The Best Energy-Saving Home Upgrades to Make in 2024
If your energy costs are getting out of control, making energy efficiency improvements to your home can help significantly. Home upgrades like insulation and air sealing save so much energy that they quickly pay for themselves, leaving you with a more comfortable home and more money in your pocket.
Sustainergy Cooperative is an energy efficiency expert with many years of experience with homes in the Greater Cincinnati area and throughout Northern Kentucky. We’ve helped hundreds of homeowners improve their energy efficiency and while every home is different, nearly all will benefit from the following energy-saving tips.
1. Insulation Upgrades
Insulation is your home’s first line of defense against energy loss. It’s one of the most important features of any home, yet the North American Insulation Manufacturers Association (NAIMA) estimates that roughly 90% of houses in the United States are under-insulated. If yours is one of them, it’s time to make a change.
Insulation works year-round to save energy and keep your home comfortable. In the winter, it acts like a blanket for your home, holding heat inside. In the summer, it works in reverse, blocking outside heat from coming in so you stay cool.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, homeowners can save an average of 15% on their heating and cooling costs with insulation and air sealing.
2. Air Sealing
Air sealing is often overlooked, but it’s just as important as insulation when it comes to energy efficiency.
If your house has never been air sealed, it is almost definitely riddled with small gaps and openings that leak air. Air leaks can be found anywhere in your home but they are most commonly located around plumbing and wire penetrations, vents, attic hatches, recessed lighting, and basement rim joists. These openings allow air—and the heat it carries—to travel freely into and out of your home. Not only does this waste energy and cost you money, but it can also lead to serious problems like moisture intrusion and mold growth. Sealing up air leaks saves energy while making your home more comfortable, reducing the risk of moisture intrusion, and improving indoor air quality.
3. Crawlspace Encapsulation
If you have an old, ventilated crawl space, it's contributing to serious energy efficiency and comfort problems in your home. Improperly ventilated crawlspaces bring outside air and moisture in while insulation under your floorboards attempts to keep it out of your living spaces. This is an outdated design that wastes energy and invites moisture, pests, and contaminants into your home.
Crawlspace encapsulation is a better solution that modern home builders embrace. We follow a multi-step crawl space encapsulation process that includes installing a heavy-duty vapor barrier and insulation within the crawlspace on the exterior walls to keep outside temperatures and moisture out. The result is better energy efficiency and comfort throughout your entire home.
4. Solar Panel Installation
Installing home solar panels won’t necessarily reduce energy usage, but it will save you money and reduce your fossil fuel consumption, which is why it’s on this list.
Electricity is one of the largest expenses for any home and costs are going up. Meanwhile, the electric grid is becoming increasingly strained and less reliable. Installing solar panels and solar battery storage puts you in charge of your own electricity. You’ll be able to generate your electricity using free energy from the sun, reducing or eliminating your electric bills. Once these bill savings stack up, the system pays for itself, then you simply enjoy free energy. Plus, you’ll have a cleaner and more reliable source of power for your home.
Solar panels last for 25-30+ years and have an excellent return on investment. They will pay for themselves in a few years and, after that, you’ll be making money off your investment. Schedule a free solar assessment today to find out how much you could save with solar panels.
Energy Efficiency Rebates & Incentives for 2024
Did you know there are incentives available for attic insulation, air sealing, crawl space insulation, solar panel insulation, and many other energy efficiency and clean energy upgrades?
2024 Solar Incentives
You can save 30% on solar panel and battery storage installation in 2024 with the federal solar tax credit. To claim the solar tax credit credit in 2024, you must complete your solar installation by the end of the year. Don’t miss out on savings—schedule a free solar assessment today.
2024 Insulation Incentives
Insulation and air sealing materials are eligible for a 30% federal tax credit, up to $1,200. To claim the insulation tax credit in 2024, you must complete your installation by the last day of the year. Schedule a free energy assessment today to get started!
Save on Energy Costs in 2024 with Sustainergy Cooperative
Sustainergy Cooperative is here to help you save energy and money in 2024 with attic insulation, wall insulation, crawl space services, air sealing, solar panels, and more. We are the only insulation and solar expert in the greater Cincinnati area and we can help you make the most of your home improvement budget with targeted energy efficiency improvements. We will never recommend services that don’t make sense for your home—our number one goal is always saving you money!
