Q: We just got back from a visit to friends who told us all about their great energy-efficient home and how low their energy bills were. I looked around and really didn't see anything very different from our home, but our monthly power bills are really high. What makes an efficient home different from a standard one?

A: Lots of things, and many of them just can't be seen. They're most often features built into the house during construction or outside the normal living space.

A house that is energy-efficient should have a well-sealed thermal envelope (walls, ceiling and foundation), meet the local climate's recommended level of insulation, good windows that seal tightly, efficient appliances, including the heating and cooling system, good roof overhangs, attic ventilation, a basic home design that encourages natural ventilation, and a whole bunch of other factors.

Home builders are starting to put up more energy-efficient homes because the technologies are easier to use and more readily available, consumers are asking for these types of houses, and making them efficient is adding a marketing incentive that is helping them sell. But they're also doing these things because many builders realize that efficiency is the right thing to do - for their clients, for the environment and for their communities in general.

Most of these features are not that difficult to install or to use and they have a huge impact on a home's energy consumption.

When it's time for you to consider building a new home or remodeling in your present one, talk to your builder about putting in the features that will make your home more efficient. The savings on your utility bill will often be as much or even more than the added cost of the energy-saving features.

Q: I've read your comments on solar water heating in the past, but I don't see where these systems work so well. Solar collectors were on the roof of a house we bought a year or so ago, and the former owners said they worked fine. We tried turning off the water heater breaker to see whether the solar would provide the water we need; it just doesn't. Do these systems really work?

A: Actually, they work pretty well in just about every part of the country, so long as they're properly sized and installed. Your problem isn't unique, however, and it's often a direct result of lifestyle differences.

Solar water systems are sized to meet the needs of the people living in the home. This is what determines everything from the size of the rooftop collectors to the storage tank, pump and other components.

If just you and your wife live in the house, you probably use around 40 gallons of hot water a day, so a fairly small system would meet your needs. However, if a family with several children, frequent house guests and other excessive water usage lived in that house, they'd need a system double the size of yours.

What often happens is someone buys a house with a system sized for one family, but a family with a lot more water usage would find that system inadequate for their needs.

I suggest you get a solar contractor out to take a look at your system and make sure that it is working properly. You can find a contact in your area at www.findsolar.com or by contacting the Solar Energy Industries Association (www.seia.org) for the names of member companies near you. Your phone book also should have a "solar" category in the business pages where you can find a company.

KEN SHEINKOPF IS A COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST FOR THE AMERICAN SOLAR ENERGY SOCIETY, WWW.ASES.ORG. SEND YOUR ENERGY QUESTIONS TO ASKKEN@ASES.ORG.

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