>Jason: If you have taken all the advice on this site, changed windows and lights, added insulation, and put on a new AC, and still have high energy bills, there's a good chance that you may be using old appliances in your home. All the appliances in your house (water heater, refrigerator, washer and dryer, stove, etc) use some form of power, usually either electricity or natural gas. We often don't think about these things running up our power bill, and so often ignore them until they go out. This can be an expensive habit, because the older an appliance gets, the more expensive it becomes to operate. For example, replacing your refrigerator, while it may cost anywhere from $500 -2000 for a new one, may also save you as much as $100 per month. This would mean a payback on your expense of 1-2 years, which is well worth the money. Of course, the key is knowing when to replace the unit, and when it isn't cost-effective.
>Ken: Do you hear the sucking sound coming from your garage where the old refrigerator is keeping your favorite beverages cold? That's the sound of the money going to your utility when you could be using it to buy even more favorite beverages instead. If that appliance is older than about 10 years, you may want to consider replacing it. If it is an old dinosaur built when Thomas Edison was still finding new ways of using electricity, you may want to unplug it and sell it on Ebay. Then go find a new appliance with an energy star rating on it. You will not be sorry. Not only will it save energy, but you probably won't have to worry about it breaking down and destroying everything inside it before you discover what happened. Makes sense, right? That's why we say you need to be ... energy smart!
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Let's Put Order to Chaos
Before reading this post, take a look over the past 6 entries. Everything that we have talked about thus far has been the basics of building efficiency - covering insulation, ducting, HVAC, lighting, and windows. With a good understanding of these 5 topics, you are prepared to begin making your home more energy efficient. However, these measures are not always effective by themselves, but instead only save money when coupled with another energy conservation measures. This week we are going to talk about getting your home efficient in the most safe and economic way.
>Jason: You cant just buy any "energy efficient" product and expect it to save you money. That only works in the world of smooth-talking salespeople who want your money. For example, installing windows out of order can acutally make your home unsafe, and not save you a penny. Fortunately, there is one measure that can be done all by itself, and that is high-efficiency lighting. As a lighting expert, I know that most homes older than 10 years are using primarily incandescent, or regular, light bulbs. These bulbs might produce a nice-looking light in your living room, and admittedly, I use several in my home. The drawback is that they consume four times the electricity of a compact fluorescent light (CFL). Today, CFLs are cheaper than incandescent lights, last longer, look brighter, turn on instantly and save the average home $9-12 per year per bulb. The best news is that you can change your lights at any time and it will still save you $9-12 per year. CFLs are the cheapest, quickest way to save money on your electric bill, and if you have more than 25 light bulbs in your home right now, changing them out will cost you no more than $20, but you will likely more than $200 in your first year, if you turn lights off. If your lights are on a lot, that savings is significantly higher. Sounds good? Get to work.
>Ken: What a lot of people don't realize is that doing some of the other energy saving measures in the wrong order can end up not helping like it should in efficiency, and can actually make your home a more dangerous place to live in. How can this be? If you have very leaky ducting (and a vast majority of them are!) you DO NOT want to replace your windows before sealing the ducting. Leaky ductwork creates a negative pressure in your home, when you increase the tightness of the home by installing dual pane windows, the air that was being pulled in through your previously leaky windows must be made up somewhere. This will happen through any source to the outside, such as a water heater flue, or fireplace flue, or range hood. Carbon monoxide can be pulled into the home and create a very dangerous environment for you to live in. Sealing the ducting should be one of the first things you do. If you have an old air-conditioner (over 15 years of age), you may want to consider changing that out at the same time. In the state of California, if you change the AC unit the ducting must be sealed at the same time by the contractor.
>Jason: That makes sense Ken. Of course, once the HVAC is complete, you will want to blow in more insulation into your attic, but only after your HVAC is done. You see, insulation, HVAC and even windows are all climate control measures, designed to give you comfortable air. So you want your house to keep the air once it has been conditioned to your comfort. See the insulation post for more details about good insulation.
>Ken: Lastly, windows should be the final measure taken. You get the least amount of energy savings for the highest cost. OK, I think we are getting a little long winded here, so let's wrap this up by just saying, if you have any doubt about how to go about upgrading your home always look for a contractor that treats your home as a unit. He or she will do a whole house diagnostic which will tell them what is going on in your home and what measures and in what order they should be accomplished.. remember, always be energy smart!
>Jason: You cant just buy any "energy efficient" product and expect it to save you money. That only works in the world of smooth-talking salespeople who want your money. For example, installing windows out of order can acutally make your home unsafe, and not save you a penny. Fortunately, there is one measure that can be done all by itself, and that is high-efficiency lighting. As a lighting expert, I know that most homes older than 10 years are using primarily incandescent, or regular, light bulbs. These bulbs might produce a nice-looking light in your living room, and admittedly, I use several in my home. The drawback is that they consume four times the electricity of a compact fluorescent light (CFL). Today, CFLs are cheaper than incandescent lights, last longer, look brighter, turn on instantly and save the average home $9-12 per year per bulb. The best news is that you can change your lights at any time and it will still save you $9-12 per year. CFLs are the cheapest, quickest way to save money on your electric bill, and if you have more than 25 light bulbs in your home right now, changing them out will cost you no more than $20, but you will likely more than $200 in your first year, if you turn lights off. If your lights are on a lot, that savings is significantly higher. Sounds good? Get to work.
>Ken: What a lot of people don't realize is that doing some of the other energy saving measures in the wrong order can end up not helping like it should in efficiency, and can actually make your home a more dangerous place to live in. How can this be? If you have very leaky ducting (and a vast majority of them are!) you DO NOT want to replace your windows before sealing the ducting. Leaky ductwork creates a negative pressure in your home, when you increase the tightness of the home by installing dual pane windows, the air that was being pulled in through your previously leaky windows must be made up somewhere. This will happen through any source to the outside, such as a water heater flue, or fireplace flue, or range hood. Carbon monoxide can be pulled into the home and create a very dangerous environment for you to live in. Sealing the ducting should be one of the first things you do. If you have an old air-conditioner (over 15 years of age), you may want to consider changing that out at the same time. In the state of California, if you change the AC unit the ducting must be sealed at the same time by the contractor.
>Jason: That makes sense Ken. Of course, once the HVAC is complete, you will want to blow in more insulation into your attic, but only after your HVAC is done. You see, insulation, HVAC and even windows are all climate control measures, designed to give you comfortable air. So you want your house to keep the air once it has been conditioned to your comfort. See the insulation post for more details about good insulation.
>Ken: Lastly, windows should be the final measure taken. You get the least amount of energy savings for the highest cost. OK, I think we are getting a little long winded here, so let's wrap this up by just saying, if you have any doubt about how to go about upgrading your home always look for a contractor that treats your home as a unit. He or she will do a whole house diagnostic which will tell them what is going on in your home and what measures and in what order they should be accomplished.. remember, always be energy smart!
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Are your windows a pain in the glass?
Have you ever wondered how much heat/cold your windows transmit? If you have single pane windows now, according to PG&E figures, you are losing about 25% of your heating or cooling energy to the outdoors right through them! Changing them to high efficiency windows can vastly reduce this loss, but is that all they will do for you?
>Jason: Besides energy savings, dual-pane windows drastically reduce noise pollution from the outside because of the extra thickness. This is especially useful in street-facing windows. Dual-pane windows also provide added security. Generally, a high efficiency window will have 2 or even 3 panes of glass, each about 50% thicker than conventional windows. This thickness will make it harder for thieves to break.
Okay, extra benefits aside, lets get down to business on why high-efficiency windows may be a good buy for your home. Ultraviolet (UV) light radiates from the sun all day long. That light comes through glass and creates heat in your home. There are several ways to slow down this UV light, but nothing can stop it completely. Ken will tell you about gas-filled windows, Low E coating and vinyl vs. aluminum frames. Ultimately though a window is rated with something called the U factor, and that is what yoiu will want to look at when considering what window to buy. The following link will provide you with information on what the U factor is exactly: Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
>Ken: Thanks, Jason. What material should you get for the frame of the window? Aluminum, although used in the cheapest dual pane windows, is also the least efficient. There is a reason that aluminum is occasionally used in cookware... it transmits heat! The better material to use is vinyl. It is highly efficient, and extremely durable. It is easy to find vinyl windows with lifetime warranties included. The most efficient material is wood. Unfortunately, wood requires maintenance. You must keep them painted, or they will weather and crack. You will rarely find wood framed widows with more than a 25 year warranty.
U factors are used to describe the efficiency of your windows in keeping the heat in or out of your home. The lower the number, the less heat is transmitted, so compare and get the lowest you can afford. Low E coatings are used for decreasing the amount of UV light transmission occurs. The less UV is transmitted, the more comfortable the home and your furniture will not fade with sunlight beating down on it. The downside to Low E is that it will also decrease the amount of light entering the home, its like you put tinting on the windows. Balance the importance of light transmission and decreasing the heat transferred by sunlight carefully in making your decision about which windows to purchase. Be sure the spacer between the panes of glass are butyl, using aluminum spacers can defeat some of the purpose of the dual panes (cook-ware, remember?). The gas between the panes is important as well. It needs to be a heavy, noble gas like Argon or Krypton (sorry superman!). A heavy gas will slow transmission of heat, while just using air is not as efficient. The amount of space between the panes should be around 1/2 to 5/8 inch. Less than that and the heat will transfer too easily, more than that and currents can form and also begin transferring heat.
Finally, be careful to get a reputable contractor to install them. I had the unfortunate experience of a homeowner telling me about the contractor they chose. They started the day at 8am, and removed all the windows and sliding glass doors in the home. Then they began installing the new dual pane windows. At 5pm, being quitting time, they packed up and left- intending to return the next day . Unfortunately, they left half of the window openings with no glass in them overnight! They should replace the windows as the remove them. Always hire licensed reputable contractors when doing any major work on your home, and remember to be energy smart!
>Jason: Besides energy savings, dual-pane windows drastically reduce noise pollution from the outside because of the extra thickness. This is especially useful in street-facing windows. Dual-pane windows also provide added security. Generally, a high efficiency window will have 2 or even 3 panes of glass, each about 50% thicker than conventional windows. This thickness will make it harder for thieves to break.
Okay, extra benefits aside, lets get down to business on why high-efficiency windows may be a good buy for your home. Ultraviolet (UV) light radiates from the sun all day long. That light comes through glass and creates heat in your home. There are several ways to slow down this UV light, but nothing can stop it completely. Ken will tell you about gas-filled windows, Low E coating and vinyl vs. aluminum frames. Ultimately though a window is rated with something called the U factor, and that is what yoiu will want to look at when considering what window to buy. The following link will provide you with information on what the U factor is exactly: Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
>Ken: Thanks, Jason. What material should you get for the frame of the window? Aluminum, although used in the cheapest dual pane windows, is also the least efficient. There is a reason that aluminum is occasionally used in cookware... it transmits heat! The better material to use is vinyl. It is highly efficient, and extremely durable. It is easy to find vinyl windows with lifetime warranties included. The most efficient material is wood. Unfortunately, wood requires maintenance. You must keep them painted, or they will weather and crack. You will rarely find wood framed widows with more than a 25 year warranty.
U factors are used to describe the efficiency of your windows in keeping the heat in or out of your home. The lower the number, the less heat is transmitted, so compare and get the lowest you can afford. Low E coatings are used for decreasing the amount of UV light transmission occurs. The less UV is transmitted, the more comfortable the home and your furniture will not fade with sunlight beating down on it. The downside to Low E is that it will also decrease the amount of light entering the home, its like you put tinting on the windows. Balance the importance of light transmission and decreasing the heat transferred by sunlight carefully in making your decision about which windows to purchase. Be sure the spacer between the panes of glass are butyl, using aluminum spacers can defeat some of the purpose of the dual panes (cook-ware, remember?). The gas between the panes is important as well. It needs to be a heavy, noble gas like Argon or Krypton (sorry superman!). A heavy gas will slow transmission of heat, while just using air is not as efficient. The amount of space between the panes should be around 1/2 to 5/8 inch. Less than that and the heat will transfer too easily, more than that and currents can form and also begin transferring heat.
Finally, be careful to get a reputable contractor to install them. I had the unfortunate experience of a homeowner telling me about the contractor they chose. They started the day at 8am, and removed all the windows and sliding glass doors in the home. Then they began installing the new dual pane windows. At 5pm, being quitting time, they packed up and left- intending to return the next day . Unfortunately, they left half of the window openings with no glass in them overnight! They should replace the windows as the remove them. Always hire licensed reputable contractors when doing any major work on your home, and remember to be energy smart!
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