How can we conserve energy at home and in our garden offices and other domestic buildings? There has been much talk about renewable energy and new technologies such as ground source heat pumps and grey water recycling for use around the home. Most new domestic technologies are still in the development stage, and have twenty or thirty year pay-back periods.
A wind turbine in the garden would suffer from limited wind speed in urban areas, needs planning permission, and unless 2 or 3 metres in span produces very little electricity. However, if you live on the top of a hill in Scotland a wind turbine is a good idea. Solar panels for generating hot water are worth considering, and are cost effective on your house rather than on your garden office.
The investment in new technologies is definitely worthwhile personally and globally if you are building a new house or if you intend to live in your home for life. But there are simple measures that all of us can take in our homes and our garden rooms to help reduce our carbon footprint.
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The correct lighting in an interior is extremely important whether it is in the home or in business premises. In business and commercial premises, correct lighting can transform a dingy office into an inviting space for clients and also staff. The correct lighting can make staff performance more effective, can lift moods and create a far better working environment. For clients and potential customers, how off putting is it if they have to walk into an inadequately lit room or the other end of the spectrum, a room that is too bright. Both scenarios are not ideal and with government guidelines used in many countries for illumination levels, it is in a company’s best interest to have the correct lighting system. Certainly a high factor and the most common is an individual staff member’s preference.
Technology has advanced that there are now systems both for home and business that allow the lighting to be controlled by specialised controllers. These systems can create preset moods for different occasions with just one touch of button. Dimmer switches are still an easy to install method of creating a different ambiance in an interior.
Even physical light switches have advanced in recent years with chrome and concealed units and even decorative sockets. An interior designer now has even more scope to produce and stunning room. Lighting can in fact alter the colour of certain materials and finishes in an intentional way and interior designers can use this as part of the overall look and feel of the interior.
Energy saving is high on many agendas and the correct lighting for a room can save greatly on energy bills and of course the environment. Reputable electrical wholesalers and lighting retailers can not only offer competitive prices on lighting fittings but can give advice and tips on how to create the best possible lighting system and the best ways in which to save energy. Saving energy can be in the form of using dimmer switches, low energy light bulbs, projection of light and by installing the correct amount of lighting units in the right places to maximise the light.