Sean Locke
DCL
Heating and cooling make up 50%-70% of the energy used in an American home. You can reduce your energy output by using Energy Star appliances, putting your video games on power saver mode or using CFL light bulbs, but it is all for naught if you aren't doing anything about your in-home climate control.
You can reduce the amount of energy and resources that go into heating and cooling by insulating your home well. But how much insulation do you need? You don't want to spend your money going all-out crazy on insulation. What can be done so you can get the insulation you need for the house that you live in?
You can calculate your R-value, that's what can be done. The United States Department of Energy can help you do it with their handy R-value calculator. Simply plug in the type of house you live in, your zip code and the type of heating you use, and the calculator will give you an insulation recommendation.
You still need to figure out the existing R-value of your home. Then you need to figure out what insulations are going to help you reach your R-value goals. For that you can go the the EERE's web site and figure out which insulation will work best in your house. And for quick reference, this Wikipedia page has a list of insulations and their R-values.
