There are a number of great resources out there to research and learn about ways to conserve energy or make your home more energy efficient through better habits, products and technologies. The best defense against energy waste in your home is being an informed homeowner.
In this blog series, we’ll try to help with that energy efficiency education process by listing some facts you may or may not know about energy efficiency. Enjoy!
Overall duct efficiency in the US can be drastically improved. According to residential energy efficiency research experts, overall efficiency of duct heating and cooling systems sits somewhere between 50 to 70 percent, on average, in America. That’s a lot of room for improvement.
A majority of Americans use natural gas for heating. About 56% of Americans currently use natural gas for heating purposes. Natural gas has become a go-to option for both utility companies and homeowners for heating residences.
Replacing old appliances is a great way to boost efficiency. One of the best ways to increase the overall efficiency of your home is to replace old appliances. Efficiency of appliances with newer technologies, especially in recent years, greatly reduces the amount of energy required to operate everyday appliances in your home. If you can afford to do so, replacing appliances with newer models can instantly help save energy in your home.
Energy efficiency is increasing at a lower rate than the overall US population. Thanks to advances in the energy efficiency of appliances and general technologies in homes, the overall rate of increase of population is outpacing the rate of increase in energy consumption.
When it comes to cooling buildings, light colored roofs are best. Believe it or not, the color of your roof can mean a great deal in energy expenditures. On average, buildings and homes with light-colored roofs use about 40% less energy for cooling the building than do those with darker roofs.
Incandescent light bulbs are extremely inefficient. When it comes to efficiency, our light bulbs matter. Incandescent bulbs tend to convert only about 10% of their energy into light. The rest is converted to wasted heat coming form the bulb. If you’re replacing your bulbs, consider using Energy Star rated CFLs or, better yet, LED light bubs.
We’ll be following up this post with some more general facts on energy efficiency in the home. Please stay tuned and if you have direct questions about these facts or any others, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our team today!
