A. Lots of things, and as you found out, many of them just can't be seen. They're most often features built into the house during construction or located outside of 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, and other features such as good roof overhangs, attic ventilation, a basic home design that encourages natural ventilation, and a whole bunch of other factors that all add up to make a big difference in home comfort and energy use.
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 homes, and making them efficient is adding a marketing incentive that is helping them sell their houses. 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.
Yet most of these features are not that difficult to install or to use while having a huge impact on a home's energy consumption. I recently read about the GreenHome planned for construction in North Carolina to demonstrate how a traditional home can be built for sustainable living. It'll show home builders how to make today's standard home an efficient "green" one. Features in the home will include lighting controls and dimmers, shades for controlling daylight, and a time clock to regulate lighting changes, some of the basic strategies for saving energy available today. But overall, this is really a conventional home that includes a number of new products and features that will reduce energy use.
When it's time for you to consider building a new home or doing some 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, but we have tried turning off the water heater breaker to see if the solar would provide the water we need, and it just doesn't give us enough. Do these systems really work?
A. Actually, they work pretty well in just about every part of the country, as 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 lived in that house, they'd need a system that might be 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 to take a look at your system. You can find a contact in your area at www.findsolar.com or by contacting the Solar Energy Industries Association (www.seia.org).
Talk to the contractor about your family's energy use and whether the system should be expanded to meet your needs. You might just need a bigger tank or some more collectors.
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Ken Sheinkopf is a communications specialist with the American Solar Energy Society (www.ases.org). Send your energy questions to askken@ases.org.
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