Create an energy-efficient home for the holidays

FALLBROOK – ‘Tis the season to be festive, and that usually means stringing up hundreds of twinkling lights to create a welcoming glow on dark winter nights. Some people view the holiday season as their chance to go all out with regard to decorating their homes with an abundance of lights, inflatable lawn ornaments and maybe even some mechanical figures.

While these decorations certainly may be symbols of the season, it’s easy to forget just how much energy and resources they consume. A typical strand of lights uses around 300 watts of electricity. Multiply those figures by the dozens of...