I have always been of the opinion that the best thing you can do before you do anything else is ensure that your home is as energy efficient as possible before you go and install more solar panels or wind turbines than you may need.  Before you install a high efficiency furnace or air conditioning don’t you think it would be better to ensure that your windows are tight and your attic is insulated?

Well, the Christian Sicence Monitor published an excellent story on this over the weekend.  A must read, in my opinion, for anyone considering renewable energy or energy efficient appliances.

From the article:

When Ted and Astrid Olsson set out to cut their home electricity bill, they had three strong incentives to buy solar panels: federal, state, and city subsidies. But they shelved the idea in favor of insulating the attic of their San Francisco Victorian.

Sure, you aren’t showing off your panels and turbines to your neighbors and the upgrades aren’t usually visible to the naked eye, but they are better upgrades.  What good is it to generate electricity for your furnace if all the heat you make is going out the roof and the windows?

Along the lines of this topic I also did a post back in February on just how much insulation you really need.  It is a link to a podcast that you should also listen to prior to tightening up your home.

Source: Christian Science Monitor

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