There has been a big push for the use of solar and other renewable energy sources lately and we will see even more of that moving forward. Renewable Energy technology is improving by leaps and bounds. The manufacturers of solar panels, batteries, and all of the other components required for these systems are ramping up their processes to make the hardware more and more accessible and affordable for everyone.
The truth is, renewable energy makes sense for everyone. Whether you want to save money, reduce dependency on fossil fuels, or do your part to help protect the environment, clean energy simply works.
People that make their living from coal, natural gas, or petroleum oil will argue that their products are safer because of better refinery processes and more efficient equipment, but they couldn't possibly argue that their processes are as clean as solar, wind, or other potential renewable energy sources. As for safety, the world is currently suffering record high CO2 levels, temperature extremes have increased by 20 degrees, and there are over 53,000 deaths related to emissions every year in the United States. (Source) Does that sound safer to you?
Work on reducing your overall energy demand. What if you could reduce the energy demand of your home by 35% to 50%? If you consume less energy, you will be able to cut back on equipment costs when you make the switch to solar or wind. Eventually, your savings on energy bills will pay for the investment.
We have been making buildings more efficient for 25 years. We have helped over 10,000 buildings save an average of 32% on energy bills after we performed a full energy efficiency retrofit. It's a fairly simple process. Over 90% of the efficiency improvements come from tightening up the shell of the building, making sure it has plenty of the right kind of insulation, verifying that the HVAC systems are operating at peak efficiency, and making some changes in the basic energy usage in the home.
This process is easy. We set up an appointment to do a 30 minute walk through and give you a management plan. Energy efficiency always saves more than it costs. So what are you waiting for? Give us a call at (314) 884-0092 and start saving some money.
We recently documented an insulation job from start to finish and want to share the process, reasoning, and results with all of you.
We started by removing all the old insulation in the attic.
In this case, the owner was uncomfortable with the old insulation due to its age and all the dirt it had collected over the years. Vacuuming out all the old insulation also allows us to ensure proper insulation techniques throughout the home, instead of just putting new insulation on top of old insulation, which may or may not have been properly installed.
In this case, it was especially beneficial for us to remove the old insulation, as we discovered some sketchy wiring hiding beneath the insulation. After we got a clear view of several wiring issues, an electrician was brought in get everything up to code.
After the wiring issues had been taken care of, we started by adding baffles, which insures proper air flow for the attic ventilation system. We also stuffed fiberglass batt insulation (pink) under the baffle to keep the blown in cellulose insulation from blocking air flow. This is critical because we dense pack the insulation right here. The ceiling and wall intersection is the most critical point of the ceiling plane because this area is fighting heat loss through conduction through both the ceiling and wall. It has an energy loss battle form 2 sides.
We then worked to seal penetrations throughout the entire ceiling plane with spray foam insulation. Much like many of the houses we work in, this home was riddled with holes that were not properly insulated previously. We paid special attention to the area above the kitchen cabinet, which is notorious for being overlooked and under insulated. We used closed cell 2 part polyurethane to seal this up properly.
We also made sure the flu/chimney pipe was blocked so that the insulation would not touch the heat-producing pipe.
The attic hatch is also an often-overlooked area. We made sure to weather-strip the door to make it air-tight and insulated the lid to match the rest of the ceiling plane. We also installed a barrier to block insulation from falling on the homeowners head when they open the lid to access the attic.
We always use R-sticks to ensure that our installers are insulating to the proper level. We install cellulose at 1.45 lbs per cubic feet and we follow the guide provided by the manufacturer, which indicates how many bags to use, so you will always know that we didn't use any tricks to fluff up insulation to make it look like we used less than needed to truly be at R-49.
For this house we installed 90 bags of cellulose, which is an entire truckload.
The airtight insulation we installed in this homeowner's attic will last for 25 years and save her 50% on her heating costs, all while making her home less drafty and more comfortable. These are the kind of jobs we love doing because we can be confident that the homeowner will immediately begin seeing a return on investment on their energy bills.
Give us a call and see what improvements we can make on your home!
How can you make the decision between LEDs (Light emitting diodes) and CFLS (Compact florescent lights) when choosing lighting for your home? Take a look at these 8 reasons why LEDs are a better choice.
Light power is measured in watts. LEDs run at 80 lumens/watt while CFLs run at 57.5 lumens/watt. This means that you can use fewer watts for the same amount of light by switching to an LED, which will save you quite a bit of usage on your energy bill.
2. LEDs have a longer life.
LEDs last for 30,000-40,000 hours while a CFL only lasts for 6,000- 15,000. This means you will be changing your lights a lot less often and creating a lot less waste!
Another bonus of LEDs is that they have the same lifetime regardless of how they are installed. CFLs can actually heat up faster if they are upside down in a hanging or enclosed light fixture. This causes CFLs to die much faster than the estimated lifespan hours. LEDs shine bright for their entire lifespan, regardless of the type of fixture.
Many people are turned off by the initially higher cost of LEDs, but they will definitely save you money in the long run. You will only need 1 LED for 25,000 hours of use, while you would need 3 CFLs for the same time span. The cost of usage for a single CFL over 23 years would be about $48, while an LED would be around $38. Ten bucks over 23 years may not seem like a lot, but this is over a 23-year time span for ONE bulb. Imagine how many light bulbs are in your home and imagine how that would translate into energy bill savings.
4. LEDs do not contain toxic mercury.
CFLs contain toxic mercury, which is very bad for both your health and the environment. Not only does this create extra danger if you happen to break a CFL, it complicates your ability to safely dispose of CFLs. And remember, you'll have to change CFLs about 4 times as often as an LED, so you'll be dealing with disposal issues a lot.
5. LEDs are not affected by On/Off cycling.
Do you have a light in a closet that you flick on and off often? Or a high traffic room whose lights are constantly going off and on again? Well, with a CFL bulb will suffer from all those quick changes; switching a CFL on and off quickly can drastically decrease its lifespan. LEDs are in no way affected by on/off cycling, so you can be as indecisive about the on/off switch as you like, without sacrificing the lifespan of your bulb.
CFLs depend on heat to emit light, while LEDs are always cool to the touch. Not only is this a big plus for safety reasons, it also gives your AC a break in the summer. You may not think the heat from your light bulbs is affecting your home's temperature, but the combined heat of all your CFLs can make your AC unit work overtime in hot weather. LEDs don't cause any temperature issues.
Unlike CFLs, LEDs are not sensitive to extreme temperatures. CFLs may struggle to light up during cold weather, making that cold run to the garbage can even more difficult in dim light. CFLs are also sensitive to extreme humidity, which could make those summer patio parties a bit unpleasant if your CFLs decide to die on you. LEDs, on the other hand, will continue to function at full capacity during all weather and do not have the danger of shattering like CFLs do.
Flickering lights are just a headache waiting to happen. CFLs not only have a slight delay between the time you flip the switch to on and when the bulb actually lights up, but the bulbs are also prone to flickering. LEDs turn on immediately and never flicker. Do it for your eyes and save yourself the headaches!
LEDs are a great investment for your home. Make the switch today!
Most people only pay attention to their energy consumption when it is costing them money. When you get an energy bill that's higher than you can afford, you start using your heat or AC a bit less. When gas prices are high, you try to drive less. That's logical and understandable – but what about when the prices are low?
Natural gas and oil prices are low right now, so consumers care less and less about being energy efficient. This is not environmentally responsible!
Just because your bank account isn't hurting doesn't mean the environment isn't. Building codes all around the US are outdated and not built to run efficiently. HVAC systems are working hard to keep homes comfortable, all the while taking quite a toll on the environment and increasing the carbon footprint.
Consumers can help in two ways: updating their homes to be more energy efficient and using less energy.
Spending money on things such as new insulation and air sealing measures as well as Energy Star rated appliances may seem like an unnecessary expense that you cannot afford or do not care to spend the money on. However, once you make these changes, you will more than pay off the investment through savings on your energy bills. If you like the smaller bills you are paying now while gas prices are low – you will love how low your bills can get with a truly energy efficient home.
As for using less energy – no one is asking you to sit at home in the dark. Making simple changes such as buying CFLs instead of incandescent light bulbs and using Smart power strips that prevent items that are not in use from sucking up energy can make a huge difference in your energy consumption without cramping your lifestyle.
What can industry professionals do?
The home construction, insulation, and energy businesses can take simple steps to help this problem as well.
Home builders and construction companies need to set a new standard and stop doing the bare minimum. New construction needs to be focused on building efficient homes and buildings. Contractors should also be ready and willing to do energy retrofits for existing structures.
The energy industry must continue developing alternative renewable power sources like wind and solar. These incredible solutions save energy and money – so why are we not constantly moving in this direction?
We here at Affordable Comfort are passionate about our customers and their comfort – but we feel it is everyone's responsibility to care about this planet and how our lifestyles affect the environment.