How can you find energy efficient homes for sale? Looking for certain features in a home can help you tell how eco-friendly it is, such as if the home uses solar panels, a Smart thermostat, a tankless water heater, reclaimed wood, or rainwater harvesting systems.
You’ll also want to take a close look at the windows, the insulation, and if the home is already equipped with any Energy Star appliances. Look for the builder – who built the home? That can be a tell-tale sign. If the builder has a reputation for building eco-homes in Florida and advertises that they use energy efficient methods to build a home, you can generally rely on them.
Solar Panels
Does the home utilize solar panels? Technology that harnesses solar energy from the sun has gotten better, cheaper, and easier to use than ever before. As well as being good for the environment, solar energy can also help you reduce electricity costs because many electric companies are now paying homeowners for any excess energy trapped in their solar panels that they aren’t going to need.
Renting or Buying Solar Panels
One thing you will need to know if you plan to purchase a home that already has solar panels is if the panels were purchased or leased. If the solar panels were purchased with a loan, the person who is selling the home is required to pay that loan off. If the solar panels are being leased, be sure to understand the terms of the lease before agreeing to sign any contract.
Smart Thermostats
If the house you are interested in purchasing uses a Smart thermostat, that is another sign of a green feature of eco-homes Florida. A Smart thermostat can save you money and energy use. This type of thermostat automates the processes of heating and cooling your home through remote sensors and other technology. If you are an Amazon Alexa user, this type of thermostat may also be controlled by a voice command or an app on your smartphone, computer, or tablet.
Tankless Water Heaters
This type of water heater is also called an “On-Demand” water heater or “Instantaneous” water heater because it heats the water as you need it, rather than keeping warm water constantly in a tank. Surveys report that if you use around 40 gallons of hot water, or less, in a day, a tankless water heater will be, on average, 24 to 34 percent more energy efficient than a regular water heater.
Be sure to ask, though, if the tankless water heater is electric or gas. Gas-fired heaters can heat water faster than an electric heater, but they use more energy since they constantly have a pilot light burning. It would also save you less money unless you choose a gas-fired heater that has an ignition device that is defined as “intermittent.”
Reclaimed Wood
Another way to tell if you are looking at energy-efficient homes for sale is to ask if any of the wood used in the home has been reclaimed (i.e., salvaged from an old building or from previous use). When wood is reused in this manner, it is quite efficient, effective, and it keeps good wood out of landfills, and it also does not necessitate the need for cutting down more trees.
Many people love using reclaimed wood for the character it brings to the home. Reclaimed wood can be repurposed in several ways, including for floors, ceilings, porches and decks, mantels above fireplaces, and walls.
Saving Water
If you really want to make sure your next home is as environmentally friendly and as green as possible, you’re sure to have uncovered your gem if you find that the home has either a rain harvesting or gray water harvesting system in place.
Rainwater
To capture rainwater, a system can be as simple as placing two plastic barrels under the end of a gutter system so that the water will find its way into the barrels, or it can be as complicated as using underground storage tanks with filters to sanitize the rainwater. The plastic barrel method would be good if you just planned to use the water for your garden or plants. If you were going to try to use the captured rainwater for the entire needs of your home, you would need a more elaborate system.
Gray Water
The term “gray water” as it relates to harvesting water means saving water from the bathtub or kitchen sink for re-use. You want to ask several questions before purchasing a home with a gray-water harvesting system, such as how the water is going to be re-used. If the water would only be used in sprinkler systems and toilets, that would require a less advanced system than would water whose purposes were to include drinking it, cooking with it, or bathing in it.
Conclusion
There are many ways in which you can answer the question, “How to find energy-efficient homes for sale?” Look to the green builders; look to those who construct homes with energy efficiency in mind. One of those who has eco-homes in Florida for sale is Synergy Homes. Synergy Homes is based on a concept of quality craftsmanship, excellent customer service, and integrity. Call them at 1-561-617-8671 in West Palm Beach today to speak with a knowledgeable representative.
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