In the excitement of planning a new renovation, you can be forgiven if the first thing you think of is space, colour, and design. They’re the fun things ‒ unlike their less-showy cousin: energy efficiency.

But if you’re thinking about renovating, this is the best time to be taking a good hard look at the way your home uses energy. The bonus is that an energy-efficient home will make you more comfortable, improve the value of your home and save you money.

These are some of the things you should consider:

  • An energy-efficient home is properly sealed. It has no drafty areas. It has an excellent HVAC system and better air to breathe throughout. You can almost say goodbye to dust.
  • An energy-efficient home uses the sun the way we breathe or fuel our bodies. Solar energy is power ‒ for lights, heaters, appliances and more. There are many ways to harness the power of the sun for your home. Solar panels and strategically-placed, well-crafted windows are two of them.
  • An energy-efficient home has a beautiful design and layout. It celebrates natural light, even in areas that are traditionally the darkest ‒ bathrooms, for instance.
  • An energy-efficient home uses radiant floor heating. It’s a lovely, even heat that fills a whole room.
  • An energy-efficient home is sometimes a full “net-zero” home which produces its own energy, including sun power and wind power, and of course, this is the ideal. But your home doesn’t have to be “net-zero” to be massively improved by substantial energy upgrades.
  • An energy-efficient home has an updated “envelope” ‒ or everything that keeps the outside out and the inside in ‒ in all seasons. Properly-sealed doors, windows, foundation, exterior walls, and the way your home is insulated, keep both frigid temperatures and blistering heat outside where they belong.
  • An energy-efficient home has a programmable thermostat, good windows, water-saving toilets, faucet aerators, insulated pipes, updated ventilation, and superb mechanical systems overall.

It sounds like a lot, and it is. But it’s worth it, not only for your lifestyle but for the environment you and your family inhabit now and in the future.