While most professionals have some experience with home energy audits, there are many contractors who take short cuts. Knowing what to expect from a home energy audit and the right questions to ask will ensure that you get the most accurate results.
The color of the shingles you choose for your build can have a significant impact on the building’s energy efficiency. The color shingles your clients choose can have significant effect on the temperature of the upper levels of the building. Attic temperatures can vary as much as 20 to 40 degrees F which in turn can reduce energy consumption by 20%.
Radiant barriers have become somewhat shrouded in urban myth. They were not, for example, invented by NASA, but rather by the far less exciting German businessmen Schmidt and Dykerhoff in 1925.
Building enveloped that perform poorly reduce energy efficiency, increase ROI times, and increase carbon footprints and utility bills for building owners. A blower door test can help to establish the airtightness of small to medium buildings, measure the flow of air between different areas in a building and test the airtightness of ductwork.
Duct leaks are insidious and are one of the three biggest energy wasters in most homes. While leaks cost you through the loss of conditioned air, when these duct leaks cause negative indoor pressure, unconditioned air will be pulled in from outside and you will waste even more energy keeping your home comfortable.
Insulation can improve a home’s energy efficiency, but the efficacy of insulation is dependant on how it’s installed. Insulation products can only perform optimally if they are installed perfectly. Batt insulation, for example, will only achieve its R-value when it isn’t compressed. This occurs most often in roof assemblies where conventional trusses meet the exterior …
Do you leave your ceiling fans on even when you aren’t in the room? Some experts argue that ceiling fans aren’t doing you any favors if left on when no one is home. Fans are a great way to cool down because they evaporate sweat. When air moves across the surface of your skin, it …
When the areas around an eyebrow roof are not sealed and insulated, air leakage and moisture reduce the effectiveness of the building envelope. The Ol’ Sage gives you a few tips on the matter in todays blog post.
“Energy Savings Start With The Framing.” As energy codes become more stringent and homeowners demand higher performing homes, designers are looking at innovative ways to improve the efficacy of their building envelopes. Insulated headers can really help to improve the R-value and provide wall cavity space for insulation. ASHRAE estimates that at least 4 percent of the wall assembly consists of headers. If 4 percent of your wall is not properly insulated, your energy envelope will not be performing at its best.
A June poll surveyed 1,563 homeowners to find what they were looking for in home lighting. What they found was that homeowners wanted energy efficiency, safety and smart technology in their lighting systems.
