Imagine if your space capsule residence traveled through the cosmos with all the coziness of home. Even better, what if you could cut your energy costs while still staying comfortable? In this article, we will discuss six practical ways to save energy in your capsule home.
Make your space more comfortable and energy-efficient by using natural light and smart devices with these clever tips. So keep reading!
1) Use Daylight Before You Use Watts
If you want to start saving energy in your space capsule house, the first and easiest step is to use natural light very carefully. Let’s see how this is possible:
i) Use Sunlight Wisely
For example, if you live in a cold area, place the windows facing south so that the sunlight enters from morning to evening, providing you with natural light and heat.
On the other hand, if you live in a hot or sunny area (such as a very hot city), it is best to place windows facing north to avoid the strong afternoon sun and prevent the house from overheating. So, you can use fewer air conditioners or fans, which helps save energy.
ii) Add a Low-E Skylight;
A Low-E (Low-Emissivity) glass skylight is a special type of window or glass roof that has a thin, transparent coating on it. This coating controls the heat that enters and exits through the glass.
For example, in winter, this glass allows the sun’s heat to come in and prevents the heat from escaping. As a result, your home stays warm naturally and decreases the need for a heater.
In summer, this glass prevents the sun’s intense heat from coming in and also stops the coolness inside (from the air conditioner) from escaping. Therefore, the house remains cool, and less AC is used.
iii) Always keep your Windows Clean
If you can’t afford to install a Low-E skylight, then simply keeping your existing skylight or window clean is also beneficial. It is because clear glass allows more light and heat to enter, which helps decrease the need for light bulbs and heating systems during the day.
iv) Install reflective blinds or UV film
Installing “reflective blinds” or “UV film” in your space capsule house can help decrease energy use. Both of these methods are effective in controlling natural light and heat, which keeps your home at a moderate temperature and decreases your energy needs.
Reflecting blinds: These blinds have a light-reflecting material that reflects all the sun’s rays and heat from entering. During the summer, they keep your home cooler by allowing less sunlight to enter. Conversely, in the winter, they prevent the heat from escaping, which decreases the need for heating.
UV films: UV light is a kind of radiation, which, in excess, can cause cancer. Usually, our ozone layer blocks it, but due to recent pollution, ozone is weakened. So, installing UV films can help you avoid cancer, and also, as this film reflects UV radiation, it can help your house stay cool in summer.
2) Optimize your Cooling & Heating System
Below are a few tips and tricks that can help you decrease your electric bills.
→ Choose the Right Size Cooling & Heating System
If your capsule house is in the range of 20-30 square meters, then an inverter mini-split (9,000 to 12,000 BTU) is a great choice. If you install a system larger than this will consume more power than necessary. Here are some of its key features.
- Inverter technology: This technology automatically adjusts the speed of the compressor, ensuring a constant and smooth temperature while also saving energy.
- Low power consumption: It consumes less power than traditional AC systems and remains efficient for a long time.
→ Adjust the set-point by two degrees
Adjusting the set point slightly is a very effective way to save energy. For instance, in the summer, when you set the thermostat 2 degrees higher, the room temperature rises slightly, which puts less pressure on the cooling system and uses less energy.
Similarly, in winter, setting the temperature two degrees lower allows heat to spread more effectively, reducing the workload on the heating system, which also saves energy.
As a result, the simple adjustment can decrease your energy consumption by up to 6%, which can bring significant savings over the year.
→ Wash the filters every month
It is essential to clean filters every month in order to maintain strong and effective airflow. As a result, this will help your system perform more efficiently, using less energy, and distributing the cooling or heating more evenly throughout your home.
3) Seal gaps & improve Insulation
Another effective way to save energy and increase comfort in your space capsule house is to seal cracks and add layers of lightweight insulation. Let’s look at a few simple methods.
i) Thermal curtains & wall panels
First of all, we should cover the windows because direct sunlight enters the house and heats it up. An effective solution to this problem is to install thermal curtains. They are made of a special fabric that blocks the sun’s heat from entering and prevents indoor warmth from escaping during winter.
In addition, in extreme hot or cold, you can also go for clip-on wall panels to cover windows for a long time, as these are hard & rigid, unlike curtains.
These panels not only help block external cold air but also retain indoor heat, keeping the room warmer and more comfortable. Therefore, this approach can effectively decrease heat loss by approximately 15%.
ii) Weatherstrip for efficient sealing
Now, after covering the windows to avoid direct sunlight, you can also go for a small space along the edges of windows & doors, through which air escapes & the temperature doesn’t stay constant.
For these small spaces, we can use Peel-and-stick weatherstrips. They consist of an adhesive rubber or foam strip that can be easily applied to the edges and corners of doors, windows, and wall panels. When applied correctly, the wethersstrip offers two significant benefits.
- First, Hot air stays inside during the winter.
- Second, in the summer, cool air doesn’t escape.
Therefore, the temperature inside stays constant for a long time. Hence, air conditioners and heaters run less, which saves electricity.
iii) EVA for cold protection
Last but not least, as floors have a large surface area so a lot of heat loss can also occur from there due to conduction. To protect the floor from the cold/hot, we should cover it with EVA mats.
These mats are made of a soft and thick material that doesn’t allow the transfer of heat between outside & inside. As a result, there is less strain on the heater or other heating systems, ultimately saving energy.
4) Upgrade Smart Energy-saving lights
Now we will tell you about some smart lighting methods to save energy.
i) Install energy-saving LED lights
As we all know that LED lights consume less energy and have a longer lifespan, so it’s best to use them in your capsule home. For example, if we compare an LED light and a halogen bulb of the same brightness, the LED light will consume barely 5 watts while the halogen one consumes more than 40 watts.
In addition, LED lights produce less heat, which helps keep the house cooler and decreases the need for air conditioning or heating systems.
ii) Installed motion-activated bathroom lights
Areas such as bathrooms, kitchens, and hallways are used for a short period & most people usually forget to switch them off, which consumes unnecessary electricity and produces heat.
So, the capsule house has motion sensor lights, which detect movement ( as soon as a person enters ), and the lights automatically turn on. Later, they turn off on their own after 1-2 minutes if no motion is detected.
iii) Adjustable brightness for energy-saving
These days, modern capsule houses have automatic dimmers installed in their lighting system, which control the level of brightness according to natural light. So, it not only saves on electric bills but also causes less strain on the eyes.
Even more, higher brightness generates more heat, which can otherwise damage the lamp quickly, so it saves on costly repairs. Automatic dimmers can be controlled in various ways, such as through remote controls, smartphone apps, or sensors.
5) Select Compact, Efficient Appliances
There are some important appliances you should choose to save energy and increase efficiency. Here are some effective and compact options you can use:
i) Induction Hob & Rice Cooker
In a kitchen, there are 2 must-have appliances that can be used to cook all kinds of foods. These are;
- Induction hob:
An induction hob is an electric stove that uses a magnetic field to heat utensils. In fact, it offers precise temperature control to enhance cooking results.
+ Heats up very quickly, saving time.
+ Saves energy because the heat is applied directly to the food, not wasted around.
– Only works on specific pots (that are induction-capable)
- Electric Rice Cooker
These rice cookers are easy to use as there is no mess of fire. Plus, these rice cookers have accurate temperature control, resulting in the best texture and flavor. The best thing about them is that they can be switched off automatically when they are cooked. – can even be used by a kid.
In addition to rice, some models can also be used to cook lentils, vegetables, and even cakes.
- Automatically cooks rice and puts it on “Keep Warm” mode.
- Some models also have pressure cooking or steaming facilities.
In particular, both of these devices are extremely useful in space capsule houses. Moreover, they offer the dual benefits of Energy saving and time simultaneously
ii) Washer/dryer combo
Ordinary dryers consume more electricity to dry clothes because they use heating elements to generate heat, which is an energy-wasting and costly method.
However, in contrast, you can make use of a centrifugal washer/dryer, which, after washing, can squeeze water out of clothes by spinning at high speed, without using any heating element. So, these use only a fraction of the energy as compared to ordinary dryers.
Lastly, these washer/dryer machines are very compact ( 2 in 1 ) and are best fit for capsule houses where space is limited.
iii)A_rated 90L mini-fridge
When it comes to refrigerators, A-rated 90 L ones are the best option for capsule houses. You can store food, drink, and other essential items. Some a-rated mini fridges have automatic ice removal features, which help prevent frost buildup and enhance both air quality and energy efficiency inside the fridge.
It is important to note that their capacity is suitable for small families or individuals, but it may be insufficient for larger families.
6) Meter Your Energy, Then Cut the Waste
If you are living in a capsule house, you should check which three items use the most electricity. Usually, these are;
- Air conditioner (AC); it consumes a lot of electricity in summer.
- Heater; it uses the most energy during winter.
- Refrigerator or washing machine; these run all the time or use a lot of power when they are working.
Here are few tips & tricks to control their energy usage;
- Use a Real time power monitor to see energy used by each appliance per hour. For example, if your refrigerator or heater is using too much electricity, you can check if there is anything wrong with it or if possible buy a new one.
- Now, the second thing you can do is to control the AC & heater, as these consume the highest energy. You can install a thermostat to regulate the temperature, which will switch off the appliances when not needed.
- Then, you can create a daily or monthly electricity budget. Ultimately, this can help you decrease your electricity bill by 5 to 20 percent over time.
- You should check your electricity usage records every month, so you can see where you are using more electricity and where you can save.
Conclusion
In short, letting in sunlight, closing gaps, and choosing the right appliances will help you conserve energy in your space capsule house. As a result, both your wallet and Earth will benefit, with services saved coming at a reduced cost. No matter how minuscule, every adjustment contributes to a greater impact.
Here at Space Capsule House, we offer contemporary and functional high-quality space capsule houses. For more information or help, please contact us.
