From Guest Blogger Jake Fisher: High Tech Home Improvements that Improve the "Green" Value of Your Home

High Tech Home Improvements that Improve the “Green” Value of Your HomeHigh Tech Home Improvements that Improve the “Green” Value of Your HomeThere are many high-tech home improvements you can make to your home that will, in turn, make it greener and much more energy-efficient. Sustainability is about more than just solar energy, although that definitely increases the value of your home. If you want your home to become both greener and more valuable, research the smartest home improvements.

Power Up with Solar Panels

Solar panels will not only increase the value of your home, they’ll also make it more eco-friendly. Installation may initially cost a pretty penny, but trust that your panels will pay for themselves by saving you money on energy and increasing the value of your home. If you’re new to the green lifestyle, you might not yet know how amazing solar energy really is. If you’ve ever used a solar watch or a solar-powered phone and battery charger, you have something of an idea. The full truth is even more amazing.

Solar panels can power practically everything in your home. They use the light of the sun to warm your home, of course. However, in warm weather, they can also keep it cool in a number of ways. Solar panels will give you electricity, heat your hot water, and they can even help you go a little farther off the grid. When your neighbors suffer through blackouts and brownouts, you’ll sit pretty thanks to the sun.

Take Control of Your Thermostat

A programmable thermostat is another energy-efficient home improvement that boosts the value of your home. It’s a green improvement, certainly, but it’s also a money-saver. You’ll no longer waste heat by leaving the thermostat powered up all the time. You’ll have more control over your temperature settings as well. When you’re gone for the day, you can set your thermostat to power on perhaps an hour or so before you arrive home. You’ll get greeted by a toasty house but you aren’t wasting energy by heating an empty space all day.

Get a Smarter Home Security System

There are actually home security systems that control many of the settings in your home as well. For instance, a well-chosen security system is also fully capable of controlling and programming your heating and air conditioning or central air settings. Check out the green benefits of home security alarms and discover just what kinds of smart alarms are available for your home. By securing your home, you improve its value; having more control over heating and cooling makes your home greener, too.

Make Your Appliances Energy-Efficient

Energy-efficient appliances are both lifesavers and money-savers. Your big appliances, such as washers, dryers, dishwashers, and refrigerators, seriously suck up energy. They also send your money swirling down the drain while making your carbon footprint bigger and bigger. Installing eco-friendly appliances saves money, saves the environment, and they can even make you eligible for tax incentives. Think about replacing the big energy vampires; the mere presence of energy-efficient appliances makes your home much more valuable.

Quite often, making your home more energy-efficient makes it more financially efficient as well. What sorts of green home improvements are you interested in the most?