Energy Efficiency In The Home

To put it very simply "energy efficiency" means the use of less energy to provide a service. A good example is installing a high efficiency gas furnace in your house. This appliance uses much less natural gas while providing the same heat to your house. Older furnaces have efficiency ratings about 60% or even less. In this case only 60% of the fuel which you burn is converted to heat for the house.

High efficiency natural gas furnaces can convert 92% to 97% of the fuel into direct heat for the house. Thus your new furnace is a lot more energy efficient than the unit it is replacing. Money is saved for the user as well as pouring less polluting gases into the atmosphere. If you replace single pane windows in your home with energy efficient, insulated double pane windows less heat leaks from the house rendering it more energy efficient. Installation of proper insulation in the home also contributes in a big way to energy efficiency.

If the main windows of a house face south this results in more sunlight entering the building which provides natural heat. This is another significant improvement in the energy efficiency of the home. Solar panels, which can be installed on the roof of a house, generate electricity at no cost. Wind turbines are used to generate power where enough wind is available. Alternative power generation methods such as these are energy efficient, and they are also clean in that they cause no pollution of the atmosphere.

Many home appliances including refrigerators, freezers, hot water heaters and others are now much more energy efficient than they were in the past. Replacing older appliances with modern energy efficient models can save considerable power and money. Using compact fluorescent lights in the home cuts power use by 50% or more-- another excellent energy efficiency. More energy savings are obtained by caulking all spaces where heat can leak out from a house which provides a worth while energy saving.

Insulation of the walls,floor and roof of a home is a necessity for energy efficiency. This is certainly one of the biggest improvements which can be made. New homes are built with sufficient insulation these days but older homes in many cases need to be upgraded.

Energy conservation is not the same thing as energy efficiency since it requires doing without some energy consuming items, or reducing use of them, rather than making replacements with energy efficient appliances. A good example is switching off lights as you leave a room which is energy conservation. Using your car less often is energy conservation. Replacing the car with a vehicle that uses less fuel to drive the same mileage,is energy efficiency. Planned use of energy conservation strategies along with use of energy efficient products is the best way to cut power usage. See our website for more information.

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