8 Ways to Make Your Home More Energy Efficient

September 3, 2009 By Harvey M. Sachs, Ph.D.

The house is a system. You save money and improve performance when you take cost-effective measures that reduce building loads, and then install systems and appliances that are the right size to meet the reduced loads. In general, over-sizing worsens performance and increases costs.

The most effective strategy for improving household energy efficiency is to first target your home’s envelope—walls, attic, windows, and doors. Then improve the energy efficiency of systems, such as heating, cooling, lighting, and appliances. Finally, consider clean energy generation (solar, geothermal, and so on).

1. Make sure your walls and attic are well insulated.

2. Upgrade or replace windows.

3. Plant shade trees and shrubs around your house.

4. Replace an older furnace with a high-efficiency system.

5. Improve the efficiency of your hot water system.

6. Replace incandescent lightbulbs with compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) or LED.

7. Take advantage of new tax incentives to improve your home.

8. Schedule an energy audit for more expert advice on your home as a whole.