Everyone benefits if we make energy-saving improvements in our homes.
By paying attention to just a few key household components, we can eliminate drafts, reduce overheating in summer, control moisture and condensation problems, substantially reduce outside noise - and generally provide a healthier indoor environment.
Energy saving measures also help to improve the outdoor environment by lowering emissions. And, according to Alterna Savings, these improvements stand to deliver significant financial benefits too, such as lower energy bills and cash-back incentives from the federal government. For this purpose, Alterna Savings (alterna.ca) has partnered with Green$aver to provide a "green loan" to individuals and businesses for energyefficient assessments and retrofits.
Here are their Top 10 Tips to save energy in your house:
1. Install a highefficiency furnace, if your current furnace is low-efficiency and pre- 1990.
2. Install insulation in walls of house, if pre- 1950.
3. Insulate your basement, if currently unfinished or uninsulated.
4. Do comprehensive air sealing of leaks in your house, if pre-1960.
5. Replace fridge, freezer, and clothes washer with EnergyStar models.
6. Upgrade your windows and central air system to above SEER 13 rating.
7. Consider upgrading your furnace to ECM motor for heating and air conditioning improvement.
8. Reduce hot water consumption by setting the heater temperature correctly; washing only full laundry loads with cold water detergent; taking showers instead of baths.
9. Install compact fluorescent lighting wherever possible.
10. Turn off, or turn down, any energy item that you are not actually using. Many electronic devices use a small amount of power 24/7, even when apparently turned off. Connect them to a power bar and turn the power bar itself off.
- News Canada
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Tuesday, 16 October 2007
Monday, 15 October 2007
Passive solar house saves money, naturally
OREANA — There’s a lot to be said for just tucking your house into a bucolic hillside and allowing Mother Nature to come fill up your senses.
Such is the building style of Doris and Ed McKay, out in the wilds of rural Oreana. Their chalet-style home is wedge-shaped, the southern end cedar-faced and laced with a bank of windows giving full view of the woodpeckers and hummingbirds frequent the wildlife preserve that is their front yard.
The back of the house, the sharp end of the wedge, buries itself deep into the earth so the far northern edge of the sloping roof that covers it all is just a few feet off the ground at the rear. This design is called passive solar subterranean, and it’s aimed at slashing heating and cooling costs. With the way it seamlessly blends into its landscape full of birdsong, it also appears to embrace the latest thinking in “green home” concepts.
Except that this residence was built 26 years ago and designed by Doris McKay, a former teacher and a stay-at-home mom in those days, who dug up her green housing knowledge at the Decatur Public Library with kids in her lap. Her inspiration was this overwhelming need to raise her family in a home that didn’t have to guzzle fossil fuels to stay warm in winter and cool in summer.
“Even back then, we’d gone through the energy crunch of the’70s,” she said. “I wanted to do something.”
What she did first was rack up lots of library fines by constantly going back and overstaying her borrower’s welcome on the few how-to books that could help her. But the library didn’t just take her money: “One thing about Decatur Public Library, they pay attention to circulation figures,” said Doris McKay, 55, now a consultant and Web master for the Rolling Prairie Library System. “The range of books in the area I used kept getting bigger.”
By 1977, the family had the site for their house purchased, and construction began in 1981. Ed McKay wasn’t so sure how all this would work out but has learned to take risks based on the quality of his wife’s judgment.
“I had a lot of trepidations,” said, Ed McKay, 70. “But I went along for the ride, just like I did more recently when she bought one of those hybrid cars, which I had a lot of trepidations about, too. But buying it turned out to be one of the smartest things she ever did, just like building our house.”
continue
Such is the building style of Doris and Ed McKay, out in the wilds of rural Oreana. Their chalet-style home is wedge-shaped, the southern end cedar-faced and laced with a bank of windows giving full view of the woodpeckers and hummingbirds frequent the wildlife preserve that is their front yard.
The back of the house, the sharp end of the wedge, buries itself deep into the earth so the far northern edge of the sloping roof that covers it all is just a few feet off the ground at the rear. This design is called passive solar subterranean, and it’s aimed at slashing heating and cooling costs. With the way it seamlessly blends into its landscape full of birdsong, it also appears to embrace the latest thinking in “green home” concepts.
Except that this residence was built 26 years ago and designed by Doris McKay, a former teacher and a stay-at-home mom in those days, who dug up her green housing knowledge at the Decatur Public Library with kids in her lap. Her inspiration was this overwhelming need to raise her family in a home that didn’t have to guzzle fossil fuels to stay warm in winter and cool in summer.
“Even back then, we’d gone through the energy crunch of the’70s,” she said. “I wanted to do something.”
What she did first was rack up lots of library fines by constantly going back and overstaying her borrower’s welcome on the few how-to books that could help her. But the library didn’t just take her money: “One thing about Decatur Public Library, they pay attention to circulation figures,” said Doris McKay, 55, now a consultant and Web master for the Rolling Prairie Library System. “The range of books in the area I used kept getting bigger.”
By 1977, the family had the site for their house purchased, and construction began in 1981. Ed McKay wasn’t so sure how all this would work out but has learned to take risks based on the quality of his wife’s judgment.
“I had a lot of trepidations,” said, Ed McKay, 70. “But I went along for the ride, just like I did more recently when she bought one of those hybrid cars, which I had a lot of trepidations about, too. But buying it turned out to be one of the smartest things she ever did, just like building our house.”
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Make your home warm and well insulated
Is your home not maintaining a warm temperature in the winters? Well, your home might be in need of maintenance and a proper check. You can start looking at your central heating system. Besides, you should also check how well your home is insulated. Good insulation can save a lot of energy and your central heating system won’t be overloaded.
To maintain your home in good shape, you need to properly check the functioning of all the devices and equipments. An energy efficient home can cut your heating bills to a large extent and contribute to green cause. Double glazing and proper insulation can really help you save energy. Solar energy, wind turbines, ground source heat pump, etc., are not only features of a green home but they can also help you in saving money in the long term. Initially, you may be required to spend a lot of money on these green sources of energy.
Homeowner loans are available for carrying out home improvements. There are more than 57 building societies, high street lenders and various private online lenders who can provide you finance for improving your home. A big loan is required to be backed by some security like your home. Homeowner Loans are economical and they allow the borrowers a lot of flexibility in repayment.
How Home Improvement Loans can help you?
You can spend the loan amount in making your home fully insulated and draught proof. Loft insulation is also important. Preferably, the insulation should be a minimum of 270mm thick. You can save up to one-third of heat loss through well insulated walls. You can also opt for cavity wall insulation. There are lot of other things that you can do with the help of home improvement loans. Latest gas boilers with dedicated controls can conserve energy and help you in saving up to 30 per cent of your hot water bills.
continue
To maintain your home in good shape, you need to properly check the functioning of all the devices and equipments. An energy efficient home can cut your heating bills to a large extent and contribute to green cause. Double glazing and proper insulation can really help you save energy. Solar energy, wind turbines, ground source heat pump, etc., are not only features of a green home but they can also help you in saving money in the long term. Initially, you may be required to spend a lot of money on these green sources of energy.
Homeowner loans are available for carrying out home improvements. There are more than 57 building societies, high street lenders and various private online lenders who can provide you finance for improving your home. A big loan is required to be backed by some security like your home. Homeowner Loans are economical and they allow the borrowers a lot of flexibility in repayment.
How Home Improvement Loans can help you?
You can spend the loan amount in making your home fully insulated and draught proof. Loft insulation is also important. Preferably, the insulation should be a minimum of 270mm thick. You can save up to one-third of heat loss through well insulated walls. You can also opt for cavity wall insulation. There are lot of other things that you can do with the help of home improvement loans. Latest gas boilers with dedicated controls can conserve energy and help you in saving up to 30 per cent of your hot water bills.
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Building An Affordable Green House
Tired of high cooling bills and dreading the big heating bills that come with winter? Some local architects squared off in a competition that is supposed to give all of us some ideas on saving energy. It's called the Sustainable Home Competition and the winning home is almost built.
It's a big day for Cecile Roberts and her family. They are weeks away from moving into the very first home they've ever owned.
“I'm feeling a blessing from God, 'cause I know it's a blessing and I'm so grateful to be here today and be the owner of a new home," Roberts said.
This isn't just any home. It's the winner of the Sustainable Home Competition, which means everything in it is green.
“It's just a very tight, well-insulated, efficient home,” said Sydney Roberts of Southface.
The walls are extra thick filled with spray insulation. Windows are double-paned, filled with argon gas. The roof is reflective metal keeping things cool and tall ceilings and fans keep air moving. The crawlspace is sealed so feet stay warm. There's even a system to capture rain water.
But all of these eco-extras were kept under the tight reigns of an affordable budget.
“It's not about fancy technologies and eco-bling. It's absolutely accessible to any homeowner,” Sydney Roberts said.
Michael Gamble's architecture firm won the design competition.
“The major challenge to us was to provide a sort of above average design for workforce housing in the city,” Gamble said.
Brian Mills is the builder who brought the design into reality.
"Even on a standard home at that price and the quality that we wanted I knew it would be tough, but we worked out the numbers and the details," said Mills.
Two bedrooms, a loft and two bathrooms -- 1,400 square feet of super-efficient living space. All at a cost of $150,000. Proof you can save some green while going green.
The Kandeda Fund sponsored this project and funded the construction. Charis Community Housing picked the Roberts family and if they make 12 months of payments without missing, they qualify for a 20 year interest free loan to pay off the rest.
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It's a big day for Cecile Roberts and her family. They are weeks away from moving into the very first home they've ever owned.
“I'm feeling a blessing from God, 'cause I know it's a blessing and I'm so grateful to be here today and be the owner of a new home," Roberts said.
This isn't just any home. It's the winner of the Sustainable Home Competition, which means everything in it is green.
“It's just a very tight, well-insulated, efficient home,” said Sydney Roberts of Southface.
The walls are extra thick filled with spray insulation. Windows are double-paned, filled with argon gas. The roof is reflective metal keeping things cool and tall ceilings and fans keep air moving. The crawlspace is sealed so feet stay warm. There's even a system to capture rain water.
But all of these eco-extras were kept under the tight reigns of an affordable budget.
“It's not about fancy technologies and eco-bling. It's absolutely accessible to any homeowner,” Sydney Roberts said.
Michael Gamble's architecture firm won the design competition.
“The major challenge to us was to provide a sort of above average design for workforce housing in the city,” Gamble said.
Brian Mills is the builder who brought the design into reality.
"Even on a standard home at that price and the quality that we wanted I knew it would be tough, but we worked out the numbers and the details," said Mills.
Two bedrooms, a loft and two bathrooms -- 1,400 square feet of super-efficient living space. All at a cost of $150,000. Proof you can save some green while going green.
The Kandeda Fund sponsored this project and funded the construction. Charis Community Housing picked the Roberts family and if they make 12 months of payments without missing, they qualify for a 20 year interest free loan to pay off the rest.
continue
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