Make your home efficient and reduce energy consumption

Most buildings in Portugal do not have thermal insulation. If your home dates back to 1990 and has not been renovated, it is possible that it is not insulated.

Design your home by reducing your energy consumption needs and use renewable energy sources. Looking for an efficient home? MJARC indicates 8 measures to be taken into account before proceeding with budget requests for an energy efficient work, as well as the care to be taken in its follow-up, among other good practices.

With our recommendations we intend to help you identify the aspects to take into account before moving on to a work or project from the ground up for your home. Follow the advice of MJARC Arquitectos and make your home more efficient. As? Read on!

Features of efficient homes

In general, energy-efficient homes have the following characteristics:

– Roof insulation – Efficient roofs allow you to conserve the temperature inside your home, improving its comfort, while minimizing the need to use equipment to heat and cool spaces.

– Wall insulation – From the point of view of energy efficiency, external insulation is the most appropriate form of application, as it ensures uniform application, correcting any thermal bridges in the surroundings. Additionally, it gives more guarantees to avoid future humidity and condensation. Obtain information on the mechanical strength of the insulation, as it must withstand impacts from objects, especially on ground floors. You can choose the texture of the coating you want, as well as the color. Evaluate the impact of your option to ensure the maintenance of the image and aesthetics of the exterior wall. You may not be able to properly insulate areas with thermal bridges (pillars and beams). Consult a technician or installer to ensure the best performance of the chosen solution. Alternatively, in the case of masonry walls with an air box, you can choose to inject insulation into your interior.

– Window insulation – efficient windows contribute to increasing the thermal and acoustic insulation of the dwellings.

– Ventilation systems – The ventilation and renewal of indoor air by fresh air admitted from the outside in a controlled manner. Current legislation requires a minimum air renewal rate of at least 40% per hour of the air in the room.

– Solar thermal systems – Portugal has an average number of 2200 to 3000 hours of sunshine per year on the mainland and between 1700 and 2200, respectively, in the Azores and Madeira. Thermal solar energy allows you to reduce the value of your energy bill. Thermal solar energy is an inexhaustible renewable energy source that can guarantee up to 70% of your hot water needs;

– Photovoltaic solar systems – photovoltaic solar energy makes it possible to locally produce and consume electrical energy; Photovoltaic solar technology has a high potential for integration into buildings, as a constituent element of the roof or façade.

– Solar protection – The main objective of solar protection is to control the entry of heat from solar radiation and light into the home. In winter, it is important that these protections can be opened to maximize the entrance of solar gains, thus improving comfort.

– Building from scratch – if you are thinking of building it, it is essential to take into account the correct solar orientation of the house, as well as the previously mentioned aspects.

How to get an efficient home?

Now that you know what it is, it’s time to design your home and reduce energy consumption. As? Want to know more information about how to improve or build an energy efficient home? Ask us for a quote!