Energy Efficiency

There are many ways to make your home more energy efficient. This page provides information on appliances, lighting, windows, insulation, and other general information that can reduce your energy consumption. Use our resources for everything from calculating your homes energy usage to reducing it through energy efficient construction.

General

Archived Directory Articles – Archive of past articles in the Green Built Alliance Directory. Scroll down to find the energy efficiency section.

Technical Resources – Factsheets and Checklists about energy-efficient construction on Green Built Alliance website.

Case Study of a High-Efficiency Home – Habitat for Humanity in Massachusetts designed and built a super high-efficiency home and analyzed lessons learned.

HomeEnergyNC – A free resource for “all things home energy in North Carolina” provided by the North Carolina Building Performance Association.

Energy Federation Incorporated – Through the distribution of resource-conserving products and the provision of objective, accurate information, EFI strives to assist people in their efforts to use energy and water efficiently.

Home Energy Magazine – A cutting-edge nonprofit publication that disseminates objective and practical information on residential energy efficiency, performance, comfort, and affordability.

Top Ten Ways to Save Energy – List compiled by the Green Built Alliance of the top ten easy and inexpensive ways to save energy in your home or apartment.

Pyramid of Conservation – A graphic illustration of conservation measures from easiest to hardest from Minnesota Power.

Passive Housing – This infographic illustrates the concept of passive housing.

Living in a Tiny House – The infographic shares some interesting stats about life in a tiny house.

Appliances

Energy Star Appliances – Information on appliances that have earned the Energy Star.

Learn about the different types of water heaters and their efficiencies along with a comparison chart of operating costs over the lifetime of these different types from EPA and DOE.

Insulation

North American Insulation Manufacturers Association – NAIMA is a trade association of North American manufacturers of fiberglass, rock wool, and slag wool insulation products.

Chart of Insulation R-Values

Residential Energy Services Network – The Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Index is the industry standard by which a home’s energy efficiency is measured. It’s also the nationally recognized system for inspecting and calculating a home’s energy performance.

Lighting

Greenseal’s Choose Green Report on lighting – A great fact sheet on the science, cost and savings of CFLs.

Green Home Guide’s Lighting Summary

Information on CFLs and Mercury – Fact sheet compiled by Energy Star.

National Energy Education Development – Change a Light, Change the World Teacher’s Guide.

US DOE Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy – Advanced lighting design and energy code.

WELL Building Standard – Excellent downloadable resource including healthy lighting standards for occupant well-being and energy efficiency.

LED Lighting – The light-emitting diode (LED) is one of today’s most energy-efficient and rapidly developing lighting technologies.

Windows

Efficient Windows Collaborative – Provides unbiased information on the benefits of energy-efficient windows, descriptions of how they work, and recommendations for their selection and use.