Upgrading your home can be an exciting experience. Remodeling your kitchen, transforming your bathroom and revamping your living room can be really fun projects. However, don't forget about protecting your environment when you're renovating your home. There are many different upgrades that are environmentally-friendly. While many of them may require more of an investment, you can save money in the long run and most importantly, help your environment.

1. Use Reclaimed Wood for Remodeling

Repurposing items is one of the key tenets of eco-friendly remodeling. So if you're looking to upgrade your countertops or change your flooring to wood, think about how cutting down additional forests contributes to global warming. Trees are very important in recycling air and reducing pollution. Instead of using brand new wood, use reclaimed wood in your remodeling projects. Using reclaimed wood helps preserve trees. Plus, reclaimed wood offers a sleek and rustic look.

2. Use Eco-Friendly Paint

Using eco-friendly paint to repaint your walls or furniture can help to reduce your carbon footprint. Paint production processes contribute the most to paint carbon footprint. Certified eco-friendly paint ensures that the production process has minimal impacts on the environment. You can also use mis-tints and recycled paint. Mis-tints are custom-mixed paints that customers ask for when they want to create their own tint. However, if an employee at a hardware store doesn't mix the color right, it becomes a mis-tint. So if a slightly off tint can work for you, consider buying these paints to save them from the landfill and save you money.

3. Invest in Solar Panels

Solar panels from companies like phoenix solar can provide power to your home from the sun. The sun is an abundant and renewable source of energy because the sun shines for several hours a day, every day. This means that you'll never run out of energy from the sun unless it gets dark out. 

Solar energy is great for the environment because it doesn't involve burning fossil fuels, like coal, oil and natural gas that produce greenhouse gas emissions. These greenhouse gas emissions can release harmful pollutants in the air and cause global warming.

By getting solar panels for your home, you're providing your home with green energy and as a result, reducing your carbon footprint. Plus, you'll save money on your monthly energy bill as solar energy is completely free to obtain except for the initial cost for solar panels.

4. Install Water-Saving Devices

By installing water-saving devices and appliances throughout your home, you can help the environment because you're reducing your water usage. In many areas, water is a scarce resource, which has caused some cities and municipalities to implement legislation to divide water resources, such as lakes and reservoirs. By using devices in your home that save water such as low-flow faucets, showerheads, shower timers, tank bags and grey water diverters, you can conserve water in your home.

5. Switch to a High-Efficiency HVAC System

If you have an older HVAC system, then it might be time to give it an upgrade. You can buy a heating and air system that uses less energy, which is better for the environment and your pockets. An HVAC system that's not efficient will use a lot more power to keep your home at a comfortable temperature. On the other hand, a more efficient HVAC system will use a lot less energy to keep you and your family members comfortable. Saving energy is one of the key aspects of eco-friendly devices. This is very important in helping the environment because the less energy your home uses, the more you're saving. This means that other people in your community have access to this energy.

Doing better for your environment isn't that difficult. There are a few sacrifices you have to make. Once you do this, you'll reap the benefits of cleaner energy and increased savings.