Q: Based on our water bills, my family uses lots of water and much of it is probably hot water. Is there a simple solar hot water system design that I could build myself? A: Heating water can account ...

It took a while to decode the email I received from Carroll Hampleman (you can see why below), but his home made water heater is worth the bother. Mirrors are arranged to reflect and concentrate the ...

Do you enjoy coming home to a warm home in the dead of winter? Do you leave your furnace running in cold weather even if no one’s home? If you want to keep the house warm for when you return later in ...

Jeff Somers is a freelancer who has been writing about writing, books, personal finance, and home maintenance since 2012. When not writing, Jeff spends his free time fixing up his old house. He has ...

About 20% of a home’s energy use goes toward water heating, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. If you’re looking to save on energy for financial or environmental reasons, you might consider ...

What if you could harness the power of the sun to generate your own energy—right in your backyard? Imagine a system so efficient it could heat water, power small appliances, or even serve as a backup ...

A passive solar-heated home needs no solar panels to heat or cool it. Rather, the energy used to heat and cool a house comes directly from the sun through skylights and windows. Some of that energy is ...

Solar water heaters can be expensive, but they can get you a tax credit and help you save money on energy. Chi Odogwu is a digital consultant, professor, and writer with over a decade of experience in ...

As a former realtor, general contractor and greenhouse operator, Kristi has touched nearly all aspects of homeownership, from the foundation up. Today, Kristi is a full-time investing and real estate ...