Spring may almost be here, but you know we’ve still got plenty of cold weather ahead this year. If your house, condo or apartment is more than 20 years old, an energy efficiency upgrade remodel is likely a good investment. Rebates and incentives are still plentiful through the City of Loveland/Loveland Water and Power energy efficiency program, and equally as important as the bottom line, you will make your house more comfortable. Here’s how to make it easy:
1. Hire an energy auditor
2. Weatherize/seal air leaks
3. Upgrade lighting
4. Insulate attics, walls and crawlspaces or basements
5. Replace older furnaces with an electric heat pump
6. Replace older water heaters or boilers with high-efficiency units (or consider solar thermal panels)
7. Install a digital setback thermostat
8. Upgrade appliances
9. Replace windows
10. Add Solar Photovoltaic Panels (PV)
1. Hire an Energy auditor: Go to www.cityofloveland.org/departments/water-and-power/residentialenergyefficiency for your one-stop shop for energy upgrades for LPW customers, and get a subsidized Home Energy Assessment for just $60. The City will complete a Home Energy Assessment, then pair you with an expert Energy Advisor, who will:
-Install FREE energy and water-saving items (LED bulbs and water aerators)
-Provide and explain the Home Energy Assessment on your home’s energy use
-Help determine the most cost-effective home improvements
-Help you find and apply for rebates and financial incentives
2. Weatherization: On a typical home, stopping air-infiltration costs $3-4K and will pay for itself within just a few years. It also makes the home immediately more thermally comfortable, through simple caulking, sealing and weather-stripping
3. Replacing incandescent bulbs with LED’s can have a significant reduction in both electricity and summer cooling costs. There are rebates for bulbs through LPW, making them very cost effective. If you get the ones that are 2700 Kelvin, the color is nearly identical to incandescent bulbs, and LED’s can dim nearly all the way down like incandescent bulbs.
4. Insulation: if your house has an attic, there is often room to easily add more roof insulation at a reasonable cost. If the home is over 40 years old, it likely needs more insulation everywhere. Rebates available
5. Replace those open combustion 70% efficient furnaces with closed-combustion 80%-96% efficient furnaces (which are also safer for indoor air quality). Or if you’re concerned about your carbon footprint and want to reduce your overall energy use, consider switching to an electric heat pump which provides both heating and cooling. There are rebates and they pay for themselves quickly.
6. Replace old water heaters: same deal as #5. If it’s not time to replace, wrap your storage tank and pipes in insulation to reduce standing losses. Solar thermal panels are still also a good idea and there are 26% Federal tax credits. If you have solar Photovoltaic, look into electric water heaters. Rebates available.
7. Replace the thermostat: Another easy and cheap change that helps make the house more comfortable and more accurately controlled.
8. Upgrade appliances: go ENERGY STAR ™ www.energystar.gov (you still have to read the label to see the predicted energy-use as there is a wide range of efficiency within the ENERGY STAR options). The fridge is the biggest energy user. Rebates available.
9. Replace windows: although among the most expensive of the upgrades ($8-80K), if your windows are more than 40 years old, they should likely be replaced with ENERGY STAR rated windows. Ideally you can also take this opportunity to choose a specific Solar Heat Gain Co-efficient (SHGC), for each window that can either block or accept the sun to improve the passive solar performance (and thermal comfort) of your home. Rebates available.
10. PV: the cost of PV or solar panels is still roughly 50% subsidized and there are programs that allow you to put $0 down. Panels obviously operate most efficiently when facing south, but can be put on roofs facing any direction other than north. A typical 3000 square foot house needs about 8 kW to cover 100% of its electrical needs.
Additional resources:
-Elevations Credit Union offers Home Energy Loans with very attractive rates.
About the author:
Scott Rodwin, AIA, LEED AP is the owner of the Rodwin Architecture/ Skycastle Construction, a 13 person award-winning design/build firm specializing in high-end custom green homes in Boulder. He teaches a free course (good for 2 CEU’s) called “Understanding the Rules for Building in Boulder” through BARA several times a year that goes into depth on these topics. [email protected] www.rodwinarch.com