How to Make Your Addition Energy Efficient

Written by Artisan Contracting on December 9, 2020

An addition to any home is a huge undertaking. Even with the professionals on board, adding square footage to your beloved home will require a multitude of considerations. How you create a space that optimizes energy efficiency will require it’s own unique set of decisions. The options available for saving energy with the construction of your addition are plentiful and finding the ones that fit both your vision and your budget is key. Below, we discuss how to ensure you have an energy efficient addition.

Install energy star rated fixtures and appliances

Gone are the days of energy sucking appliances. Most large appliances and fixtures in the market today have an energy star rating but some are better that others in their efficiency. The options that will save you and the environment, are expansive and can be confusing if you don’t know what you’re looking for.  Realize what you’re looking for in an appliance or fixture first,  then go after the energy efficient one.

Window and doors

Ensure that your addition is installed with windows that host quality glass and manufacturing, making them more energy efficient than the competition. Likewise for the doors you use. With an emphasis in the industry on energy efficiency, there is no reason to be losing heat and ultimately money through your windows and doors.

Heating alternatives

If your addition includes running water like a bathroom, you may consider switching out your old water heater with a tankless one. Tankless water heaters provide hot water as needed. You won’t be wasting money or energy heating water that is on stand-by. Tankless water heaters also take up less room, making them more attractive and versatile. Radiant floor heating and solar water heating are also excellent ways to make any addition an energy efficient one.

Insulation

Regardless of  what your addition will look like and despite what its purpose will be, what’s behind your walls it what will largely determine the energy efficiency of your space. You will be required to insulate your space to meet your local building codes, but there is nothing stopping you from adding extra. Increasing the quantity and quality of insulation is one of the most economical energy saving decisions you can make for your new addition.

Use of renewable energy

When considering the heat and electricity source of your new space, consider renewable energy. Through supply and demand, the cost of solar energy has come down in price, making the choice to switch or indeed add, solar to your home a viable and economical choice. Any new components that come along with your addition can be powered by solar or you may consider a complete conversion of your home.

Turn off the lights

Energy efficient practices will go a long way in making your addition energy efficient. Turning down your thermostat and water heater will help to keep your cost down. Turn your furnace fan to auto and turn the air conditioner down. Adhere to off-peak usage for things like the clothes dryer and the dishwasher. You’ll likely be adding duct work to your new addition. Take the opportunity to have your existing ducts cleaned. A clean system will ensure that the added workload on your furnace is minimized. This in turn will save energy. Ultimately adding square footage to your home is adding usage of energy and cost to your household. Putting in an addition, is in and of itself, not energy efficient. Conservation will go along way in counteracting this.

Enjoy a more energy efficient addition with expert help

There are many things that can be incorporated in the building of an addition that will save money and be gentler on the planet. Ultimately, occupant behavior, climate, and site conditions play a significant role. What kind of consumer you are will greatly determine if your addition is an energy efficient one. Pair a conservative nature with some of these tips, and you will have an addition that even Suzuki would be envious of.

Artisan Contracting ensures all it’s rennovations make a home a little eco friendlier for the good of the home, owners bills, and the planet. Give Us A Call and give your home an eco-friendly rennovation.