I was reading the "10 Energy Efficency Tips" on our power company's website untill I got to number two:
"The best setting for your thermostat is 78. Each degree lower than that can significantly increase your cooling costs, especially in older homes with less thermal efficiency."
Had to stop right there. Geez what's wrong with this country anyway? Set my thermostat to 78 degrees? Why even have one? I don't know about you guys but if I set my thermostat to 78 degrees it would last until my wife got home then I'd be DEAD! This is Columbia not Texas! We don't have anything that even resembles dry heat. We've got the wet sticky kind...
They need to switch that tip to "crawl up in your attic and have a look at your ductwork, better yet have it tested." Do you know that 80% of homes have leaky ductwork? If it's over 10 years old it's not even sealed with mastic, just some old duct tape. Go feel around the joints and see if you can feel some leaks. I did. Man was that a surprise. Get some sealing mastic and get after it. Or you can call someone at the green council to test it, and fix it for you. Probably lots cheaper than all that money you're spending on your power bill.
That's the cool thing about green. You can build a new green home if you want, or you can green up the one you have. Energy isn't free anymore. It's not even cheap anymore. That said, there's no reason someone should suffer just to be able to pay the power bill. It's such a great feeling to realize that it's not me and my family wasting all that power, it's the house! And guess what guys, the house can be fixed!
- Submitted by Mark Bostic of Square One Design Service - www.squareoneplans.com
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Think green for comfort, ecology and savings
Identify the areas in your home that are the major causes of energy loss and expense such as:
- Insulation defects – Missing, wet or insufficient insulation levels.
- Air infiltration – Exterior points that allow outside air to displace effectiveness.
- Exterior doors and windows – Insulation performance and seal effectiveness.
- HVAC duct leakage – Supply and return air leakage to and from the outside can reduce your systems performance and increase energy cost due to lost conditioned air that never enters your home.
Whether you are building, renovating, or considering a home purchase, investing in an energy audit allows you to make an informed decision that can not only save you money, but enhance the value and comfort of your home.
Utilizing state of the art equipment, we analyze the condition of the insulation in the exterior walls, attic and crawlspace of your home. In addition a air tightness test is performed on your home that produces the same effects that external winds generate. All tests are non destructive, do not require special preparations and can be performed with occupants in the home.
Combining the data from thermal imaging with the air tightness test, we generate a full report detailing the type and location of energy leaks. Documentation of this information about the home can make a significant impact in your negotiations, renovation plans or energy conservation plan.
Best of all, "An informed decision is one that you never regret."
- Submitted by Joseph Gilmore of Gilmore Consulting Services, LLC
Thursday, June 11, 2009
How Green Do You Want to Be?
This entry deals not with how green is green, but how green do you want to be? Green building and living means different things to different people. Some of the guys I work with regularly call it the "shades of green" discussion. For some guys cutting your power bills by two thirds is enough. Others are interested in the sustainable green discussion, knowing that their home will last for 100 years instead of 20.
Then there's less stuff to the landfill green, I take great pride that my new home sent almost nothing to the landfill in an industry that sends more to the landfill than almost any other. There are discussions on less water wasted green. This can be accomplished by a variety of means, more efficient devices, or by using water more than once, or saving water in the exterior areas of the residence. Lots of people realize that a green home can be a healthier home for the occupants because of measures taken by the builder to keep harmful chemicals removed from materials used to build the home. And then there are those that take certain pride that through the way they construct and live in their homes that they are playing a role in saving the planet.
- Contributed by Mark Bostic of Square One Design Service. Mark is the Immediate Past Chairman of the Green Building Council of Greater Columbia. See more entries from Mark at his blog.
Then there's less stuff to the landfill green, I take great pride that my new home sent almost nothing to the landfill in an industry that sends more to the landfill than almost any other. There are discussions on less water wasted green. This can be accomplished by a variety of means, more efficient devices, or by using water more than once, or saving water in the exterior areas of the residence. Lots of people realize that a green home can be a healthier home for the occupants because of measures taken by the builder to keep harmful chemicals removed from materials used to build the home. And then there are those that take certain pride that through the way they construct and live in their homes that they are playing a role in saving the planet.
- Contributed by Mark Bostic of Square One Design Service. Mark is the Immediate Past Chairman of the Green Building Council of Greater Columbia. See more entries from Mark at his blog.
Why does Paradime Construction, Inc. build Green Homes?
The initial driving force behind our interest in building Green Homes was purely economic. For our customers, paying a large utility bill just didn’t make sense. One way to cut down on these bills was to build more efficiently. This also saved on the overall cost of construction. Through “value-engineering” (an early form of Green design) and focusing on building a well-insulated home, the customer saved money up front and continued to see these savings throughout the life of the home. Paradime Construction, Inc. has always used “value-engineering” principals as both the designer and the builder. Through our years of experience in both fields, we are able to save our clients money right from the start, beginning with our design process. Also, by utilizing resources that use less waste and more renewable products whenever possible, significant savings can be seen in both construction costs and home maintenance expenses.
With the introduction of the approved standards by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), Green Homes were clearly defined and all aspects that go into their design and construction are now measurable and verifiable by qualified third parties. For Paradime Construction, Inc., implementation of this program was both logical and simple, as we were already using many of these techniques in several aspects of our business, and they can now be verified by a third party and receive the seal of approval from the home-building industry.
There are varying degrees of Green when it comes to new homes. You can achieve both a well designed and energy-efficient home with small but deliberate steps. There is also the extreme option of an off-the-grid home that provides its own energy. Most Green Homes fall into the middle of these categories. People want Green Homes for various reasons and that is why these programs allow the homebuyer to customize the level of Green they are looking for in their new home.
Paradime Construction, Inc. is pleased to provide these services to our clients. Planet Earth has only a finite amount of natural resources. Through Green design and construction, today’s homes can do their part to conserve both energy and resources. At Paradime Construction, Inc., new construction is the perfect place to take advantage of the ever changing technology and products that allow our Green Homes to outperform other standard homes, easing the impact on both the wallet and the environment.
- Contributed by Stan O'Brien of Paradime Construction, Inc. Stan is an Executive Committee Member of the Green Building Council of Greater Columbia.
With the introduction of the approved standards by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), Green Homes were clearly defined and all aspects that go into their design and construction are now measurable and verifiable by qualified third parties. For Paradime Construction, Inc., implementation of this program was both logical and simple, as we were already using many of these techniques in several aspects of our business, and they can now be verified by a third party and receive the seal of approval from the home-building industry.
There are varying degrees of Green when it comes to new homes. You can achieve both a well designed and energy-efficient home with small but deliberate steps. There is also the extreme option of an off-the-grid home that provides its own energy. Most Green Homes fall into the middle of these categories. People want Green Homes for various reasons and that is why these programs allow the homebuyer to customize the level of Green they are looking for in their new home.
Paradime Construction, Inc. is pleased to provide these services to our clients. Planet Earth has only a finite amount of natural resources. Through Green design and construction, today’s homes can do their part to conserve both energy and resources. At Paradime Construction, Inc., new construction is the perfect place to take advantage of the ever changing technology and products that allow our Green Homes to outperform other standard homes, easing the impact on both the wallet and the environment.
- Contributed by Stan O'Brien of Paradime Construction, Inc. Stan is an Executive Committee Member of the Green Building Council of Greater Columbia.
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