Energy Savers

I Found My Energy Role Model

Last week, while home on a rare weekday afternoon, I happened to catch an episode of Oprah. One of her guests on this particular day was the actor Ed Begley, Jr. The episode caught my attention because it wasn't focused on his acting, but on his quest to make his home and life as environmentally friendly and energy efficient as possible.

I had heard of Mr. Begley's efforts in this arena in the past (apparently he has a reality TV show), but I didn't know the details, so I tuned in. To be honest, I wasn't expecting to learn much or even be very impressed. After all, the guy is a famous actor and presumably has financial resources that most of us don't; of COURSE he can install a few solar panels, right?

10 Resources to Help You Save Energy Now

A lot of the feedback that I see about the Energy Savers.gov site says, "This is great, but way too detailed. I just want to know what's easy and what I can do now!" And that makes sense; EnergySavers.gov has a lot of information about a lot of topics—you can learn about buying efficient appliances, choosing new heating and cooling systems, selecting windows, and even how to use renewable energy.

But not everyone wants to make a big purchase right now; many of you want to know how you can save with what you have or with just a small investment in time and money. These 10 resources detail easy ways that you can start saving now:

Thinking From a Whole-Building Approach

A few weeks ago, I wrote about a few tools you could use to find out how much energy you could make off of solar or wind resources at your home.

But now I'm thinking that I went at that from the wrong angle. Because realistically, when it comes to making your home more efficient, renewable energy is probably the last step you'll consider taking.

If you drop by the EERE Building Technologies Program, which handles building research and energy efficient building technologies, you'll see that they emphasize the importance of whole building design. The idea is simple: Energy efficient houses are made when every part of the home is working efficiently—not just one part.

So let's not look at renewables by themselves. Let's look at where they fall in the grand scheme of things.

Winter Warmth Tips for Senior Citizens

O, wind, if winter comes,
can spring be far behind?
- Percy Bysshe Shelley, Poet

A cooling draft of air across your cheek can be a pleasant experience on a warm day in August, but that same cooling draft is less enjoyable when experienced inside your home during winter months. Our rural home was built 40 years ago, and like many old homes has its share of old inefficient windows. Old Man Winter sneaks through those windows on windy days, so when Mom comes to visit in the winter, she invariably heads straight for the warmth of the comfy recliner next to our propane fireplace. Nor is she alone.

Seniors can be especially susceptible to even moderately colder temperatures even while indoors. To help reduce the potential for hypothermia (PDF 919 KB, Download Adobe Reader), the National Institutes of Health recommends that seniors set their thermostats for at least 68 to 70 degrees in the winter. For seniors on fixed incomes, however, the energy costs associated with maintaining a home at this temperature may be unrealistic. Low-income seniors may benefit from the Weatherization Assistance Program or the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). Too, many of the weatherization tips discussed this month as part of the Energy Savers Blog would be worth considering for seniors.

Additionally there are a wide range of no-cost or low-cost strategies that can increase a senior's comfort in the home and supplement other heating measures:

Two Stories of Successful Energy Audits

Hello, everyone! Last week, John Lippert gave an excellent and extremely thorough overview of the energy audit process, including what an audit is, how it works, and how you can find an auditor. To further emphasize how an energy audit can help you, I decided to go out and interview two people here in the office who had energy audits done to their homes.

The two people I interviewed lived in very different areas, with very different homes, and yet their energy audits identified significant areas for improvement for both of them. This only goes to prove that no matter how efficient you think you are, or how new your home may be, you can always benefit from a professional looking around and seeing what you could do better. I think both of them have really interesting stories, and hopefully they'll be useful to some of you out there.

Question of the Week: Have You Conducted an Energy Audit?

This week, John wrote about energy audits and how they can help you improve the energy efficiency of your home.

Have you conducted an energy audit? If so, what areas of your home were the greatest energy wasters?

If you haven't conducted an energy audit, do you plan to? Why or why not?

Each Thursday, you have the chance to share your thoughts on a question about energy efficiency or renewable energy for consumers. Please comment with your answers, and also feel free to respond to other comments.

Energy Audits

Autumn officially begins soon, and with it comes cooler weather and fewer hours of daylight. Fall is a great time to start thinking of a home energy audit so that you can prepare your home for winter, saving energy and money in the process.

The main purpose of an energy audit is to determine whether your home wastes energy, and to pinpoint where energy is being lost so you can evaluate what measures you can take to make your home more energy efficient. Audits also determine the efficiency of your home’s heating and cooling systems, and ways to conserve hot water. Audits can be as simple as a do-it-yourself audit, or they can be very detailed, using specific tools and techniques to pinpoint air leaks.