Spring. With gentle breezes, blooming flowers, and warm sunshine, the season marks the beginning of fun outdoor activities—picnics, camping, hikes, and the classic American pastime—baseball. In the past five years, major league baseball teams have increasingly made strides in greening up their stadiums. [More]

One thing I’ve been putting off doing is an energy assessment. I don’t know why – my utility company offers them for FREE!

I’ve done a few things around the house, like putting insulation behind all the light and plug switch plates I can get at and replacing the insulation around the outside doors and under one garage door, closing off rooms that aren’t used very often, setting back the programmable thermostat, replacing almost all the indoor lights with CFLs – really basic things like that. [More]

Originally posted on the Solar Decathlon News Blog on September 19, 2011. View original post

Editor’s Note: This post is one of a series of technology spotlights that introduces common technologies used in U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon team houses.

Structural insulated panels (SIPs) are prefabricated structural elements used to build walls, ceilings, floors, and roofs. Made of foam insulation sandwiched between two layers of structural board, SIPs provide a more airtight dwelling than a standard stud-frame house. This creates a quieter and more energy-efficient interior space. [More]

This year at my house, we have been on a quest to make our attic more energy efficient. I think we realized just how much this unseen area contributes to our overall comfort —not to mention what we pay to heat and cool the house.

The first thing we did was install more insulation this winter. In addition to the tax credits we'll be able to claim, there were several incentives available from our state and utility that made it a great time for us to make this improvement. Following the installation, we noticed an immediate improvement in the overall comfort of our home and the furnace seemed to kick on a lot less often. [More]

"Keeping things simple" and "getting back to basics" are two ideals I naturally gravitate to. And while I'm not usually someone who makes New Year's resolutions, I am a big fan of top 10 lists. While pretty straightforward, these easy tips are great way to save money and energy throughout the New Year. So here goes, my personal top 10 ways to save money and energy in 2011.

1. Research alternatives for saving money on fuel, decreasing my carbon footprint, and increasing my vehicle's fuel efficiency.
2. Confirm I have my programmable thermostat set to the optimal settings. Turning back the thermostat by 10°–15° when I'm not at home can save me around 10% a year on my heating and cooling bills.
3. Check for air leaks and apply caulking and weatherstripping. While the improvements I made in the last 12 months have likely already paid for themselves, I'll double check I didn't miss any leaks and see if any caulk or weatherstripping needs to be replaced. [More]

This winter has seemed like an especially long one to me. I'm ready to wear shorts and enjoy nice, long summer days. Alas, the reality is that it will probably be cold for at least another month here in Washington, D.C. All that cold air robs not only our jacketed bodies of warmth, but it also carries heat away from the places where we want it most this time of year: our homes, apartments, and businesses. All that heat loss costs money. I've been in friends' houses that just never seem to stay warm, even when their furnace kicks on every 15 or 20 minutes. I can just hear the swishing sound of them flushing money down the toilet—not the most efficient thing they could do with it! So I've been thinking about what they can do save money and keep the cold where it belongs: outside. The logical first step for anybody wanting to improve the energy efficiency of their home is to begin with a home energy audit. We blogged in-depth about the different kinds of audits on Energy Savers awhi... [More]