While environmentally conscious living might have started as a trend, it’s one that’s here to stay: 85% of people around the world are thinking sustainably when making purchases.

And thank goodness for that! Making simple, eco-friendly choices in your home reduces your carbon footprint, cuts your energy costs, and helps our planet thrive. Residential solar energy has been on the rise in particular, with enough panels installed in America to power 23 million homes.

To meet the ever-growing demand for clean energy, solar systems are getting more affordable, financing options are getting more generous, and energy savings are getting exponentially higher as technology improves.

Even with these advancements in the industry, though, solar isn’t the best option for every homeowner.

If you’re on the fence about a full-scale solar installation, consider incorporating these simple, cost-efficient, environmentally aware features into your home to jumpstart your sustainability journey! They might even benefit your family’s physical health and wellbeing just as much as the planet’s, but you’ll have to keep reading to find out.

Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

Did you know that a single gallon of gasoline in a car produces up to 19 pounds of carbon dioxide when combusted during driving?

It’s no wonder electric car sales soared in 2021, reaching a record breaking total of 16.5 million electric cars on the road. Most consumers regularly upgrade their vehicles, and choosing an EV (electric vehicle) is quickly becoming the go-to option for eco-friendly consumers.

Residential EV charging stations are convenient, inexpensive, and will soon be the norm for most vehicle owners. With fast charging and future-proof design, installing an EV charging station into your home or small business can save you money and protect the long term health of the Earth.

You can, of course, take it a step further! EV charging stations pair perfectly with a solar powered home, and can slash your energy spendings down to basically zero.

Outfit Your Eco Home

Whether you’re building up from the foundation, or upgrading a previously loved home, making sustainable choices is easiest during the construction process.

You can shoot for the gold standard, the award-winning Camino Leon eco home, or just follow its lead and use the sustainability options that are accessible to you right now.

That might look like incorporating native landscaping in your yard to save on watering costs, or adding a heatpump mini-split to your house. Even something as simple as refitting your window frames with double-glazed glass can improve your home’s energy efficiency.

Whatever options are within reach for your home, we recommend working with a certified team experienced specifically in sustainable building.

Heatpump Mini-Splits

Need a little more information about that aforementioned heatpump mini-split option? Let’s dive into why this simple, sustainable upgrade can streamline your home’s energy processes.

Also known as ductless systems, the mini-split functions by circulating heat to and from indoor and outdoor units. The units can typically be controlled independently, so you have significantly better control of the heating and cooling in your home.

Since these units function without the need for duct installation throughout your home, your energy production is considerably more efficient because there’s no loss of heated or cooled air through the seams in the duct. By using a refrigerant with zero ozone depletion as well, the mini-split has less impact on the planet throughout its lifecycle, and it’s quicker and easier to install than most traditional heating and cooling systems available.

Combined with high quality filters, like these on the Mitsubishi Mini-Split system, the air in your home is not only heating and cooling more effectively, but it’s safer to breathe as well! For those with seasonal allergies, compromised immune systems, or asthma – this inclusion is a must.

Water Filtration Options

While we’re on the topic of living a long, happy life – the air you breathe and the water you drink can impact your physical health and quality of life in pretty significant ways. The latter, believe it or not, can also impact the health and longevity of your home and the planet as well.

Municipal water supplies typically contain a number of filtration and decontamination agents, and for good reason. The issue with ingesting these chemical compounds, like chloramine, after filtration is that they can have deleterious health effects – like bladder cancer, in some cases.

Chloramine, which is a combination of chlorine and ammonia, reenters natural water sources affecting fish and aquatic ecosystems in negative ways, too. Before it reaches the idyllic streams of our wild places, though, its corrosive nature erodes the pipes in your home, making it a triple whammy of long term issues.

Our solution? A whole-house water softening and filtration system that protects the health of your family, home, and the Earth like the Puronics Hydronex system. With advanced filtration, a multi-layered stainless steel tank, and corrosion resistant control valves, this household upgrade is an investment in the durability of your home that you won’t regret.

Expect fringe benefits like softer hair and skin, better tasting food and beverages, and cleaner dishes with less soap from your Puronics Hydronex system, too!

Heat Pump for Your Pool

With long days of sunshine and a temperate climate year-round, Texas and New Mexico’s pool possibilities are relatively bountiful. In the chillier days of winter, though, you might be longing for a warm dip or some concentrated laps in your pool, and who could blame you?

If you’re looking into environmentally friendly pool heating options, look no further. A heat pump, which utilizes heat from the sun without the use of gas or solar panels, can extend your swimming season so there are no wasted months throughout the year.

Heat pump installation can sometimes run slightly more expensive than gas heaters depending on the company you work with, but the overall savings due to its lowered operating costs save you money in the long run. With proper maintenance and care, a heat pump will last longer and have less impact on the environment than the energy-guzzling gas options.

Save more with a heat pump pool system that has advanced temperature controls, and you’ll be splashing well into autumn.

When you’re ready to work towards a more sustainable future that benefits all of us here on planet Earth, avoid the scams and invest wisely!

If you live in El Paso, Las Cruces, Anthony, Sunland Park, or the surrounding areas, contact the Solar Smart Living team for eco building expertise, highly experienced solar installation, energy storage, flexible financing options, and more.