In my last post, I wrote about some ways to reduce energy consumption at home by reducing your need for electricity-powered air conditioning. But I realize that in many Orlando Homes, air conditioning is necessary to cope with the warm Florida climate we have.
Florida is a sunny place, so when you’re building or renovating (see our listings for suitable properties for renovation), you should consider the sunshine. At midday, when the sun it at its strongest, it’s in the south, so you should take care with windows and walls facing the southern side of the house. A good old-fashioned way of keeping the heat of direct sunshine out while still allowing light to enter is by constructing a porch or deck on that side (with ranch sliders or French windows leading out) with a roof over the porch. It makes a great place to entertain or relax, too! If you don’t want to construct one, then look for a house with a porch already in place on the southern side – see our listings to find one.
But don’t forget that sunshine has its flip side when conserving energy. Sunshine isn’t the bad guy. Even if you’re looking at Bahia Real Estate’s housing list for a new Orlando Home that doesn’t need renovation – you’re too busy for that – then remember that sunshine’s perfect for drying clothing. I can’t believe how many people put a load of laundry in the tumble dryer on a sunny Florida day when quickly throwing the clothes and towels over a rack or even a couple of chairs will get them dry in just the same amount of time – and without expending any energy (except a few calories on your part – which is no bad thing!)
Jenn Cook