Prefabricated wooden homes not only stand out for their natural beauty and warmth, but also for their great potential for energy efficiency. But what does this mean?
When we talk about energy efficiency, we refer to reducing the energy used in our home life by performing activities such as air conditioning rooms, lighting, or other activities. Therefore, reducing this energy use without compromising our comfort and quality of life, while maintaining the proper functioning of our homes, is what we call energy efficiency.
In this new article, we'll give you guidelines and tips to make your wooden home more efficient, sustainable, and comfortable.
1. What makes wooden houses naturally efficient?
Mainly due to wood, as it is an excellent thermal and acoustic insulator , maintains a stable interior temperature, is a breathable material, has a negative carbon footprint and reduces the use of heating and air conditioning, which translates into less energy consumption, therefore contributing to greater energy efficiency and interior comfort.
Furthermore, wood is a renewable and sustainable material, making it an environmentally friendly option.
2. Additional insulation: key for extreme climates
As we mentioned earlier, when it comes to insulation, wooden homes are more effective at preventing outside heat from penetrating during warm weather and preventing interior heat from escaping during cold weather. However, you can also add other natural insulation alternatives, such as:
- Add mineral wool or ecological insulation such as polyurethane foam, cellulose or cork.
- Use double-glazed windows (included in all our models) to improve thermal sealing. It's worth noting that all our windows include argon gas between the double glazing to improve thermal and acoustic insulation.
- Sealing joints and unions with suitable materials.
3. Orientation and bioclimatic design
The orientation of your wooden house can have an impact on energy consumption. One example is taking advantage of sunlight by installing large windows, since windows are a fundamental element in the design of an efficient home, as they receive solar energy and provide heating.
Good solar design is something that isn't always considered, but it's important. Solar design varies depending on the building's location. and the the area's climate . For higher consumption, we can consider other options such as:
- Incorporation of pergolas that regulate the sun according to the season.
- Design of open spaces to facilitate natural cross ventilation.
4. Technology that adds efficiency
The use of renewable sources is becoming increasingly common as they offer energy savings. In recent years, the use of solar energy has grown exponentially due to its efficiency and sustainability. Some options include:
- Install photovoltaic or thermal solar panels.
- Use home automation to control lights, temperature and consumption.
- Install geothermal or aerothermal system.
For those who own a prefabricated wooden home, installing solar panels is an ideal option for reducing energy costs and improving energy self-sufficiency. Some advantages of solar panels on wooden homes include (which we discussed in a previous blog post): lower electricity bills, sustainability and environmental friendliness, reduced energy dependence, and increased property value.
5. Small gestures that make a difference
As we've seen in this article, investing in improving energy consumption has multiple benefits and is a commendable action, so much so that many homeowners certify this improved consumption with an energy efficiency certificate. This is an official technical document that describes a building's energy characteristics, rates it based on those characteristics, and finally recommends viable improvements that can help optimize energy consumption. It is issued by a professional technician who analyzes and classifies the home on a specific energy scale.
Some small actions that will make our wooden house efficient can be:
· Use class A or higher appliances: It is advisable and beneficial because they are more energy efficient, which translates into lower electricity consumption and, therefore, a lower environmental impact and savings on the electricity bill, in addition to having a longer useful life.
· Opt for LED lighting because it is efficient and cost-effective.
Conclusion:
An efficient wooden house is a house that breathes with you. Wood offers the ideal foundation for building an ecological, warm, and sustainable home. You just need to make smart choices, and your prefabricated house will become a model of energy efficiency. At Baltic Wooden Houses, we help you make those decisions, we help you design an efficient home tailored to your needs, living better and spending less.