It's called the Great American Dream - home ownership- having a house of your own to raise a family and live comfortably. Whether you're a homeowner with a growing family, retired, or a couple enjoying life, everyone is looking for ways to make their home more energy efficient.

When we use less energy, power plants don't need to generate as much, which helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improves air quality.

When we build our homes we put holes in them. We call them windows and doors. Those same windows and doors which grant us access to our homes and allow light and fresh air in also allow cold or hot air to filter inside in winter and summer. A home's windows are one of the chief ways that heat can be lost during blustery winter months, resulting in higher energy bills - and no one wants that!

So what do you look for when you're going to purchase new windows? First of all, make sure the windows are ENERGYSTAR rated windows. Every ENERGY STAR-qualified window, door, and skylight is independently certified to perform at levels that meet or exceed strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Department of Energy.

Whether you're building a new home or replacing windows in your present home, when it comes to saving energy and keeping your home more comfortable the key is choosing windows with the right glass package like these Simonton Windows. Green Builder Anthony Register of Tidal Homes in Savannah Georgia, says insulated glass with a low e-coating on windows is essential in energy efficiency.

VSOT with Anthony Register

"The windows - this is a vinyl double-insulated window - and it has a low E coating on the exterior. Very much like your sunglasses have coatings to reflect the sunlight, this is the same type coating, except it reflects the heat from your house outward. You can save probably 10 to 15 percent on your energy usage, just by going with the low E windows."

Most of us know insulation is supposed to reduce the cost of heating and cooling our homes. Take a look at this Styrofoam cooler. The insulation keeps the interior cold or hot. Your home is no different!

Insulation that helps stop random air leakage can potentially lower heating and cooling costs by up to 50%. For significant savings choose an insulation that addresses air leakage - like this spray foam insulation system reduces air leakage. This spray foam insulation provides an air barrier.

When your home isn't leaking energy, it takes less effort to heat and cool. That means you could also reduce the size and cost of your heating and cooling equipment. That's pretty cool... or should we say warm?