Use this page to find actions that your household has completed or plans to complete. Browse the categories on the left to find actions for the Power Saver, Green Leader, or Renewable Star Challenge.
Once you have signed in, you can click Add to My Challenge to add an action to your To Do List, Already Completed to mark an action as complete, or Not Applicable if the action does not apply to you.
Once signed in, you can rate each of the actions you have completed.
The highest rated action appear under the Most Popular Actions category.
ACTIONS
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Green leaves denote the number of Green Points earned by completing the action and its relative environmental benefit.
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Hammers denote the relative amount of effort needed to implement the action.
A key denotes a renter-friendly action.Dollar signs denote the relative cost of implementing the action. Free < $100 $100-$500 $501-$2000 > $2000 Open and close drapes to help heat and cool roomsIn the summer, close drapes and blinds during the hottest parts of the day to keep the sun from heating your rooms. Standard window blinds can be quite effective at keeping your house cool in summer, reducing heat gain by up to 45%.
In the winter, open drapes and blinds during the day to allow the sun to warm your home, and close drapes and blinds during the evening to keep the heat inside. Conventional drapes or curtains reduce heat loss from a room by only 10%. Convection carries hot air between the curtain and the window, where the air loses heat, falls below the bottom of the curtain (and out the sides) and draws in more hot air above. Drapes or blinds that are close to the window and snug on all sides can reduce heat loss by as much as 25%.
For more information, visit GreenEnergyEfficientHomes.com.
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Green leaves denote the number of Green Points earned by completing the action and its relative environmental benefit.
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Hammers denote the relative amount of effort needed to implement the action. Hammers denote the relative amount of effort needed to implement the action.
A key denotes a renter-friendly action.Dollar signs denote the relative cost of implementing the action. Free < $100 $100-$500 $501-$2000 > $2000 Use insulated shades or window quiltsA lot of heat is lost during the night through window glazing (the glass portion of the window). You can retain heat in your rooms by using insulated window shades or window quilts. Insulated shades can also keep heat from entering your rooms in the summer. There are many products to chose from; try searching Amazon.com or Google.com. Or if you are frugally-minded, learn how to make your own window quilts, make your own insulated Roman shades, or make your own solar heat catcher.
Learn more about how window shades save energy at GreenEnergyEfficientHomes.com.
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Green leaves denote the number of Green Points earned by completing the action and its relative environmental benefit.
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Hammers denote the relative amount of effort needed to implement the action.
A key denotes a renter-friendly action.Dollar signs denote the relative cost of implementing the action. Free < $100 $100-$500 $501-$2000 > $2000 Stop fireplace draftsIf you have a fireplace in a well-insulated home, but leave the damper open, you could be increasing your energy use and costs by 30%. Winter air leakage through fireplaces can increase winter energy bills by $500 or more! Chimneys draw rising warm air out of your home which is replaced by cold air. Close your dampers or install a low-cost inflatable pillow in your chimney; it can be removed before fireplace use, and reinstalled after. Visit batticdoor.com or search for “inflatable dampers” with your internet browser to learn about options.
Watch this video to learn how to install a chimney balloon.
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Green leaves denote the number of Green Points earned by completing the action and its relative environmental benefit.
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Hammers denote the relative amount of effort needed to implement the action.Dollar signs denote the relative cost of implementing the action. Free < $100 $100-$500 $501-$2000 > $2000 Install a dryer vent sealIs your laundry room the coldest room in your home? An often overlooked source of heat loss is the dryer vent – while a typical dryer vent flap may keep rodents out of your home, it makes a great pathway for heat to leave your home. Dryer vent seals, which can also work on bathroom and kitchen vents, remain closed unless the dryer is in use. When the dryer is in use, a floating shuttle rises to allow warm air, lint, and moisture to escape. When the dryer stops, the shuttle drops back down, keeping cold air, birds, bugs and rodents outside. Visit doityourself.com or search for “dryer vent seal” to explore options.
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Green leaves denote the number of Green Points earned by completing the action and its relative environmental benefit.
2
Hammers denote the relative amount of effort needed to implement the action. Hammers denote the relative amount of effort needed to implement the action.Dollar signs denote the relative cost of implementing the action. Free < $100 $100-$500 $501-$2000 > $2000 Install foam gasket insulators behind electrical outlets and light switch platesHave you ever noticed a cold draft when you remove an outlet cover? Electrical boxes behind wall sockets penetrate into the wall cavity and its insulation making them potential sources of air leakage, especially along outside walls. Polyethylene foam gaskets installed behind electric outlet plate covers reduce drafts. For double or triple outlet or light switch boxes, multiple gaskets can be overlapped and trimmed to fit. Foam gaskets are simple to install and are available at local hardware stores or online vendors. Watch this video to learn how to install gasket insulators.
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Jun 30 Mark Bradley
Front upstairs bedrooms (east facing) get most sun/heat in the morning. Added filter to windows to reduce heat load in the summer.
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