Energy efficiency: Save money. Protect your health. Preserve the environment.

Cooler weather is coming, and you know what that means --- higher heating and energy costs. One of the best things you can do to get ready is have an energy assessment or audit to find out how to make your home or business more energy-efficient. The U.S. Department of Energy offers two types of energy assessments for industrial manufacturing plants, one for large plants and one for small- and medium-sized plants.

Whether you own your own home, or rent an apartment, there are ways to substantially reduce your home heating costs. Visit the U.S. Department of Energy's energysavers.gov for tips on saving energy and money at home. And if you, or someone you know, needs financial help to get through this heating season, consider these state housing energy programs.

Home owners who want to invest in the energy efficiency of their homes - including renewable energy systems - can access a variety of resources to help defray their upfront costs and improve their return on investment with financing and tax incentives, such as those offered by Mass Save. In addition to Mass Save, other tools and resources are available to businesses and institutions to help them carefully evaluate their energy efficiency opportunities and develop an effective plan to install them.

If you run a business, school, or hospital, explore ways to reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions with a Combined Heat and Power system (CHP). CPH can effectively generate heat and electric power using less fuel than a typical system. Use this free online software tool to evaluate the feasibility and quantify the benefits of using a CHP system in your workplace.

Interested in learning how you can help create a cleaner energy future for the Commonwealth using renewable energy, such as wind and solar power? Check out these federal and state tax credits, grants, and incentives designed to help businesses, institutions, and homes fund energy efficiency and renewable energy installations, plus energy efficiency opportunities specifically for business and institutions.

Finally, find out what the Green Communities Division, together with some Massachusetts cities and towns, are doing to maximize energy efficiency in public buildings; generate clean energy from renewable sources; and manage rising energy costs.