House designs also consider the climate where it is going to be located.
The countries that have four seasons have homes equipped with a fire place or a heating system.
The home is also built with materials that can withstand the blizzards and extreme winter conditions.
Materials for such homes need to be customized for such weather conditions.
Wooden materials, brick or concrete are usually the materials used.
A consideration would be the availability of the materials in the area.
Rammed earth can also be resorted to when the locality has an abundance of earth.
In designing an energy-efficient home, awareness of environmental issues and global climate change are major considerations.
These houses may be a bit costly but they are actually worth less than the costs of energy needed to heat up the house in the long run.
For rammed earth homes, maintenance costs are so low since the material is very durable and can last for many years.
In the design of an energy-efficient home, there are four factors to consider.
These are insulation, heat-exchangers, lighting and power sources.
Insulation is materials installed on ceilings, walls and under floor boards.
House insulator materials can be glass wool, rock wool, wood fibre, plant fibre (cannabis, flax, cotton, cork, etc.
), plant straw, animal fibre (sheep's wool) and earth or soil.
These insulators are necessities for homes in hot regions to prevent heat conduction from the exterior.
Rammed earth homes are automatically insulated due to the earth or soil used.
A good ventilation system is also important for homes that are in tropical or hot regions.
A stable interior temperature is vital for the comfort as well as for energy efficiency.
There are heat exchangers that can be installed so that a desirable temperature can be maintained all throughout the year.
Solar based systems can easily be installed to power the heat exchanger.
This is a much better way than being dependent on electricity-based power.
The heat exchanger coupled with efficient ventilation and insulation system will be big savings for the homeowner.
The power source is also vital to the design of an energy-efficient home.
The house can have an alternative power source apart from the main power grid.
Nowadays, solar heaters, solar panels and wind turbines are accessible and can be installed in not time.
These power sources can supplement the energy from the electric power provider.
The lighting of an energy-efficient home should be looked into.
During day time, the light source should be the sun.
The home must have enough windows to allow natural sunlight to illuminate the room or space.
At night, artificial lighting is necessary and it is recommended that fluorescent lights or LEDS be used.
Wall mirrors can also help to reflect light from the source.
The house walls must be painted with bright or white colour to maximize the light reflections.