Energy Efficient Homes

The U.S. Department of Energy has been working over the past 10 years to make homes more energy efficient. There are many variables that go into the efficiency of homes, since most are different. One way that they are making these homes more energy efficient is the way the framing is made. Since their project started, more homes have been built using Advanced House Framing, which reduces lumber use and waste. Another innovation that has helped the energy efficiency of housing is "cool roofs", or roofs that reflect sunlight and absorbs less heat, making the house cooler during hot weather. Straw bale housing was popular in the U.S. between 1895-1940, but it was only around 1995 that the U.S. Department of Energy saw this as a viable energy efficient form of housing. While this type of housing faces numerous barriers, once a way to overcome them is found a combination of these methods could be developed to create an ultra efficient home.

LINK: http://energy.gov/energysaver/energy-efficient-home-design