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| This solar home features metal shadings devices to screen hot summer sun. |
1st Priority:
Passive solar design is the low hanging fruit. Easy to reach but, often an overlooked opportunity. Passive solar design addresses solar gain, thermal mass, and shading. The orientation of the house and the various spaces is key to siting the home. Once the home is built it is often expensive to correct this oversight.
2nd Priority:
Conservation, insulate and seal the envelope. Sealing the building can have a greater gain than adding an additional inch to an already well-insulated attic. Install LED lighting instead of compact fluorescent or incandescent lights. It will save you money on the monthly electricity bill and you will not have to change your light bulbs for years. Your heating and cooling system should be the most efficient as possible, including fireplaces and wood stoves. In the cold northern climates, a good wood stove can heat the entire home with wood. Use your electric wall heater only for backup. Remember the more efficient the wood stove the cleaner burn it is. Swamp coolers provide excellent performance in dry regions. Use Energy Star appliances-front load washers are great. Consider a tankless water heater or a solar hot water heater. As always make sure you add extra insulation to stay nice and cozy. If you are in an existing house consider upgrading your single pane windows to double or triple pane windows with argon gas between the panes and a Low-E coating.