Beautiful Virgin Islands

Thursday, Oct 30, 2025

Ask an Expert: How Do I Make My Home More Energy-Efficient?

Ask an Expert: How Do I Make My Home More Energy-Efficient?

Three eco-conscious designers share simple ways to boost your home's energy efficiency.

Switching to clean energy is one of the easiest and most effective ways to reduce your home’s carbon footprint, but there are other ways to make lasting change. Here, three Texas-based designers who put sustainability first share tips for making your dwelling more eco friendly. From pre-build considerations to strategies for existing homes, here’s how to live more lightly on the land.



South-facing windows of the Ames House by Matt Fajkus Architecture are inset to provide shading and mediate heat gain.

Unsurprisingly, daylighting is on everyone’s mind. Austin-based architect Matt Fajkus encourages his clients to bake it into design thinking by focusing on solar orientation, breeze-flow, and the preservation of shade trees. "We site structures to minimize heat gain while providing ample openings for natural light," says Fajkus. Roof geometry and insulation are other important factors, he explains.



Venessa Torres of V MODE de Vie guided her client to choose LED lighting, energy-star appliances, and solar shades throughout this home.

It follows that working in step with nature has the added benefit of increasing wellness: Fajkus notes, "Daylighting puts us in touch with the natural rhythm of the day, which is emotionally soothing."

Windows are another key element. Charles Culp, professor at architecture at Texas' A&M University, designed his own home with very few windows on the east and west sides, and abundant openings on the north and south sides. "Shaded windows on the south side give us daylighting year-round and free heat in winter," he explains. If replacing windows, look for products with a low U-Value (a measurement of thermal transmittance). A layer of UV film can improve the performance of existing windows that aren’t energy efficient.



Daylighting creates a soothing environment in this home designed by Matt Fajkus Architecture.

Keeping an eye on appliances matters, too. Dallas-based designer Vennesa Torres, founder of eco-conscious interior design firm V Mode de Vie, suggests homeowners begin by replacing older items such as washers, dryers, and refrigerators with models bearing the Energy Star symbol. "In most cases," she says, "they aren’t more expensive than appliances without them, yet the annual energy-cost savings is substantial."



Matt Fajkus Architecture maintained large trees surrounding its Hewn House project to allow for ample shade.



Natural ventilation in Matt Fajkus Architecture’s Main Stay house reduces need for air conditioning while improving indoor-outdoor flow.

Torres’s additional tricks include simply installing a ceiling fan or looking into a smart thermostat. "A simple app on my smartphone gives me remote access our HVAC system to power down when we’re away-I can’t live without it."

If you haven't already, change your lightbulbs. Culp points out, "It’s one of the lowest-cost, most impactful measures you can take to cut energy consumption."



The Via Media residence by Matt Fajkus Architecture features windows galore in the kitchen.

Responsible design and even small changes can result in not only massive savings but better living. As Fajkus says, "Energy efficiency is a byproduct of thoughtful, holistic design and goes hand-in-hand with creating a more comfortable home."



Matt Fajkus Architecture carefully sited the dining room of its Creekbluff studio project to take full advantage of tree canopy for both quality of light and energy efficiency.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
UK and Vietnam Sign Landmark Migration Deal to Fast-Track Returns of Irregular Arrivals
UK Drug-Pricing Overhaul Essential for Life-Sciences Ambition, Says GSK Chief
Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie Temporarily Leave the UK Amid Their Parents’ Royal Fallout
UK Weighs Early End to Oil and Gas Windfall Tax as Reeves Seeks Investment Commitments
UK Retail Inflation Slows as Shop Prices Fall for First Time Since Spring
Next Raises Full-Year Profit Guidance After Strong Third-Quarter Performance
Reform UK’s Lee Anderson Admits to 'Gaming' Benefits System While Advocating Crackdown
United States and South Korea Conclude Major Trade Accord Worth $350 Billion
Hurricane Melissa Strikes Cuba After Devastating Jamaica With Record Winds
Vice President Vance to Headline Turning Point USA Campus Event at Ole Miss
U.S. Targets Maritime Narco-Routes While Border Pressure to Mexico Remains Limited
Bill Gates at 70: “I Have a Real Fear of Artificial Intelligence – and Also Regret”
Elon Musk Unveils Grokipedia: An AI-Driven Alternative to Wikipedia
Saudi Arabia Unveils Vision for First-Ever "Sky Stadium" Suspended Over Desert Floor
Amazon Announces 14 000 Corporate Job Cuts as AI Investment Accelerates
UK Shop Prices Fall for First Time Since March, Food Leads the Decline
London Stock Exchange Group ADR (LNSTY) Earns Zacks Rank #1 Upgrade on Rising Earnings Outlook
Soap legend Tony Adams, long-time star of Crossroads, dies at 84
Rachel Reeves Signals Tax Increases Ahead of November Budget Amid £20-50 Billion Fiscal Gap
NatWest Past Gains of 314% Spotlight Opportunity — But Some Key Risks Remain
UK Launches ‘Golden Age’ of Nuclear with £38 Billion Sizewell C Approval
UK Announces £1.08 Billion Budget for Offshore Wind Auction to Boost 2030 Capacity
UK Seeks Steel Alliance with EU and US to Counter China’s Over-Capacity
UK Struggles to Balance China as Both Strategic Threat and Valued Trading Partner
Argentina’s Markets Surge as Milei’s Party Secures Major Win
British Journalist Sami Hamdi Detained by U.S. Authorities After Visa Revocation Amid Israel-Gaza Commentary
King Charles Unveils UK’s First LGBT+ Armed Forces Memorial at National Memorial Arboretum
At ninety-two and re-elected: Paul Biya secures eighth term in Cameroon amid unrest
Racist Incidents Against UK Nurses Surge by 55%
UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves Cites Shared Concerns With Trump Administration as Foundation for Early US-UK Trade Deal
Essentra plc: A Closer Look at a UK ‘Penny Stock’ Opportunity Amid Market Weakness
U.S. and China Near Deal to Avert Rare-Earth Export Controls Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit
Justin time: Justin Herbert Shields Madison Beer with Impressive Reflex at Lakers Game
Russia’s President Putin Declares Burevestnik Nuclear Cruise Missile Ready for Deployment
Giuffre’s Memoir Alleges Maxwell Claimed Sexual Act with Clooney
House Republicans Move to Strip NYC Mayoral Front-Runner Zohran Mamdani of U.S. Citizenship
Record-High Spoiled Ballots Signal Voter Discontent in Ireland’s 2025 Presidential Election
Philippines’ Taal Volcano Erupts Overnight with 2.4 km Ash Plume
Albania’s Virtual AI 'Minister' Diella Set to 'Birth' Eighty-Three Digital Assistants for MPs
Tesla Unveils Vision for Optimus V3 as ‘Biggest Product of All Time’, Including Surgical Capabilities
Francis Ford Coppola Auctions Luxury Watches After Self-Financed Film Flop
Convicted Sex Offender Mistakenly Freed by UK Prison Service Arrested in London
United States and China Begin Constructive Trade Negotiations Ahead of Trump–Xi Summit
U.S. Treasury Sanctions Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro over Drug-Trafficking Allegations
Miss USA Crowns Nebraska’s Audrey Eckert Amid Leadership Overhaul
‘I Am Not Done’: Kamala Harris Signals Possible 2028 White House Run
NBA Faces Integrity Crisis After Mass Arrests in Gambling Scandal
Swift Heist at the Louvre Sees Eight French Crown Jewels Stolen in Under Seven Minutes
U.S. Halts Trade Talks with Canada After Ontario Ad Using Reagan Voice Triggers Diplomatic Fallout
Microsoft AI CEO: ‘We’re making an AI that you can trust your kids to use’ — but can Microsoft rebuild its own trust before fixing the industry’s?
×