Hawaii “Green” Energy Efficient Homes Are a No Brainer

Why in the world would you live in the sunniest place on earth and not take advantage of it? Replacing your electric water heater with a solar water heater system reduces your monthly electricity bill by 40% … yes, that much money left in your pocket. Plus, 88% of our energy in Hawaii is derived from oil. The less we use, the less reliant we are.

Energy efficiency should be fun. If it feels like a chore you are taking it too far to the extreme. Concentrate of a few “low hanging fruits”:

1. Solar water heating

2. Replacing incandescent light bulbs with CFL or LED bulbs

3. Replacing old appliances with Energy Star recommended models. Take advantage of the various rebates currently available and the government’s Cash for Appliances Program that has just been rolled out.

4. As they are pricey, photovoltaics should be considered only after you have brought your power usage down to as low as possible. (That said, the popularity of electric vehicles will go through the roof when we begin to use the power of the sun to fill ‘er up!)

We are blessed in Hawaii to not have heating needs. If we use our air conditioners less and use our ceiling fans more, we will find savings.  Make certain, however, that your air conditioning units have been properly serviced. Dirty systems run inefficiently.

Piece of cake!  Now go out and make a difference!

Energy efficiency can be beautiful too! Take a look at a few of these Energy Efficient Homes for sale on Maui.

For more information on energy efficiency, check out my other blogs:

Hawaii Home Energy Audit…Watts up with That?

Five Easy Ways to Make Your Home More Energy Efficient

Protecting Your House from the Sun

Is Fluorescent Lighting Better than Incandescent Lighting?