According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), energy efficiency delivers a number of benefits, including a reduction in both direct and indirect emissions. Lowering emissions helps us meet energy demand with lower energy use, which is beneficial in the fight against Global Warming. It’s closely related to and impacted by material efficiency, which relates to production chains, lifetime expectancies or the value of the product, and recycling.
What does this have to do with remodeling your home’s exterior?
• Lower energy needs (and lower bills)
• A lower carbon footprint
• A contribution to material efficiency when choosing companies that work sustainably
In addition, proper roofing ventilation, installation, and insulation save home owners money. This means less heat retention in the summer reducing output needed to cool a home. While in the harsher months, roofs that are fortified against ice dams and that have barrier protection against leaks in vulnerable areas keep repair needs and costs down, while maintaining the full life expectancy of the shingle.
When it comes to siding materials, the low-maintenance options are eco-friendly because reapplication has its own carbon footprint. When considering a wood shingle, think about the needs of repainting, power washing, staging or cranes, waste like paint cans and brushes, the energy expenditure and emissions add up. If, in the lifespan of the product, the output to maintain it requires more than the output to create the maintenance-free option, how do you evaluate which is more efficient?
Fiber cement siding is also an eco-friendly choice because it’s made of natural materials like limestone and clay. Composite and Vinyl are less so, in the sense of their makeup, but still, the durability and lifetime of these options, do help lower an owner’s carbon footprint by minimizing the services needed to maintain them.
With an insulated home, it’s estimated homeowners can save north of 20% on annual energy bills.
