Most of us spend at least half our time at home. It's also where we rack up a lot of our climate impact, mainly because we need energy for lights, heating, cooling and all of our electronics. (And we probably have too many electronics.) But the home is also a place with big potential for personal reduction in our energy use. |
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Homes are becoming a little more energy efficient, but they are also getting bigger. Combine that with higher summer temperatures and more electronics to power, and you have a recipe for an upward trend in home electricity use. |
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Around 20% of the United States' energy emissions comes from homes. Why is this percentage so huge? Think about all the things that gobble electricity in your home: lights, computers, appliances, A/C and heating, the water heater. The size of your home will also affect the size of its footprint. Bigger homes need more energy to electrify, heat and cool. |
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Home developers and builders need to have energy efficiency in mind from the very beginning, before anyone even moves in. But there are things we can do to minimize energy waste in our existing homes. |
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As long as most of our energy comes from fossil fuel, these are the two main goals: - Find places where your home can use less energy
- Make sure the energy you use doesn't flow out the door -- literally
Your first step should be an energy audit. You can do this yourself, but it's tricky. A professional energy auditor will check for air leakage and drafts, find out where you're using the most electricity, and they might even add insulation to your walls and air ducts, too. An audit will help you prioritize your list of upgrades -- some easy, some more challenging. |
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Ask your electric utility if you can pay for a renewable option such as solar or wind. |
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You might also have a nearby community solar farm from which you can purchase electricity. When homeowners make energy-efficient upgrades, they are investing in their property as well. And there are also some things of which renters can take advantage. Things homeowners and renters can do: - Weatherproof your home: Make sure the indoor air stays in and the outdoor air stays out by installing sweeps to the bottom of external doors and weatherstripping.
- Install a smart thermostat: Smart thermostats can connect to the internet and can be controlled with a smartphone. They can adjust to occupancy behavior and nudge users toward more efficient energy use.
- Use LED light bulbs: LEDs are the gold-star light bulbs. They use 90% less energy than incandescent because they don't generate as much heat. Heat is energy -- and if a light bulb is using energy to do anything except generate light, then it's wasting energy.
- Make sure new appliances are high efficiency: We don't recommend replacing an appliance if it's still working fine. But when it does need to be replaced, make sure it's high efficiency and Energy Star-rated.
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More things for homeowners - Switch from gas to electric appliances: As more renewable energy comes online, you'll want to make sure your appliances can take advantage of it.
- Upgrade the insulation: After you've weatherized, you might decide the insulation in your home isn't cutting it anymore.
- Install a heat pump: Heat pumps are super-efficient. In warm months, a heat pump absorbs extra heat in the home and pushes it outdoors. In the cold months, the pump absorbs heat from outside and pushes it indoors.
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| If you're dead set on putting your roof to work, though, there's another way. |
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Let your roof generate electricity with a solar panel array. |
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| If you have already completely electrified your home (switched from natural-gas appliances to electric), solar panels could help you reach total self-reliance for your energy needs. In some locations, you can even sell your solar electricity back to your utility, making your home a new income source. |
Mint Images / Tim Pannell/Getty Images |
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Bamboo has already made its way into countless household goods -- paper products, bedding, clothing, furniture -- and now it's catching on with builders in sustainable home construction. Bamboo Living is a firm that designs and builds beautiful, prefabricated, eco-friendly bamboo housing. |
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Do a home audit. You can pay for an audit (and a hired auditor will be more likely to fix the problems they see) or you can contact your electricity provider -- they want their customers to save energy so sometimes they will send an auditor out for free. Let us know what you find and if you have any tips by emailing lifebutgreener@cnn.com. |
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Using an electric lawn mower can help you cut your grass and your emissions. Our partners at CNN Underscored, a product reviews and recommendations guide owned by CNN, found the Ego Power+ Select Cut LM2135SP to be the best. It's easy to use, has handy features and -- most importantly -- is great at mowing grass. |
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