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Last Updated: Saturday, August 23, 2008 |
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Further Reading For additional information you might order books from the following lists: |
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Things you can do in an existing house to improve energy efficiency |
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Insulation and Infiltration - This is often a weak spot in older homes. First check attic insulation and add more if necessary. R-30 should be a minimum. It’s difficult to add insulation to existing walls, but you can caulk and seal around windows, doors, outlets, and switches to reduce air infiltration. If your A/C unit and ductwork are in the attic check the integrity of the ductwork and insulation. Sealing and insulating the delivery system can improve the system performance. Windows and Solar Gain - If your windows are old aluminum frame models that frequently sweat in winter it might be time to replace them. Check the recommendations for new windows at New House Design for advice. If any of your existing windows are exposed to direct sunlight you can benefit from blocking the sun before it hits the glass. Overhangs, awnings, solar screens, and trees/shrubs are just a few ways to tackle the problem. Roof and Attic Ventilation – Most attics suffer from poor ventilation. You need a high place for hot air to exit and an equally sized low place for cooler air to enter. Here are two sources of info: information info2. If you are replacing your roof consider a reflective product. If it’s also hail resistant you will receive a large discount on your homeowners insurance (23% in Collin County). Radiant Barrier – If you have good ventilation and proper insulation levels then consider installing a radiant barrier in the attic. Q&A sheet on radiant barriers. Lighting (a no brainer) – Install compact fluorescent bulbs wherever possible. Prices have fallen so low that the payback is now just a few months. Most homes will save about $100/year if they change out all incandescent bulbs. HVAC – Keep your unit cleaned and change the filter regularly. Wash the coils on the outdoor unit and shade it (without blocking airflow). If your A/C unit and ductwork are in the attic check the integrity of the ductwork and insulation. Sealing and insulating the delivery system can improve the system performance. Water Heating – Make sure your water heater is well insulated. You can add an insulation jacket and pipe insulation. Periodically flush sediment from the bottom. Consider adding a timer to electric water heaters to help reduce standby losses. Appliances - Use energy efficient appliances and look out for phantom loads. ¨ Check the Energy Star database to help select appliances. ¨ Use plug strips to turn off appliances that aren’t in use. Consider an automatic “Smart Strip” to manage attached loads such as monitors and printers. ¨ Activate your computer power saving features – screen savers don’t save energy – let the monitor go to sleep. ¨ Measure your appliance phantom loads with one of the meters (links on the left): |
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There are many online tools to assess your home: |
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It’s difficult to generalize about an existing house because the weak points are different for every one. The first step is to locate your house weak points and attack those. The following information can act as a general guide. You can also hire a professional energy auditor to do a complete analysis of your home. See the RESNET page to help locate a certified rater for your area - RESNET Consumer Page |
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LINKS Energy & Resource Efficiency Solar Energy |