Starting in 2020, building codes are changing for the better in California. This year, any new home built should contribute as much energy as they consume, meaning everything must be energy-neutral. This is an excellent step in the right direction of sustainable building.
Starting this year, new homes built in California are meant to be net zero, meaning they should generate as much energy as they take off the grid. https://t.co/zk3Fhu2Zex
— KCRW (@kcrw) January 22, 2020
5 Ways to Make Your Home More Energy Efficient
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Solar
Ahh solar powering your home — this is really the main event. The city of Los Angeles is requiring new homes under four stories to be built with solar panels. You can lease, rather than purchase the panels- which will run you around $10,000. They will, however, save roughly $35/month.
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Energy Efficient Windows and Doors
This is a simple home improvement project – new windows and doors can be installed in a day or two and vastly improves quality of life. Homeowners are always happy when they finally pull the trigger on upgrading to new energy-efficient windows. They make it much easier to heat, cool, and ventilate the home. Our partners at Lion Windows & Doors are leaders in window sales and customer service in the Los Angeles area – we can’t recommend them highly enough to help you through the selection and installation process. Check them out here.
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Indoor-Outdoor Design
Designing with indoor-outdoor living in mind is a top priority when building in Southern California. More and more, new homes are being designed to optimize the exterior space and get inhabitants out in nature. This lecture by leading sustainable interior designer, Lori Dennis, explains the importance of indoor-outdoor design, far before it was trendy to go green:
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Electric Car-Charging Ports
As the doomsday clock ticks down, and more and more people are realizing the urgency of improving our climate, electric and hybrid cars have come down significantly in price and even budget models are being produced. This has led to an increase in demand of at-home charging port installation. On average, they run around $500. Installing your own at-home EV charges doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg – owning, operating, and maintaining these vehicles will still save you time, money, and the environment.
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Low-Flow Plumbing Features
In addition to well-filtered water, you’ll want to be sure faucets are low-flow, which means they expound less than 2.5 gallons per minute compared to conventional flow which can be over 5 gallons! That’s a lot of water you can conserve without even realizing it.
