Should we design properties with energy efficiency in mind, How building design impacts energy efficiency guide

Should We Design Properties With Energy Efficiency In Mind?

7 May 2024

For at least the last fifteen years, there has been an ever-increasing focus on the importance of energy efficiency. Sadly, thanks to various global issues, the days of cheap electricity rates look to be over. Energy prices have increased globally, leaving many people paying a huge excess compared to what they once paid. In reality, we are paying more for our energy simply to receive the same volume as before. This has led to many home and business owners investing heavily in energy efficiency.

From becoming self-sustainable in their property with the use of solar panels and other energy generation tools to using ‘smart technology’ that reduces our energy expenditure, efficiency is now a real priority. However, with that in mind, many are beginning to wonder if properties should now be designed with energy efficiency in mind. Is it possible to design a property today that includes energy efficiency ideas that will still be valid tomorrow?

This can range from the simple to the small. For example, most new-build homes now come with energy efficiency in mind thanks to the inclusion of solar panels and high-quality insulation. This helps to keep the energy used in the house indoors, whilst ensuring that energy can be generated for the property simply by using the sunlight. However, energy efficiency is one of the fastest-moving industries today.

Trying to adapt and include what is coming in the future can be a challenge, to say the least. However, people buying property want to have the certainty that their home is, to an extent, futureproofed. This is why simple things like properties having power sockets with USB ports included are now the expected norm. Should, though, there be more of a focus on making future energy efficiency tools a priority in designs? Would that make it easier to ensure that future renovations and upgrades are easier overall?

The Challenge Of Predicting The Future

Unfortunately, it looks like it is unlikely that people will receive a better deal from their electricity company any time soon. The price of electricity has skyrocketed in most countries, as has the price of gas. This means that many homes and businesses are spending as much as 50% of what they used to without any increase in usage. Trying to find ways to limit energy wastage, then, becomes the main priority for most.

The biggest challenge that we have, though, is bringing property development in lockstep with energy efficiency developments. Ensuring that both industries can work hand-in-hand would go a long way to ensuring that new property builds come with a real focus on energy efficiency. This not only includes ensuring things like high-quality energy protection such as insulation, but utilizing the latest technology.

That would require property development firms to have people in-house who can follow the industry and see where the latest changes and innovations are coming from. Naturally, such a process is not easy – nor cheap. Still, property developers and architects might find their properties are more desirable by the buying population because their properties come ready-prepared for a more tech-savvy future.

Energy Efficiency Is The Primary Selling Point

The last few years have brought a lot of consternation among property owners – and with good reason. Every year, it feels like there is a new ‘green technology’ that is required. Legislation is coming in constantly to adjust what kind of hardware we can have in our homes and businesses. The costs of using outdated or older equipment can be increased through the use of things like taxes and green penalties.

Therefore, many people who are buying homes and businesses want to know that the property is energy efficient. Builders and developers then should be aware that including energy efficiency as the main selling point is becoming more and more important. People want to know the property they are buying is not going to cost them so much to run; they want to know that, outside of their mortgage, running costs are going to be otherwise quite affordable. That is why energy efficiency is now such a major selling point.

Should We Design Energy Efficienct Property Summary

So, should we be looking to design homes with energy efficiency as the main focus? It looks to be the case. In many cases, people are happy to trade amenities and larger spaces for well-developed properties that are energy-efficient and cheap to run. Architects and developers alike, then, would be wise to start looking at making sure all property designs come with a real focus on energy efficiency.

As buyers begin to hone in on the importance of making their home eco-friendly, this development becomes crucial for future properties to be as attractive as those that came before.

Comments on this Should We Design Properties With Energy Efficiency In Mind? article are welcome.

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