Clean Energy Made Easy: Simple Steps to an Eco-Friendly Home from EnergySage

With much of the U.S. already experiencing extreme heat this summer, 2024 is on track to be one of the hottest years on record. To beat the heat, Americans are increasingly relying on air conditioning, swimming pools, and cold beverages. Unfortunately, these solutions may exacerbate the problem: residential energy consumption accounts for approximately 20% of the nation’s annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.  

The good news is that you can still cool down without heating up the planet by taking steps to reduce your carbon footprint right at home. One of the most impactful things you can do is make your home more energy efficient and switch to clean energy. Our friends and Partners at EnergySage are making it easier to electrify homes across the U.S. and their experts say two of the best moves you can make are getting a home energy audit and going solar.

A home energy audit is like a check-up for your house. Experts come in and figure out how to make your home more energy-efficient—things like beefing up insulation, sealing drafts, and upgrading old appliances. By reducing the amount of energy used at home, these tweaks can save you money on your energy bills right away.

Changing the source of electricity in your home is another key step to reducing your impact and solar panels are a fantastic way to power your home with clean energy. The environmental impact of one home going solar is like planting a small forest, offsetting about 168 metric tons of carbon (this is based on average system size of 11kW) over 20 year span! There are also big economic benefits to going solar – if you currently pay $150 a month for electricity, you’ll save about $34,000 over the next two decades with solar.

Another cool tip: switch to heat pumps for your heating and cooling. They’re super efficient and can help you cut down on energy use, saving you money on both heating and cooling your home.

The adoption of clean energy use at home has surged since the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) was enacted in 2022— the largest climate package in U.S. history—offering incentives and rebates to help Americans transition to cleaner energy. Today, over five million homes nationwide are equipped with solar panels. In the past year alone, Americans purchased one million electric vehicles and two million residential heat pumps. Additionally, nearly 25% of solar installations now include home batteries, providing backup power during outages. 

Even still, switching to clean energy solutions at home, like heat pumps and solar, can seem daunting and expensive. Fortunately, educational and financial resources help consumers find the right options and evaluate the upfront cost vs. future savings of clean energy investment. EnergySage makes it easier for people across the country to switch to affordable and reliable clean energy solutions through tools like calculators, educational articles and videos, and a quote comparison Marketplace supported by guidance from expert Energy Advisors.

“Through our new partnership, POW’s community of athletes and enthusiasts has an easy path to take individual action on climate. By utilizing EnergySage’s tools, resources, and marketplace, they can better understand what they can do at home to protect the outdoor spaces they love to work and play in,” said Tess O’Brien, Vice President of Partnerships at EnergySage. “With POW’s climate awareness and education and EnergySage’s tools, together we will make a widespread, collective impact.”

Systemic change paired with individual action will be instrumental in combating the effects of climate change. The IRA unlocked billions of dollars of clean energy investments with many available to individual homeowners. EnergySage is a trusted resource for homeowners looking to be a part of the clean energy transition and will help us all tap into the IRA’s full potential. You can learn more and take action by using their resources here.