For years, Energy Efficiency has been a topic buried under all the ‘green’ talk surrounding the use of solar power at home and alternative energy sources.

Today, energy efficient homes are taking center stage on a massive scale. Onondaga Home improvement projects now focus on aspects of the home such as conducting energy audits and air sealing your home’s attic, walls, and basement. A home’s energy efficiency is priority number one before any homeowners should even consider using solar power at home. Think about it, if you’re home is an energy hog, and not using energy efficiently, it will take a whole lot more solar energy to power your home, driving up the price of installing such a solar power system.

So, first things first, energy efficient home improvements need to be understood at the outset of any ‘green’ home improvement project.

One of the misconceptions of going green is, If you add green features to your home, costs would also rise. Fortunately, the opposite is true. By redesigning processes — reducing mistakes, doing things right the first time — home owners can improve their home’s energy efficiency and cut their home energy costs.

Because so many people now need to save the green in their wallets, going green at home through energy efficient home improvements is the logical way to go.

So, just how much money can be saved in a household by improving Onondaga home energy efficiency?

The average American home has about 40-50 light bulbs, excluding closet lights, and most homes are filled with incandescent bulbs. Compact fluorescent bulbs or CFLs are the easiest energy efficient home improvement you can make to start. Four CFL bulbs use the energy of one incandescent bulb, by replacing all of them, you could save $350 a year on your electric bill!

Water Efficiency

What about water efficiency? Bathrooms, which can easily be the most wasteful rooms in the Onondaga house, have a great opportunity to be a very efficient room as well. Low flow toilets instead of the standard, 3.5-gallon toilets, which, for a family of five, can cut a water bill by $165 a year. Low flow sink faucets in both bathrooms can also reduce the water bill by another $200 a year. There are also adjustable shower heads that control the flow of water so it isn’t on full spray for the entire time in the shower. These attachable heads can slow down water flow by 80 percent when full power isn’t needed, such as when soaping up or shaving. By adjusting the water flow, a family of five can save up to $350 annually on their water bill and as much as $350 on their heating bill given the reduced use of hot water.

Heating and Cooling

Nothing in the home consumes more energy than the heating and cooling system. Keeping your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer is a constant battle to separate the inside elements from the outside. The best way to improve home energy efficiency when it comes to heating and cooling is through air sealing your home. Also known as weatherizing, this is a crucial element to any energy efficient home. Trouble areas include the roof where hot air can escape in the winter and also attract heat during the summer. Home improvements such as “Cool Roofs” are a great way to reduce summer time heat. The attic is a very important element to insulate the house. If your insulation is less than six inches thick, it’s time to make some improvements.

Understanding home energy efficiency doesn’t have to be hard, it just has to make sense.

If you are looking for a professional Syracuse replacement windows contractor, then please call us today at 315-437-3008 or complete our online consultation form.

While home building may be a little slow in these economic times, if you are one of the fortunate ones who is ready and able to build your dream home, first congratulations. Second, are you looking to build a home that is not only comfortable and functional, but is friendly to the environment?

Even you don’t give two licks about the environment, and if that’s true that’s too bad, building a green home is not only good for the Earth, but it can leave more green in your bank account.

Smaller Can Be Better

Make your floor plan efficient, which is code for smaller. Nobody is saying you should turn your dream home into a studio apartment plan, but just remember that the more rooms you have, the more heating and cooling you will need to do. Plus, the money you save on building that den or fifth bedroom can be used towards some other bells and whistles, some of which we will get into in this article.

Go Solar!

The first extra you may want to consider, even if your budget is flexible enough without cutting out floor space, is solar paneling. Not only can you work the expense into your mortgage, but it will pay for itself in a few short years through cost savings on your monthly bills.

Geothermal Heat Pumps

There are several cost-effective ways to go with heating your home and water, but you may want to consider going with a geothermal heat pump. This relatively new technology uses the thermal energy from the Earth to heat or cool your home and water. It can be used for space heating, cooling, water heating, or a combination of all of these.

While using the Earth’s warmth to provide heat, geothermal pumps also draw heat away, referred to as a “heat sink,” when you need cooler temperatures.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “geothermal heat pumps can reduce energy consumption – and corresponding emissions – up to 44 percent compared to air-source heat pumps and up to 72 percent compared to electric resistance heating with standard air-conditioning equipment.”

While the upfront cost is significantly higher than conventional systems, due to the drilling that is involved, if you are building a new home and the geothermal system is included in an Energy Efficient Mortgage (EEM), “the homeowner could have a positive cash flow from the beginning,” according to the Energy Commission.

Use Recycled Materials

While many recycled material used for homes are a little on the quirky side, they aren’t all for the eccentric. You can have concrete countertops made from recycled paper fibers, glass, ceramics, or other materials. Recycled rubber and cork can be used in a composite material for flooring. The possibilities are almost endless!

If you are remodeling and choosing Syracuse replacement windows, you have a number of things to consider such as appearance, cost and energy efficiency. There are many benefits to getting new windows. There are, of course, also costs, but over the long term, you may find that you can recoup the costs with the amount of money you save with lower heating and cooling bills.

The benefits of more energy efficient windows include lower energy costs, more comfort for you and your family, less condensation or water buildup, more light and possibly a better view. You will also help protect your interior furnishings and rugs from fading due to sunlight exposure.

Since energy efficient windows can lower your heating and cooling or air conditioning bills, that of course is also good for the environment. And they can certainly make you feel more comfortable – no one likes sitting in a drafty room in winter.

In a full Syracuse window replacement, the existing frame is removed and the new window placed into the same place as the old window. If you are inserting windows in an existing frame, then the old sash and trim would be removed, but your original frame would stay and the new window goes into the opening.

If you are a consumer looking to buy or replace windows, look for a manufacturer who makes and sells energy efficient products and who has a reputation for quality service. Ask how long the company has been in business and make sure they provide a warranty on the units they sell. Do your research and shop around. Your windows will be with you a long time and you want them to be done correctly.

In order to keep costs down and to keep the temperatures in your Syracuse home from being too hot or too cold, it is important to have adequate energy efficient insulation. Four components contribute to your household’s energy efficiency and they are:

1) The amount of ventilation that is present, 2) the moisture control that is evident, 3) the insulation, and 4) air sealing. Make certain that yours is in proper balance to have the most comfortable and cost effective system.

The term ventilation refers to the movement of air through the home. While it is not a good idea to have cracks which allow cold air to seep in during the winter or heat in the summer, there needs to be adequate air movement in order to eliminate the accumulation of pollutants or stale air. This can be achieved by using exhaust fans, as are often present in bathrooms or kitchen areas. Vents and duct-work can also aid in proper ventilation.

Moisture control can be achieved by ventilation systems, as well. While some moisture is necessary in an environment, too much moisture, as in damp basements, attics or crawl spaces can lead to mold problems and other health challenges.

Insulation provides resistance to heat and energy loss in your Syracuse home. The less heat you lose in the winter, the lower your bills will be. It will also keep the coolness provided by your summertime air conditioning system better contained.

Their energy efficiency is rated by R-values. The R-values refer to resistance to heat flow. This can be determined by the material that it’s made out of, the thickness, the number of layers and its density. A new home that is being constructed or an older home can be made more efficient by adding insulation.

There are different types of insulation that may be used including 1) blankets, which can be made of rock wool or fiberglass, and must be carefully installed for optimum efficiency, 2) spray, which is made from a polyurethane product and is injected into spaces where it expands to fit the area, 3) loose fill type, which can be made up of pellets or fiber and is also blown into the spaces, and 4) Rigid formed sheets which are often used in basements and walls.

Air sealing refers to the tightening up of the structure in terms of leaks and cracks. Inclement weather can slip into your home via ill fitting doors, windows, and cracks around every room’s light and electrical switch-plates. Sealing all with weather-stripping or silicone caulking can keep the outside weather out of doors where it belongs.

Keep your energy costs lower this year by upgrading with energy efficient insulation. You’ll be glad you did as the temperatures continue to drop with winter’s approach.