Energy Efficient Changes to Your Home
One of the most pressing issues we face today is climate change. Many factors contribute to this problem, and one that stands out quite a bit is our carbon footprint. It is important to know exactly what a carbon footprint is and how we can make changes to reduce the footprint.
What is Our Carbon Footprint?
The term “carbon footprint” describes the amount of carbon compounds and carbon dioxide that is released as a result of the world using fossil fuels. For many years, our main source of energy has been fossil fuels, commonly natural gas, petroleum, and coal. Due to the fact that these fuels have been used in abundance for so long, there has been a sharp increase in the amount of carbon dioxide being emitted over time, hence our “carbon footprint”. While this is an issue for not only our planet but also for us, there are certain things you can do to minimize the amount of carbon compounds released by making subtle changes around your home, resulting in a reduction of the energy you use.
Appliances
Some of the things in your home that consume the most energy are appliances, primarily your washer and dryer, furnace, air conditioning unit, and your refrigerator. Luckily, there are energy-efficient appliances that are slowly becoming more and more mainstream because they do just as good a job as regular appliances, only they save you money and energy. Most of the time, an appliance will use more energy than needed to function, and they even use energy when they aren’t actively running; doing so will rack up your energy bill in addition to emitting more carbon compounds into the air. Energy-efficient appliances work to limit this non-essential energy use.
Energy efficient appliances make it a priority to use only the amount of energy needed. To find out more about energy-efficient heating and air conditioning units, contact your local heating & cooling repair and maintenance business to find the right appliances for your home and for your daily needs.
Solar Energy
One of the best types of clean energy is solar energy. Although slightly more expensive at first than other implementations to your home, solar energy will reduce the amount of fossil fuels used and will provide you will clean energy. In the end, you will be saving energy and money while using solar panels.
The Thermostat
Most people make it a point to turn off their heater or air conditioning unit when they are heading out for the weekend or going on a vacation. However, it is not uncommon to forget to turn it off and if that is the case, your HVAC system is working to keep your house comfortable for people who are not home. This uses an incredible amount of energy that isn’t needed. To ensure this does not happen, you can install a programmable thermostat that you are able to adjust with a cell phone app. Forgetting to turn off the air conditioning will no longer be an issue, and you will save money and energy by limiting this non-essential usage. These devices will also adjust the thermostat on a daily basis for you to account for times when your family is at work or school.
Sealing and Insulating Your Home
One of the main reasons HVAC systems use more energy than needed is because more often than not, the home is not properly sealed or insulated; when this happens, the air in your home that your HVAC system has worked so hard to create is literally going right out the window. To stop this, using weather stripping, caulk, and insulation can help reduce air leaks and will cut down on the energy used.
When we first started to realize there was a growing issue with the amount of carbon dioxide going into the air, there were not many alternative options. However, with advancements in science and technology, there are numerous ways you can minimize your carbon footprint by changing your home to be more energy efficient.
If you have any questions about how your HVAC system can be more energy efficient, contact us today for more information.
