Evaluating your energy consumption is a good first step for planning a new solar setup for your home, no matter what type of panel installation you choose. And if your LifeStyle home is already outfitted with solar panels, you may want to explore tweaks you can make for additional energy savings. 

As Florida summer turns to fall, the weather gets colder and some types of vulnerabilities or inefficiencies may be more transparent. And as energy efficiency becomes an increasingly important part of property maintenance and good money management, it’s important to look for opportunities to micromanage the energy footprint of your home.

Here are some tips you can utilize as a homeowner to maximize your home’s efficiency, and in turn, your new solar system.

Energy Savings: Working With Insulation
One of the most fundamental steps in evaluating a home’s efficiency is looking closely at the home’s insulation and how the insulation holds warm or cool air. While LifeStyle homes are built extremely “tight,” it never hurts to ensure there are no gaps where air can pass through. If so, these should be sealed.

Look for gaps in soffits, under eaves, and around roofing systems. All of these places are potential culprits for energy inefficiencies that make a difference in energy draws. 

Also, consider interior finishes. Appliances, for example, may need to be sealed to avoid mixing hot or cold air. 

Blinds and Covers
Another major part of improving a home’s energy efficiency is in working with apertures that can take in natural light and heat: windows, doors, etc.

This part starts with assessing (or installing) appropriate blinds and shades, but also extends to tapestries in various kinds of wall covers that can further insulate the home.

Smart Homes: Evaluate Energy Use Patterns and Trends
It’s also wise to look for the energy-use patterns that will clue you into how energy is being used within your home. In this sense, you’re operating a bit like a detective, trying to find evidence of inefficiencies or places where you can fine-tune your energy consumption.

One key tip is to flip breakers and look for phantom loads coming from draws on your electrical supply. If you turn off most of the house and your dial is still running, you can sometimes trace this to individual small appliances or other draws that are sucking energy day today. Then, too, many utility companies help with this type of energy assessment by publishing graphs showing historic energy use by month. If you accomplished certain improvements in a given year, these resources help you to figure out the “energy value” of those changes.

Using Smart Controls
Another tip is to look at how you can use additional controls to save on energy consumption.

One of the easiest ways to do this is by using improved smart lighting to change the energy draws that come from illuminating various parts of your home. In addition, smart controls tied to smartphones or other devices can help to avoid excessive energy usage when not being used.

All in all, smart homes have massive efficiencies that can save households a lot of money, and also help to protect the natural environment. 

As you evolve your home to a solar-powered home, evaluating your energy usage becomes an even more valuable way to save money and resources. 

Contact LifeStyle Homes to learn more about the energy-efficient, healthy, and solar homes we build.