As 2018 comes to a close and the New Year approaches, it's high-time for us all to put in our New Year's Resolutions. If the recent findings of the IPCC Climate Change report, which described the immense degree of action needed immediately if we're to stave off catastrophic climate change in time, have stuck with you—and they absolutely should — then perhaps one of your resolutions for 2019 is to make your home as energy efficient as possible.

A bevy of actions are available to anyone who wants to reduce their carbon footprint:

Reducing meat consumption;

Buying an electric car;

Taking public transit;

Installing solar panels on your home, and more.

In terms of maximizing the potential energy savings found in your home, replacing your appliances and electronics with those that rank at the top-of-the-line with regard to efficiency is one of the most straight forward and effective actions you can take. Consider the breakdown of energy use in the residential sector, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration:

Some of the biggest energy drains in your average home include:

Air conditioning (17%);

Space heating (15%);

Water heating (14%);

Lighting (10%);

Refrigerators (7%);

Televisions & related devices (7%); and

Clothes dryers (5%).

These areas are all ripe for energy reductions through improved efficiencies. The high-efficiency veresion of these products have already been developed by manufacturers, all that's missing is you purchasing them for your home. And luckly for you, identification of the right appliances is a breeze — all you have to do is look for the ENERGY STAR label.

ENERGY STARis a program from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that was formed in 1992 to make it easier for consumers and businesses to save energy through certification programs for appliances, buildings, and more. Boasting a 90% recognition rate in the United States, ENERGY STAR is one of the most recognizable consumer symbols (for energy or otherwise) in the world.

All that’s to say, ENERGY STAR is a reliable and trusted name in selecting the most energy efficient products possible. Anyone seeking to upgrade their efficiency can turn directly to ENERGY STAR. And to make it easy for the New Year’s Resolution, they've released a list of the most efficient appliances of the year. So, as you take your holiday bonuses to upgrade your homes, keep an eye out for these specific products from ENERGY STAR's year-end list:

Heating And Cooling

To tackle home air conditioning and heating, a combined 32% of the energy use in a home, ENERGY STAR has identified some top-of-the-line central air conditioners and air source heat pumps.

For example, the AirEase SCU/BCE Series with Comfort Sync Communicating Thermostat can present a 30% energy savings over the Federal minimum efficiency, while Mitsubishi KJ Series models with Kumo Cloud Controller can save 48% over the Federal minimum efficiency.

Source: ENERGY STAR

Water Heating

Water heating accounts for 14% of a home’s energy use, from dishwashers, showers, washing machines, and more. Most homeowners don’t give their water heater much thought until something goes wrong. But if you don’t consider upgrading your water heater, you could be wasting heaps of energy.

Take, for example, the Energy Kinetics Accel CS Series boiler that falls on ENERGY STAR’s most efficient of 2018 list. This unit can provide 21% energy savings over the federal minimum efficiency, and at an average annual cost of almost $700, those amount of savings will add up quickly

Source: ENERGY STAR

Refrigerators

In many homes, especially those with children, refrigerators can be considered one of the most important appliances in the entire house. And with them constantly getting opened and closed, you’ll certainly want to minimize the effect refrigerators have on your monthly bill, typically accounting for 7% in total.

Many of the refrigerators on ENERGY STAR’s most efficient of 2018 list, such as the Daewoo FR-1020ARW, have improved to the point that their annual energy use falls below 300 kilowatthours (kWh) per year, well below the 410 kWh per year an average refrigerator of the same sizewould consume.



Source: ENERGY STAR

Computer Monitors

You may not think simply upgrading your computer monitor would have that great of an effect on household energy use, but you’d be overlooking a big saver that’s among the easiest to replace.

According to ENERGY STAR’s list, the state-of-the-art monitors can be as efficient as only requiring 20 to 50 kWh per year, such as the ASUS VN248. Compare that with the annual consumption a less efficient monitor might reach, on the order of 375 kWh per year, and you’ll be running out to your nearest computer store and checking for the ENERGY STAR label.

Source: ENERGY STAR

Dryers

Dryers have become essential to everyday life, with most families not having the time or space to dedicate to line drying clothing as was done in days gone by. But just like that mode of drying the laundry may seem like ancient history, so too should the clothes dryers that eat up energy and are only reaching the minimum levels of efficiency.

When looking through the ENERGY STAR list of most efficient dryers of 2018, you’ll find several units with estimated annual energy uses below 150 kWh per year, such as the Samsung DV22N685*H*. Considering a typical dryer uses 800 kWh per year, a high efficiency dryer could easily be the most profitable investment you make in 2019!

Source: ENERGY STAR

Miscellaneous

This article is only highlighting some of the products that ENERGY STAR has listed as their most efficient — you’ve got:

Ventilating fans, ceiling fans;

Furnaces, dehumidifiers;

High-performance windows;

Geothermal pumps;

Dishwashers; and more.

You might even consider a home energy audit, either do-it-yourself or with a hired energy professional, to identify further places where your home can be made more energy efficient. Remember also to take your old/used equipment to the nearest recycling depot when you have upgraded.

So, you really have no excuse, the beauty of buying more efficient products—even if they may cost more—is that they are assured to save you money in the end. These are investments you can’t afford to miss out on.

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For those who are looking to find ways to be more sustainable in your personal life or in business, Green Star Standard (GSS) is an organization that strives to enable people and companies to evaluate green products and services. GSS provides certified green comparisons, an internationally-recognized green standard certification process, and more.

To learn more about how GSS can assist you and your organization be more energy efficient and climate conscious, please join our mailing list, check back to this website for regular updates, and reach out to us to learn more.