Building or Remodeling an Energy-efficient Garage
- Getting Started: Advice for New Construction
- Constructing an Energy-efficient Garage
- Energy-efficient Roofing and Solar Panels
- Accommodating Electric Vehicles
- Other Considerations for Remodeling
Your garage is one of the most accessible places to remodel for energy efficiency. However, since this space is commonly used, it can be difficult to facilitate excessive remodels to avoid interruptions to daily life.
Still, there are plenty of ways you can easily and cost-effectively improve energy efficiency in your garage.
Upgrading your garage to be more energy-efficient provides several benefits for a homeowner. It can help improve your home’s overall sustainability, increase your property’s value, and even help increase your ability to do your hobbies or reduce wear on your vehicles and other storage.
Getting Started: Advice for New Construction
Before you start any remodel project, there are several things you’ll need to have in place. You’ll need to get familiar with local laws, regulations, or homeowners association restrictions before starting renovations.
Your community may have quiet hours, where construction may need to cease. Additionally, you’ll need to get a hold of your insurance provider to see if any remodel projects will cause changes to your insurance premium, or if you’ll need to increase your coverage.
Some remodel projects, such as installing solar panels, may even offer tax incentives. You’ll want to see if you qualify for a rebate or tax write-off in your state. This can help you pay for your remodel project or maximize your tax payout during rebate time.
Constructing an Energy-Efficient Garage
Once you have everything checked off on the administration side, then you can start building. Construction time, effort, and the budget for your remodel will depend on a few important factors: what you’re trying to do, if you’re doing it yourself, and what materials you’re using.
For example, working with a professional can help save you time, but may be more cost-intensive. Cheaper materials can save you money, but may degrade quicker. What your priorities are for your remodel will help you determine what materials to choose and whether to hire a professional.
Choosing Your Construction Materials
Whether you’re doing your remodel yourself or working with a professional, you’ll likely need to pick out the materials you want to use.
Recycled and reclaimed materials are a great option for people who are looking to save money or focus on sustainability.
Insulation
You may not think you need to insulate your garage, especially if you’re not using it as a working space. However, insulation in your garage is important to help protect your belongings, as well as reduce heat loss from the main house.
Fiberglass insulation is typically very popular, as it poses an incredibly reduced fire hazard. However, it is not environmentally friendly, and fiberglass poses some health risks during installation, and may contain toxic VOCs because of its fire-retardant nature.
You can reap the same energy-efficient benefits from greener alternatives without having any of these harmful side effects. Some of these alternatives include:
Choosing an alternative to fiberglass insulation for your garage can help improve energy efficiency, reduce your household carbon footprint, and decrease health risks in your home.
Garage Doors
Garage Doors are one of the greatest sources of heat loss and energy waste in a garage. This is because they are large openings and may have poor seals even when closed. Improving your garage door to an energy-efficient model can save you money and decrease your home’s energy waste.
You can improve your garage door’s energy efficiency by:
- Applying weatherstripping: Weatherstripping is a kind of tape that helps seal windows and doors to keep air from escaping. This can help reduce heat loss, which can make your garage more energy-efficient, as well as increase climate control.
- Getting an energy-efficient door opener: Updating your door opener to a newer, or even a smart model can help reduce the amount of energy consumed by your garage door system.
- Installing a triple-insulated model: An insulated garage door can help reduce heating loss from your door, as well as help maintain a climate-controlled environment. The R-value, a measurement of thermal resistance, for triple-insulated models is particularly high. These door models are also more durable, meaning they will last longer and stand up better against weather erosion.
You can get a quote for a new garage door model at the start of your remodeling process. This one-time payment can help you save hundreds of dollars on energy bills in years to come.
Air Flow Sealing
As we’ve mentioned, poor airflow sealing can be the cause of heat and energy loss from your garage door. Sealing can degrade over time, and poor-quality sealing can increase heat and energy loss.
All garages will require regular servicing and maintenance for optimal function, but using high-quality materials help reduce lifetime service costs and increase the lifespan of your garage door.
You can even improve the airflow sealing of your door without having to install a new one, by applying things like weatherstripping. These are upgrades that you can do yourself, or call a professional to perform the service for you, depending on your preference.
Windows
Adding windows to your garage or garage door can be a great way to increase energy efficiency. Windows provide natural light, which decreases the need for electric lights. When installing windows, either in your garage or your main house, you’ll want to be selective about the material and installation process.
Since poorly insulated windows lead to a loss of 30% of energy, getting properly insulated windows will prevent heat leakage. When looking for energy-efficient windows, you’ll want to watch out for the following factors:
- Glass type
- Glazing
- Frame type
- Pane type
These factors will help determine their energy efficiency. This is why it’s important to shop around and have an idea of precisely what you want. Window installation professionals or stores can help guide you toward the right model with a brief consultation, which is typically at no cost to you.
Lighting
The type of lighting in your garage can also affect energy efficiency. As we’ve mentioned, increasing natural light can help reduce the need for electrical lights. However, if you can’t install windows, or still need more light, there are other energy-efficient options for lighting your garage. These include:
- Smart Lighting: Smart lighting connects to an app on your phone that allows you complete control of the lighting in any room. The bulbs used in smart lighting systems are typically LEDs, which last longer and use less energy than traditional light bulbs, making them more energy efficient. These lighting systems can also be automated and remotely controlled, meaning you don’t have to worry about any accidental left-on lightbulbs.
- Energy Efficient Bulbs: There are three main types of energy-efficient light bulbs currently on the market. These include LEDs, which as we’ve mentioned, use less energy than typical light bulbs, as well as CFLs, which use a gradual “warm-up” of around 30 seconds per bulb that conserves energy, and halogen incandescent, which are more like “traditional” light bulbs, which can be used for older fixtures, but with longer lifespans.
Energy-Efficient Roofing and Solar Panels
On average, your home loses about 25% of its heat through the roof. Some of this heat loss can be mitigated by upgrading your roof to be more energy efficient.
You may not think of your roof as an appliance of your home, but it is! It can be optimized for sustainability and efficiency just like your indoor appliances, lighting, and windows.
For instance, installing a new roof is an ideal way to ensure that the roof will be ready to accommodate solar paneling if you or another owner chooses to do so in the future.
When upgrading your roof for energy efficiency, you may look at:
- Cool Roofing: Cool roofs are designed to reflect more sunlight and keep your home cooler. While they don’t generate their own energy, they can help reduce your heating and cooling bills, and make your home more energy-efficient.
- Green Roofing: A green roof is a roof where a layer of vegetation is planted to keep the home cooler, improve air quality, and provide shade. All of these things can help lower your utility bills.
- Metal Roofing: Metal roof reflects heat away from buildings, which can reduce the temperature of your home. Additionally, metal roofs are particularly suited to installing solar panels.
- Solar Tiles: Solar tiles or solar shingles help generate energy for your home. They are more aesthetically pleasing and less bulky than solar panels, however, they don’t generate as much energy. But these can be a cost-effective alternative to getting a full solar grid.
- Solar Panels: Solar panels have become incredibly popular, both because they are environmentally conscious, and they help reduce utility bills. Before you embark on purchasing and installing solar panels, you’ll want to determine if your home is right for solar panels. This includes things like your sun exposure, and roof quality and durability.
You may even be eligible for tax credits or reimbursements as a part of economic incentives for some of these roof installations. You can check your state website to see if they offer these incentives for residents.
Accommodating Electric Vehicles
According to Electrek.co, around 3 million electric cars were sold in 2020, representing 4.1% of all car sales that year. If you were one of these 3 million people, then you might be interested to know that outfitting your garage to accommodate your electric vehicle will increase its overall lifespan and reduce the rate of depreciation. Below you can find some ways to upgrade your garage for electric car care.
Charging Station Specifications
If this is your first electric car, you may not know that there are different levels of charging stations. Each level charges at a different speed and may be suited for different models of electric vehicles (EVs).
There are 3 levels of charging stations:
- Level 1: A 120-Volt charger, which uses J1772 and Tesla connector, has a charging speed of 3 to 5 miles per hour. It is supported for home, work, and public use.
- Level 2: 208-Volt to 240-Volt chargers, use J1772 and Tesla connectors and have a charging speed of 12 to 80 miles per hour. They are supported for home, work, and public use.
- Level 3: This level includes 400-Volt to 900-Volt chargers, DC fast charge & supercharging system, combined charging system (Combo), and CHAdeMO & Tesla connectors. They have a charging speed of up to 3 to 20 miles per minute. Level 3 chargers are usually not supported for home use.
You’ll need to check your energy grid for your home to see what kind of charging station can be supported. Speed of charging may not be a huge consideration for your personal charger, as you can leave your EV plugged in as long as you like.
Climate Specific Considerations
Extreme weather can impact EV performance. For example, extreme hot or cold temperatures can impact the performance of your car’s battery, or even prevent it from being able to start in the first place.
By making climate-specific considerations in your garage, you can reduce the chances of the weather wreaking havoc on your vehicle.
You can do this by insulating your entire garage, improving natural airflow with doors and windows, or investing in climate control systems like a heat pump.
Other Considerations for Remodeling
The following are some other considerations for remodeling your garage for energy efficiency and sustainability. Whether you’re working with professionals or doing it yourself, by checking these things off your remodeling list you can save yourself some money, time, and effort.
Conduct an Energy Audit Before Undergoing Renovations
An energy audit can help you understand the energy flows in your home. Not only can this help you understand what your energy grid could handle, but it can also help you find areas that you can cut back or make more efficient.
This audit will help you understand the full picture of your remodel plans in terms of feasibility, as well as help you identify areas you may not have thought of.
You can find an auditor through an online search, or check your local construction, inspection, and insurance agencies to see if this is a service that they provide or can connect you to.
Recycling and Waste Reduction
Waste reduction and recycling during your remodel can help decrease the carbon emissions of the project. Not only is this good for the planet, but it can also be good for your overall bottom line.
Waste reduction by purchasing the exact amount you need — thanks to careful planning and auditing — can save you money on buying unneeded extras. If you do wind up with extra, you may be able to sell back unused construction materials.
You can practice recycling by turning unused materials into new art or furniture for your home or garage. Certain materials can also be composted, such as cardboard and paper. Your local landfill may have recycling options for things like lumber or insulation — be sure to check out the local recycling centers in your area before you throw out any unused materials.
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