Solars Kits and Builder Options For Your New Home in Texas

Do you live in Dallas, Texas and are you planning on purchasing a new home? What energy efficient items should you talk with the builder about?

There are lots of options that you can have installed in your new home. Probably the biggest way is to modify your windows. Lots of heat will get in or out of your house through the windows. Talk with your builder about the different types of windows that are available; if they have low-E coating; are Argon filled; are double, triple, or quadruple paned. The more panes of glass, the more energy is absorbed. After you select your windows, you need to have them tinted. You should also buy heavy drapes and keep them closed during the day. Doing these steps will put you on your way towards keeping the heat out (or in).

Next you need to have solar panels installed. If you pay to have it done, it will probably cost you about $50,000. I recommend you purchase solar kits. The solar kits approach will let you make one solar panel at a time and convert your home over to solar power one appliance at a time. The solar kits method is an excellent scale up approach. Think of solar kits in individual component terms as a solar panel, deep cycle battery, controller, and inverter. Solar kits will cost you about $200. When you get $200, you say okay, I am going to convert my TV over to solar power this month. These solar kits come with easy to follow directions and can be built in one weekend.

Most people know that solar kits are out there, but what they don't know is that wind power kits are also available. The next best thing you need to do is to make a wind power generator. There are good winds in Dallas Texas. I have found that areas that have high winds, the local hardware stores stock wind power kits for purchase. You can build a wind turbine for your home for about $150. Give yourself a day dedicated to building a wind turbine. Once you get build one, you will be able to build another in just a couple of hours.

Next, a well insulated home will go a long way towards saving money on your monthly electricity bill. Ask the builder how many inches of insulation were put in the attic and in the walls. You need to have 6 inches minimum. If it is not too late, have the builder put 10 - 12 inches in the attic. Also, ask for roof fans installed to vent the hot air from the attic to the outside. Roof fans are inexpensive and will make a big difference in keeping your house cool.

Finally, get a thermostat that is programmable. A programmable thermostat will save you big money off your electric bill. For example, you will be able to tell it to turn the air off at 7:30 am when you go to work, and turn the air on around 4:30 pm just prior to getting home. The same thing can be done at night when you sleep so that, it adjusts your temperature down to 70 degrees.