Building a new home is a thrill in so many ways. You try your best to provide the most comfortable life for yourself and your family, and many factors are involved. Fortunately, now you have the option to invest in a sustainable building that will give you an optimal living experience all year round.
What we’re talking about is better known as a high-performance home. It involves various architectural solutions that enable a warm and healthy indoor life, being energy-efficient at the same time. Sometimes it’s best to get out of your way and invest in something that will benefit you enormously in the long run. Click here for more info.
The Basic Concept
If you do some quick research online, you’ll find many definitions of what a high-performance home is. Essentially, it’s a home as any other, providing you shelter, warmth, a place to eat, sleep and go about your daily activities. Where’s the catch, then, you might ask? Simply put, it does better in all those things.
This means improved temperature regulation, ventilation, insulation, and all other aspects that play a role in our comfort. It boils down to choosing the right design solutions, using sustainable and recycled materials, etc. You can go to https://victoreric.com/high-performance/ to read more. The idea is to make your home as energy-efficient as possible and save a lot of money along the way.
The Advantages
Most of us rely on air-conditioners, heaters, fireplaces throughout the year, depending on the season. Yes, they help you achieve the ideal temperature fast enough, and besides, that’s what everyone else is doing, right? But, try to think outside the box for a second and imagine living without all those high electricity bills.
This issue alone is tempting enough. A high-performance home will help you maintain the perfect temperature without using too much energy. Moreover, they are dry from one New Year’s Eve to the next, eliminating damp and mold in your new and overhauled household and making it a healthier place to live.
Carbon footprint is something that comes up frequently nowadays, and with a good reason too. If you live in an old building with a poor thermal envelope, it probably uses up to 60-70% of the energy for heating or cooling. A “passive house” or “net-zero” (certification labels for high-performance buildings) can save up to 90% in energy costs.
Main Factors
To achieve this rather fantastic feat, architects devote special attention to the key performance aspects of a particular home. It’s hardly a revolutionary idea, in case futuristic images are popping up in your head. Think of it as a significant improvement of already existing principles.
For one, there’s the issue of ventilation. There must be a high-functioning ventilation system to prevent stale and pollutant-free indoor air, and this is exactly what our home entails. The goal is to direct the airflow only through your selected channels. One way is to install an HRV (Heat Recovery Ventilator) system.
Another key factor is insulation. High-performance homes have thickly insulated walls that offer high thermal resistance. This means that you get a constant interior temperature, whether it’s freezing or scorching heat outside. This is achieved by installing quality insulation products such as polyester, mineral wool, glasswool, etc. You can go to this website for more info.
To make sure you get everything right, you should pay attention to your doors and windows. Reputable companies will give you cutting-edge solutions for each building aspect. The latter requires multiple glazing; otherwise; heat will easily escape your household.
Finally, one of the greatest achievements of high-performance homes is taking advantage of solar energy. After all, the Sun is right there, so why not use it the best you can? For instance, you could install exposed concrete floors in your home or other materials with a high thermal mass. They save up a lot of energy by absorbing heat during the day.
Also, you could invest in photovoltaic solar panels and reduce those annoying bills to a bare minimum. It’s the future of net energy use, as more and more homeowners rely on panels for heating. The Sun, and nature in general, is our greatest gift, so we better make the most of it.
