Hello Geoff,

In fear of giving you information that is obvious or that you already know, we move forward boldly and answer this question.  I had a similar addition on a previous home and it was difficult to keep it cooler in the summer months.  What ended up proving helpful was to put a small box fan on the floor outside of the room to draw the home's air conditioning into that space.  That teamed with controlling the sunlight with window treatments proved effective.  Thanks Geoff!

We installed a room window a/c. We are also going to install blaclout shades. Having difficulty finding someone to install the shades due to the materials that the room is made of.. A/C makes the room a dream come true.

Energy efficent windows are a good investment.

I'm from Wisconsin and we have a program called Focus on Energy which implements the ENERGY STAR program for improving energy efficiency of older homes. I'm not sure what you have in your region, but I specifically recommend starting with an expert company that can do a blower door test on your home and use an infrared camera to detect where you have air leakage and heat loss.

The number one cause of heat loss is air leakage. So insulation alone will not solve that problem. Leaky ring joists in the basement where the walls, floor, and foundation meet are one culprit... there is generally lots of inward air leakage here. And in the attic, there are a bunch of sources of air leakage, where warm air wants to rise and escape up and out. (So by the way, ice dams on the roof are not solved by adding more attic ventilation; rather they are solved by first doing air sealing, and second verifying or improving insulation.)

If you intend to DIY this, you can still hire a consultant to do the pre-testing and post-testing, and you might even be eligible for some financial incentives. If you hire a professional company to do it, the cost can be reduced by those incentives.

If you won't hire a pro, then here's a few rules of thumb: 

1) Remove fiberglass insulation from ring joists, and either use spray foam or rigid foam to insuate the ring joist, use spray foam to seal the rigid foam in place, minimum 2" thick and you can always fit the fiberglass insulation back in place again when complete.

2) Spray foam over top of wall plates in the attic.

3) Put a gasked on your attic hatch. If you have an attic ladder, buy a specific air sealing enclosure to prevent air leakage through it.

4) Find out if your recessed can lights are IC (Insulation Contact) rated or not. They will be labeled if they are. Build a sealed box around them allowing air space for heat build-up, and consider converting to LED lights so that there is less heat generated. If not IC rated, use cault to seal them to the drywall or plaster, and to close up the holes in the lights themselves.

That's a primer on things... there is more to be done, but these can help!

I would recommend starting with making sure all the existing windows and securely closed and locked.  I find windows partly open because they have been painted that way.  Take some time to make sure each window closes properly add weather stripping as needed.

Add wather stripping to all doors

check that all the heating ducts are connected securely

The best thing you could do for your home to keep the warm in and the cold out is to 1st. check your insulation in your attic if your not properly insulated the heat will escape. Another is making sure your windows are secured and latched. and proper weather seal is on your doors so draft cannot come in. 

Solar shingles are expensive and unproven.  I recommend Sun Power photo voltaic solar.  An average home is $20,000 to $30,000 and the return on investment is 4 to 6 years on a 25 plus year system.

1.  Add insulation in walls and roof.  2.  Air seal your home. 3.  Install Low E or better dual pane doors and windows.

 Well according to Elon Musk yes they are but I'm not sure you can get hold of teslas new shingles  or get a price on them yet. But if you haven't checked them out, check out the YouTube video on tesla's new roofing

Let's hear it for Elon Musk and his efforts to move the solar industry forward!  Solar shingles have lots of potential. Hopefully, Tesla and Solar City will get it right.  We used solar shingles about 15 years ago when installing a new roof and encountered some issues: 1) They were expensive! I would recommend getting a quote for both traditional PV panels versus the shingles and see what pencils out. The cost of PV has come down significantly in the last couple of years. Once you get the quote, be sure and compare the cost/efficiency/performance ratios of the two systems. 2) Maintenance can be an issue. There are more electrical connections with a roof shingle system vs a traditional PV system. More things to create potential problems. The shingles are typically installed in "strings" - where mulitple shingles work together in units.  If one shingle has a problem, the entire string "goes down". Check to see how Solar City addressses this issue: can you easily identify where the bad shingle is and be able to replace it easily?  Otherwise the efficiency of your system is compromised significantly.  Another maintenance issue is keeping all the shingles clean.  There is more work to wash down an entire roof periodically to remove dirt buildup than there is for a traditional PV system. 3) Availability: Is Tesla/Solar City providing the units in Atlanta?  It may take them some time to gear up their distribution and train people to install them properly.  Both important things to consider.

All that being said, it certainly makes sense to have your roof generate power for you!  Regardless of whether you go the traditional PV system or shingles route.  Best of luck!

The answer to this question is directly related to the climate that you live in.  The major window manufacturers offer glazing that is designed for the solar heat gain and temperatures in the various climate zones. You can obtain information either through a reputable window company in your area or by visting the websites of national window companies such as Anderson, Pella, Milguard, etc.

For both an existing and new construction home, the top three items that provide the greatest value and return on investment are as follows:

1. Installation of LED light bulbs and fixtures in replacment of incadenscent or compact flourescent bulbs/fixtures.
2. Sealing of exterior shell of house and all top plate penetrations in conjunction with blower door test.
3. Properly installed insulation in walls and ceilings and upgrading R-Value above code requirements.

Additional items to consider include:

1. Testing and sealing of hvac system duct work
2. Upgrade hvac system condenser SEER and furnace efficiency
3. Tankless water heater
4. Solor photovoltaic system

Step one, if you have siding use a insulated vinyl siding with silica gel. Replace your windows with a double or triple insulated window system. And third your doors are very important. When you do replacement anything you want the doors and windows to fit the space perfectly. We can do these things and more at Jarrett Industries.

The combination of answers above is pretty inclusive. The first responder's comments get you to the construction phase. I would add that recommendations from friends sometimes fall short if your project is of a different nature than theirs. Be sure your contractor has a track record in the type project you are considering.,

 Our estimates list out detail of the work scope included and an overall cost. When moving to the contract phase we submit a schedule of values that will be used for percentage complete pay apps. 

 As far as the construction process, this would be our normal progression:

protection - provision for temp lighting if needed

demolition and temp arrangements for appliance usage if needed

framing of new walls, floors or beams

rough plumbing If needed

rough electric for lights, appliances etc

hvac or venting as needed

insulation

drywall

tile prep, underlayment

tile or hardwood installation

more protection before cabinets to protect finished floors

install cabinets

install trim (base/crown etc)

measure/install countertops

install appliances

paint (sometimes this will  move ahead of countertops)

backsplashes

plumbing finish

electrical finish

cabinet hardware

provide & perform punch list 

remove protection

test electric, plumbing, appliance function

Note: inspections required vary by jurisdiction but for our area it will generally include foundation if an addition is involved, framing if structural changes, rough plumbing, rough electric  insulation, final plumbing, final electric, certificate of occupancy. 

Hope this helps

hire a licensed pro and avoid the pitfalls.