Thursday, February 2, 2017

Energy Efficient Home Heating and Cooling

Climate change has been confirmed as a phenomenon since 2011. One major factor that has been shown to contribute to this occurrence is the existence of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. These gases enter the atmosphere through traditional electricity and the burning of fossil fuels (including oil, coal, and natural gas). (1)






Heating and air conditioning have been known to contribute to greenhouse gases, as they typically are powered by standard electricity or natural gas. Unfortunately, since both natural gas and traditional electricity emit greenhouse gases, heating your home in the winter and cooling it in the summer will cause this to occur, thus contributing to climate change. (3)



 While most of us enjoy keeping our homes within a specific temperature range in order to keep ourselves comfortable, there are ways to reduce the impact on the environment throughout all seasons of the year. Here are the best ways to do just that:

1. Get your electricity from non-traditional sources, also known as clean energy. These include nuclear power plants, solar energy, and wind energy. Apart from construction, these clean energy electricity sources do not emit greenhouse gases. (2)

2. Lower your thermostat a few degrees in the winter, and raise it a few degrees in the summer. Not only will this result in fewer gas emissions, but it will decrease your monthly bill!

3. Replace old windows with double or triple-paned ones. This will help maintain the temperature of your home by wasting less energy.

5. Invest in an energy efficient HVAC (heating ventilation, and air-conditioning) system. Advancing technology has provided us with more energy efficient systems, so look for something newer, and do some research as to which ones will be most energy efficient.

5. Seal and insulate ducts. Again, this will ensure that you are not wasting energy by heating or cooling more than necessary. (3)


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