Home energy management

With the domestic sector consuming around 25 percent of a nation’s energy, energy efficient housing should be in the limelight in these days. No wonder the Obama administration is betting its new Home Star “Cash for Caulkers” program is the one with the greenest bang for the buck.

The government will pay up to half the cost to retrofit homes and in the process put a quarter of a million unemployed construction workers back to work lowering your energy costs and carbon footprint. The $23 billion dollar program should retrofit at least 6 million houses, and put a dent in the 17% unemployment rate in the construction industry.

The Home Star program would offer immediate upfront money, making investment into energy efficiency feasible. It will pay up to half for better insulated windows, attics, crawlspaces, more efficient hot water and home heating, white roofing for cooling, etc.

Energy efficient building materials now make it possible to create houses that need virtually no heating, because they are so well insulated. The PassiveHaus idea in Europe uses these concepts to get houses to net zero energy using design as a major tool.

Triple-glazed windows are a basic requirement in Sweden’s building code. Sweden grew its economy 44% while reducing its greenhouse gas emissions 9% below its Kyoto targets and buildings played a big role. California’s building code which incorporates Title 22 window codes makes upgrading to efficient windows mandatory.

All it needs is an energy audit that can identify where energy is wasted. Energy auditors are available in most nations. Their services could be used to tighten energy management in homes. How about getting an energy audit of your home? Have you done it? How did it help? Please write in.