As society shifts toward sustainable living, engineers develop energy-efficient technology to support everyday activities. When individuals imagine an eco-conscious lifestyle, many picture a life in rural regions where residents live off the land. Fortunately, we can maintain our daily behaviors while limiting our environmental impact.

Installing energy-efficient appliances in residential and commercial buildings can lower utility bill costs, increase property values and shrink carbon footprints. These devices range from small plug-ins to larger temperature control systems. Utilizing these appliances in a building can successfully reduce environmental degradation.

A Building’s Carbon Footprint

A building’s carbon footprint signifies the total amount of greenhouse gases it generates. These emissions derive from electricity absorbing features, like lights, kitchen appliances, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems and more. Everything inside of a building affects the environment.

American homes produce 5.43 gigatons of carbon equivalent emissions annually. These emissions contribute to the enhanced greenhouse effect. As we release air pollutants into the environment, they alter the natural composition of the atmosphere.

The planet utilizes the greenhouse effect to maintain life sufficient temperatures on its surface. Earth’s atmosphere absorbs the sun’s energy, converts it into heat, sends it to the surface and releases it back into space. Greenhouse gases convert sunlight into warmth at an exponentially high rate.

When we release air pollutants into the atmosphere, they generate heat faster than it releases. This raises the global temperature over time. A warmer planet alters consistent weather patterns, affecting the greater ecosystem. We can limit ecological degradation by increasing the energy efficiency of residential and commercial buildings.

Green Buildings

There are various ways one can decrease the environmental impact of a structure. Some building owners take sustainability to the extreme, creating net-zero properties. These off-the-grid buildings generate as much energy as they consume. We can utilize elements of these structures to increase the energy efficiency of our homes and workplaces.

Programmable Thermostats

Nearly 441 million tons of annual carbon emissions derive from heating and cooling homes. HVAC systems are the most significant energy-consuming devices in most buildings, accounting for 35% to 50% of electricity bills. Fossil fuels power these systems, emitting greenhouse gases when generated.

You can significantly reduce your carbon emissions by installing a programmable thermostat in your home or workplace. These systems keep buildings at 82° F when unoccupied and 77° F when in use. Maintaining an energy-efficient temperature can efficiently cut back one’s contribution to air pollution.

One may even install a technologically advanced thermostat that detects motion. These systems turn on and off depending on the vacancy of the building to decrease energy use.

Smart Power Strips

Many devices pull electricity from outlets when they are not in use. If you power your cell phone overnight, it only takes a few hours to attain a full charge. Instead of shutting off the electricity source, the phone continues to pull energy from the building all night long.

One may install smart power strips to control energy vampires. The device detects charging levels on appliances and restricts electricity access once it detects a full charge. Smart power strips can significantly shrink a building’s carbon footprint, especially if it charges many electronic devices.

Energy Star Refrigerator

Parents often remind their children to close the refrigerator door to reduce energy costs. These kitchen appliances are necessary to modern health and utilize high amounts of electricity. The U.S. government developed a certification that helps consumers purchase energy-efficient kitchen appliances.

The energy star certification signifies a 9% efficiency increase compared to conventional refrigerators. If we all used these appliances, the U.S. could prevent 9 billion pounds of annual carbon emissions. This number is equivalent to the air pollution generated by 870,000 vehicles.

One Step at A Time

To lead sustainable lifestyles and conserve the climate, we can include these energy-efficient features in residential and commercial buildings. Installing one or two eco-friendly appliances is an efficient first step. Rather than exploiting additional resources to build a net-zero home from scratch, we can increase the power efficiency of current residential and commercial buildings.  

Author Bio: Jane is an environmental writer who covers topics in sustainable construction and green building materials and the editor-in-chief of Environment.co.

cover image © pexels