LEDs aren’t going anywhere. Thanks to LEDs’ superior efficiency, the Department of Energy (DOE) forecasts that LED lighting will account for the majority of installations in the US by 2030. The DOE hopes to encourage this by bumping LED efficiency above 200 lumens per watt by 2025 — and it looks like they’re well on their way.

The benefit to businesses and residential customers, of course, is huge energy savings and lower costs.

Many people wonder if now is the time to jump on board with LEDs, or whether they should wait a few more years for prices to come down. While it’s true that LED prices will continue to drop, the immediate
savings potential of investing in LED (both in lower utility and maintenance costs) is typically greater than that of waiting.

Did you have a pool? The average single-speed pool pump can use as much energy as all your standard household appliances put together. Variable Speed pool pumps use up to 90% less energy than the typical single-speed pump or even compared to “high efficiency” dual-speed pumps. – energy savings that translate to more money in your pocket. Single-speed pool pumps account for 25% of your household’s energy bill. They use three times the energy of a refrigerator. By choosing a variable-speed pump, you can run it at lower speeds (although this may mean you need to run it for a longer period of time) during filtering hours, consuming less energy, filtering more effectively, and lowering your costs.

Spray foam insulation or spray polyurethane foam (SPF) is an alternative to traditional building insulation such as fiberglass. A two-component mixture composed of isocyanate and polyol resin comes together at the tip of a gun, and forms an expanding foam that is sprayed onto roof tiles, concrete slabs, into wall cavities, or through holes drilled in into a cavity of a finished wall. “Spray foam” is also an informal term used to refer to various plastic foam materials that are used in building construction to provide thermal insulation and minimize air infiltration. Polyurethane and polyisocyanurate are two types of foam used in this application. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Energy Star program estimates that by adding insulation and sealing air leaks, you could save up to 20% on your monthly energy bills.

A smart thermostat is a Wi-Fi enabled device that automatically adjusts heating and cooling temperature settings in your home for optimal performance. Smart thermostats that earn the ENERGY STAR label have been independently certified, based on actual field data, to deliver energy savings. A study by Nest concluded that customers saved an average of 10 to 12 percent on heating costs and 15 percent on air conditioning costs. This isn’t just some throwaway study done by Nest to make themselves look good either. In fact, there have been two more independent studies of Nest thermostat usage that found similar savings.

If you’re like most people, you’re unlikely to go out looking for a water heater until your existing one fails. That will happen at the worst possible time — like just after guests arrive for a week-long visit. You’ll have to rush out and put in whatever is available, without taking the time to look for a water heater that best fits your needs and offers real energy efficiency. Tankless or instantaneous water heaters do not have a storage tank. A gas burner or electric element heats water only when there is a demand. Hot water never runs out, but the flow rate (gallons of hot water per minute [gpm]) may be limited. By minimizing standby losses from the tank, energy consumption can be reduced by 10–15%.

There are a number of energy-efficient roofing materials that are appropriate for residential properties, from various types of shingles to ENERGY STAR® metal roofing. Each type of energy-efficient roof shingles has a distinct look and set of features that may be more effective for a specific climate. Certain types of energy efficient roofing shingles are more effective in areas that have cooler weather, while others will combat the heat of dry, sunny climates. Consider each kind of energy efficient roof shingles carefully to determine which types of residential roofs would be appropriate for your home.