“Do it over time,” Dierkhising advised. Making energy efficiency improvements is not cheap, she said, but improving over time makes it easier.
Tucked away in the Longfellow neighborhood, Jason Holtz and Brooke Dierkhising’s home reflects a deep commitment to energy efficiency. Their two-story home includes rooftop solar panels, a cozy wood-burning stove, and many other energy efficient and sustainable finishes.
“When we moved into our home, we wanted to make it our own,” Dierkhising said. “So we started making little improvements.” They purchased their home when it was in foreclosure, and had to replace almost everything, including the furnace—now a very energy efficient, smaller model. They insulated the whole home, part of their strategy to begin with improvements “where we would pay the least with the biggest [energy savings] impact.”
Learn about home energy efficiency and more about Brooke and Jason here!