1. Choose Your Builder Wisely

This is first for a reason. It is the most important. When you go to the builder you should already have a good idea of things that he will do that will make your home more energy efficient. But if he is a good builder he should be telling you things that he does that you may not have even thought of. He should already know and be ready to implement everything that you have found in your research, or tell you why you should not do it.

2. Thicker Outside Walls

Most builders have gone to 6 inch outside walls for the simple reason that you can get more insulation in them.

3. Amount of Insulation

A lot of builders have gone to spraying a thin coat of foam insulation on first. It seals things. Then they put in the normal fiberglass insulation. Add these 2 together to get your total “R” value. And your builder should want to go above the normal required code. And don’t forget the ceilings. This is very important, as heat rises!

4. Orientation of the House

Sometimes you have absolutely no control over this. But if you do, face the sun. You can use the sun to heat your home. And in the summer you can close the blinds to get the sun out.

5. Heating and Cooling System

The options here are many. And they will vary according to your situation. You will really need to do a lot of research in this area. Make sure that you cover every aspect when you consider which system to go with. Most importantly the type of energy it requires. And the payback years. If a system takes 20 years before you see a savings, and you move every 7 years, it may not be a wise choice.

6. Hot Water

I love the new “tankless” hot water systems. Gas seems to be a favorite for new construction. But it depends upon your situation. For instance, if you are making your own electricity, you would want to go with electric.

7. Windows

This is one area where a lot of improvements have been made! There are many varieties at many different prices. The good thing is that there is a rating system that makes them easy to compare. Again, research and make a wise decision.

8. Lighting

If one CFL light bulb can make a difference, imagine what a whole houseful of them can do. Hopefully your builder will be using energy efficient lighting. If he does not, he is more concerned about making a profit than saving money on YOUR energy bill.

So there are 8 things to consider when building energy efficient houses. But this is not a complete list. And hopefully between you and your builder you will come up with even more!

There are many ways to save energy. Building energy efficient houses is the best start. But even after the house is complete, there are many things you can do to save energy. Not only to save money, but to save the planet and leave something for the next generation! Make sure that you do your part.

Building Energy Efficient Houses – 8 Things to Consider is a post from: Energy Efficient Home Tips

Well let’s start withe the new CFL energy saving light bulbs. Now you can buy those at any Walmart or hardware store. They even have them in some grocery stores. That is a very good clue that they work. But you still have to weigh the cost. I would not go out and buy all new light bulbs and throw the old ones away. You are better off to keep some on hand and replace the old ones

as they go bad.

Water saving shower heads are really a good example energy saving devices that work. Surely if you use less hot water, you won’t pay as much for energy to heat it. Another no-brainer.

Tankless hot water heaters. Yes they do save money. But they are expensive to install. This is another case where you would have to weigh the cost against the savings. If it takes you 10 years to save enough money to pay for it, you may want to look down other avenues.

Some energy devices are just plain scams. Seems like there are always people looking to take advantage of people. I am not sure that I would want to be the one to “test” new energy saving devices! And you know what they say. “If it sounds to good to be true, it probably is”!

So if you are looking at energy saving devices, just make sure that you do your homework, before you lay out your hard earned cash!

Energy Saving Devices – Are They For Real? is a post from: Energy Efficient Home Tips