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Energy Efficiency at Home: Understanding the Basics

by | Energy, Energy Efficiency, Featured, Home

With climate change impacting the world, all aspects of our energy systems are under increasing scrutiny.

Energy efficiency at home is becoming as crucial as reducing greenhouse gas emissions caused by burning fossil fuels. But energy conservation is not just about less carbon dioxide in the atmosphere — it’s about design, behavior, and even colors.

It’s also about saving money — having an energy-efficient home can lower utility bills. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that American homes can slash up to 25% of their energy costs with energy efficiency measures at home. Let’s look at what you can do to ensure a more energy-efficient home.

Why Are Energy Savings and Efficiency Important?

Clean energy sources like solar and wind energy are increasing across the United States as the country moves towards its target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

However, natural gas, petroleum and coal-fired power plants — aka fossil fuels — continue to dominate the U.S. energy supply chain. Home energy efficiency represents a chance to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while transitioning to renewable energy.

There are lots of energy-saving tips like unplugging appliances and turning off lights. But perhaps, more importantly, it’s about creating an energy-efficient environment in the first place.

In 2020, the average electric utility bill was $117.46 a month, just over $1,400 a year. This figure will likely be much higher for 2022 because of rising energy prices. According to Energy Star, the average U.S. residential energy bill, taking into account natural gas and electricity, is $2,060 per year.

Suddenly, that 25% cost saving on bills through energy efficiency starts to look even more significant.

How Do I Know if My Home Is Energy Efficient?

People moving to a new home should ask the realtor for the building’s energy efficiency. If you’re not moving, you could still pay a professional to assess where you live.

The U.S. Department of Energy has a Home Energy Score rating that assesses a house’s energy efficiency to a national standard. There are other organizations that rate a home’s materials, construction, and standards for energy efficiency through differing rating systems.

Some of these include:

Without these ratings, the next best step is to carry out a home energy audit with a professional auditor. They assess a building’s energy waste, review appliances, and recommend energy-efficient products. Auditors also help with a plan to improve a building’s energy efficiency, starting with the most significant savings for the lowest investment. You can choose to perform some of these checks yourself too.

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How Can I Find Energy-Efficient Homes?

Energy-efficient properties and realtors are a blooming energy service area. For example, Realty Sage specializes in eco-friendly real estate, and Green Homes for Sale lists energy-efficient options.

Studies show that energy-efficient rated properties sell for +2.7% more than unrated ones. Those with higher ratings sold at 3-5% more than homes with lower ratings, thanks to the building’s ability to reduce utility bills.

Fortunately, energy efficiency policies can help people afford these higher prices through Energy Efficient Mortgages (EEMs). These mortgages give people more borrowing power when buying an energy-efficient house. People can also use EEMs to release funds from the mortgage to pay for energy-efficient upgrades when purchasing a standard home.

What Are Some Basic Elements of an Energy-Efficient Home?

Energy-Efficient Home Contruction in Processsource

If you’re planning to move, assessing energy efficiency starts before stepping foot into a property. Take a gander at the local neighborhood. Is this a place where you can walk to shops and services without having to drive? Maybe there’s excellent public transport nearby? If a car is essential, see if the home is electric-vehicle ready with a charge point onsite or close at hand.

Here are some key elements to keep in mind when determining the energy efficiency of a home.

Good Insulation

Proper insulation helps keep homes cool in summer and warm in winter. In the United States, cooling accounts for 16% of residential energy consumption. Attics, crawlspaces, windows, doors, HVACs, walls, and roofs all need appropriate insulation, as do floors.

Did you know? Homes with excellent insulation could install a heat pump and save up to 50% on bills compared to furnaces and baseboard heaters.

Cool Roofs

Cool roofs reflect the sun’s light rather than absorbing it. A cool roof can be as basic as painting the roof a light color or applying a reflective coating or membrane. The reduced cooling requirements mean lower energy demands, so fewer emissions come from power generation.

Exterior Paint Color

Likewise, the paint color of your house can affect temperature, thus impacting efficiency and how much you pay for cooling and heating. Painting your house in light colors can reflect heat while dark hues can keep in the warmth.

Lighting and Appliances

Lighting accounts for 15% of the average home’s electricity use. Switching to energy-saving LED light bulbs could save the average billpayer $225 annually.

Energy Star-certified appliances from refrigerators to clothes dryers to air conditioners use less energy than older or outdated appliances. The higher the efficiency, the bigger the energy savings.

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Solar Panels

Installing solar panels on your property means you benefit directly by generating and using your own renewable energy. Solar panels can increase a home’s value, and reduce energy costs.

Fun fact: Some electric companies will even pay you to push excess generated electricity into the power grid.

Storage Water Heaters

Storage water heaters account for 14-18% of a house’s annual energy costs. Around $400 a year could be saved by turning preset temperatures from 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celsius) to 120 degrees Fahrenheit (49 degrees Celsius). Tankless water heaters only heat the water you use, which can result in energy savings of 24-34% compared to storage tank heaters.

Smart Thermostats

Smart thermostats help us understand our energy use. We can use an app on our cell phones to turn the heating or air conditioning on or off remotely. Smart thermostats learn our temperature preferences, know when we’re away from home, and establish energy-saving schedules accordingly. All of this means that smart thermostats can help us save money by using heating and cooling systems more intelligently, with up to 10% energy savings.

Windows

Some 30% of heating and cooling energy is lost through windows. Double or triple glazing improves insulation substantially, as does improving weatherization. Fixing air leaks around windows and doors is a low-cost, high-reward energy-efficiency measure to save energy.

Be sure to air seal weatherstripping around windows and doors, HVAC duct sealing, attic hatches, exterior wall outlet boxes, and pipe wall penetrations.

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Window Treatments

Along with ensuring you have energy-efficient windows, don’t forget that even the more “cosmetic” elements make a difference. Heavy curtains and blinds can stop the sun’s rays from heating houses during summer. Deciduous trees in gardens do the same, lowering the stress on your air conditioning. Conversely, the leafless trees let warming light in during winter, while curtains and blinds can be opened to do the same.

Construction Materials

A home’s construction materials are hard to spot, but these may come out in a home audit or one of the efficiency certificates mentioned earlier. Look for the following:

  • Recycled steel or other recycled materials that reduce landfill waste
  • Insulated concrete walls
  • Bamboo wood alternatives
  • Structural insulation panels

Adding siding can also improve a home’s energy efficiency. There are many materials used for siding with varying costs and insulation levels. Examples include fiber cement siding, steel, wood, aluminum, stone veneer, composite, rigid foam, and vinyl.

Sidings have an insulation value called its R-value; the higher the R-value, the more effectively it insulates. Some sidings’ insulating capabilities improve when combined with other insulation materials like foam — ask your home auditor or architect for more.

What Style of House Is Most Energy-Efficient?

Energy-Efficient Dome Home Exterior Photosource

Generally, experts tend to support the theory that single-story domes or cubed buildings are among the most energy-efficient. Domes are energy efficient because air circulates easiest around their structures with no corners to trap warm or cold air.

Cubed buildings have the smallest surface area to floor ratio and therefore lose less heating or cooling energy than other structures. There are, however, other factors to consider.

A cubed, two-story home can be as equally or more energy-efficient as a one-storied cubed building. Much depends on its location and climate. For example, heat rises so that a two-story house may require less heating on the upper floor during winter than a one-story building.

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Are Modern Houses Energy Efficient?

Modern houses are, in general, more energy efficient than older homes. Architects incorporate energy efficiency into their design, from quality windows to airtight construction. LED lighting, Energy Star-certified appliances, and even solar panels are not unusual as standard in new designs.

Older homes have more nooks and crannies, air leaks, and less energy-efficient construction materials than their newer counterparts. That’s not to say aged homes cannot become more energy efficient. They simply lag a little behind the energy-efficient technology that’s available for construction today.

What Roof Shape Is the Most Energy Efficient?

Energy-Efficient Roofing Photosource

Flat-shaped or low-sloped roofs are often touted as the most energy-efficient roof shape — with some caveats.

A flat roof helps create an airtight construction with excellent insulation. Paint the flat roof a light color and add a suitable membrane, and the benefits increase. In short, a well-designed and planned flat roof can be an excellent addition to energy-efficient home.

Pitched roofs may come with attic space and the need for cavity insulation. There is a lot more potential for air leaks and heating and cooling loss with a pitched roof.

Do Energy Efficiency Programs Offer Financial Support?

There are energy efficiency programs available to help people improve their homes.

Energy Star has a rebate finder to assist people in buying more energy-efficient appliances. It’s true that energy-efficient appliances sometimes cost more than standard equipment, making them out of budget for some. But then you lose the potential energy savings over the equipment’s lifetime.

For example, an energy-efficient heat pump may be a few hundred dollars more than a standard electric one. However, the energy-efficient pump could save the buyer thousands of dollars over its lifetime through lower energy bills. The rebate aims to help people overcome the initial expense hurdle to access longer-term savings through rebates.

Another is the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP). This program offers grants to cover the costs of weatherization or energy efficiency upgrades to single-family dwellings.

In Texas, SECO has a variety of energy efficiency programs for houses, businesses, and industries.

Can Decorating Make My Home More Energy Efficient?

The layout of your home and its windows also affect its energy efficiency.

In the northern hemisphere, north- and east-facing rooms tend to be cooler and don’t get much light. In contrast, south- and west-facing get lots of light and can get very warm in summer. Even the color palette you use can help keep rooms cooler or warmer; dark colors for the warmth and light colors to reflect heat.

North-facing rooms are usually the coolest rooms with the least light. Small windows reduce heat loss and make sure insulation is good.

East-facing rooms enjoy sunny mornings but can cool in the afternoon. They make good kitchens because cooking generates heat to warm the space, especially as most people cook in the evenings.

South-facing rooms get lots of light and can overheat in summer; using blinds and curtain cans help. Conversely, the winter sun helps keep them warm, and they make perfect living rooms.

Finally, west-facing rooms also get warm in summer and need good blinds and shades. The extra light also reduces the need to turn the lights on as early as in other rooms.

Energy Efficiency Is Here and Now

Carbon emissions, utility bills, and energy usage can all be reduced thanks to energy efficiency measures. Energy audits can be done on your own or with a professional to highlight areas for improvement.

Each energy efficiency task completed results in fewer greenhouse gas emissions, lower energy bills, and quite possibly an increase in your home’s value. As a bonus, some jobs are straightforward and relatively cheap to undertake.

A mix of data and intelligence will keep pushing the envelope too. Smart technology will help us learn more about our energy behaviors, further enabling our conversion into energy-efficient members of society with eco-minded houses.

Energy efficiency, like life, is often about getting back what we put in. For example, a more energy-efficient country has more energy security by looking after its precious natural resources.

There is only one Earth — and every effort to save it counts. Switching to a green energy plan today is one small step that will lower carbon emissions and possibly your energy bills.

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