Home Energy Use

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Reducing Home Energy at Christmas

Tuesday, December 23rd, 2008

Image via Wikipedia Reducing Home Energy at Christmas Basically, this blog is a journal about our quest for energy independence. We want to go solar but there’s a long and winding road to get there. We set our eyes on the goal and have made small but meaningful changes that greatly reduced our home energy [...]

Home Energy Reduction Diet Update

Monday, December 22nd, 2008

Image via Wikipedia Home Energy Reduction Diet Update My home energy reduction diet has been going well since August. It’s December now. On this cloudy, cold day in South Texas, I’m cold. Setting my digital thermostat to 85 degrees in summer was easily tolerated by this southern acclimatized body. However, the thermostat setting of 68 [...]

How to Gain Control of Your Home Energy Consumption

Friday, December 12th, 2008

How to Gain Control of Your Home Energy Consumption The buzzwords these days are green, renewable, sustainable, and carbon footprint. You care about all these, but sometimes your busy life keeps you from making changes. With work, kids, household upkeep, and bills, there just isn’t time to make huge changes. Instead of thinking about all [...]

Home Energy Efficiency versus New Energy

Friday, December 5th, 2008

Image by rpeschetz via Flickr Home Energy Efficiency versus New Energy There appears to be a contest between embracing energy efficiency and going solar. Why is every thing a contest? We all want the same thing: •    Reduced carbon footprint •    Reduced energy bills •    Reliable energy source •    Energy independence Maybe it’s the government [...]

Home Energy Reduction Continues

Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008

Image by eastpole via Flickr Our Home Energy Reduction Continues Affording a solar energy system for our home means drastically reducing the amount of energy we use at home. We have been on a conservation and efficiency binge for several months now. While not all our planned strategies are yet in place, the few changes [...]

Save on Your Home Energy Bill: Locate and Eliminate Phantom Loads

Wednesday, November 12th, 2008

Locate and Eliminate Phantom Loads Whether you’re just trying to reduce your energy bill or reduce your energy load anticipating adding solar, paying attention to your phantom load use deserves your attention. What is a phantom load? The term phantom load is a euphemism for electronic devices that draw electricity even when we think they [...]

Home Energy Audit Continues…

Tuesday, October 28th, 2008

Energy Audit on My Heating and Air Conditioning Unit As you know, going solar remains our goal. Solar energy is good for the earth, that is, clean, abundant, and efficient. But if I need any other incentive for going solar, it would be the energy audit on my heating and air conditioning system. According to [...]

More Net Zero Home Success Stories

Monday, October 27th, 2008

Success stories from Sustainable Future customers I love seeing how others successfully incorporate solar energy as well as other renewable practices into their homes and lives. See how this couple from Knoxville, Tennessee, made energy efficient changes to their home . This East Knoxville home is an excellent example of the energy-efficient changes that can [...]

Home Energy Audit Continues

Thursday, October 23rd, 2008

More Hot Water Heater Analysis The temperature setting for your hot water heater affects your utility bill. Manufacture setting may vary but a good temperature setting is around 120 degrees. What about added insulation to your hot water heater? Home Depot has nifty little insulated wraps to cover your water heater. My auditor said not [...]

Home Solar Energy and the Credit Crisis

Tuesday, October 21st, 2008

Prepare for Home Solar Energy During the Credit Crisis Recent news of the extended federal energy tax credits for renewable energy energized the solar industry. Everything was coming up sunshine! With the more recent events in financial news, some think the sun is setting on solar. The credit crunch makes people think twice before doling [...]

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