8 Steps to an Energy-Efficient Home
- Insulate and air seal the attic / roof – There should be a minimum of 12″ of insulation in your attic and all penetrations should be sealed to the conditioned space in your home
- Air Seal walls – stop losing energy through your walls and ducts, seal all cracks and material intersections
- Insulate the Basement walls and band boards not the floor above – gravity works against insulation in the floor above and defeats the purpose of the product
- Insulate walls and around all penetrations – any hole or penetration for wires, pipes, and vents should be sealed
- Replace and / or air seal around old windows – or simply add storm windows
- Replace HVAC systems that are outdated or failing – 15 years old and you will probably see a fairly fast payback on investment
- Replace appliances that are not energy star with energy star rated appliances
- Add renewable energy sources – solar thermal / solar PV
Why have an Energy Audit
An energy audit will allow you to better understand where to spend money to get the best return on investment. An energy audit is a test that can determine whether you house is air tight and if not where the holes are in the thermal envelope. For years we have heard, don’t make your house too tight – so tell me, why did you install all the windows, how big of a hole do you want left in your wall. Making a house air tight is not a negative; it will then allow you to control the fresh air intake of your home rather than filtering your makeup air through your attic insulation, your vented crawl space, or through your walls. An energy audit will give you the information to determine if you should replace your HVAC system, windows, and / or appliances. This is a test that every home owner should have in order to better understand their home and how they spend their money.
Did you know: The average new American home has a 28% duct leakage on a well installed and maintained heating and cooling system. That means you are probably wasting 28% of your money on each months electric bills.
Did you know: A vented crawl space or vented attic are not recommended in Virginia as it promotes bad indoor air quality and leads to higher energy bills?
Give us a call to schedule a basic energy audit today or call our friends at Building Knowledge for a complete energy audit assessment of all the systems in your home.
