Fall is the perfect time to improve your home’s energy efficiency before the cold winter months begin. And, what’s more, with the kids back in school, it’s easier to make the time for upgrades. Although creating a sustainable home is a process, it can be a fun opportunity to decide where to begin. Boston Solar is here to help you get started with five tips for making your home more sustainable this fall.
Composting food scraps and yard waste is an easy way to get started on your sustainability journey. When sent to a landfill, organic waste generates methane, a harmful greenhouse gas. Composting keeps organic waste away from landfills, reducing methane emissions. There are many ways to compost in Massachusetts, whether you find a local compost pick-up company, buy a compost bin for your home, or you can build your own!
The Mass Save® program offers no-cost home energy assessments to Massachusetts homeowners who want to improve their home’s energy efficiency but don’t know where to start.
A home energy assessment is a thorough audit of your home’s performance that uses special technologies to analyze air infiltration, insulation levels, and more. At the end of your assessment, you’ll have a strong understanding of your home’s energy efficiency and will know where the weak points are. Then, you’ll be able to make impactful improvements, like insulation and air sealing (see below) without shooting in the dark and get access to all the energy efficiency rebates through Mass Save®. Interested in scheduling a Mass Save® Audit for your home? Contact our friends at Neeeco today.
Proper insulation and air sealing helps your home stay comfortable year round and works to keep the hot air during summers and keep your heat inside during winters. Sealing up air leaks and upgrading your insulation can significantly reduce heat loss and make it easier for your HVAC system to heat and cool your home, further reducing your energy consumption.
With the change in season, it is always good to take stock of which appliances are using the most energy. Appliances like clothes dryers, air conditioners and heaters, and water heaters use a lot of energy, especially if they are older. Today, there are many energy-efficient household appliances and HVAC equipment on the market that can significantly reduce your energy consumption and utility costs going into the colder months. Replacing aging equipment with high-efficiency models is a great way to improve your home’s performance and reduce your environmental impact.
One of the absolute best ways to make your home more sustainable is to install a residential solar panel system, especially once you have reduced your energy consumption through energy efficient upgrades. Solar panels generate free, renewable electricity using energy from the sun, which you can then use to power your home. Once you have solar panels installed, you won’t need to purchase as much—if any—electricity from the grid. This will shrink your carbon footprint, as the electric grid relies on fossil fuels and contributes heavily to carbon emissions.
Installing a solar battery alongside your solar panel system will allow you to use more of the energy your solar panels produce and further reduce your reliance on the grid. Solar batteries work by storing the excess energy your solar panels generate during the day and allow you to draw upon stored energy at night, when your panels are not actively generating electricity, and during power outages.
Building a sustainable home is a process, and you don’t have to tackle every project at once—by taking on a few small upgrades, you can get the ball rolling and work towards making larger and more impactful improvements, like installing a solar panel system.
Here at Boston Solar, we applaud any effort at leading a greener lifestyle. If you’re ready to take the first step toward energy independence, reach out to us today. We can help you achieve your energy efficiency goals with a customized solar energy system. As the number one Massachusetts-based solar installer, we’re the company to trust with this important sustainability upgrade.
Interested in solar energy? Call Boston Solar at 617-858-1645 or contact us here to schedule a free consultation.
MORE INFORMATION
