Build It Green - Energy Efficiency

OK, here goes. My brief synopsis, one per post, of the 5 main components of a "green" home: Energy Efficiency, Indoor Air Quality, Water Conservation, Resource Conservation and Community Design.

Today's topic is Energy Efficiency, which the Build It Green folks call the "Cornerstone of Green"

RemodelingContractorTips.com

Energy efficient homes are less drafty, quieter and less expensive to heat then less efficient homes. They demand less from California's power grid and reduce your homes impact on climate change. They also "sell faster and fetch higher prices."

As the SF Department of the Environment points out, how we use energy is as important as how its produced and where it comes from (here are resources for energy efficiency in Marin). Improving your homes energy efficiency can be as simple as installation of weather stripping, upgrading insulation or installing a set back thermostat or a Nest thermostat. Conducting an energy assessment, or audit, is the best way to get the big picture, which can guide you to the most bang for your buck. 

Energy Detectives

You can do your energy assessment yourself, if you are inclined that way, or you can enlist the services of a professional, who has specialized equipment and can do a blower test and thermographic scan (aka infrared scan), which will give you a pretty picture of your home and where it is leaking heat (or where there is moisture, but that's for another post).  Energy Upgrade California is your "one stop shop for home improvement projects that lower your energy us, conserve water and natural resources and make your home healtier and more comfortable."  Plus they offer rebates (which vary by city/county) to encourage such fabulous behavior.