Alternative Energy
Information for the Home
FEATURE: House & Home
Green: Easy Does It
Think of a house as a consumer - and a greedy one at that. About
21 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions are generated from household
energy use, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
A house that consumes less energy reduces greenhouse gases because
less fossil fuel is required to operate it. Energy and water savings
mean financial savings, too.
Improve Energy Efficiency
Easy: Replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs.
Compact fluorescent bulbs produce the same amount of light as incandescent
bulbs yet require 75 percent less energy, produce 75 percent less
heat, and last up to 10 times longer. Switching out just the five
most frequently used lights in your house can save as much as 0.3
kilowatts of energy a day, which translates into a savings of at
least $30 per bulb over the lifetime of the CFLs.
Advanced: Switch to solar power. This clean energy source generates
no air pollution and no noise. Panels installed today will produce
energy for about 20 years with minimal maintenance. The federal
government offers a tax credit of 30 percent of the installation
cost, to a maximum of $2,000, for certain solar power features,
and many states and municipalities offer additional incentives.
Reduce Drafts
Easy: Plug leaks. Caulk and add weather-stripping to windows and
doors to stop heat and air conditioning losses. Use expanding foam
to fill gaps, especially between the living space and unheated areas
such as the attic and garage. Leaky air ducts can decrease energy
efficiency by as much as 20 percent.
Advanced: Add insulation. Homes more than 10 years old probably
have insufficient insulation, and even newer houses typically can
use some improvement. Properly insulated houses not only use less
energy, they also have better moisture control, meaning roofs and
walls last longer. In addition to insulating outside walls and attics,
owners should install insulation in basement walls, floors above
unheated garages or porches, cathedral ceilings, and crawl spaces.
Appliance Excesses
Easy: Unplug chargers, power adapters, and appliances when they're
not in use. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, about 75
percent of the electricity used to power electronics such as VCRs,
televisions, stereos, computers, and kitchen appliances is consumed
while the products are turned off.
Advanced: Switch out older appliances - including dish and clothes
washers, refrigerators, lighting fixtures, televisions, room air
conditioners, and even cordless phones - with energy-saving models.
Appliances with the government-rated Energy Star label use 25 percent
to 75 percent less energy than unrated appliances.
Avoid Super-Hot Water
Easy: Lower your water heater temperature. The average tank style
water heater uses about 5 percent less energy for every 10 degrees
Fahrenheit you reduce the temperature, according to the Department
of Energy. A lower temperature also slows mineral buildup and corrosion,
which helps your water heater perform more efficiently over a longer
time.
Advanced: Install tankless water heaters. These so-called "on-demand"
heaters warm water only when required, reducing energy losses associated
with maintaining water temperatures in a traditional storage tank.
Tankless heaters range from $200 for an under-sink faucet unit to
$1,500 for a high-capacity unit, but according to the Energy Department,
they use 45 percent to 60 percent less energy than traditional heaters
and last twice as long. BY MAGGIE SIEGER "Reprinted
from REALTOR® magazine by permission of the National Association
of REALTORS®. Copyright 2008. All rights reserved."
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