How to design an efficient home

With electricity prices increasing, there are a number of design elements you can include to save both energy and money in the long term. In this article, we’re exploring your options in making your home more efficient. 

The Building and Design and MyChoice Consultants at McDonald Jones Homes, can help you to select items that improve your home efficiency, from floorplans that offer homes with ideal cross ventilation and access to natural light to product selection that helps your home become more efficient, you can find out by talking directly with a consultant near you.

Efficient Base Materials

The first step to designing an efficient home is creating a solid foundation to start from. Choose materials that are inherently efficient.

Cool Roofs

Cool roofs are made of highly reflective materials, which is why they come recommended for efficient homes. These materials reflect sunlight, which means that they absorb less heat, which is especially important for Australian summers, as cool roofs aid in keeping homes cooler during warm days.

Steel Frames

Steel frames are a fantastic addition to your home. The fact that they are termite-proof means your use of harmful chemical treatments will be substantially lessened, improving your environmental footprint and making your home more energy efficient. Find out why McDonald Jones Homes feature steel frames in their homes.

Building Materials

What are the building materials your home will be made of? Will your windows be double-glazed, so as to keep the heat inside? Will your home be built from wood, Hebel or brick? Hebel, in particular, is said to be especially energy efficient.

Stay sustainable long term with Solar Energy

When speaking of efficiency, solar energy is one of the first ideas that come to mind. The beauty of solar energy is that it harnesses natural light and transforms it into energy that can be used throughout your home, in many different ways and for a variety of appliances.

When installing any solar panels, ensure that you take the position of your home into account. The sun will fall in some areas more than others, and the solar panels you install should take advantage of that.

Adding solar panels and allowing for the use of solar energy is not only efficient for your wallet, but also for the environment. Find out more about Solar Pay here.

Renewable Water

Whenever you can, go renewable. In the case of water, this involves installing a water-tank that will take advantage of the many rainy days that Australian winters bring.

Home Automation

We live in what has been dubbed the “technological age”, and so we should embrace it. Home automation is one of the many benefits that has come with this time. There are many different ways in which home automation can be incorporated into your home to make it efficient.

Heated Flooring

When designing your home, take your flooring into consideration. Chat to your design consultant if you're considering heated flooring, as that can can save energy and costs in the long term.

Automated blinds and shutters

By installing solar-powered blinds which sense the outside environment and adjust themselves accordingly, you can save energy by reducing the amount of heat entering your home on hot days, and increase heat entering on cold days. Little adjustments like this will go a long way in the overall efficiency of your home.

Contact Us for More Information

Designing an efficient home can feel overwhelming. It seems like there are so many different ideas and concepts to take into consideration, which is where we can step in. If you would like to learn more about efficient homes and how you can get the best electricity deals and would like to get started with designing your energy efficient home, feel free to contact us, McDonald Jones Homes, on 1300 555 382. Alternatively, visit our contact us page.