HOW TO MAKE HOME ENERGY
SAVINGS
Home
Insulation
Insulation is often the single most important element to reduce
energy bills. Before installing or remodelling any outdated heating
system (air
conditioning, boilers,
furnaces...)
pay attention to your home's insulation.
See, for information:
Basics on Insulation
Qualified
windows and doors
Qualified windows and doors might save you energy and money, and
increase your home comfort. Old conventional windows and doors
can account for over 25% of the heating and cooling energy bills
in a typical home.
See: Windows and Doors
Basics
See also:
Weather-stripping windows and doors,
Caulking windows and doors
Indoor and Outdoor Lighting
Lighting is responsible for around 5-15% of home's electricity
uses. This large consume can be reduced by 50% or more using
proper indoor and
outdoor lighting or through
fluorescent lights and lighting controls
as dimmers and sensors.
Skylights
Roof skylights can provide daylighting and
natural ventilation and views. Just take into account possible
drawbacks, their different types, their energy-efficiency or
their sizing.
See: Basics on Skylights
If just half of our homes used solar water heaters
Climate change – in its present patterns - is mainly a process
caused by humans, and largely by the energy we are consuming in
our homes (see:
Environment and house energy efficiency).
Why aren't we using more solar panels roofs?
There is an initial costly investment? Yes. But the
payback is 3
to 10 years…
And after that period, your bills
with hot water (or
electricity) will be nearly zero.
If just half of our homes used solar water heaters, CO2 emissions
reduction would equal that produced by half of all of the cars
driving around North America.
See more:
Pros and Cons of Solar
Energy Panels
Costs and payback of
Solar Energy
Domestic Solar Hot Water Systems
Solar Electricity: Photovoltaic PV Systems
Solar Panels Technology
Heat Pumps:
an environmental choice for home heating and cooling
Geothermal heat
pumps are a sound environmental choice and a great alternative
to central air conditioning. And they are also cooling devices, not just
heating devices.
See:
Heat Pumps Basics
Are Heat pumps suitable for
your home?
Heating
Your Home
There are several ways of reducing heating bills.
Some involve fast, immediate measures, as weather-stripping,
sealing or insulation. Others involve more structural
approaches:
passive solar techniques (orientation and shape of the house,
thermal materials...), solar power systems, geothermal heat
pumps, energy-efficient windows, doors,
insulation...
.
Reducing heating bills?
See:
Weather-stripping and
sealing
Solar power basics
Passive solar basics
Heat
Pumps Basics
Energy efficient windows,
doors and skylights basics
Insulation Basics
Cooling your home more naturally...
You may say that you can't live without a central air-conditioner...
But there are several alternatives to
central air conditioning, even considering a
non-optimal or even a poorly energy-designed home.
To save the
planet (and money and energy) consider the right options to
central air conditioning. They vary with climate and specific
situations, but some are surely a good
alternative and will suit your needs. See some alternatives,
below:
-
Heat pumps, namely
ground heat pumps
- Evaporative coolers
(in dry climates)
-
Fans:
whole house fans,
ceiling fans,
attic fans and
namely solar attic fans…
-
Awnings, drapes,
shades (to windows and glazing),
window films
-
Insulation,
namely attic
insulation and wall
insulation
-
Use of solar passive techniques
-
Natural ventilation
-
Roof insulation
- Attic and ceiling
insulation
- Reflective roofing materials:
membranes, coatings,
ceramic and metal tiles
and roofs
-
Radiant barriers
-
Air leaks caulking and
weather stripping
-
Energy-efficient lights
-
Shade trees, bushes
and vines
-
Improvement of landscape
-
Isolation and replacement of heat-generating appliances.
See also:
Alternatives to central air-conditioning
Protecting the environment & Energy Savings
Action is need now to prevent global warming.
And action
begins with each of us. We must revise the ways we use the
energy – within our homes, or with our cars.
Our most innocent
acts - driving a car, heating or cooling our homes – are deeply
connected to global warming and climate change.
But there are some ways of keeping our homes comfortable, while
we save money through sound energy-saving practises. Just an
example: using compact fluorescent lights reduces electrical
consumption for lighting by 80 percent...
With a little effort and investment in our homes we all can
obtain substantial energy savings
over the years, protecting environment for future generations
and decreasing the energy bills.
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Image credit (house with solar
panels): Kyocera
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