Wisconsin Homeowners: Green And Eco-Friendly Home Improvements

Does your Wisconsin home need a little updating and renovating? This is a good time to think about reducing your home’s carbon footprint and making a positive impact on the environment.

The first step to going green is to have a home energy audit. A professional auditor will inspect your home and provide you with recommendations for renovations and upgrades that can help to improve the overall energy and water efficiency of your home.

An audit will include a checklist and examination of your appliances, heating and cooling system, roof and walls, doors and windows, and the water heating system. Following the audit, you can decide which of these 7 energy efficient upgrades are best for your home and budget:

1. Solar Panels

Solar panels are a clean and natural source of renewable energy that are affordable and easy to install. A solar panel professional can help you decide where to install panels and which power system is best for your home:

• Grid-connected system – Surplus solar energy you don’t use is fed into the local utility grid in your area.
• Off-grid system – Excess solar energy is stored in batteries to use as backup when there is no sunlight.

Other energy efficient options include a supplementary solar energy system to provide power to low-demand outdoor areas or installing solar equipped garage doors.

2. Geothermal Cooling and Heating

Consider switching to the most comfortable and greenest way to heat your home. A geothermal system transfers heat from or to the ground so it can efficiently heat or cool your home without the use of electricity or fossil fuels. Using a “loop design,” this innovative technology can decrease the emission of greenhouse gases by 90 percent in comparison to other traditional electric heating systems.

To go green, call for a home energy audit in Wisconsin.

3. New Insulation

Properly insulating your home can reduce your heating and cooling costs. Re-insulating can also make your home more energy efficient and comfortable throughout the year in all climates. For an average cost of $1,380, blown-in insulation can reduce your carbon footprint and significantly lower your monthly energy bill.

4. Install New Windows

Older windows can be responsible for 25 to 30 percent of total cooling and heating loss in your home. If you want to make your home more eco-friendly and lower your energy bill by $30 to $465 each year, consider installing new energy efficient windows. With an average cost of $5,000, new windows are a good way to lower your overall energy consumption.

5. Energy Star Appliances

Upgrading to newer appliances can save you a lot of money, protect the environment, and conserve energy. A good choice is Energy Star appliances, which are designed to use minimal energy. Replacing your older refrigerator with one that’s Energy Star rated can save you up to $270 in utility costs over a period of five years.

6. Upgrade Your Toilet

Upgrading your toilet can help to conserve water and save you money. You can lower your water use by 67 percent just by replacing your older toilet with a low-flow or dual-flush model. Low-flow models have been built to save 25 gallons of water each day, which adds up to 9,000 gallons per year. If installing new toilets isn’t an option, make sure your older model is in good repair.

7. Water Barrels

Install water barrels to collect and store rainwater that runs off your roof. Using this water on your lawn and garden can lower your water bill by 30 percent and reduce your water footprint. Even if you live in a climate with little rainfall, a barrel can be filled with just an inch of water on a 1,000 square-foot roof.

When you’re ready to renovate the green way, call a HomeAdvisor energy auditor in Wisconsin for tips and advice.

This Patch article is sponsored by HomeAdvisor.