Try these tips to reduce your home’s carbon footprint:

Control Your Solar Heat Gain

Controlling solar gain in your house is critical if you want to reduce your energy consumption and make a more livable and comfortable environment. Most homes are built with an extensive southern exposure, which means during hot summer months sunshine pours into the house and significantly increases the temperature. The following measures can help.

Low-e windows. Unlike the single-pane windows of old, today’s low-e (low- emission), double-glazed, argon-filled, so-called “smart” windows can be customized for your needs. If you live in a cold climate, you can purchase a window that in winter will maximize solar gain while reducing heat loss (U-factor) out of the home. Or in hot climates, you can have the reverse, a window that allows only 39% of solar gain into the home during sunlit days.

Curtains. If new windows are not in your budget, how about some solar curtains to keep your home cool in the summer and warm in the winter? Inexpensive and readily available from online vendors, solar curtains are made of silvery, non-transparent polyethylene and hang right over your existing curtain rods. Though not as attractive as low-e film, solar curtains and screens are ideal solutions for seldom-used rooms or while you are on vacation.

Awnings. A more permanent passive solution to reducing solar gain is to install shade-providing awnings over your southern- and western-exposed windows. Unlike the hulks of aluminum common a few years, most of today's window awnings are made from long-lasting canvas. New designs are streamlined, attractive, and can provide cooling shade without destroying your view. Do-it-yourself kits are available and most can be put up in a weekend.

Trees. You do not have to know much about trees to realize that they can provide value, shade, and beauty to your home. Deciduous trees like maples, oaks, and walnuts shed all their leaves every year, which means they can provide shade for your home, driveway, and patio during the hot summer months and then allow the sun to warm your home during winter. Pine trees and hedges can block cold winds as well as noise from the street and offer backyard privacy. When selecting trees, make sure to plant ones that are appropriate to your climate, native to your area (and therefore more pest- and disease-resistant), and require no additional precious resources (like water) to thrive.

Insulate

Insulation is the gift that keeps on giving. A well-insulated house is warmer in the winter, cooler in the summer, and quieter year-round.

Whenever given the option to insulate more or less, the savvy energy-saving homeowner will always choose more. One of the key areas to look at is the attic.

Make sure your attic is well insulated with at least 6 inches of fiberglass batt insulation or loose insulation on the floor. Fill in any gaps you find but be careful to keep the insulation from crowding electrical sockets, recessed light fixtures, and roof vents.

You want to keep insulation at least 3 inches away from fixtures. If you have a pull-down staircase to access the attic, put a wide band of weatherstripping around the edges as well. Take care not to compress the insulation.

Caulk

Proper and liberal caulking of joints and seams can tremendously reduce the amount of a home’s energy consumption.

Besides reducing drafts and heat loss, a bead of caulk can also thwart moisture and pest infiltration.

Be sure to use the right caulk for the application and take your time. A rushed job can not only create a mess but also leave gaps, defeating the purpose.

There are several environmentally friendly caulks now available that are non-toxic and just as durable as traditional oil-based products.

Wrap Your Water Heater & Freezer

Wrapping your hot water tank and freezer are effective ways of helping these appliances reduce the amount of energy they need to maintain their functionality. Kits for installing insulation wraps are sold at most home improvement centers.

With hot water tanks, make sure to read the manufacturer’s instructions—in some cases, wrapping the appliance could void your warranty.

Sleeping bags or blankets work well for covering your chest deep freezer. This will help reduce the cooling demand of the freezer and also buy your frozen food some more time during power outages. But be sure the wrap does not block air flow.

Also, build a shelter for your air conditioning unit. By keeping the unit shaded and protected from leaves and debris, you will not only extend its life but also improve its energy efficiency.