Where to Conserve Energy

Where to Start Conserving Energy in Your Home

People are always asking what energy conservation items should be addressed first when wanting to conserve energy.

This is important because just by conserving energy, we can build consumers a smaller solar system. Usually the cost of solar is more than conserving your existing energy consumption.

The first items on the list should be the least expensive. Upgrading your lighting to the newer high efficient flourescent and LED lighting should be high on the list. Flourescent is now available in may light colors that are very easy on your eyes.

Weatherstripping doors and windows should be next.

This should be followed by replacing or unhooking extra deep freezers and refridgerators. These appliances are fairly inexpensive to change out. Many people see there bills drop by over $40 per month when the new appliance is purchased. This is based on the applicance being old. Pre 1990. The electric bills can be determind by the energy star rating on the appliance. It is not unusual for the new electric bill to run $5 per month on the new appliance. A small gaget called "kill-o-watt" can be purchased on Amazon. Just unplug your appliance and plug the kill o watt into the outlet. The applicance then plugs into the kill o watt. The kill o watt then measures the kilowatt hour usage. This can then be translated into overall savings per month.

Hot and cold air follow the least resistance when trying to escape our homes. The first way to exit or enter is the attic. Next the walls, and following that the floors.

Attic insulation should be fourth. Attics should be brought up to R-38 if they have less than R24 existing.

Being walls acount for 60% of a homes entire wall area, they should be addressed next.

Most older windows allow for air infultration due to the poor or lacking weather stripping. Windows are also a poor insulator. One pane of glass carries a whopping .67 R-Rating. Compared to the R-38 in attics, it is not very much. Now, all windows are manufactured not only dual pane glass, but with Low Emissitivity (low e) coatings. These coatings have increased in their efficiency in the last few years. Low e glass allows sunlight into a home but reflect 95% of the heat. This works both in the summer to help restrict heat gain but also in the window to contain heat with the same reflective properties.

Next should be floor insulation followed by air conditioning replacement. Please discuss this with your air conditioning contractor as there are some homes that replacement is not as high a priority.

Appliance replacement is next. Although most people have a natural gas or propane hot water heaters, these items will not be affected by solar. However, if a consumer has a conventional electric (storage tank) hot water heater, they should replace it with a gas heater immediately.
Gas is four times cheaper than electricity.

The same holds true of electric clothes dryers. Switching to gas is a definate money saver.

These are the basics of where and when to address energy conservation in your home.