The natural beauty and world-class amenities Maricopa County offers its residents make it a wonderful place to live and raise a family. What better way to enjoy the benefits of life in the Valley of the Sun than by building the energy efficient custom home of your dreams. Energy efficient homes offer reduced energy costs and other benefits. Here are a few of the steps you should take to ensure the energy efficiency of the custom-built home of your dreams is matched by its charm and beauty.
What is an energy efficient custom home?
A luxurious and elegant custom home can also be affordable to maintain. This is where innovations in energy efficiency come into play. Incorporating energy-saving features into your home offers you the following benefits:
Reduced heating and cooling costs
Consistent interior temperatures
Protection from climate changes
Healthier indoor environment
Arizona home builders take into consideration several factors affecting the energy efficiency of a custom-built home, including the following:
Location of the building site
Climate
Appliances
Insulation and air sealing methods
Heating and cooling equipment
Windows, doors and skylights
Each factor might have a slight impact on energy consumption, but when they are incorporated together in the design and construction of a new home, the energy savings can be substantial.
Site Location and Development
It is essential to choose a building site offering natural protection from the elements. The location of the home on the site must take full advantage of protecting the structure from wind and sun by using the natural protection the site offers.
Choosing a builder with experience in Maricopa County is important when choosing a building lot. For example, Starwood Custom Homes has luxury lots from which to choose in scenic areas located throughout the county. Their design team works with you to determine the best landscaping and grading options to maximize the energy efficiency of the property.
Insulation and Air Sealing
Most people are familiar with the concept behind insulating a home, especially living in Arizona during the summer. Insulation is the protective barrier standing between the interior of your home and the outside environment. Insulation in the walls and the ceiling help to keep you comfortable while avoiding excessive fluctuations of interior temperatures caused by improper heat flow. Essentially, it keeps your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
Air sealing might not be as familiar to you, but it plays an important role in keeping your heating and cooling costs down. When exterior air leaks into your home or interior air is allowed to escape through cracks and openings, your heating and cooling system must work harder to keep the interior of your home comfortable.
Proper construction methods help to minimize air leakage. Vapor barriers, weather stripping and caulking prevent air from entering or escaping from the home.
Using the Right Materials
The type of material chosen for the roof of your home can have an impact on its energy efficiency. Heat generated by the sun in Arizona can keep your cooling system running and costing you money. Reflective roofing materials are now available that can keep your roof up to 100 degrees cooler in the summer than conventional roofing materials.
Another method of reducing energy costs is by installing energy efficient windows. They might increase your custom home building cost because they are more expensive than standard windows, but they save you money by reducing the cost of cooling a home.
Choosing the Most Energy Efficient Equipment
The heating and cooling system must match the square footage of the custom-built home it is being asked to cool and heat. Systems are energy efficient, but using an undersized unit forces it to work harder to maintain temperature levels within the home. This is where the experience and knowledge of the builder of your home is of critical importance to your family’s comfort and to your future energy costs.
Energy efficiency is all about attention to details. The appliances and lighting options chosen for a new home have an effect on future electric bills. For example, LED lighting offers lower energy consumption, and the bulbs last substantially longer than conventional bulbs.
Appliances with the Energy Star rating offer lower energy consumption, but they also reduce the cost of maintaining your home in another way. The energy efficient washing machines installed in custom-built homes also use less water.
Select the Right Custom Home Builder
Choosing the best company from all the custom home builders Arizona offers is the first step in your journey toward the home of your dreams in Maricopa County. Starwood Custom Homes combines old-world craftsmanship and attention to detail with cutting-edge innovation and technology.
Energy efficiency in a home comes about when a builder has the experience and capability of incorporating the latest technology into the design and construction of a home in such a way that beauty and elegance are not sacrificed. The design team and construction managers at Starwood Custom Homes understand the importance of delivering a finished product that will provide years of enjoyment.
Make 2018 the year your dream of an elegant, energy efficient custom home comes true. Start making it happen by calling Starwood Custom Homes at 480-888-1907 to discuss your future custom home.
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