Home Energy Efficiency From Windows to Lighting
Homeowners carry a huge liability on their shoulders that directly impacts the environment. In fact, every decision a homeowner makes plays a vital role in how energy is consumed. From buying a home appliance to flushing the toilet, every action requires energy. Excessive consumption of energy causes major problems, including higher utility bills. It can also be seen in the form of urban smog, oil spills, acid rain, and global warming. Most people do not realize that these environmental problems can be easily resolved with the switch of a button, or a simple investment in energy-efficient appliances. In fact, choosing energy-efficient appliances can drastically reduce the impact on the environment itself. Committing to change will give homeowners the opportunity to rebound from their previous mistakes.
Heating and Cooling
Plumbing
Windows, Doors and Skylights
Additional Resources
Homeowners carry a huge liability on their shoulders that directly impacts the environment. In fact, every decision a homeowner makes plays a vital role in how energy is consumed. From buying a home appliance to flushing the toilet, every action requires energy. Excessive consumption of energy causes major problems, including higher utility bills. It can also be seen in the form of urban smog, oil spills, acid rain, and global warming. Most people do not realize that these environmental problems can be easily resolved with the switch of a button, or a simple investment in energy-efficient appliances. In fact, choosing energy-efficient appliances can drastically reduce the impact on the environment itself. Committing to change will give homeowners the opportunity to rebound from their previous mistakes.
Heating and Cooling
- Heat and Cool Efficiently: The EnergyStar program shares effective tips on improving heating and cooling systems for the best energy-efficient output.
- Heating and Cooling Your Home for Less: The Federal Trade Commission shares important tips for heating and cooling a home efficiently for less.
- Energy-Saving Heating and Cooling Systems: The San Francisco Gate shares information on selecting, purchasing, and sizing heating and cooling systems for the typical home.
- Home Energy Ratings: The Florida Energy Solar Center shares ways to improve energy efficiency in the heating and cooling systems installed in residential homes.
- Home Heating and Cooling (PDF): The Iowa Energy Center explains ways to improve energy efficiency using the whole-house approach to heating and cooling.
- Saving Energy in Your Home: Heating and Cooling: Purdue University shares energy-saving tips for heating and cooling residential homes.
- 57 Ways to Protect Your Home Environment (And Yours): 52. Save Energy In Heating And Cooling: This chapter specifically deals with ways to save energy during the winter and summertime.
- Heating and Cooling Systems: Saving Energy and Keeping Safe: A worksheet for homeowners to help identify potential problems in the home's residential heating and cooling system, duct system, and house envelope.
- Maintaining Your Heating and Cooling Systems (PDF): An extensive document that shares important tips for maintaining the heating and cooling system in a residential home to maximize energy-efficient output.
- Energy Efficient Homes: Air Conditioning: The University of Florida shares energy-efficient tips for air conditioning and heating units.
- Home Energy Primer: Conservation, Efficiency, and Solar: The University of Buffalo shares information on cutting energy expenses by more than fifty percent on lighting, heating, appliances, hot water, cooling, and more.
- Appliances and Lighting: An extensive document sharing information on energy conservation regarding appliances and lighting.
- Energy Efficiency: Lighting: The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy lamp options, fixture options, and energy-saving tips for lighting in a residential home.
- Lighting Options for Your Home (PDF): A document sharing consumer options for energy-efficient lighting in a residential home.
- Energy-Efficient Lighting: The State of Michigan believes in compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) and light-emitting diodes (LEDs) as energy-efficient options for a residential home.
- Energy Use for Lighting (PDF): An extensive chapter providing information on energy consumption via lighting lamps and fixtures and ways to convert existing systems to "greener" options.
- Improve Energy Efficiency with a Ceiling Fan: HGTV explains the benefits of using an energy-efficient ceiling fan over conventional HVAC units.
- Ceiling Fans for Natural Ventilation (PDF): An extensive document that explains the benefits of installing ceiling fans as a natural option for ventilation in a residential home.
- Lighting Energy Self-Assessment: Take this self-assessment to see which lighting options offer the best output for your residential home.
- Are Fluorescent Bulbs Really More Efficient Than Normal Light Bulbs?: HowStuffWorks explains how fluorescent bulbs increase the energy-efficiency of lighting over normal light bulbs.
Plumbing
- Energy-Efficient Water Heating: A document that explains how to retain hot water with the most energy efficiency, including pipe insulation, sleeve installation, heat trap installation, and more.
- Water Efficiency and Plumbing Products: A series of frequently asked questions about water efficiency and plumbing products that can be installed to increase conservation rather than consumption.
- Water-Efficient Toilets: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) shares information on WaterSense toilets, a government-approved brand that promotes water-efficiency in residential homes.
- Tips for Saving Water in Your Home: A list of tips for saving water in the kitchen, bathroom, and other places around the house.
- H2ouse Tour: Click on the map to find out water-efficiency and conservation tips for each section in a typical home.
- 5 Water-Saving Plumbing Fixtures: The Seattle Times shares five water-saving plumbing fixtures for a residential home, including pressure-reducing valves, performance showerheads, high-efficiency toilets, re-circulating hot water systems, and water-saving faucets.
- Low-Flow Fixtures and Water-Efficient Appliances: The Natural Resources Defense Council shares examples and product specifications for energy-efficient plumbing fixtures and appliances.
- Commercial and Residential Faucets: The California Urban Water Conservation Council shares information on standard water faucets, including related water consumption facts and remedies to increase conservation.
- All About Faucets: The Regional Water Providers Consortium important facts and tips on water conservation in relation to faucets.
- Water Saving Tips: In the Bathroom: The GRACE Communications Foundation shares water saving tips for bathroom usage.
Windows, Doors and Skylights
- Energy Efficient Window Treatments For Your Home: These window treatments can insulate your windows and improve your homes energy efficiency
- Energy Tips for Energy Efficient Windows: Steps for securing windows to maximize energy efficiency in residential homes.
- Questions About Buying Energy-Efficient Windows? (PDF): An overall guide for homeowners looking to purchase energy-efficient windows.
- A Consumer's Guide to Buying Energy-Efficient Windows (PDF): The University of Oregon shares this consumer's guide to help homeowners choose the right windows to increase energy efficiency.
- Windows, Doors, and Skylights: The importance of selecting and maintaining the right windows, doors, and skylights to increase energy-efficiency in residential homes. This includes skylight shades.
- New Homes: Selecting Energy Efficient Windows in Pennsylvania (PDF): An extensive document sharing tips on selecting energy-efficient windows to maximize output in residential homes.
- Understanding Energy-Efficient Windows (PDF): The National Home Performance Council explains the dynamics behind energy-efficient windows, including u-factor and solar heat gain coefficient.
- Energy-Efficient Windows (PDF): A document that explains how to improve windows for maximum energy efficiency, including fixing air leaks, caulking, weatherstripping, replacing window frames, and more.
- Windows, Doors and Skylights: The Australian government provides information on water-efficiency techniques used to make windows, doors, and skylights more energy-efficient in residential homes.
- Energy-Efficient Residential Windows, Doors, and Skylights (PDF): An extensive document providing all-inclusive information on energy-efficient windows, doors, and skylights.
- Energy-Efficient Windows: Information on energy-efficient windows, especially with regard to glazing technologies.
Additional Resources
- Honeycomb Cellular Shades: Effective solution for covering windows in any part of the United States. Also used to dampen noise or blackout the room
- 10 Easy Ways to Save Energy in Your Home: The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors shares 10 easy ways to save energy in a residential home, including correcting wasteful behavior and installing energy-efficient appliances.
- The Whole-House Approach to Energy Efficiency: Colorado State University shares some quick facts and ways to correct energy-efficient weaknesses in a home.
- Summer Time Energy-Saving Tips: Important tips for saving energy during the summertime in a residential home.
- Saving Energy: EnergyQuest California shares general information on conserving energy in a typical residential home.
- Watts Up? Energy Saving Tips: The City of San Diego shares 18 energy-efficient tips for homeowners everywhere.
- Home Energy Saving Tips: RESNET provides general energy-efficient tips for the exterior, attic, bedroom, bathroom, office, kitchen, dining room, living, and basement of a home.
- Energy Saving Tips for You and Your Family: NeighborWorks America shares important energy-saving tips for you and your family.
- 19 Easy Home Winterization Projects: Popular Mechanics shares nineteen winterization projects that will increase energy-efficiency and save homeowners money.
Article written by Lexi Westingate
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