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From Floor to Frame: How Embodied Carbon Shapes Your Home’s Sustainability
Understand the unseen energy behind renovation materials and learn practical tips to minimize your project’s environmental impact.
Home renovations are often viewed as opportunities to modernize spaces, increase property value, and improve functionality. However, every renovation decision also impacts the environment, particularly through the embodied energy of the materials used. While homeowners are increasingly focused on energy-efficient appliances and systems, many overlook the significant effect that material choices in renovation have on a home’s overall carbon footprint.
In this article, we’ll explore how different renovation strategies and material selections influence your home’s embodied energy and offer practical ways to minimize environmental impact during your next project.
The Dual Impact of Renovation: Operational vs. Embodied Energy
Renovations affect two types of energy: operational energy and embodied energy. Operational energy includes the energy consumed to run your home (e.g., heating, cooling, lighting), while embodied energy encompasses the total energy used to produce, transport, and install…
