’s look at some options to reduce energy consumption at home.
Correct architecture and layout of premises
It is better to build a private house in the form of a ball or a cube – this reduces the surface area of \u200b\u200b the dwelling, which gives off internal heat. So that heating does not take a lot of energy, it is better to build a private house away from large bodies of water, given the slope of the area and the wind rose. To reduce heat loss, do not place windows on the north, northwest, and west sides. It is better to put technical rooms and garages there, which require less lighting and heating.
Bedrooms and living rooms with large windows are best arranged on the south, southeast, and east sides – it is warmer there (especially on the south side) and the sun partially replaces the light bulbs (especially in the morning on the east side). The office, if you are a lark and work in the morning, it is better to place it in the southern and southeastern parts of the house, but if you are an owl and are used to working in the evening, then in the southwestern. Kitchens are usually organized in the eastern, northeastern, and sometimes northern sides since most heat are generated there.
The south, southeast, and southwest sides are suitable for the bathroom, especially if it has a window: the natural drying of the walls will protect them from mold and bacteria. If there are no windows in the bathroom, you can place them from the north. The entrance to the house according to architectural feng shui should be organized from the south side: in winter, the snow will melt there faster and you won’t have to spend a lot of effort on cleaning it. The same recommendations can be used when choosing apartments.
Thermal insulation of the floor, walls, and roof
If a private house is built of reinforced concrete and bricks, the floor can be insulated with polyisocyanurate foam (PIR) thermal insulation boards: these boards do not contain harmful formaldehyde resins and styrene. Bulk thermal insulation or mineral wool boards are also suitable. A vapor barrier film and floor are laid on top.
If the floor is wooden, then first they lay a waterproofing film and a subfloor. And then a heat-insulating material, then a vapor barrier film, and on top of everything – the floor. One way or another, the thickness of the heat-insulating layer should not be less than 100 mm.
If there is a need for additional insulation from the bottom of an already built house, heat-insulating materials are fixed from the basement side. To do this, use thermal insulation, extruded polystyrene foam, soft fiberboards (MDVP), or fibrolite. According to the same principles, inter-floor floors are insulated.
Insulation of windows and getting rid of cracks
Windows can also be made energy-saving: if they still face north, it is better to make them small; in one window, you can install several double-glazed windows made of low-emission materials (glasses with an invisible metal coating that does not release heat into the street); buy double-glazed windows, into the chambers of which inert gas argon is pumped (provides heat and noise insulation). Curtains and blinds can always be protected from too intense a flow of natural light, and roller shutters will provide additional heat and noise insulation.
The walls must be freed from cracks. If the cracks are small, up to 5 mm in diameter, putty and sealant help. If there are a lot of cracks and they spread along brick walls, then it is better to consult with specialists.
Heating
One of the most energy-efficient and environmentally friendly ways to heat a private home is to use heat pumps. Pumps are geothermal (take heat from the ground) and air (take heat from the atmosphere at temperatures up to -20°C). They run on electricity, but consume very little energy – three to four times less than they produce.
Another technology is solar collectors, which transfer the thermal energy of the rays to a liquid carrier inside the warm floors of the hot water supply system.
For underfloor heating and radiators used in private houses and apartments, you can buy thermostats. This will automatically regulate the heat supply based on the temperature in the room. In apartment buildings, thermostats are also installed in risers.
Water flow control
Aerators (special nozzles on the faucet) help to reduce the consumption of tap water. Faucets are available with built-in aerators. In these devices, water is mixed with air, and the output is a volume jet. No difference in pressure. Aerators with a controlled jet function are even more efficient – savings are also achieved due to the absence of splashes.
Control over the consumption of electricity and heat
In addition to banal counters, at home you can install special motion sensors that will record the presence of a person to turn the light on or off. In addition, they will adjust the illumination depending on the amount of sunlight in the room. Similar devices can be installed outdoors.
Water flow control
Aerators (special nozzles on the faucet) help to reduce the consumption of tap water. Faucets are available with built-in aerators. In these devices, water is mixed with air, and the output is a volume jet. No difference in pressure. Aerators with a controlled jet function are even more efficient – savings are also achieved due to the absence of splashes.
Control over the consumption of electricity and heat
In addition to banal counters, at home, you can install special motion sensors that will record the presence of a person to turn the light on or off. In addition, they will adjust the illumination depending on the amount of sunlight in the room. Similar devices can be installed outdoors.
Temperature and humidity sensors will help regulate the heating inside the house. With intensive and improper heating, including stoves, as well as when using gas stoves, the concentration of CO and CO2 in the room increases. This is fixed by air quality and carbon monoxide sensors.
