Discover the top 10 eco-conscious technologies for your home.

When you think of an eco-friendly home, do you picture bulky solar panels or maybe the retro Earthship homes from the 1970s? While green homes have sometimes been misunderstood, modern technologies make it easy for almost anyone to adopt sustainable practices in their living space.

There's good reason to consider making these changes. On average, a U.S. household consumes about 32 kilowatt hours of electricity [source: U.S. Energy Information Administration] and uses 400 gallons (1,514 liters) of water each day [source: WaterSense]. By reducing energy and water usage, you'll not only help preserve natural resources but also see financial benefits in the form of lower utility bills.

Making your home more sustainable doesn't require radical changes. Whether you're planning to build a new home or upgrade your current one, there are plenty of green technologies to explore. Some options might require a larger investment, while others can be tackled as DIY weekend projects. Let’s start with a choice that could offer significant savings.

10: Solar Water Heating System

Traditional water heaters rely on electricity or natural gas to warm the water you use for showers, laundry, and dishes. Each time you turn on the hot water, you're burning through energy and increasing your costs.

A solar water heater harnesses the sun’s natural heat to warm your water, either directly or through solar panels that absorb energy to heat the water. The heated water is stored in an insulated tank, much like a conventional system, until you need it [source: Energy Savers]. While the initial installation may be pricier than regular water heaters, you could cut your water heating costs by 50 to 80 percent.

One downside of solar water heaters is that they might not generate enough energy to heat all the water a typical household needs. For example, there's a salon I love to visit in south Florida that uses a solar water heater. If you book your appointment too late in the day, they may have to wash your hair with cold water before your haircut. That’s fine in a salon, but it’s a little more problematic when you're preparing for work in the morning. To counter this, many home solar water heaters come with a backup system, either electric or gas, to step in when needed.

9: Rainwater Harvesting Barrels

Whether you're growing vegetables or flowers, your garden needs water to thrive. Trust me, I've killed more than my fair share of plants simply by forgetting to water them. Outdoor water usage, like watering your garden, is a significant part of household water consumption. Thankfully, it's an easy fix with one or two rain barrels and a garden irrigation system.

A rain barrel, as the name suggests, is a large container designed to collect rainwater, typically equipped with a spigot at the bottom. You can purchase rain barrels from a hardware store or even create your own. If you're planning to use it for watering your garden, consider placing the barrel on concrete blocks. The added height will use gravity to provide your hose with extra water pressure.

To maximize the efficiency of your rain barrel, it's best to position it beneath your gutter's downspout. This way, rainwater is directed straight from the roof into your barrel. Setting this up is fairly simple. Just place the barrel at a corner of your house, measure its height, and then cut the gutter to ensure the barrel fits underneath.

8: Solar-Powered Electricity Panels

Solar panels have made impressive strides since the 1970s! Today’s solar panels are far more efficient than their early versions, with some companies even creating aesthetically pleasing panels.

You can either install solar panels yourself or hire a contractor to do the work. Some states offer solar leasing programs, where a company installs and maintains the panels on your roof [source: Shahan]. Essentially, this company becomes your new power provider. The energy produced by your panels and others in your area is sold back to you and other participants in the program.

Concerned about solar panels ruining your home's look? While traditional panels can still be mounted on your roof or in your backyard, new solar shingles are designed to seamlessly integrate into your existing roof [source: Pandolfi]. These shingles replace sections of your roof tiles and connect to your home’s electricity system, providing some or all of your household's power.

7: Geothermal Heating System

Up to half of your home's energy is used to maintain a comfortable indoor temperature [source: Energy Star]. This means that green technologies designed to reduce heating and cooling costs can offer some of the fastest returns on investment.

If your home has central heating and air, the system works by exchanging indoor air with outdoor air. In summer, your HVAC unit expels hot air to cool the inside, while in winter, it pulls heat from outside and brings it into your home. However, this system isn't the most efficient, as it struggles with extreme outdoor temperatures. A geothermal heat pump works similarly, but its heat exchange system is buried underground where the temperature remains much more stable. While installation may be pricier initially, it can reduce your heating and cooling costs by 30 to 40 percent [source: Consumer Energy Center].

Geothermal heat pumps are not only more efficient, but they are also quieter and last longer than traditional HVAC systems. Since the system components are underground, they’re protected from weather damage and vandalism, making them virtually maintenance-free [source: Energy Savers].

6: Wind Turbine for the Backyard

Depending on your location, a backyard wind turbine could be an excellent green energy option. These small turbines resemble the ones used in large wind farms but are scaled down to fit residential needs. They capture the wind's energy to help generate electricity for your home.

To see if wind power is viable in your area, visit the U.S. Department of Energy's wind map. By clicking on your state, you can view detailed wind speed data. A minimum of 5 miles per hour (8 kilometers per hour) wind speed is necessary to produce a decent amount of energy [source: Liscano]. In states like Texas, where wind is abundant, home-based wind energy is becoming more popular as the price of conventional energy rises.

Like solar power, residential wind energy usually doesn't cover all your electricity needs, but it can offset a significant portion and lower your energy bills. However, wind turbines face some resistance, particularly from homeowners associations (HOAs), which may prohibit their installation. Turbines can also generate noise, but thanks to advancements in technology, quieter models are now available [source: Bottero].

5: Dual Flush Toilets

Did you know that your toilet is the largest water consumer in your home? An older toilet can use up to 27 percent of your household's water [source: WaterSense]. Replacing an outdated toilet can significantly lower water usage, but a dual flush toilet is an even better option.

You don’t need to update your plumbing to install a dual flush toilet, although you might want to hire a plumber for the job. A dual flush toilet offers two flushing options: one for liquid waste and another for...well, 'solid waste.' Since flushing liquid waste requires less water, it doesn’t make sense to use the same amount for both types of waste. Dual flush toilets also have a different flushing mechanism, making them even more efficient at handling solid waste than regular toilets [source: The Energy Conscious].

If a brand-new dual flush toilet isn’t in your budget right now, you can find conversion kits at hardware stores or online to retrofit your current toilet. These kits are easy to install, and you’ll likely be able to do it yourself.

4: Energy Star Appliances

From large appliances like your dishwasher to smaller ones such as the washing machine and even the toaster, household appliances are often major consumers of energy.

Energy Star is a program by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy that rates appliances based on their energy efficiency. To earn the Energy Star label, an appliance must exceed the efficiency of typical models in its category. For example, an Energy Star-rated refrigerator must consume at least 20% less energy than standard models [source: Energy Star].

When it's time to replace older appliances in your home, an Energy Star model can help cut down your electricity bill. However, there's an ongoing debate over whether it’s better to replace old appliances preemptively or wait until they break. If you're looking to lower your overall environmental impact, you might actually be better off using those older appliances until they completely stop working. The environmental cost of manufacturing and shipping a new appliance can outweigh the energy savings it might offer [source: Reichman].

3: Smart Power Strips

Have you heard of vampire power? Devices like your TV, DVD player, and video game consoles continue to draw energy even when switched off. Instead of actually powering down, they enter 'standby mode,' where they continue consuming power. TV vampires suck blood, but energy vampires suck away your electricity.

Before smart power strips became popular, the only way to combat these energy vampires was to physically unplug your devices when you weren't using them. Not exactly the most convenient solution, right?

Smart power strips work by using a control device to disconnect all power from energy-hungry gadgets. If you're already using a regular power strip for your home entertainment system, simply swap it out for a smart one, and you'll be on your way to saving energy. When you turn off your 'control' device, the smart power strip will cut off power to the other devices, ensuring they're fully powered down instead of lingering in standby mode, still using electricity.

To get the most energy savings with a smart power strip, selecting the right control device is crucial. In our setup, we use the receiver as the control. Since our TV, DVD player, and gaming console are all connected through the receiver, we wouldn't use any of them without turning it on first. When the receiver is off, none of those devices can drain power. Most smart strips also feature outlets that are always powered on, so you can keep devices like your DVR running without cutting their power when the control is switched off.

2: Home Energy Management Technology

One of the most effective ways to save energy at home is by identifying where most of your energy is being used. A home energy monitor makes this process easy, giving you instant access to information on your energy consumption. Whether you choose a simple outlet-specific monitor or a full home energy management system, understanding your energy usage will allow you to reduce waste and save money.

Home energy monitors range from basic to sophisticated. You can purchase simple models to track energy consumption at individual outlets, or opt for a comprehensive system that gives you detailed insights into your entire home's energy use. These monitors plug into regular outlets and sync with your smart power meter, allowing you to see how much energy you're using in different rooms and at specific times. Some models can even track consumption at the individual outlet level [source: General Electric].

This device transmits all of its data to your computer, enabling you to pinpoint where the most energy is being wasted in your home. Some advanced home energy monitoring systems can even send this data directly to your smartphone and allow you to control your devices remotely, helping you reduce your home's energy consumption in real-time [source: Ellis].

1: Programmable Thermostat

Do you ever forget to lower the heat at night or bump the temperature up before leaving the house for work to avoid cooling an empty home? A programmable thermostat can handle those adjustments for you, helping you save on heating and cooling without compromising comfort.

Programmable thermostats come in several varieties, but they all essentially work the same way. You set the times when the temperature should change, and the thermostat takes care of the rest. The type of thermostat you choose depends on your schedule, and there are three main options:

Installing a programmable thermostat is relatively straightforward, depending on your current wiring setup. If your existing thermostat has just two wires, a battery-powered programmable version is easy to install. However, if there are three wires, you might need to call in an electrician for assistance [source: Marques]. Just remember to turn off the power at the breaker before making any adjustments to your thermostat!