Energy Efficient Homes

With the rise of energy prices, concern about global climate change, and the driving need to make a difference, many are considering an end to their reliance on coal-fired grid power and using the...

There are two main uses of wind energy to power a home. Wind mills have long been used to power water pumps on farms, and easily can be built in the back yard of a home with well water. The other...

Heating and electricity constitute significant costs for home owners, and energy prices will surely continue to rise in the foreseeable future. Fortunately, there are many solar energy...

Homes on crawlspaces often have cold floors running over those open spaces. This is noticeable especially on vinyl or tile floors. Insulating the floor above a crawlspace not only decreases...

Whether you have wood, metal or vinyl siding on your home, your siding will have a weakness. Any place where the siding has a gap there is the possibility of moisture invading that gap and causing...

Want to shave your electric bill by a third? Build a solar water heater! They're easy to build, easy to maintain and are great for the environment. Here's some pro's and con's to having one and a...

The combination of global warming and rising energy costs has renewed people's interest in renewable energy. Water and wind energy rely on using force to turn a turbine that generates electricity,...

Architects and builders implement passive solar techniques to reduce heating costs for buildings. Unlike "active" solar techniques that involve transforming solar power into electricity, passive...

Constructing solar panels may seem daunting, but is nowhere near as difficult as you may think. With a few cheap materials, and a few easy steps, you can set up your own solar panel system for a...

Many people have become interested in renewable energy sources due to rising energy prices and the damage created to the environment by the use of fossil fuels. Improvements in technology have...

Crafting a wind generator from one or more automotive alternators can reduce or eliminate the need for grid home power. Alternators and moderate power usage can make the project effective, and...

Solar fans are a cheap, energy-efficient and environmentally friendly way to keep a hot room cool during the summer months. Because they need no energy source besides the Sun, and can run all day...

Making a solar space heater panel can reduce or totally eliminate the need to use grid power to heat a home. The panel is constructed with common materials, and the addition of multiple panels can...

The power of the sun is harnessed in many different ways: solar water heaters, photovoltaics and passive solar heating are all fairly well known. One type of solar heating that is just beginning...

With the combination of rising energy costs and concern over global warming, people have begun to look to renewable energy. While the concept of water or wind power is simple enough (the water or...

Many older homes use oil boilers rather than gas boilers for heat. Since natural gas is safer for the environment and more cost effective, converting your boiler from oil to gas will save you...

Parabolic solar collectors are composed of curved, mirror-lined troughs or dishes designed to collect and concentrate sunlight. Unlike parabolic dishes, parabolic troughs are linear concentrated...

Adding a solar heater to a swimming pool can reduce or completely eliminate the need to heat it with grid power. Using common building materials, the average homeowner can construct the panel in...

If you have a house with a ceiling just under the roof, as is the case of a finished attic, garret room, "contemporary" house etc. with only one or two roof-planes, the following outline...

Solar energy is free energy, and that is appealing in a world of constantly rising energy costs. Commercial solar panels, however, are prohibitively expensive for most people. If you are a bit of...

With rising energy costs, many people are turning to alternative energy sources to power or partially power their homes. Buying a wind generator is very expensive, and such a purchase would take...

It is easier to reduce energy needs than to use alternative sources to provide the energy. For example, reducing energy use by 75 percent makes sustainability with alternative energy sources much...

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, insulating your home can save up to 30 percent on the expense of heating and air conditioning. That is because insulation provides heat flow resistance,...

Solar energy converts to heat energy when it irradiates, or casts rays on, an object. Some materials absorb, retain and disperse heat better than others. Photovoltaics provide an obvious method to...

When adding insulation to a new or existing home there are many options to consider to consider. For the Do it Yourself remodeler and the Green activist, one of your best choices for price and...

With the recent concern over home heating costs, anthracite coal is re-surging in popularity. For many consumers, a greener option such as natural gas or solar power is not yet affordable or...

If you put a tin roof on a building it can be energy efficient and save you money in the long run. You may be building a small storage shed or garage. A tin roof can be used on it. Tin roofs can...

Energy-efficient homes are a must with today's fuel costs and environmental issues. A house built from the ground up to be energy-efficient saves an enormous amount of money on fuel and...

Even an energy efficient solar home with an absolute minimum electrical demand will require a lot of power. Many people are surprised by the sheer number of panels needed to generate enough...

Generating power for the home is a rewarding and liberating endeavor. Many methods can be used to make electricity, and these options expand as power requirements go down. A very efficient house...

A lot is being said in these times about renewable energy sources, and there is no better or more readily available renewable energy source than solar power. Solar power captures the power of the...

Building a solar panel heater out of aluminum cans is not as far-fetched as you might think. These units are very efficient and relatively inexpensive and easy to build.

Learn how to build your own solar panel in 6 easy steps. Every passing day it seems that we have more information on our hands about the concerns of the environment. Learning how to create your...

Installing a water heater timer not only makes sense, it can also put money back into your pocket. Water heaters can operate at all hours of the day and night. The efficiency of new water heaters...

Many people want to use solar power to save money on their annual utility bills and help the Earth. So, why aren't they? Switching to all-solar energy can be expensive. Just because you can't...

If you are installing completely new windows it is an excellent time to look into insulating the jambs and upgrading your wood casings and trim. It will save money, be more energy efficient and...

Green roofs are a great way to cool a building while adding a carbon dioxide magnet to underutilized space. If more of them are installed in our cities, they can have a major impact on storm water...

There are a lot of good reasons to use the wind to generate the electricity to power your home: It's cheap, easy to install and constant. Unlike solar power, windmills can make electricity at all...

Skyrocketing fuel costs have sent many people searching for affordable alternatives, such as biodiesel. Biodiesel is fuel made from used cooking oil that has been chemically altered. Building your...

As the price of energy skyrockets and fears of global warming increase, more homeowners are considering going "green." Building a solar home can simultaneously cut your energy costs and protect...

Green energy is the term used to describe a method of obtaining energy that is non-polluting and environmentally safe. By tapping into the renewable green energy sources, you are doing the earth a...

Wiring a solar powered house is not very difficult, and there are plenty of online tools that will help you with the project. However, there are many variables that need to be considered for your...

Insulating the attic of your home can save money on your heating bill as it makes your house feel warmer. You can either insulate the floor joists to the attic floor or the rafters that support...

Home improvement on your interior insulation will lower your annual energy costs and improve your quality of life. Here are some tips on how to insulate your home.

Homeowners should find ways and means to renovate responsibly. Doing so will not only be good to the environment but, in the long, run can save homeowners a lot of money. Greenovation is the way...

People have long been searching for and testing alternative sources of power. Oddly enough, solar power has been used for centuries by other forms of life, but we humans have hesitated making it a...

In the last part, we covered ways to save gas consumption in your car. Now, lets take a look at ways to save money on your utilities in the spirit of green living. We will cover some ways to make...

Electronics use regular amounts of electricity to work. Consider the benefits of converting these electronic devices to solar power or solar energy. By doing so, you will allow the electronic...

If you invest your money wisely, you can both improve your quality of life as well as to reduce recurring costs. A perfect example of this truism is the money you will save on your electric bill...

In this time of rising energy prices, people are investing in alternative forms of energy to heat or even create electricity for their home. What many might not be aware is that it is possible to...