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Most home appliances have become more efficient over the past 30 years, but those gains have been offset by the influx of personal computers, televisions and related devices, according to data released today by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).
In the latest update to its Residential Energy Consumption Survey, which is has updated periodically since 1979, EIA found that:
- 58 percent of U.S. homes had energy-efficient, multi-pane windows, up from 36 percent in the 1993 survey.
Did you know that 90% of desktop computers are not optimized for energy efficiency? If yours is the one-in-ten that is, then pat yourself on the back, and get back to darning your handknit socks by the flickering light of a candle. If you’re like the rest of us, however, read on.
Energy efficient window curtains keep a home’s temperatures idea year round. In the cold months these curtains may be insulated. This is in order to keep the cold air out of a home.
In the summer, energy efficient window curtains should keep the hot rays of the sun out of a home. This will help to keep the interior of a home at a stable and comfortable temperature.
Tight, super-insulated houses need some kind of mechanical ventilation to keep indoor air healthy. Installing exhaust fans in the kitchen and bathrooms is the simplest option. More often, energy-efficient builders install either a heat-recovery ventilator (HRV) or an energy-recovery ventilator (ERV). Both systems incorporate a heat exchanger that moderates the temperature of incoming air, which helps ease the energy penalty in both summer and winter. But ERVs also are designed to transfer some of the humidity in the air stream.
Reducing your home energy use is the best of win-win deals — not only does it reduce your carbon footprint, it also saves you big bucks on your energy bills. That’s especially exciting when you consider that many home energy improvements are fast, easy and inexpensive. Often, the savings from an individual project are small, but when you start putting them together they add up quickly.
Older toilets use about 3.5 to 7 gallons per flush. Low flow toilets use only 1.6 gallons per flush and save your family between 8,000 and 20,000 gallons of water per year, per toilet. Dual-flush toilets take savings to the next level, because they have two buttons – one for a light flush at 0.9 Gallons and the other for a heavy flush at 1.6 gallons.
Dual-flush toilets have been very popular in Europe and Asia for years. They save an average of approximately 26 per cent more water than single-flush ‘Low-Flow’ models, and you can control when you need more or less water.
Most experts and program managers agree that financing is necessary to encourage homeowners to participate in weatherization programs and meet the goal of reduced energy consumption.
Organizers working with local governments to set up programs that provide homeowners with loans for energy-efficient improvements are choosing a variety of formats. Some are considering low-interest loans; some are using PACE (Property-Assessed Clean Energy) financing, where homeowners pay back the loan through their property taxes; others are opting to use the PAYS (Pay As You Save) system where homeowners pay loan installments through utility bills.
A green roof is an extension of a new or existing roof that involves a high-quality water proofing and root repellant system, a drainage system, filter cloth, a lightweight growing medium and plants. Green roof systems may be modular, with drainage layers, 
filter cloth, growing media and plants already prepared in movable, interlocking grids, or, each component may be installed separately. Green roof development involves the creation of “contained” green space on top of a human-made structure. This green space could be below, at or above grade, but in all cases the plants are not planted in the “ground.”
filter cloth, growing media and plants already prepared in movable, interlocking grids, or, each component may be installed separately. Green roof development involves the creation of “contained” green space on top of a human-made structure. This green space could be below, at or above grade, but in all cases the plants are not planted in the “ground.”
These 19 tips, from easiest (and cheapest) to hardest, will help you save money by going green, this year and for years to come. Don’t delay: Winter’s coming, and lucrative federal tax incentives won’t last forever.
1. Dodge the Draft(s)
2. Change Furnace Filters
3. Run Fans in Reverse
4. Winterize Your A/C and Water Lines
5. Turn Down Your Water Heater
6. Install Storm Doors and Windows
7. Give Your Heating System a Tune-Up
8. Mind That Thermostat
9. Put Up Some Plastic
10. Use an Energy Monitor
11. Use Caulking and Weatherstriping
12. Put on a Sweater
13. Boost Insulation
14. Insulate Your Pipes
15. Seal Those Ducts
16. Take Advantage of Tax Credits
17. Choose the Right Contractor
18. Get Creative and Go Alternative
19. Upgrade to an Efficient Furnace
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