Articles: When It Comes to Energy Efficiency For Your Home, You Need More Than Just a Hammer
Michael D Zande, Ph.D.
One of my favorite Uncles used to talk about salesmen who would always seem to recommend, for any task, only whatever it was that they were selling. He would explain to me “When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.” I thought about him the other day while attending a home show that specialized in home energy efficiency.
There were window sales people, insulation installer, heating and air conditioning contractors and a whole array of energy efficiency experts. Each one was very convincing that his or her “tools” were the right ones for the job of making your home more efficient and comfortable. To add to the confusion, there is a panoply of energy tax credits, utility company rebates and other incentives now available to the consumer who wishes to reduce his or her energy consumption. Lets open up our toolbox and take a closer look at what we really need to do this job.
The first place to look is for those tools that will be the most useful and give us the best results for the lowest cost. These tools will be found in one place: the attic. Some experts believe that as much as 70% of our home energy loss happens by processes that take place in the attic. In summer, radiant heat broils our attic insulation and then radiates into the living space below. This is why the upstairs in a two-story house is often warmer than the upstairs on hot sunny days. In winter, rising warm air escapes through tiny cracks in the ceilings, walls and framing members. This produces a vacuum in the lower parts of the house that then pulls in cold air from the outside through windows, doors, electrical outlets and the crawl space or basement.
The tools for taming these attic processes include, attic air sealing to keep the rising warm air from escaping in the winter, added attic insulation and then adding a radiant barrier to prevent radiant heat from roasting your insulation in summertime. Upgrading these items will go a long way in saving your hard earned energy dollars. You may even find that your old windows may be perfectly fine if you no longer have a vacuum of negative air pressure drawing the cold air in from the outside. Or maybe your old air conditioner will last a few more seasons if it does not have to work as hard against radiant heat.
The next place we look for energy savings is in what is called our “base” power usage. This is the power we use routinely not including heating and air conditioning. One great tool for reducing our base rate is to switch out our old inefficient incandescent bulbs for newer, more efficient compact fluorescent bulbs, you know, the curly lights. This creates year round savings at a very reasonable cost.
When it comes to energy efficiency, don’t just swing away with a hammer. Explore all of the tools at hand and use the ones that make the most sense. Or better yet. Consult an independent expert for a home energy audit.
Dr. Zande is co-founder of ProActive Energy Systems, Inc. located in Raleigh, NC. ProActive Energy Systems, Inc. specializes in energy efficiency upgrades for existing homes and office buildings. Go to www.proactiveenergysystems.com for more information.