Home Energy Efficiency in San Jose

Making Your Home Comfortable and Efficient

Here are some things you should know about San Jose if you're interested in creating a more energy-efficient home.

• The average December low is 41 degrees, and the average high in July and August is 84. Although that isn't a huge temperature range, proper insulation can have a great impact on heating and cooling bills.
• Insulation becomes even more important when you consider that the average home was built in 1972 — a time when builders often installed only three or four inches of insulation in attics.
• Energy doesn't come cheap in California. The average natural gas price is around $12.75/thousand cubic feet, and the average price of electricity is around $0.18/kilowatt-hour from Pacific Gas and Electric.
• San Jose receives approximately 5 kWh/meter squared of solar radiation daily, which is great if you're interested in powering your home with solar.

Home Energy Audits in San Jose

The first step to knowing what you can do to reduce your energy consumption is to have your home audited for its energy performance. A professional will test your home and then let you know the most cost-effective measures you can take, whether it's increasing insulation or replacing outdated appliances.

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 San Jose

How can you use this information to make your home more energy efficient?

• Insulation: Insulation is important when it comes to keeping a consistent temperature inside your home without having to pay a fortune on your heating and cooling bills.
• Air Sealing: Hand in hand with insulation, this is one of the most cost effective measures you can take to reducing your utility bills without sacrificing comfort because it keeps hot and cold air from slipping through the cracks.
• Energy Efficient Windows: In California, windows with a low U-factor are the best choice for new buildings or remodels. The low U-factor indicates that heat won't easily transfer through the glass pane. If you're not sure what U-factor will work best for your home, look for windows with the ENERGY STAR label.
• Solar Panels and Solar Hot Water: If you've done everything from replacing windows to sealing up all the cracks and crevices, you might be ready for solar. If you are interested in producing electricity, a photovoltaic system might be right for you. Or if you just want to reduce your electrical consumption, look into a solar water heater that will use the sun's energy to preheat your hot water.

Have a project in mind? Find the right contractor.

Energy Rebates and Tax Credits in San Jose

Home Efficiency Upgrades: Pacific Gas and Electric offers rebates on energy-efficient heating and cooling appliances, lighting, insulation and other energy-efficiency improvements. Also, the federal government offers an efficiency tax credit equal to 30 percent of the cost of energy-efficiency upgrades, including insulation, windows, roofs, water heaters and more. The total credit can be as much as $1,500.

Renewable Energy Systems: California, as the leader in renewable energy systems, offers several incentives to homeowners interested in solar. Through the California Solar Initiative, homeowners can receive rebates for installing solar panels or solar water heaters. Solar energy systems are also eligible for a California property tax exclusion, as well as a federal renewable energy tax credit equal to 30 percent of the system cost. If you consider yourself more of a wind person, there are rebates for you as well. Wind systems are also eligible for the federal renewable tax credit and a few California incentives. Through California's Self-Generation Incentive Program, homeowners can receive $1.50/Watt of generation capacity for installing a wind system of 30 kW or less. If your wind system is grid-connected, you may also be eligible for the Emerging Renewables Program incentive.

Check out all energy rebates and tax credits in San Jose.

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: March 2010

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