In addition to the use of LED lamps instead of incandescent or halogen lamps, the main formula for saving energy in homes is the use of appropriate building materials. Home insulation for the walls, ceilings and floors can represent a reduction in heating and air conditioning consumption of between 35% and 70%.

People have compelling reasons to save energy. Since the highest energy consumption is produced in homes, a campaign has recently begun in in many places to encourage the population to change incandescent or halogen bulbs for LED luminaires, which represent savings of up to 90% on the other models. However, the key to saving lies much more in the insulation of the home than in its lighting.

According to a table published on the website of the experts in this area composed of measurement data of gas and electricity in homes, lighting represents 3% of the energy consumption of houses. The cooling of the environment consumes twice the energy: 6%. On the other hand, heating is by far the main contributor, with 35% of consumption, surpassing the other two largest responsible for domestic energy demand: domestic hot water (14%) and refrigerator (13%).

There are several measures that people can take to save energy at home, especially when it comes to maintaining room temperature. According to the good practice guidelines for responsible use of government energy, in winter it is advisable to reduce cold air leaks by placing weather-strips on windows and doors, open the blinds during the day so that the sun’s heat is filtered and close during the nights to cover the windows of the cold and ventilate the environment intelligently by opening the windows for only five to 10 minutes.

With all these tips you can transform a home without the need for major works and above all, with little budget. Remember that here at LA Webb Construction you will find skilled professionals who are proud members of the Western Australia Master Builders Association.

Insulation during the summer

In the summer, a fan – and not an air conditioning unit – will be enough to cool certain environments. It is also important to clean the filters, since if they are dirty, they must work for a longer time to obtain the same result as with the clean filters.

However, it is the building materials that are in contact with the outside, from the roof to the walls of the houses, that make the difference. According to the Undersecretary of Savings and Energy Efficiency, “thermally insulating the walls, ceilings and floors can represent a reduction in heating and air conditioning consumption of between 35% and 70%.”

If the time has come to build a house or make renovations, what are these thermo insulating materials that retain heat in the winter months and repel it during the summer?

Fiberglass, expanded polystyrene and plaster are some. The latter, in addition to being an excellent thermo insulator, is fire resistant and highly moisture absorbent, thanks to its large pores.

Knauf, a German construction materials company that this year celebrates two decades in many countries, uses plaster as the raw material for all its plates. The company explains that when the weather dries, the plaster walls automatically return the retained moisture to the environment, turning the material into a humidity regulator and “a true ecological air conditioner that works as many times as necessary and without any expense of Energy”.

The benefit of thermal insulation is not only for the economy of the home but also for the environment in general, since heat is reduced without the contribution of electricity or fuels.

“You could say that energy saving is today one of the fundamental attributes of dry construction systems, thanks to the technological progress in its elaboration that has been registered,” explains María Soledad Silva, from Knauf Argentina. At the same time, we are not only seeing that more and more countries establish energy saving regulations, but also consumers themselves, with an environmental awareness and a better quality of life, are looking for it for their homes.”

According to a study by the National Institute of Industrial Technology, which quantified the saving of energy consumed in many countries for residential heating, if the construction of houses required moderate thermal insulation, the savings would be 43% and “the reduced additional cost that this implies is recovered in a short term by the lower energy consumption ”.

Electric energy savings through thermal insulation

The energy savings generated by a good thermal insulator results in a reduction in the energy needs of the home, and therefore, in a reduction in the electricity bill, which will depend largely on the characteristics of the building envelope.

It is essential that a home is well thermally insulated, making sure that the elements that are in contact with the outside (exterior walls, roofs, floors, partitions and holes) increase their resistance to the passage of heat.

Tips to save energy with insulation

The buildings we live and work in require a lot of energy to warm up in winter and be cool in summer. Its thermal insulation is essential for energy efficiency.

Double pane or double window systems reduce heat loss by almost half compared to single glazing. Small improvements in insulation can lead to energy and economic savings of up to 30% in heating and / or air conditioning.

The recommendations that we offer below are aimed at facilitating and improving the control of energy expenditure through good insulation management, although each user can also acquire those habits that help him control his comfort level at the fairest price.

• The insulation of doors and windows can represent between 10% and 25% of your energy bill by heating your home or air conditioning.
• To cover the slits and reduce air infiltration of doors and windows, you can use simple and cheap means such as silicone, putty or weather-stripping.
• Properly isolate the drums from the blinds.
• Use adhesive sheets of transparent plastic material to glue them to frames and glazing.

LA Webb Construction is a well-established business offering reliable services of 2 storey home builders that ensure the works in your house will be completed efficiently