Archive for the ‘Efficiency’ Category
February 26, 2013
If you could reduce your energy bills by more than 50% would you? In Syracuse, New York, our office has been working on ways to excel at making your home more energy efficient. Call it Home Performance on Steroids, an Extreme Energy Makeover or Deep Energy Retrofit, it is a new tool in our tool belt to increase comfort and save energy in your home.
As part of a research project for NYSERDA, GreenHomes America has been experimenting with “kicking it up a notch” as Emeril would say. Last summer in our top secret labs (we had to park a truck elsewhere) we spent some time fine tuning ways to improve homes above and beyond what we usually do.
The projects from this fall and early winter have gone great, and the Steroids metaphor sounds good but really, these results have been achieved with honest hard work, side effect free! I will be talking more about these projects as well the benefits of Deep Energy Retrofits in future posts. Stay tuned!
Thanks,
Jason.
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Tags:BAM, deep energy retrofit, DER, Emeil Legasse, energy retrofits, existing home retrofits, insulation, NYSERDA, siding, windows
Posted in Air-Sealing, Efficiency, Energy / Efficiency / Renewables, Energy Geeks / Energy Policy, Health / Safety / Indoor Air, Wild Stuff | Leave a Comment »
January 15, 2013
Some of you out there may know builders, home inspectors, Realtors, Bankers and Students, or may be one yourself. Well, we all have something in common, “homes!” We live in them, own them, rent them, some work on them and we sure know when they are not working right.
Making a home comfortable safe and healthy takes a lot of work, and I think it only helps if we share that knowledge. That is why we help educate homeowners on how they work and don’t work and how we can make them better.
Maybe you, or someone you know, is in a profession that could benifit from a little insight into building science. Maybe you are looking to explore new career opportunities. This could be a first step towards great things. The certificate is a preview of some of the things one needs to know for the professional level certification our advisors obtain and we live by here at GreenHomes America.
At GreenHomes we pride ourselves in the training and certifications our employees will attain as well as sharing their knowledge with our customers. The study guide for the certificate is over 200 pages. And more information can be found here: http://www.bpi.org/professionals_certificate.aspx
Even if you are not interested in a certificate in building science, BPI has some good information for homeowners and explains why we do what we do, check it out!
Thanks,
Jason.
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Tags:BPI, builders, building science, career opportunities, careers, education, energy audits, home energy audit, home inspection, home inspectors, new job, professional level, real estate
Posted in DIY, Efficiency, Energy Audits, Energy Geeks / Energy Policy, Home, Homeowners | Leave a Comment »
November 16, 2012
In New England it is easy to see the seasons change. It’s a time of harvest and preparation for our comfort through the coldest part of the year. There’s plenty to do outside the home never mind on the inside.
For one thing it is time to tune up the furnace or boiler before the heating season begins. Preventative maintenance is a good thing and worth the minor expense to ward of a major one in the middle of the heating season. With a contractor you trust, that clean and tune may be part of a service agreement and can save you even more.
Your heating system is not the only thing that should get a tune up though. For many of us, it’s the home too! Even with the cleanest running furnace or boiler in your home, it is important to consider how well the building is insulated, resists air leakage, deals with moisture and provides indoor air quality.
Since heating systems and buildings interact with each other, it’s a great idea to consider treating them together. Seek out certified and experienced heating and cooling technicians, and the same for your home. Consider a BPI accredited contractor that will look at your home as a system and help you prepare for the coming season making it healthier, safer and more energy efficient.
Thanks,
Jason
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Tags:air conditioning, boiler, clean and tune, comfort, energy-efficiency, fall, furnace, home energy, oil prices, tune-up
Posted in Air Conditioning, Boilers, Efficiency, Electricity Use, Energy / Efficiency / Renewables, Furnaces, Health / Safety / Indoor Air, Oil / Coal / Natural Gas | Leave a Comment »
November 5, 2012
It’s nice to be recognized. This is the third year in a row in fact. The EPA and the DOE have recognized GreenHomes America – Syracuse with the Century Club Award. An award that goes to the contractor that has improved the energy efficiency of more than 100 homes in the past year through Home Performance with ENERGY STAR. Home Performance with ENERGY STAR offers homeowners a comprehensive whole house approach to improving energy efficiency and comfort while saving money on utility bills and helping to protect the environment.
Our Syracuse location, a leading contractor in central New York and part of the national GreenHomes America network, improved well over 400 homes last year!
Congratulations to Syracuse! It is great to know that as a network we are charging along across the country in states that participate in the Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program as well as states that don’t. Look for a GreenHomes America location near you!
Thanks,
Jason
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Tags:award, Century Club, comfort, Department of Energy, DOE, energy, environment, Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, GreenHomes America, Home Performance with ENERGY STAR, homeowner, improving energy efficiency, New York, Syracuse
Posted in Efficiency, Energy / Efficiency / Renewables, Energy Audits, Environment, Green, GreenHomes America, Health / Safety / Indoor Air, Home, Homeowners, News, Utility Bills | Leave a Comment »
October 23, 2012
Nothing new here! But here is a news report featuring our very own A. Johnson Heating Cooling and Plumbing on an energy assessment in a home in eastern New York.
Video Link:
http://cbs6albany.com/news/top-stories/stories/homeowners-save-money-making-home-more-efficient-3498.shtml
If they cover your area give them a call if not, find a location near you.
Thanks,
Jason
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Tags:assessment, CBS Albany, efficient, energy, New York, news, save money, story, video
Posted in Air Conditioning, Air-Sealing, Efficiency, Energy / Efficiency / Renewables, Energy Audits, Energy Loss, Green, GreenHomes America, Home, Homeowners, Insulation, Lighting and Appliances, Utility Bills | Leave a Comment »
October 1, 2012
Young’s Air Conditioning of Los Banos, California came on board before the start of the New Year. Young’s is a family business with strong roots in Los Banos and a reputation as the area’s leading provider of energy efficient heating and cooling services.
In the early part of the winter, we added three locations with Carolina Green Energy Systems. CGES is one of South Carolina’s oldest and largest comprehensive Home Performance Contractors, and we are proud to include them in the GreenHomes Network.
Also new in town is Air Rescue Air Conditioning of Tampa, Florida. This is our first partner from the Sunshine state. Air Rescue started in 1965, and is one of the oldest and largest residential HVAC contractors in the Tampa Bay Metro area. Air Rescue will service customers in over seven counties.
This is only the beginning as GreenHomes grows to better serve you nationally! Stay tuned for more!
Thanks,
Jason.
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Tags:air conditioning, California, contractors, cooling, family, Florida, green homes, GreenHomes America, heating, national, new year, South Carolina
Posted in Air Conditioning, Air-Sealing, Efficiency, Energy / Efficiency / Renewables, Energy Audits, GreenHomes America, Health / Safety / Indoor Air, Home, Homeowners, Insulation, Lighting and Appliances, News, Rebates and Incentives, Utility Bills | 1 Comment »
September 28, 2012
A recent study this summer from UC Berkeley and UCLA looked at homes that were certified as green from a few different organizations. Although the certification standards varied, the homes needed to have details such as well-insulated ceilings and walls and energy-efficient lighting. These are just some of the basics of making a home “green”, as well as efficient appliances, proper HVAC equipment and good indoor air quality. These things unfortunately don’t always happen in new homes, even those with the green label. However, they can and should happen in every home, and that’s why we do what we do.
This study comes from a state with a very nice incentive system in place for energy efficiency retrofits. Energy upgrade California is a good place to start if you are a resident of CA. For residents of other states, you can find some incentive programs from DSIRE. The full study can be found here.
You can also contact one of our locations to learn more about how you can make your home safer, energy efficient, more valuable, and of course, green!
Thanks,
Jason
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Tags:California, DSIRE, energy efficient lighting, environment, green, home, HVAC, money, resale, UC Berkeley, UCLA, value
Posted in Air Conditioning, Air-Sealing, Consumer Protection, Efficiency, Energy / Efficiency / Renewables, Energy Audits, Energy Loss, Environment, Green, GreenHomes America, Health / Safety / Indoor Air, Home, Homeowners | Leave a Comment »
September 24, 2012
Lic. creative commons. photo by Mario A. Leitón
At GHA, we use the best material to get the job done right. While there are many types of insulation out there, one that many locations use quite frequently is cellulose. One of the great things about this stuff is that it is a recycled product. Ever wonder what happens to all those newspapers that are carted off in a recycling bin instead of heading to the trash? Cardboard is one product, but insulation is the one near to our heart.
Fortunately cellulose manufacturers have not been greatly affected by the recent decline in newspaper circulation as there are plenty of other materials available. According to the American Forest and Paper Association, there’s over 1 million pounds of paper waste generated every ten minutes in the U.S. That means there’s lots of material to use in making cellulose. In fact, one manufacturer was using romance novels for a while! Sounds like a good way to insulate and it really gives a new meaning to the term “trashy novels”.
Cellulose is just one of many options for insulating your home. This is why it’s important to have an expert assess your home and decide what is best not only in action, but also for materials. When cellulose insulation is a good match, we pick the cleanest and safest available to install. Now that’s a love story with a happy ending!
Thanks,
Jason
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Tags:american, cellulose, energy, home, love, newspaper, recycle, romance
Posted in Consumer Protection, Efficiency, Energy Audits, Green, GreenHomes America, Health / Safety / Indoor Air, Home, Homeowners, Insulation, News | Leave a Comment »
August 17, 2012
Visiting family last month in the south brought home the importance of comfort. After all, it was vacation and we were visiting a wonderful home able to accommodate a few families coming together. It was a relatively new home too, clearly built to entertain, with large open spaces and expansive porches. While it was great to relax on those porches, the afternoon sun often caused us to retreat inside for some cool air. The air conditioners seemed to run the whole time we were there and I’d bet that was the case for much of the summer.
Always thinking about how efficiently a house works, I have to say there were a few rooms that always seemed to be on the warm side. They were second story rooms above the garage with small closed off side attics. The air conditioner had to work particularly hard to keep these spaces cool and the rooms really didn’t cool off until the sun went down.
Built to code, spacious and beautiful with all the bells and whistles, this home only fell short in one area: performance. For me this translates into more than just a loss in energy efficiency but also a lack of comfort.
I can’t stress enough the benefits and values from a comprehensive home assessment, even for new homes. In fact, next time I visit I might bring along a blower door and infrared camera to conduct my own assessment. Then I would be able to provide the family with some real solutions for their home performance. After all, it’s the least I can do considering how well they fed me!
Thanks,
Jason
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Tags:energy, family, home assessment, performance, saving money, solutions, vacation
Posted in Air Conditioning, Efficiency, Energy / Efficiency / Renewables, Energy Audits, Energy Loss, Green, GreenHomes America, Home, Homeowners | Leave a Comment »
July 16, 2012
Despite what some might think, bigger isn’t always better. We talk about the right size furnace or air conditioner for our homes, it makes sense that a dehumidifier should be sized right too.
First of all, I suggest you take care of everything you can to reduce moisture in the first place. (Home as microbiology experiment? Moisture, keep it reasonable and stay safe) This is a lot like what I suggest in terms of heating and cooling in a home. Air seal and insulate first to make the home more efficient, then change the HVAC system. The same principle applies to choosing a dehumidifier: reduce the need first, and this will allow for a smaller unit. It might be smaller, but it will use less energy.
Since basements and other spaces sometimes need some dehumidification, consider the following chart:
ENERGY STAR® qualified models are better since they use less energy, and you can check the EnergyGuide sticker to see what yearly energy consumption a model has.
Thanks,
Jason
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Tags:dehumidifiers, energy, energy star appliances, home, homeowner
Posted in Air-Sealing, DIY, Efficiency, Energy Loss, Green, GreenHomes America, Health / Safety / Indoor Air, Home, Homeowners, Insulation, Uncategorized, Utility Bills | Leave a Comment »
