Solar Energy has by far the largest impact on reducing energy costs, as a 5kW system will cover ALL of the electrical needs of an average home. However, the up-front cost can be daunting to some homeowners. But that cost has come down significantly, and with rebates and tax credits, solar becomes a competitive investment and the most profitable home improvement possible.

Aside from solar, there are also other great energy efficient options that are low cost, easy to implement, and have a significant impact on energy costs:

- CFL's: Easiest to implement and cheap. Payback is very quick.
- Programmable Thermostat: A new (and correctly programmed) thermostat will easily pay for itself in a year.
- Ceiling Fans: Also fairly cheap and fairly easy to implement.
- Air Leakage Seal-up: Again fairly low upfront cost, and pays for itself in a year or two.
- Refrigerator / Freezer: Especially if they are older. A new Energy Star or SunFrost Fridge can easily save a household a couple hundred dollars a year in energy.

Every option above, aside from the Refrigerator / Freezer, are usually under $500 and rather non-intrusive. They all offer paybacks of less than 2 years.

These options can also greatly increase the effectiveness of your solar energy system, as your home will use less power - and the excess energy you create from solar can then be sold back to the utility!

Now, if you are a household that has the money and patience to really go green, then insulation (inside walls, outside walls, ceiling), heating system replacement, and other appliances (stove/range, dishwasher, clothes washer/dryer) can also offer great paybacks – but over the long term.

Installing a solar electric system on your roof is a major way to help the environment and save money in the long run, but there are numerous ways to do both now by increasing the energy efficiency of your home. You can install CFL bulbs, install a drain-water heat recovery system, install low-flow fixtures, and make sure your home is properly insulated. If you include a solar energy system on your roof, your house can come as close to carbon neutral as possible!