Guest Post: 5 Energy Saving Home Improvement Tips | Home ...

If you are looking for ideas to make energy saving improvements to your home than these tips can make a big difference in energy usage. Almost half of the energy used in the home goes to heating and air conditioning. Using less energy reduces demand for electricity, oil and gas, which reduces your carbon footprint. Household emissions from electricity, natural gas, waste, and construction are the second-largest source of greenhouse gas generated in the United States.

1. Reduce Air Leaks

Air leaks are the largest source of heating and cooling loss in a home. Caulking can save between 5 and 30 percent of energy usage over a year. Caulk around window air conditioners, plumbing pipes, baseboards, window frames, electrical outlets and switch plates. Check places where electrical and telephone lines, pipes and ducts go through exterior walls and into unheated spaces like basements and attics.

2. Reduce Energy Consumption with Insulation

Insulating windows, attic spaces, walls and floors reduces energy consumption between 15 and 45 percent. Insulation retards heat flow between heated and unheated spaces. The Department of Energy recommends amounts of insulation appropriate for each climate zone in the U. S. Even buildings in warm climates benefit from insulation. Air conditioning is more effective and cooling units do not have to work as hard to keep interiors at the desired temperature.

3. Inspect & Insulate Duct Systems

Approximately 20 percent of the airflow through a ducted heating and air conditioning system can be lost to leaking or improperly sealed ducts. Inspect ducts for leaks annually. Inspection should examine joins to grillwork and the seals between ducts and the furnace or air conditioner. Between 10 and 30 percent of the energy used for heating and cooling can be lost because of uninsulated ducts traversing unheated spaces. Insulating ducts prevents loss of heated or cooled air as it circulates through the system, reducing energy consumption.

4. Landscaping

Landscaping contributes to the aesthetic appeal of a property and can reduce the amount of energy needed to heat and cool a building. Planting shrubs, bushes, trees and grasses around the exterior of the house creates a microclimate by reducing heat radiation. Trees and shrubs channel breezes and shade the ground, reducing temperatures in warm climates by as much as 9 degrees. In cold climates, deciduous trees allow sunlight to warm the building during colder months and provide shade during warmer months.

5. Energy Efficient Lighting

Changing from incandescent to energy efficient light bulbs can save up to 75 percent of the energy used by a regular bulb. Both light emitting diodes (LEDs) and compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) produce the same amount of light as an incandescent bulb for a fraction of the cost. Both CFLs and LEDs use almost no energy, produce little to no heat and last up to 25 times longer. Replacing one incandescent light with an energy-saving bulb in each household in the United States would prevent almost 4.5 million tons of greenhouse gas from entering the environment every year.

If you have been searching for ways to reduce your carbon footprint, your home can be a great place to start. With ecological concerns remaining high on the national and political agenda you can feel good about your contribution to a healthier planet for future generations.

About the author

Jake David is the online marketing manager for Supercrew Projects, a Calgary basement development company specializing in eco-friendly renovations.

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