5 Energy Efficient Home Renovations

If you’re looking to remodel your home, you might want to consider an energy-efficient design. A green remodel can make your home more efficient and save you a considerable amount of money in energy costs. Aside from the money-saving benefit, green designs minimize your impact on the environment by creating fewer emissions and using renewable resources.

Before you get started, you may want to consider scheduling an energy audit. It is a great way to see where your home needs energy-efficient improvements. Once you know where you need to make improvements, there are a variety of eco-friendly options to make your home run more efficiently and have a smaller impact on the environment.

Buy energy-efficient appliances
If your renovations include upgrading your appliances, consider purchasing ENERGY STAR appliances, which meet strict efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency. They will significantly reduce your energy use and could save you up to a third on your energy bill. Finding these efficient appliances is easy since many appliances now come backed by ENERGY STAR.

Insulate
A renovation is a great time to beef up the insulation in your home. Keeping a well-insulated home slows the rate that heat and air conditioning escape, reducing the energy required to keep the house at a comfortable temperature. Many older homes typically have less insulation than newly built homes, however, adding insulation to any home could significantly reduce your energy costs.

Think solar
As you are renovating your home, think of areas where you can use solar energy. Why not buy a hot water heater with a solar panel? It could reduce your energy usage and ultimately reduce your energy bill. Installing solar panels on your roof is another energy-efficient option. By using this alternative energy source you could eliminate or significantly reduce your energy bill.

If installing solar panels is not in the budget, consider switching to a green energy supplier. Green energy is generated from renewable resources, such as solar energy. Some suppliers allow you to purchase up to 100% renewable energy. While it may not save you money, it's certainly good for the environment. For example, if you live in Texas you can visit Energy Providers Texas to see if there is a green energy provider in your area.

Replace windows
A typical home can lose up to 25 percent of its heating or cooling through windows. A great way to increase your home's efficiency is to replace your old windows with double-pane, energy-efficient models. ENERGY STAR windows are said to be twice as efficient as older windows. As an added bonus, some energy-efficient windows are eligible for a federal tax credit.

Buy a programmable thermostat
Whether you are doing a big remodel or some simple fixes, be sure to save room in the budget for a programmable thermostat. Your air conditioner or heater has to work hard to keep your home at a constant temperature. This causes the unit to use more energy and cost you more money. Fortunately there are many types of programmable thermostats that can help you take control of your energy use. A basic model allows you to program your thermostat to turn on or off at certain times, and it is relatively inexpensive. Some more advanced models allow you to control the temperature in your home through a computer or smartphone. So if you are at work and need to stay later than you anticipated, you could reduce the temperature with the click of a few buttons.

If you want to go really high-tech, there are even models that can learn your heating and cooling habits. For example, if you go to work every day from 8 to 5, the system would learn this pattern and cool your home accordingly. When you leave for the day, the thermostat will turn itself off and before you return home, it will return the house to your usual, comfortable temperature.