Home Energy Efficiency in Atlanta

Making Your Home Comfortable and Efficient

When it comes to making your home more energy efficient in Atlanta, here are some points to consider.

• The average highs in June through August nearly reach 90 degrees, and if you factor in the humidity, Atlanta can be pretty uncomfortable if you don't have an efficient cooling system.
• Meanwhile, the winters are relatively mild with lows in the mid to upper 30's for three months out of the year. This makes residents in the Atlanta area great candidates for geothermal heat pumps — more about that later.
• Georgia is one of the top producers of electricity in the nation, and it is also one of the top consumers. The average price of electricity from utilities such as Coweta-Fayette EMC is around $0.09 per kilowatt-hour, about 2 cents less than the national average.
• While electricity is relatively cheap, Atlanta residents pay about $3 more per thousand cubic feet of natural gas than other U.S. residents.
• For residents interested in renewable energies, it's important to know that the average wind speed in the Atlanta area is 9.1 mph annually and the average daily solar intake is about 4.5 kWh per meter squared. This makes both wind and solar feasible depending on your property.

Home Energy Audits in Atlanta

While every home is unique, home energy audits can use standard tests that work universally to identify areas of your home that can be more energy efficient. A professional auditor will not only identify areas of your home in need of upgrades, but they will also give you an idea of which upgrades will give you the most bang for your buck.

An in-home energy audit typically costs a few hundred dollars, but in many cases, it'll identify easy problems to fix that'll result in at least a few hundred dollars of savings in the short-term, paying for itself!

If you'd like to find out — for free and within minutes — whether your home is a good candidate for an energy audit and for upgrades, take our online home energy report. We'll give you a home energy score and estimate your savings potential.

Home Energy Upgrades in Atlanta

There are many ways for the people increase there home's energy efficiency. Here are a few examples of upgrades your auditor may suggest.

• Insulation & Air Sealing: Two of the most cost-effective measures energy auditors recommend is to add insulation to attics that have four inches of insulation or less and to seal up any leaky areas in your home. These two measures, when done together, make a big impact on your heating and cooling bills by allowing your HVAC system to work less hard.
• Duct Sealing: Another measure that allows your HVAC systems to relax a little is sealing up your ducts. Similar to air sealing the exterior of your home, by sealing up any leaks in your ductwork, you can significantly increase your HVAC system's energy efficiency.
• Geothermal Heat Pump: As mentioned above, a geothermal heat pump can be a great investment in a temperate winter climate like Atlanta. Rather than use natural gas (which is expensive in Georgia) to heat your home, a geothermal heat pump extracts "free" heat from the earth, which stays at a somewhat constant temperature throughout the year, and pumps it into your home.
• ENERGY STAR Appliances: By replacing outdated appliances, like that vintage refrigerator, clothes washer, dishwasher, water heater, etc., and upgrading to a more efficient model, you'll see a noticeable difference on your utility bills.
• Wind and Solar Systems: While you may want to combine general home efficiency with a renewable energy system so that you can power your home with a smaller, more affordable system, the Atlanta area could potentially support both solar and wind energy systems.

Have a project in mind? Contact an energy expert to get started.

Energy Rebates and Tax Credits in Atlanta

Home Efficiency Upgrades: If you're looking to replace appliances, Georgia is offering up to $1,200 in rebates to homeowners who purchase ENERGY STAR appliances. Eligible appliances include refrigerators, dishwashers, air conditioners, furnaces and more. This program has $5.4 million remaining as of April 15, 2010 and will last until funds run out.

If you'd like to make weatherization improvements, like adding insulation and air sealing, Georgia Power offers rebates to customers who take on these projects, as well as add a programmable thermostat and duct sealing. Many weatherization measures and appliance upgrades are also covered under the federal government's Residential Energy Efficiency Tax Credit, which is designed to cover 30 percent of the costs up to $1,500.

Renewable Energy Systems: If a geothermal heat pump seems like it might work in your home, Coweta-Fayette EMC offers $1,000 rebates to customers who install them. Georgia also offers a Clean Energy Tax Credit that will cover up to 35 percent of the cost of a geothermal heat pump, and the U.S. government's Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credit will cover 30 percent of the cost. Wind and solar energy systems are also included in the federal government's and Georgia's tax credits.

Check out all energy rebates and tax credits in Atlanta.

Home Energy Resources from EnergySavvy

1. Home Energy Report: How efficient is your home? Find out how to improve your home's efficiency and comfort, without spending tons of money, with EnergySavvy's free online home energy report.
2. Energy Rebate and Tax Credit Directory: EnergySavvy's guide to energy rebates and tax credits can help you find all the energy tax credits and rebates that are available locally for you.
3. Energy Contractors: If you've got a project in mind to make your home more energy efficient and comfortable and you'd like to talk with an energy expert about it, we can help. We focus on the relatively small group of contractors nationwide who really understand home energy auditing and energy retrofits.
4. Educational Content: Home energy efficiency is complicated stuff. It's not just as simple as laying some insulation in the attic. We've put together a library of easy-to-read topics that cover the basics of energy efficiency. And if you have a question about anything, you can ask one of our energy experts using our "Ask an Expert" feature.

Last Updated: May 2010

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