Building or converting your home into an energy efficient home may require an initial capital outlay but the benefits in the long term not only include saving money but also makes for healthier living while at the same time saving the nation's energy resources.

Efficient energy use, or energy efficiency, mean using less energy to provide the same level of energy service. For example, insulating your house to use less heating and cooling energy to maintain the same temperature. Or, installing fluorescent lights and light bulbs and/or skylights instead of incandescent lights to attain the same level of lighting.

Efficient energy use is achieved mainly by the use of more efficient technology rather than changing your habits, i.e. switching off lights when leaving a room.

If you are building a new home it is much easier to install energy saving or efficiency devices that when you are converting an existing home. However, every energy efficient device you incorporate into your home benefits not only you and your family but also your community and the rest of the world.

Energy efficiency devices can be devided into passive devices and active devices. Passive devices are those that primarily save on energy use without actually providing energy, i.e. roof and window insulation, while active devices are those that actually provide energy or replace current energy sources, in full or in part, i.e. solar or wind energy.

Passive energy efficient devices:

1. Ceiling & roof insulation
2. Wall insulation
3. Window & door insulation
4. Floor insulation
5. Energy efficient lighting
6. Skylights
7. Sun tubes

Active energy efficient devices:

1. Solar power
2. Solar powered devices
3. Wind energy
4. Wind and solar heating & cooling systems