- Clear Peak Energy
10 ways to improve energy efficiency in your home.
Updated: Apr 19
Solar can be an excellent option to prove all of your home energy options. We want to focus on the big picture though. In order to take full advantage of your solar system, here are ten easy ways to maximize your home efficiency; and maximize your savings.
Seal those windows. Window seals break down and shrivel over time. We recommend re-sealing your windows and other fixtures in your home every five years to prevent all that cold air from rushing out in the summer. The harder your air conditioner or heater has to work, the higher that bill will continue to climb.
Get a smart thermostat. Smart thermostats save energy by automatically powering down energy intensive appliances (like your air conditioner) while no one is home. Some are even smart enough to learn our schedule and preferences so we can save tons of energy without ever giving it a thought. Annual savings in some areas can be as much as $150 per year!
Bright upgrades. Whenever one of your old light bulbs burn out, make sure you replace it with an LED light bulb. LEDs used to be really expensive, but prices have dropped dramatically. Still, you'll pay a little bit more upfront. However, when upgrading to LEDs you could save as much as $100 a year; plus they tend to last longer!
Be a STAR. Whenever it comes time to replace an appliance such as a dryer or refrigerator, make sure to look for the energy star label. Energy star products have to meet strict requirements for energy efficiency, and could use up to 40% less energy than standard appliances.
Fill it up. When doing dishes or doing laundry, make sure to do full loads so that you'll run these less often.
Install a tankless water heater. Water heaters can use up TONS of energy heating up water all day while no one is home. A tankless water heater will heat water on demand, so you're only using that energy to heat water when you actually use it.
Standby. There are tons of things like appliances like TVs or cell phone chargers that actually continue to consume power while they're not in use. Try plugging these into power strips that you can easily turn off when leaving the home to save a bit of extra power.
Insulation. This is a big one. The quality and performance of your insulation can account for up to 30% of your energy usage! Insulation keeps the heat out in the summer, and the cold out in the winter. Just as important, in the summer for example, insulation will keep all the cool air IN that your AC worked so hard to create. We suggest multi layer insulation as the best in the business for achieving maximum efficiency.
Use more natural light. You could do anything from installing skylights to simply opening the windows more often and letting the light shine! Utilizing natural light in conjunction with LED light bulbs will cause the light bill to plummet.
Install energy efficient windows. Installing triple pane high energy efficient windows can drop your energy usage dramatically. Plus they look great on your home! Like having a bright smile or a new haircut, new windows will look awesome on your home and save you money.
Making your home as efficient as possible is an important part of taking full advantage of solar energy. Whether you implement some, or all of these tips, they'll save you tons of cash while giving the environment a break. Combining these with solar energy means you'll never have to be at the mercy of the power company again.
