Here are some tips from EarthTalk (emagazine.com) for doing home renovations that can save you energy dollars, improve comfort and honor the environment.

• Have an energy audit performed first.
• Look for building materials that contain post-consumer or post-industrial recycled content that can be easily recycled later.
• Minimize the distance any building materials need to travel.
• Plug holes, patch or replace roofing or siding as needed, adding weather-stripping around doors and windows. 
• Switch out older single-pane windows with more efficient modern double or triple pane styles.
• Replace or add insulation, if needed, to walls, attics and other spaces.
• Swap out old appliances with newer Energy Star models that are 20–30 percent more energy efficient. energystar.gov
• Check out the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC’s) Green Home Guide, a free online resource. (You can ask an experienced contractor questions or find green home professionals.) greenbuildingsupply.com
• Try the Regreen website that offers case studies, interactive tools and do-it-yourself guidelines. regreen.org
• Research environmentally-friendly building supplies and equipment at The Green Depot. greendepot.com