Energy Efficient Homes & Homeowner Resources

Have you seen windmills in Holland? Or driven past wind farms with hundreds of modern windmills? They show how yesterday's windmills have evolved to capture the wind, sunshine and more. Because sustainable energy means no matter how much we use, there's just as much energy tomorrow. So let's look at how government programs and the housing industries are helping to create energy efficient homes.

We've got lots of articles on how homeowners can make their homes more energy efficient. Here are some of the more popular ones:

• Green Home Features & Proving Their Value
• HERS Index Measures Home Energy Efficiency
• Attic Insulation, Ventilation and Energy Efficiency in Winter
• How to Perform a DIY Home Energy Audit 
• Tips to Make Your Fireplace More Efficient

Government's Role in Energy Efficient Homes

Let's look at how important energy efficiency is becoming in the US. As homeowners you hear about energy efficiency through the government's EnergyStar programs. Here's a glimpse into how the housing industries are changing their businesses, along with the products and services they provide to homeowners.

• More than 2.2 million people work on energy efficient products and services. That's more than the 1.9 million people working to produce electricity.
• More than half these people (1.1 million) are involved in construction. According to the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE), “… one of every five US construction jobs now deals with products proven to save energy.”

The US government has played a key role in making the housing industries focus on energy efficiency. Here are a few of the most important examples (or you can read the ACEEE report, The Greatest Energy Story You Haven't Heard.

• LED lights are commonplace today. They're also affordable yet they barely existed in 2007. It was the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act that drove improved energy efficiency for light bulbs.
• Energy efficiency is changing the makeup of electricity generation in the US. By reducing the need for more electricity, we're building fewer power plants which lowers costs and emissions into the atmosphere.

Resources for Homeowners To Save Energy &  Money

• Weatherization Assistance Program – helps homeowners make homes more energy efficient.
• Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency – can help you find state programs that encourage energy efficiency.
• Solar Tax Credit – to motivate more homeowners to install solar panels on their home.
• Find Energy Star products – that have proven “most efficient”. You'll find refrigerators, dishwashers, washing machines and dryers, furnaces, boilers and heat pumps, air conditioners and fans, windows and more.

Here's the website where you plug in your zip code to find available rebates … but keep scrolling.

Buying New Products & Energy Efficient Homes

If you've ever tried to compare appliances standing in a store … you know how confusing that can get.

There's an Energy Star website that helps you compare up to five appliances with three simple steps:

1. Pick the features you want for this product.
2. Select the products you want to compare … from a list of Energy Star certified products.
3. Click “compare” to see the specifications for the selected products.

Once you've selected the products you want to compare, you can click “submit”. You'll get a report that looks like the example below, making it easy to buy products that will make your home energy efficient. When you do this, you know you'll have lower utility bills and save money for many years.

What energy efficient product will you buy next?

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