5 Steps toward Becoming a Zero-Energy Home

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could say goodbye to energy bills forever? Zero-energy buildings have a net energy consumption of, well, zero. This means they produce at least as much energy as they use. While this is not something that is feasible for the average homeowner, it’s possible to live a greener and more economical lifestyle and reduce your energy consumption. How? Find out with this energy advice from Getzschman Heating & Cooling.

1. Be smart. If you are really committed to reducing your carbon footprint, it starts with the small things, like turning off the lights when you leave the room, taking shorter showers and being willing to open your windows to keep your house cool. It’s not glamorous, it’s not complicated, but it can make a big difference for the environment and your wallet.

2. Design. In a perfect world, you begin living a zero-energy lifestyle with the design of your home.  This can be done by strategically positioning windows to take advantage of crosswinds, putting living space on the warmer south and east sides of your home and so on. However this is not a breaking point, even if you are not building your home from scratch, you can still reduce your energy consumption.

3. Passive solar. Passive solar energy means taking advantage of the natural heating (and cooling) properties of the sun. This is anything from keeping your windows open when it’s cold and shutting them when it’s sunny to drawing the shades in the summer against the harsh glare. These simple actions can significantly reduce your heating and cooling bills and keep your home more comfortable with the natural heat and light.

4. Active solar. If you want to further reduce your energy usage, there are some affordable solar energy options. These options include putting a discrete solar cell on your roof or in your yard or using a solar-powered water heater to take some of the heavy lifting away from your gas or electric model.

5. Geothermal heating and cooling. The earth is naturally cool any time of year. Installing a geothermal loop in your yard lets you take advantage of that, helping to bring cooler air in to your home in the summer. Because you’re using the natural properties of the earth, you don’t use as much electricity to maintain your home comfort.

For more information about geothermal heating and cooling, give Getzschman a call! We can help you install or repair a geothermal heating system.