Your home is your sanctuary, allowing you a place to rest and relax that keeps you out of the elements. However, some homes are better at this than others.
If you are looking to upgrade your home’s ability to keep you safe and healthy, take a look at our list of ten best upgrades that assist in reducing energy usage and carbon footprints, reducing harmful chemicals and toxins, and potentially saving you money.
Smart Thermostats
Smart thermostats are programmable devices allowing control of your home’s temperature through the heating and cooling systems via smart devices like phones and tablets. This allows for a more efficient, optimal operation of your HVAC.
Some devices can take it a step further and can automatically adjust depending on your habits. Through motion sensors, it can detect when to lower or raise temperatures based on when you are home and when you are not, and the smartest of systems can do so for individual rooms within the house.
As a result, your home stays comfortable and your energy costs go down. According to Energy Star, you can experience an average savings of 8% on your heating and cooling costs.
Being able to adjust the temperature from your smart device is also extremely handy, whether you are on a different floor from the actual thermostat or on vacation and not even at home.
Smart thermostats can also send you notifications for maintenance such as when to change air filters. Because they are connected to the internet, they may also have access to software updates for the latest energy-saving features.
Air Purifiers
While the air filter in your heating and cooling system can assist in improving air quality, an air purifier can take this a step further.
Air purification systems filter the air inside of a home of dust, smoke, mold, pet dander, chemicals, viruses, odors, and other airborne pollutants depending on the type of filter used within the purifier.
The EPA states that some air pollutant rates are five times higher indoors than outside. Part of this increase can be attributed to better insulated homes that allow for less airflow.
Carbon air filters will assist in better odor control and reduction of VOCs and other airborne chemicals. HEPA filters are best for reducing the maximum amount of allergens and viruses.
Other factors to consider are the CADR (clean air delivery rate), room size, how often you need to replace filters, and the costs, both for upfront and ongoing maintenance.
Water Filtration Systems
Even municipally treated water in developed countries can contain unwanted impurities, including heavy metals, chemicals, pesticides, and pharmaceuticals. To assist in ensuring your home has access to clean, healthy water, consider a water filter system.
Undersink systems, such as reverse osmosis systems, can provide filtered water to a dedicated faucet at your kitchen sink, for healthy water for drinking, cooking, and cleaning.
One common undersink system is a reverse osmosis filter, which provides advanced filtration of TDS (total dissolved solids) down to 0.0001 micron).
Whole house filters utilize one or multiple stages of filtration for clean water for drinking, bathing, laundry, dishwashers, and more.
Popular choices for whole house filters include sediment filters to reduce particulate matter, carbon filters, and other specialty cartridges like hard water prevention or iron reduction.
Carbon water filters are an excellent choice for healthy water production, with activated carbon media in particular absorbing chlorine and other chemicals, heavy metals, pesticides, and more from water while allowing beneficial minerals to remain in drinking water.
When considering a water filter system for your home, consider what you want filtered, how much water you will be filtering, and upfront and ongoing maintenance costs.
LED Lighting
Another great way to save on your electricity bills is to replace your old light bulbs with LED lighting. Light-emitting diodes offer energy efficient, clean, eco-friendly lighting for the entire home, inside and out.
Traditional incandescent light bulbs only convert 20% of electrical power into light, with the rest being turned into infrared heat. LED lights convert 80% to 90% of electricity into light, with very little heat production, making them much more efficient and safer to use in a number of environments.
Overall, LED lights use 50% less energy than incandescent, fluorescent, and halogen bulbs. LED bulbs also have a much greater lifespan, with one LED bulb taking the place of about 25 incandescent bulbs. LED bulbs are recyclable and free of toxic chemicals.
In addition to cost savings and lower carbon footprints, LED bulbs are also a healthier option due to their toxic-free nature. Fluorescent bulbs, for example, contain several toxins such as mercury.
Energy-Efficient Windows
Is your home feeling drafty? Consider upgrading your windows. These windows typically have double or even triple glass panes, high quality frames, and tight seals to keep the warm air in in the winter and out in the summer.
As a result, you can save as much as 12% on your energy bills as your cooling and heating systems don’t need to run as often.
According to the EPA, this reduction in energy use reduces your carbon print by thousands of pounds of CO2 emissions, as much as 6,205 lbs. It also assists in lengthening the lifespan of your heating and cooling systems as they work more efficiently.
Better windows provide better noise insulation as well, and allow less condensation. Less condensation means less chance for mold and mildew and water damage.
Many energy-efficient windows will also have coatings to reflect solar heat and UV infrared light, providing protection to flooring, furniture, artwork, and more inside of your home. In some areas, you can qualify for tax rebates by replacing your old, single-pane windows with energy efficient windows.
Solar Panels
Want to practically eliminate your electricity bills? Solar panels capture the UV energy from the sun and turn it into power for your home. Solar has come a long way since its introduction, and the industry is still improving all the time.
Currently, solar panels can be used anywhere, even producing enough electricity for the average home in limited sunlight hours in the winter. They can assist you in saving money on your power bill, or can even result in you producing enough energy to sell back to your utility company to make you money.
If the electricity goes out in your area, you will still have power in your home. The power produced by solar panels is clean, renewable energy that is practically limitless. The panels themselves are easy to maintain and are able to be broken down for complete recycling, reused, and reclaiming at the end of their lives.
Real estate agencies also report that the installation of solar panels on a home can increase its value as much as $15,000 over similar properties.
Keep in mind, however, that the upfront costs of solar panels are still relatively high, and are best for those who intend to stay in their homes long term. Some of these costs can be mitigated by tax rebates. Leasing options are also available.
The panels don’t always work with every roof, either, so it is best to consult with a professional about if the installation will work for your home.
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Low-Voc Paints
Do you know that fresh paint smell? That is the result of VOCs, or volatile organic compounds. VOCs are chemicals used in certain products that release gasses that are bad for the environment and can be harmful when inhaled for extended periods of time.
Paint in particular can let off VOCs for weeks, months, and even years after initial application. Exposure to VOCs can cause nausea, airway irritation, headaches, or even damage to organs and the central nervous system.
Traditional paint contains about 250 grams of VOC per liter for flat paint, and as much as 380 grams for glossy paints. To reduce exposure from VOCs in paint, consider Low-VOC or no-VOC paints.
Low-VOC paints only have less than 50 grams of VOCs per liter, while no-VOC paints, also known as zero-VOC paints, have less than 5 grams per liter. These paints have little to no odor, and are mostly free of chemicals like benzene, formaldehyde, and ethylene glycol.
Low-VOC and no-VOC paints will require multiple coats compared to standard paints, and they tend to have a shorter lifespan. They also cost more than standard paints. When choosing a low-VOC or no-VOC paint, make sure that the company hasn’t replaced the VOCs with other harmful toxins and solvents.
Programmable Sprinklers
Interested in saving on your water bills as well? Similar to smart thermostats, programmable sprinklers allow you to control sprinkler system settings from a smart device via the internet.
Smart sprinklers can also use sensors to monitor weather conditions, humidity, and/or soil moisture levels, allowing them to shut off or run water accordingly.
These can be purchased with a system, or can be added to your existing sprinkler system to create better efficiency with less over and under watering. This efficiency tends to reduce irrigation amounts as much as 20% to 50%, with water bills being cut as much as in half.
According to the EPA, sprinklers with water sense technology can save a home as much as 15,000 gallons of water per year. In addition to water and money savings, programmable sprinklers can improve plant and lawn health.
Insulated Garage Doors
Like energy-efficient windows, insulated garage doors provide multiple layers to provide protection from heat and cold transfer. This again can offer a reduction in heating and cooling costs for the home, as well as creating a better climate inside of the garage making it a more usable space.
The airtight seal also acts as a noise dampener, not only reducing outdoor noise pollution, but also reducing operating noise of the garage door itself. Because they are thicker, insulated garage doors are more durable than regular garage doors, making them more resistant to dents and damage.
Rainwater Harvesting Systems
A water-saving strategy that has been used for almost the beginning of civilization has recently begun gaining in popularity worldwide. Rainwater harvesting is the collection of rainwater to be stored for later use. Systems consist of a surface the water runs off of, such as a roof, is then transported through a conveyance system, and collected in storage like a barrel, tank, cistern, or reservoir.
The water can then be used for watering gardens and lawns, indoor plants, washing vehicles, pets, swimming pools, and if properly treated, even for potable water.
Rainwater harvesting reduces use of the water supply, which is better for the environment and cuts down on water bills, is eco-friendly, and a clean and free water source. It can assist in solving drainage issues, and may reduce runoff.
Runoff can carry oils, pesticides, and other pollutants into bodies of water and water supplies, but if the water is collected, runoff is reduced.
Conclusion
There are a number of ways you can improve your home to create a safer, healthier, more energy-efficient space. With technology updates, better quality materials, and eco-friendly choices, it feels easier than ever.
Whether you are looking to improve air quality, want healthier water, or to reduce your carbon footprint, applying one or more of these upgrades is a great way to achieve your goals.
