- Home Performance: Home performance is a building science that recognizes that all systems in a house, such as heating, ventilation, and insulation, directly interact with each other. A poor design or problem in one system can have a direct impact on one or more other systems in the house. Home performance seeks to address these interactions and make informed decisions that result in a home that is comfortable, safe, and affordable to maintain.
- No-cost/Low-cost: There are plenty of energy efficiency measures that cost little or no money but can make a significant difference in your utility bill.
- Weatherization: Weatherization tightens, or air-seals, the various gaps, joints, and openings in a house. This includes weatherstripping around doors and windows, caulking connections between walls, floors, and ceilings, and sealing utility entries such as plumbing and electrical services.
- Insulation: Heating and cooling ("space conditioning") account for 50-70% of the energy used in the average American home. Unless your home was constructed with special attention to energy efficiency, adding insulation will probably reduce your utility bills. Even if you own a new home, adding insulation may save enough money in reduced utility bills to pay for itself within a few years, continue to save you money for as long as you own the home, and increase the resale value of your house.
- Windows: Windows typically comprise 10-25% of a home's exterior wall area. They bring light, warmth, and beauty into buildings and give a feeling of openness and space to living areas. They can also be major sources of heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer, accounting for 25-50% of the heating and cooling needs, depending on the climate. However, when properly selected and installed, windows can help minimize a home's heating, cooling, and lighting costs.
- Space Heating: Many contemporary homes include a central heating system, which includes a heating source, a distribution system of ducts, and a thermostat. Learn how a forced air heating system works, and ways to keep it running smoothly and efficiently.
- Domestic Hot Water: Under development.
- Appliances: Every year brings another wave of appliances to perform various tasks around the house. Learn how to identify which appliances use the most energy, ways to get the best from your existing appliances, and how to shop for an efficiency when it is time to replace or upgrade an appliance.
- Phantom Loads: Many home appliances and consumer electronics products are using electricity constantly, even when their power switch is in the “off” position. According to a recent study, Humboldt County's total phantom load is on the order of 3.4 MW. And nationally, we spend more than $3 billion to supply power to appliances we think are turned off. Following the simple measures below, you can save money, decrease pollution and ensure the prolonged performance of your electrical devices.
Ready for a little fun? Try this Home Energy Saver calculator to find out more about how your household uses energy and compare the results with similar homes.
