Insulation and Lighting
- To improve the insulation of your home by up to 40%, add a plasterboard lining (such as drywall or “pladur”) with thermal insulation (rock wool or polystyrene).
If you are planning to repaint your home, consider using paints with liquid waxes or insulating ceramic microspheres. They can reduce your heating and cooling bills by around 30%.
- Light colours reflect light better, so a room painted white will be brighter and allow for energy savings. In addition, there are paints on the market with a higher reflectance level, capable of reflecting up to twice as much light.
Windows and Openings
- If you are going to replace your windows, you should know that most heat or cold escapes through the frame. Casement or tilt-and-turn windows offer better airtightness than sliding windows. PVC and aluminium with thermal break are the materials with the best thermal performance.
- The glazing is also important. Use double-glazed windows with an air chamber to reduce heating and cooling costs and improve acoustic insulation.
- If any façade of your home faces south, add solar protections to the windows—such as awnings, canopies or louvers—to prevent overheating in summer.
Installations and Renewable Energy
- If your home does not have a heating system, consider replacing electric radiators or catalytic heaters with a biomass stove. You will notice a reduction in your electricity bill and an improvement in comfort.
- If your home has a boiler-based heating system, consider replacing it with one that uses a more efficient and cheaper fuel, such as natural gas or biomass.
- You can install solar thermal collectors to produce domestic hot water.
- Consider adding a small photovoltaic installation to your home. It will not produce enough energy to supply the entire household, but it can offset fixed consumption, such as that of the refrigerator.
