Energy Efficiency

Windows - Studies show that the main areas that impact the heating and cooling of the home are the windows and attic. The windows we install in our homes are carefully reviewed considering the energy ratings and cost to get the best return on investment.

Temperature controlled attic - Starting in 1997, we used radiant barrier decking in all of our homes which significantly lowers the attic temperature and therefore the heat that works its way through the ceiling insulation. More recently, we have been applying foam insulation under the roof and encapsulating the attic. This has a greater energy savings and has the added benefit of being able to store things in a temperature controlled attic that generally does not get over 85 degrees. The air does not heat as it moves through the ductwork in the attic or pick up hot air through duct leakage. Since the attic is sealed and has no air moving through it, there is an additional benefit of reduced dust.

High efficiency heating and cooling units and humidity control – We typically install sealed 21SEER Trane units in our homes. The SEER rating is the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating and is a measure of the amount of cooling as a ratio of the amount of power required. A unit with a SEER rating of 20 would use half the amount of electricity as a unit with a SEER rating of 10. Therefore, a higher SEER rating has a direct impact on your electricity bills. The 21SEER units have a variable speed motor which means it runs at a slower speed when it can do so and still cool the home. In doing so it removes humidity. The programmable Honeywell thermostats have a humidity control as well as a temperature control. By setting the humidity at 40%, the temperature can be kept higher with the same level of comfort.

Wall Insulation – For over 10 years we have been using blown-in fiberglass insulation with an R Value of 15. Blown-in insulation fills in all the crevices that get missed with batt insulation. Fiberglass does not absorb water and therefore does not have the potential moisture and mold problems that cellulose can. It is less expensive than foam with little difference in the insulation value and does not present problems foam does if additional wiring is run in the walls at a future time. The wall insulation can be improved by the use of styrofoam sheathing. Many builders use sheathing with no insulation value. All our homes have ¾” Dow Styrofoam sheathing in areas where wood bracing is not needed. This provides an additional R-Value of 4.

Energy Efficient Recessed Lighting – For a number of years, we have installed compact fluorescent bulbs (CFL’s) in our recessed lighting. Compact fluorescent lights use two-thirds less energy and may last 6 to 10 times longer than incandescent lights. More recently, we are starting to use LED recessed lighting in parts or all of the home. The LED are currently much more expensive but last 5 times longer than CFLs. LED lights are also more easily dimmable. There are a number of different types of recessed lights that have varying costs and energy efficiency which can be compared and determined to meet the customers desire.