The Best Energy-Efficiency Design Upgrades for Your Home or Business

Energy-efficient homes are cool — both literally and figuratively! As electricity costs rise and every summer seems hotter than the last, property owners are eager to find ways to cut their power bills. This also has the benefit of reducing your environmental impact. Good for your wallet, your health and comfort, and the planet — what’s not to love?
If you’re looking to remodel or renovate your property, here are energy-efficiency features to keep in mind. They can save you electricity, enhance your lifestyle, and add a touch of luxury to boot!

Skylights

If your building is not blessed with many windows, you may keep the lights on all day every day. That can rack up a hefty power bill, especially for commercial buildings, which tend to use fluorescents.

Plus, natural light can boost your mood, especially during winter. Lower light levels can trigger seasonal affective disorder — and if you’re cooped in a dark house or workplace, the winter blues can hit hard.

Exposure to natural light also promotes a good night’s sleep and helps the body absorb vitamin D.

With all these benefits, large windows sound like a blessing. However, they can allow too much sunlight, which heats the room and raises AC costs.

Skylights are a brilliant solution (pun intended). They direct natural light right to where you need it, without allowing those blinding afternoon rays into the space. Plus, they afford much more privacy than those big windows.

You can also choose an opening skylight to vent hot air and improve circulation. This option is great for kitchens.

And of course, skylights give a luxurious modern feel. They make spaces look bigger and grander.

LED Lighting

For all your property’s built-in light fixtures, consider LED bulbs. LED is short for Light-Emitting Diode. This technology is incredibly energy-efficient, using 90% less energy than incandescent bulbs.

Compared to incandescent and fluorescent bulbs, LEDs manage heat better, so they don’t increase the temperature of the room as much. This means your AC doesn’t have to work as hard — and you save even more on energy costs.

You can use LEDs just about anywhere: wall sconces, recessed ceiling lights (always a popular choice), under-cabinet lighting, and so on. Explore your LED lighting options.

Appliance Upgrades

Most appliances sold today are designed to be energy-efficient. You’ll see the “Energy Star” certification seal on many brands of washers, refrigerators, and so on.

Also, make sure your new appliances are properly set into your cabinetry. For example, dishwashers need to be insulated. Paneling needs to allow pipes to pass through without creating leaks to the outdoors. A remodeling contractor can help you optimize your cabinets to work with your appliances, not against them.

Cool Roofs

Is your roof cool? We don’t mean how it looks — although a cool roof can certainly look cool!

Cool roofing involves using special UV-reflective materials to prevent your building from absorbing too much heat. This helps maintain the interior temperature so your HVAC system doesn’t have to work as hard.

If you’re up for a roof replacement and are considering a cool roof, reach out to our friends at Sentinel Roofing for more information.

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Luxury Range Hoods

Your range hood pulls triple-duty in your kitchen: it vents hot air and cooking fumes, provides stovetop lighting, and prevents grease from collecting on your beautiful countertops and cabinets.

New range hoods offer even more features, such as automatic turn on and shut-offs. They’ll even tell you when it’s time to replace the filter. These aren’t your mother’s range hoods!

And with a bit of creativity, range hoods can also serve an aesthetic function. A well-designed range hood ties your kitchen together. See some examples in our kitchen remodel gallery.

Energy-efficiency upgrades do more than save you money on your power bill. They also enhance your property’s usability, comfort, and sense of luxury. Whether you’re planning your next remodel or looking for wallet- and eco-friendly options for a home improvement project, we hope this blog has given you some ideas!

Ready to get started with any of these energy-efficiency upgrades for your home or business? Reach out to Straight Line Construction to discuss your idea!