student verification and...

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StudyGuideforSavingHomeEnergyforRealEstateProfessionalsCourseThisstudyguidecanhelpyou:

• takenotes;• readandstudyoffline;• organizeinformation;and• prepareforassignmentsandassessments.

AsamemberofInterNACHI,youmaycheckyoureducationfolder,transcript,andcoursecompletionsbyloggingintoyourMembers-OnlyAccountatwww.nachi.org/account.Topurchasetextbooks(printedandelectronic),visitInterNACHI’secommercepartnerInspectorOutletatwww.inspectoroutlet.com.Copyright©2007-2015InternationalAssociationofCertifiedHomeInspectors,Inc.

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StudentVerificationandInteractivityStudentVerificationByenrollinginthiscourse,thestudentherebyatteststhats/heisthepersoncompletingallcoursework.S/heunderstandsthathavinganotherpersoncompletethecourseworkforhimorherisfraudulentandwillresultinbeingdeniedcoursecompletionandcorrespondingcredithours.Thecourseproviderreservestherighttomakecontactasnecessarytoverifytheintegrityofanyinformationsubmittedorcommunicatedbythestudent.Thestudentagreesnottoduplicateordistributeanypartofthiscopyrightedworkorprovideotherpartieswiththeanswersorcopiesoftheassessmentsthatarepartofthiscourse.Ifplagiarismorcopyrightinfringementisproven,thestudentwillbenotifiedofsuchandbarredfromthecourseand/orhavehis/hercredithoursand/orcertificationrevoked.Communicationonthemessageboardorforumshallbeofthepersoncompletingallcoursework.

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Introduction

WelcometoInterNACHI'sfree,onlineSavingHomeEnergyforRealEstateProfessionalscourse.

Thiscoursewillteachyouhoweasyitistoreduceyourenergyuseathome,includingtipsyoucanusetoday.Thereareeasy,practicalsolutionsforsavingenergythroughoutyourhome—fromtheroof,walls,andinsulationthatencloseit,totheappliancesandlightsinside.Pleasetakeafewmomentstoreadthevaluabletipstostartsavingenergyandmoneytoday.

Rightinyourownhome,youhavethepowertoreduceenergydemand,andwhenyoureducedemand,youcuttheamountofnaturalresources,suchascoalandgas,thatareneededtomakeenergy.Thatmeansyoucancreatelessgreenhousegasemissions,whichkeepsaircleanerforallofus…andsavesonyourutilitybills!Plus,reducingenergyuseincreasesourenergysecurity.

AHome'sEnergyUse

Yourhomeusesenergyeveryday,alldaylong.Tounderstandwhereenergyisbeingusedinyourhome,refertoyourInterNACHIHomeEnergyReport™providedtoyoubyyourlocalhomeinspector.You'lllearnmoreaboutHomeEnergyReportsinthenextpageofthiscourse.

Ahouseusesenergytokeepyouwarminthewinterandcoolinthesummer.Itusesenergytoprovideyouwithlightwhenyouneedit.Itusesenergytoprovideyouwithhotwater.Anditusesenergytorunallofyourappliancesandhomeelectronics.

Thisonlinecoursewillteachyouhowtousetheenergyinyourhomemoreefficiently.Youcanalsolearnhowtouserenewableenergytoprovideyourhomewithelectricity,heating,cooling,andwaterheating.

Forexample,anaveragehouseholddedicates6%ofitsenergybudgettolighting.Usingnewer“green”lightingtechnologiescanreducethelightingenergyuseinyourhomeby50%to75%.

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Byfollowingjustafewofthesimpletipsfoundinthiscourse,youcanmakeyourhomemorecomfortableandeasiertoheatandcool—whileyousavemoney.WeencourageyoutokeepreadingyourHomeEnergyReportandmaketherecommendedhomeenergyimprovementsthatwillhelpyousavemoneybysavingenergy.

What'saHomeEnergyReport?

Ittakesalotofenergytoheat,cool,andoperateahome.Mosthomebuyershavenoideahowmuchitwillcostthemtooperatetheirhomeoncetheymovein.Currenthomeownersdonotfullyunderstandhowmuchenergyand,therefore,moneyisbeingwastedbytheirhome.Andiftheydidunderstand,neitherhomebuyersnorhomeownerswouldknowwhattodoaboutit.

YourHomeEnergyReportprovidedtoyoubyyourhomeinspectorwillgiveyouaquickunderstandingof:•howmuchyourhomewillcosttooperate;•whereenergy(and,therefore,yourmoney)isbeingwasted;and•whatyoucandotosaveenergyandincreasecomfort.

ByHiringaHomeEnergyInspector

Homeownersoftenfindthatenergyimprovementscandramaticallyimprovethecomfortandconditionoftheirhomes,soitmakessensetoactassoonaspossibletoenhanceyourqualityoflife.ByhiringanInterNACHIHomeEnergyInspector,youcanquicklylearnhowtosaveenergyandmoneywhilealsoseeinghowyourhomerankscomparedtoothersinyourarea.

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ToPerformaHomeEnergyInspection

ToperformaHomeEnergyInspection,theinspectorconductsabriefwalk-throughofthehomeandcollects40datapointsrelatedtohomeenergy.Theinspectorthenentersthedataintoaweb-basedenergycalculatordevelopedbyInterNACHI,theInternationalAssociationofCertifiedHomeInspectors,to:•estimatethehome’syearlyenergyusage;•pinpointpotentialenergyinefficiencies;•calculateascorebasedontheseestimates;and•developrecommendationsforenergyimprovements.

Recommendations

TheHomeEnergyReportlistsrecommendationsforenergyupgradesthatarespecifictothehouse,aswellasanestimateofhowmuchtheimprovementscanreduceitsutilitybills.Thereportisbasedonthedatacollected,thenationalaveragecostsforinstallationofspecificenergyimprovements,andthestate’saverageforresidentialutilitycosts.

Someoftherecommendationsforenergyupgradesaresimpleforahomeownertodo.Othersrequiremoreinvestmentandtheworkofqualifiedprofessionalsbutpromiselargefinancialsavingsovertime.

VerifyEnergyUpgrades

YoucanaskyourInterNACHI-CertifiedHomeEnergyInspectortoincludeapost-upgradeinspectionaspartoftheimprovementpackagetoverifythatyourhome’senergyefficiencyisgreaterafteryou’vemadetherecommendedenergyupgrades.Notonlyisthisproofthatyourhomeisperformingbetter,buttheReportcanserveasofficialdocumentationthattheimprovementsyou’vemadehaveenhancedyourhome’sperformance,whichaddstoyourhome’sappealwhenyou’rereadytosell.

StartSavingEnergyandMoneyToday

DidYouKnow…?

IfeveryAmericanhomereplacedjustonelightbulbwithalightbulbthat’searnedtheENERGYSTARlabel,wewouldsaveenoughenergytolight3millionhomesforayear,saveabout$600millioninannualenergycosts,andprevent9billionpoundsofgreenhousegasemissionsperyear,equivalenttothosefromabout800,000cars.

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DownloadtheLighting-Tip-Card,whichprovidesthemoneysavingsfromnewlightingchoicesaswellasinformationonlumensandthelightingfactslabel.

Herearesomeeasylow-costandno-costwaystosaveenergy:

• Installaprogrammablethermostattokeepyourhousecomfortablywarminthewinterandcomfortablycoolinthesummer

• Usecompactfluorescentlightbulbs(CFLs)withtheENERGYSTARlabel.

• Air-drydishesinsteadofusingyourdishwasher’sdryingcycle.• Turnoffyourcomputerandmonitorwhennotinuse.• Plughomeelectronics,suchasTVsandDVDplayers,intopower

strips;turnthepowerstripsoffwhentheequipmentisnotinuse(TVsandDVDsinstandbymodestilluseseveralwattsofpower).

• Lowerthethermostatonyourhotwaterheaterto120°F.• Takeshortshowersinsteadofbaths.• Washonlyfullloadsofdishesandclothes.• LookfortheENERGYSTARlabelonhomeappliancesandproducts.ENERGYSTAR

productsmeetstrictefficiencyguidelinessetbytheU.S.DepartmentofEnergyandtheEnvironmentalProtectionAgency.

• Visitwww.energysavers.govformoreenergy-savingideas.

DidYouAlsoKnow…?

DidyouknowthatthetypicalU.S.familyspendsabout$2,200ayearonhomeutilitybills?

Unfortunately,alargeportionofthatenergyiswasted.Andeachyear,electricitygeneratedbyfossilfuelsforasinglehomeputsmorecarbondioxideintotheairthantwoaveragecars.Thegoodnewsisthatthereisalotyoucandotosaveenergyandmoneyathome.Thekeytoachievingthesesavingsinyourhomeisawhole-houseenergyefficiencyplan.Totakeawhole-houseapproach,viewyourhomeasanenergysystemwithinterdependentparts.Forexample,yourheatingsystemisnotjustafurnace—it’saheat-deliverysystemthatstartsatthefurnaceanddeliversheatthroughoutyourhomeusinganetworkofducts.Evenatop-of-the-line,energy-efficientfurnacewillwastealotoffueliftheducts,walls,attic,windowsanddoorsarenotproperlysealedandinsulated.Takingawhole-houseapproachtosavingenergyensuresthatthedollarsyouinvesttosaveenergyarespentwisely.Energy-efficientimprovementsnotonlymakeyourhomemorecomfortable,theycanyield

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long-termfinancialrewards.Reducedutilitybillsmorethanmakeupforthehigherinitialcostofthepurchaseofenergy-efficientappliancesandimprovementsovertheirlifetimes.Inaddition,yourhomecouldbringinahigherpricewhenyousell.

HowWeUseEnergyinOurHomes

Heatingaccountsforthebiggestchunkofatypicalutilitybill.

Source:2010BuildingsEnergyDataBook,Table2.1.1ResidentialPrimaryEnergyConsumption,byYearandFuelType.Largerview.

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HeatLossfromaHouse

Apictureisworth…inthiscase,lostheatingdollars.Thisthermalphotoshowsheatenteringabathroomshowerceilingduringthoseexpensivesummercoolingmonths.Thewhite,yellowandredcolorsshowhotspots.Heat-gainareaslikethismakeitmoreexpensivetocoolthehouseinthesummer.Tips:InsulationandSealingAirLeaks

Checkingyourhome’sinsulationisoneofthefastestandmostcost-effectivewaystouseawhole-houseapproachtoreduceenergywasteandmakethemostofyourenergydollars.Agoodinsulatingsystemincludesacombinationofproductsandconstructiontechniquesthatprotectahomefromoutsidehotandcoldtemperatures,protectitagainstairleaks,andcontrolmoisture.Youcanincreasethecomfortofyourhomewhilereducingyourheatingandcoolingneedsbyinvestinginproperinsulationandsealingairleaks.

ShouldIInsulateMyHome?

Insulateyourhomewhen:•Youhaveanolderhomeandhaven’taddedinsulation.Only20%ofhomesbuiltbefore1980arewell-insulated.•Youareuncomfortablycoldinthewinterorhotinthesummer.Addinginsulationcreatesamoreuniformtemperatureandincreasescomfort.•Youbuildanewhomeoraddition,orinstallnewsidingorroofing.•Youpayhighenergybills.•Youarebotheredbynoisefromoutside.Insulationmufflessound.

R-ValueofInsulation

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Checktheinsulationinyourattic,ceilings,exteriorandbasementwalls,floorsandcrawlspacetoseeifitmeetsthelevelsrecommendedforyourarea.InsulationismeasuredinR-values—thehighertheR-value,thebetteryourwallsandroofwillresistthetransferofheat.TheDOErecommendsrangesofR-valuesbasedonlocalheatingandcoolingcostsandclimateconditionsindifferentareasofthecountry.ThemapandchartbelowshowtheDOErecommendationsforyourarea.StateandlocalcodeminimuminsulationrequirementsmaybelessthantheDOErecommendations,whicharebasedoncosteffectiveness.FourTypesofInsulationAlthoughinsulationcanbemadefromavarietyofmaterials,itusuallycomesinfourtypes,andeachtypehasdifferentcharacteristics.

Rollsandbattsorblanketsareflexibleproductsmadefrommineralfibers,suchasfiberglassandrockwool.They’reavailableinwidthssuitedtostandardspacingsofwallstudsandatticandfloorjoists:2×4wallscanholdR-13orR-15batts;2×6wallscanuseR-19orR-21products.

Loose-fillinsulationisusuallymadeoffiberglass,rockwool,orcelluloseintheformofloosefibersorfiberpellets.Itshouldbeblownintospacesusingspecialpneumaticequipment.Theblown-inmaterialconformsreadilytobuildingcavitiesandattics.Therefore,loose-fillinsulationiswell-suitedtoplaceswhereit’sdifficulttoinstallothertypesofinsulation.

Rigidfoamorfoamboardinsulationistypicallymoreexpensivethanfiberinsulation,butit’sveryeffectiveinbuildingswithspacelimitationsandwherehigherR-valuesareneeded.FoaminsulationR-valuesrangefromR-4toR-6.5perinchofthickness,whichisuptotwotimesgreaterthanmostotherinsulatingmaterialsofthesamethickness.

Foam-in-placeinsulationcanbeblownintowalls.Itreducesairleakageifit’sblownintocracks,suchasaroundwindowanddoorframes.

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WheretoInsulate

1.Inunfinishedatticspaces,insulatebetweenandoverfloorjoiststosealofflivingspacesbelow.

2.Infinishedatticroomswithorwithoutdormers:

• 2A.insulatebetweenstudsofkneewalls;• 2B.insulatebetweenstudsandraftersofexteriorwallsandtheroof;• 2C.insulateceilingswithcoldspaceabove;and• 2D.extendinsulationintojoistspacestoreduceairflow.

3.Insulateatexteriorwalls,suchas:

• 3A.wallsbetweenlivingspacesandunheatedgarages,shedroofs,andstorageareas;

• 3B.foundationwallsaboveground;and• 3C.foundationwallsinheatedbasements.

4.Insulateabovecoldspaces,ventedcrawlspaces,andunheatedgarages.Also:

• 4A.insulateanyportionofthefloorinaroomthatcantileversbeyondanexteriorwall;

• 4B.insulateslabfloorsbuiltdirectlyontheground;• 4C.insulatefoundationwallsofunventedcrawlspaces;and• 4D.extendinsulationintojoistspacestoreduceairflow.

Addinginsulationintheareasshownabovemaybethebestwaytoimproveyourhome’senergyefficiency.Insulateeithertheatticfloororundertheroof.Checkwithacontractoraboutcrawlspaceorbasementinsulation.

InsulationTips

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• Considerfactorssuchasyourclimate,buildingdesignandbudgetwhenselectinginsulationR-valuesforyourhome.

• Usehigher-densityinsulation,suchasrigidfoamboard,onexteriorwalls,incathedralceilings,andonexteriorwalls.

• Ventilationhelpswithmoisturecontrolandforreducingsummercoolingbills.Atticventscanbeinstalledalongtheentireceilingcavity,fromthesoffittotheattic,tohelpensureproperairflowtomakeahomemorecomfortableandenergy-efficient.Donotventilateyouratticifyouhaveinsulationontheundersideoftheroof.Checkwithaqualifiedcontractor.

• Recessedlightfixturescanbeamajorsourceofheatloss,butyouneedtobecarefulofhowcloseyouplaceinsulationnexttoafixtureunlessit’smarked“IC,”whichmeansit’sdesignedfordirectinsulationcontact.Checkyourlocalbuildingcodesforrecommendations.

Long-TermSavingsTips

Oneofthemostcost-effectivewaystomakeyourhomemorecomfortableyear-roundistoaddinsulationtoyourattic.

Addinginsulationtotheatticisrelativelyeasy.Tofindoutifyouhaveenoughbeforeaddingmore,measurethethicknessoftheinsulationthat’scurrentlyinstalled.Ifit’slessthanR-30(11inchesoffiberglassorrockwool,or8inchesofcellulose),youcouldprobablybenefitbyaddingmore.MostU.S.homesshouldhavebetweenR-30andR-60insulationintheattic.Don’tforgettheattictraporaccessdoor.

Ifyourattichasenoughinsulationandyourhomestillfeelsdraftyandcoldinthewinterortoowarminthesummer,chancesareyouneedtoaddinsulationtotheexteriorwalls,aswell.Thisisamoreexpensivemeasurethatusuallyrequiresacontractor,butitmaybeworththecostifyouliveinaveryhotorcoldclimate.Ifyoureplacetheexteriorsidingonyourhome,youshouldconsideraddinginsulationatthesametime.

Youmayalsoneedtoaddinsulationtoyourcrawlspaceorbasement.Checkwithaprofessionalcontractor.

• Followtheproductinstructionsasspecifiedontheproductpackagingforguidelinesonproperinstallation,andbesuretoweartheproperprotectivegearwheninstallinginsulation.

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InsulationforNewConstruction

Fornewhomesinmostclimates,youwillsavemoneyandenergyifyouinstallacombinationofcavityinsulationandinsulativesheathing.CavityinsulationcanbeinstalledatlevelsuptoR-15ina2×4-inchwall,anduptoR-21ina2×6-inchwall.Theinsulativesheathing,usedinadditiontothiscavityinsulation,helpstoreducetheenergythatwouldotherwisebelostthroughthewoodframe.Forexample,inZone5,youcoulduseeithera2×4wallwithR-13ora2×6wallwithR-21.Foreitherofthosetwowalls,youshouldalsouseaninchofinsulativesheathingthathasanR-valueofR-5orR-6.

Today,newproductsareonthemarketthatprovidebothinsulationandstructuralsupportandshouldbeconsideredfornewhomeconstructionandadditions.Structuralinsulatedpanels,knownasSIPs,andmasonryproducts,suchasinsulatingconcreteforms,orICFs,aretwoofthesenewerproducts.Somehomebuildersevenuseanoldtechniqueborrowedfromthepioneers:buildingwallsusingstrawbales.Radiantbarriers(inhotclimates),reflectiveinsulation,andfoundationinsulationshouldallbeconsideredfornewhomeconstruction.Checkwithyourcontractorformoreinformationabouttheseoptions.

AirLeaksandEnergyLossSealingAirLeaks

Warmairleakingintoyourhomeduringthesummerandoutofyourhomeduringthewintercanwastealotofyourenergydollars.Oneofthequickestdollar-savingtasksyoucanperformiscaulk,sealandweatherstripallseams,cracksandopeningstotheoutside.Youcansaveonyourheatingandcoolingbillsbyreducingtheseairleaksinyourhome.

HowDoesAirEscape?

Clicktoenlarge.

SourcesofAirLeaksinYourHome

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Clicktoenlarge.

Areasthatleakairintoandoutofyourhomecostyoulotsofmoney.Checktheareaslistedbelow:

• droppedceilings;• recessedlightfixtures;• atticentrance;• sillplates;• waterandfurnaceflues;• allducts;• doorframes;• chimneyflashing;• windowframes;• electricaloutletsandswitchplates;and• plumbingandutilityaccesses;

TipsforFindingandSealingAirLeaks

Airinfiltratesintoandoutofyourhomethrougheveryholeandcrack.Aboutone-thirdofthisairinfiltratesthroughopeningsinyourceilings,wallsandfloors.Herearesomemeasuresyoucantakeyourself.

• First,testyourhomeforair-tightness.Onawindyday,carefullyholdalitincensestickorasmokepennexttoyourwindows,doors,electricalboxes,plumbingfixtures,electricaloutlets,ceilingfixtures,attichatches,andotherlocationswherethereisapossibleairpathtotheoutside.Ifthesmokestreamtravelshorizontally,youhavelocatedanairleakthatmayneedcaulking,sealingorweather-stripping.

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• Caulkandweatherstripdoorsandwindowsthatleakair.• Caulkandsealairleakswhereplumbing,ductingorelectricalwiringpenetrates

throughwalls,floors,ceilings,andsoffitslocatedovercabinets.• Installfoamgasketsbehindoutletandswitchplatesonwalls.• Lookfordirtyspotsinyourinsulation,whichoftenindicateholeswhereairleaks

intoandoutofyourhouse.Youcansealtheholeswithlow-expansionsprayfoammadeforthispurpose.

• Lookfordirtyspotsonyourceilingpaintandcarpet,whichmayindicateairleaksatinteriorwall-ceilingjointsandwall-floorjoints.Thesejointscanbecaulked.

• Installstormwindowsoversingle-panewindows,orreplacethemwithmoreefficientwindows,suchasdouble-pane.

• Whenthefireplaceisnotinuse,keepthefluedampertightlyclosed.Achimneyisdesignedspecificallyforsmoketoescape,sountilyoucloseit,warmairescapes—24hoursaday!

• Fornewconstruction,reduceexteriorwallleaksbyinstallinghousewrap,tapingthejointsofexteriorsheathing,andcaulkingandsealingalltheexteriorwalls.

• Usefoamsealantforlargergapsaroundwindows,baseboards,andotherplaceswherewarmairmaybeleakingout.

• Kitchenexhaustfancoverscankeepairfromleakinginwhentheexhaustfanisnotinuse.Thecoverstypicallyattachviamagnetsforeaseofreplacement.

• Replacingexistingdoorbottomsandthresholdswithonesthathavepliablesealinggasketsisagreatwaytopreventconditionedairfromleakingoutunderneathexteriordoors.

• Fireplacefluesaremadefrommetaland,overtime,repeatedheatingandcoolingcancausethemetaltowarporbreak,creatingachannelforhotorcoldairloss.Inflatablechimneyballoonsaredesignedtofitbeneathyourfireplaceflueduringperiodsofnon-use.They’remadefromseverallayersofdurableplasticandcanberemovedeasilyandreusedhundredsoftimes.Shouldyouforgettoremovetheballoonbeforemakingafire,theballoonwillautomaticallydeflatewithinsecondsofcomingintocontactwithheat.

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Quiz#1Anaveragehouseholddedicates_____ofitsenergybudgettolighting.

• 6%• 20%• 39%

ThetypicalU.S.familyspendsabout$_____ayearonhomeutilitybills.

• 2,200• 500• 3,900

Heatingaccountsforthe______chunkofatypicalutilitybill.

• biggest• smallest

T/F:Checkingyourhome’sinsulationisoneofthefastestandmostcost-effectivewaystouseawhole-houseapproachtoreduceenergywasteandmakethemostofyourenergydollars.

• True• False

About_____%ofhomesbuiltbefore1980arewell-insulated.

• 20• 5• 30• 50

T/F:Recessedlightfixturescanbeamajorsourceofheatloss.

• True• False

Youcansaveonyourheatingandcoolingbillsbyreducingairleaksinyourhome.

• True• False

HeatingandCoolingSystems

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Althoughseveraldifferenttypesoffuelsareavailabletoheatourhomes,almosthalfofususenaturalgas.

Clicktoenlarge.

Heatingandcoolingyourhomeusesmoreenergyanddrainsmoreenergydollarsthananyothersysteminyourhome.Typically,43%ofyourutilitybillgoesforheatingandcooling.What’smore,heatingandcoolingsystemsintheUnitedStatestogetheremit150milliontonsofcarbondioxideintotheatmosphereeachyear,addingtoglobalclimatechange.Theyalsogenerateabout12%ofthenation’ssulfurdioxideand4%ofthenitrogenoxides,thechiefingredientsinacidrain.

Nomatterwhatkindofheating,ventilation,andair-conditioningsystemyouhaveinyourhouse,youcansavemoneyandincreaseyourcomfortbyproperlymaintainingandupgradingyourequipment.Butremember,anenergy-efficientfurnacealonewillnothaveasgreatanimpactonyourenergybillsasusingthewhole-houseapproach.Bycombiningproperequipmentmaintenanceandupgradeswithappropriateinsulation,airsealing,andthermostatsettings,youcancutyourenergyuseforheatingandcoolingandreduceenvironmentalemissionsbyupto50%.

HeatingandCoolingTips

• Setyourthermostataslowasiscomfortableinthewinterandashighasiscomfortableinthesummer.

• Cleanorreplacefiltersonthefurnaceonceamonthorasneeded.• Cleanwarm-airregisters,baseboardheatersandradiatorsasneeded,andmake

surethey’renotblockedbyfurniture,carpetingordrapes.• Bleedtrappedairfromhot-waterradiatorsonceortwiceaseason;ifindoubtabout

howtoperformthistask,callaprofessional.• Placeheat-resistantradiatorreflectorsbetweenexteriorwallsandtheradiators.• Turnoffkitchen,bathandotherexhaustfanswithin20minutesafteryou’redone

cookingorbathing.• Whenreplacingexhaustfans,considerinstallinghigh-efficiency,low-noisemodels.

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• Duringtheheatingseason,keepthedraperiesandshadesonyoursouth-facingwindowsopenduringthedaytoallowthesunlighttoenteryourhome.Closethematnighttoreducethechillyoumayfeelfromcoldwindows.

• Duringthecoolingseason,keepthewindowcoveringsclosedduringthedaytopreventsolargain.


• Whenyoubuynewheatingandcoolingequipment,selectenergy-efficientproducts.Yourcontractorshouldbeabletogiveyouenergyfactsheetsfordifferenttypes,modelsanddesignstohelpyoucompareenergyusage.Forfurnaces,lookforhighAnnualFuelUtilizationEfficiency(AFUE)ratings.Thenationalminimumis78%AFUE,butthereareENERGYSTARmodelsonthemarketthatexceed90%AFUE.

• Forairconditioners,lookforahighSeasonalEnergyEfficiencyRatio(SEER).Thecurrentminimumis13SEERforcentralairconditioners.ENERGYSTARmodelsare14SEERormore.

Ducts

Oneofthemostimportantsystemsinyourhome,thoughit’shiddenbeneathyourfeetandoveryourhead,maybewastingalotofyourenergydollars.Yourhome’sductsystem,abranchingnetworkoftubesinthewalls,floorsandceilings,carriestheairfromyourhome’sfurnaceandcentralairconditionertoeachroom.Ductsaremadeofsheetmetal,fiberglassorothermaterials.

Unfortunately,manyductsystemsarepoorlyinsulatedornotinsulatedproperly.Ductsthatleakheatedairintounheatedspacescanaddhundredsofdollarsayeartoyourheatingandcoolingbills.Insulatingtheductsthatareinunconditionedspacesisusuallyverycost-effective.Ifyou’rehavinganewductsysteminstalled,consideronethatcomeswithinsulationalreadyapplied.

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Clicktoenlarge.

Sealingyourductstopreventleaksisevenmoreimportantiftheductsarelocatedinanunconditionedarea,suchasanatticorventedcrawlspace.Ifthesupplyductsareleaking,heatedorcooledaircanbelostbybeingforcedoutofunsealedjoints.Inaddition,unconditionedaircanbedrawnintoreturnductsthroughunsealedjoints.Inthesummer,hotatticaircanbedrawnin,increasingtheworkloadontheairconditioner.Inthewinter,yourfurnacewillhavetoworklongertokeepyourhousecomfortable.Eitherway,yourenergylossescostyoumoney.

Althoughminorductrepairsareeasytomake,ductsinunconditionedspacesshouldbesealedandinsulatedbyqualifiedprofessionalsusingappropriatesealingmaterials.

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DuctTips

Thefollowingareafewsimpletipstohelpwithminorductrepairs:

• Checkyourductsforairleaks.First,lookforsectionsthatshouldbejoinedbuthaveseparated,andthenlookforobviousholes.

• Ifyouusetapetosealyourducts,avoidcloth-backed,rubberadhesiveducttape,whichtendstofailquickly.Researchersrecommendotherproductstosealducts:mastic,butyltape,foiltape,andotherheat-approvedtapes.LookfortapewiththeUnderwritersLaboratorieslogo.

• Rememberthatinsulatingductsinthebasementwillmakethebasementcolder.Ifboththeductsandthebasementwallsareuninsulated,considerinsulatingboth.Waterpipesanddrainsinunconditionedspacescouldfreezeandburstiftheheatductsarefullyinsulatedbecausetherewouldbenoheatsourcetopreventthespacefromfreezingincoldweather.However,usinganelectricheatingtapewraponthepipescanpreventthis.Checkwithaprofessionalcontractor.

Ducts:OutofSight,OutofMind

Theunsealedductsinyouratticandcrawlspaceloseair,anduninsulatedductsloseheat,wastingenergyandmoney.

• Ifyourbasementhasbeenconvertedtoalivingarea,hireaprofessionaltoinstallbothsupplyandreturnregistersinthebasementrooms.

• Besureawell-sealedvaporbarrierexistsontheoutsideoftheinsulationoncoolingductstopreventmoisturebuildup.

• Whendoingductwork,besuretogetprofessionalhelp.Changesandrepairstoaductsystemshouldalwaysbeperformedbyaqualifiedtechnician.

• Ductsthatdon’tworkproperlycancreateserious,life-threateningcarbonmonoxide(CO)problemsinthehome.Ifyouhaveafuel-burningfurnace,stoveorotherappliance,oranattachedgarage,installaCOmonitortoalertyoutoharmfulCOlevels.

Long-TermSavingsTip

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• Ifyourductsaren’tinsulatedandtravelthroughunheatedspaces,suchastheatticorcrawlspace,youcanloseupto60%ofyourheatedairbeforeitreachestheregister.Getaqualifiedprofessionaltohelpyouinsulateandrepairducts.

HeatPumps

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Heatpumpsarethemostefficientformofelectricheatinginmoderateclimates,providingthreetimesmoreheatingthantheequivalentamountofenergytheyconsumeinelectricity.Therearethreetypesofheatpumps:air-to-air,water-source,andground-source.Theycollectheatfromtheair,waterorgroundoutsideyourhomeandconcentrateitforuseinside.Heatpumpsperformdoubledutyasacentralairconditioner.Theycanalsocoolyourhomebycollectingtheheatinsideyourhouseandeffectivelypumpingitoutside.Aheatpumpcantrimtheamountofelectricityyouuseforheatingbyupto40%.

HeatPumpTips

• Donotsetbacktheheatpump’sthermostatmanuallyifitcausestheelectricresistanceheatingtocomeon.Thistypeofheating,whichisoftenusedasabackuptotheheatpump,ismoreexpensive.

• Cleanorchangefiltersonceamonthorasneeded,andmaintainthesystemaccordingtomanufacturer’sinstructions.

Long-TermSavingsTip

• Ifyouuseelectricitytoheatyourhomeandliveinamoderateclimate,considerinstallinganenergy-efficientheat-pumpsystem.

SolarHeatingandCooling

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Usingpassivesolardesigntechniquestoheatandcoolyourhomecanbebothenvironmentallyfriendlyandcost-effective.Passivesolarheatingtechniquesincludeplacinglargerinsulatedwindowsonsouth-facingwalls,andlocatingthermalmass,suchasaconcreteslabfloororaheat-absorbingwall,closetothewindows.Inmanycases,yourheatingcostscouldbemorethan50%lowerthanthecostofheatingthesamehousethatdoesnotincorporateapassivesolardesign.

Passivesolardesigncanalsohelpreduceyourcoolingcosts.Passivesolarcoolingtechniquesincludecarefullydesignedoverhangs,windowswithreflectivecoatings,andreflectivecoatingsonexteriorwallsandtheroof.

Apassivesolarhouserequirescarefuldesignandsiteorientation,whichdependonthelocalclimate.So,ifyou’reconsideringpassivesolardesignfornewconstructionoramajorremodeling,youshouldconsultanarchitectfamiliarwithpassivesolartechniques.

SolarTips

• Keepallsouth-facingglassclean.• Makesurethatnoobjectsareblockingthesunlightshiningonconcreteslabfloors

orheat-absorbingwalls.

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NaturalGasandOilHeatingSystems

Ifyouplantobuyanewheatingsystem,askyourlocalutilityorstateenergyofficeforinformationaboutthelatesttechnologiesavailabletoconsumers.Theycanadviseyouaboutmoreefficientsystemsonthemarkettoday.Forexample,manynewermodelsincorporatedesignsforburnersandheatexchangersthatresultinhigherefficienciesduringoperationandreduceheatlosswhentheequipmentisoff.Considerasealedcombustionfurnace;theyarebothsaferandmoreefficient.

Long-TermSavingsTip

• Installanewenergy-efficientfurnacetosavemoneyoverthelongterm.LookfortheENERGYSTARandEnergyGuidelabels.

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Carbon-MonoxideDetector

Carbon-monoxide(CO)detectorsarerecommended(andmayevenberequiredbylocalcodes)inhomeswithfuel-burningappliances,suchasnaturalgasfurnaces,stoves,ovensandwaterheaters,andfuel-burningspaceheaters.AnalarmsignalshomeownersifCOlevelsreachpotentiallydangerouslevels.

AirConditioners

Enlargeillustration.

Sizingisimportantforbothroomandcentralair-conditioningsystems,whichneedtobesizedbyprofessionals.Buyingabiggerroomair-conditioningunitwon’tnecessarilymakeyoufeelmorecomfortableduringthehotsummermonths.Infact,aroomairconditionerthat’stoobigfortheareaitissupposedtocoolwillperformlessefficientlyandlesseffectivelythana

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smaller,properlysizedunit.Ifyouhaveacentralairsysteminyourhome,setthefantoshutoffatthesametimeasthecoolingunit(compressor).Inotherwords,don’tusethesystem’scentralfantoprovidecirculation,butinsteadusecirculatingfansinindividualrooms.

CoolingTips

• Whole-housefanshelpcoolyourhomebypullingcoolairthroughthehouseandexhaustingwarmairthroughtheattic.

• Setyourthermostatashighascomfortableinthesummer.Thesmallerthedifferencebetweentheindoorandoutdoortemperatures,theloweryouroverallcoolingbillwillbe.

• Avoidsettingyourthermostatatacoldersettingthannormal.Itwillnotcoolyourhomeanyfasterandcouldresultinexcessivecoolingand,therefore,unnecessaryexpense.

• Considerusinganinteriorfaninconjunctionwithyourwindowairconditionertospreadthecooledairmoreeffectivelythroughyourhomewithoutgreatlyincreasingyourpoweruse.

• AvoidplacinglampsorTVsetsnearyourair-conditioningthermostat.Thethermostatsensesheatfromtheseappliances,whichcancausetheairconditionertorunlongerthannecessary.


• Ifyourairconditionerisold,considerpurchasinganew,energy-efficientmodel.Youcouldsaveupto50%onyourutilitybillsforcooling.LookfortheENERGYSTARandEnergyGuidelabels.

• Considerinstallingawhole-housefanorevaporativecooler,ifit’sappropriateforyourclimate.

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ProgrammableThermostats

Youcansaveasmuchas10%ayearonyourheatingandcoolingbillsbysimplyturningyourthermostatback10%to15%foreighthours.Youcandothisautomaticallybyinstallinganautomaticsetbackorprogrammablethermostat.Usingaprogrammablethermostat,youcanadjustthetimesyouturnontheheatingorairconditioningaccordingtoapre-setschedule.Asaresult,theequipmentdoesn’toperateasmuchwhenyou’reasleeporwhenthehouse(orapartofit)isn’toccupied.Programmablethermostatscanstoreandrepeatmultipledailysettings(sixormoretemperaturesettingsaday)thatyoucanmanuallyoverridewithoutaffectingtherestofthedailyorweeklyprogram.

Usingaprogrammablethermostat,youcanautomaticallyturndownyourheatatnightorwhenyou’renotathome.

Inthesummer,youcansavemoneybyautomaticallyturningyourairconditioningupatnightorwhenyou’reatwork.

Landscaping

Landscapingisanaturalandbeautifulwaytokeepyourhomecoolinsummerandreduceyourenergybills.Awell-placedtree,shruborvinecandelivereffectiveshade,actasawindbreak,andreduceyourenergybills.Carefullypositionedtreescansaveupto25%oftheenergyatypicalhouseholduses.Researchshowsthatsummerdaytimeairtemperaturescanbe3°to6°coolerintree-shadedneighborhoodsthanintreelessareas.Alatticeortrelliswithclimbingvines,oraplanterbox

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withtrailingvines,canshadethehome’sperimeterwhileadmittingcoolingbreezestotheshadedarea.

NaturalPartners:BuildingsandTrees

Deciduoustreesplantedonthesouthandwestsidesofyourhomewillhelpkeepitcoolinthesummerandallowsuntoshineinthewindowsinthewinter.Carefullandscapingcanpreserverooftopsolarexposureforsolarpanelsandprovideshadingtohelpcontrolsolarheatgainthroughwindows.Largedeciduousshadetreesonthesouthwestcornerofthehomeprovidewelcomerelieffromsummerafternoonsunwhileallowingdesirablewintersuntowarmthehouse.

Quiz#2Typically,_____%ofyourutilitybillgoesforheatingandcooling.

• 43• 23• 63

T/F:Heatingandcoolingyourhomeusesmoreenergyanddrainsmoreenergydollarsthananyothersysteminyourhome.

• True• False

Bycombiningproperequipmentmaintenanceandupgradeswithappropriateinsulation,airsealing,andthermostatsettings,youcancutyourenergyuseforheatingandcoolingandreduceenvironmentalemissionsbyupto_____%.

• 50• 100• 75• 5

Mostductsystemsare_____insulatedproperly.

• poorly• well

Ductsthatleakheatedairintounheatedspacescanadd_____ofdollarsayeartoyourheatingandcoolingbills.

• hundreds

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• tens• thousands

T/F:Ifyouusetapetosealyourducts,avoidcloth-backed,rubberadhesiveducttape,whichtendstofailquickly.

• True• False

Youcansaveabout_____%ayearonyourheatingandcoolingbillsbysimplyusinganautomaticsetbackorprogrammablethermostat.

• 10• 30• 57

Carefullypositionedtreescansaveupto_____%oftheenergyatypicalhouseholduses.

• 25• 5• 3• 14

KeepYourEnergyBillsOutofHotWater

Enlargeillustration.

Waterheatingisthethirdlargestenergyexpenseinyourhome.Ittypicallyaccountsforabout15%ofyourutilitybill.Therearefourwaystocutyourwaterheatingbills:uselesshotwater,turndownthethermostatonyourwaterheater,insulateyourwaterheater,andbuyanew,moreenergy-efficientmodel.LookfortheENERGYSTARlabel.

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WaterHeatingTips

• Installaerating,low-flowfaucetsandshowerheads.• Repairleakyfaucetspromptly;aleakyfaucetwastesgallonsofwaterinashort

periodoftime.• Lowerthethermostatonyourwaterheater.Waterheaterssometimescomefrom

thefactorypre-setatahightemperature,butsettingitat120°Fprovidescomfortablyhotwaterformostuses.

• Insulateyourelectrichot-waterstoragetank,butbecarefulnottocoverthethermostat.Followthemanufacturer’srecommendations.

• Insulateyournaturalgasoroilhot-waterstoragetank,butbecarefulnottocoverthewaterheater’stop,bottom,thermostat,orburnercompartment.Followthemanufacturer’srecommendations;whenindoubt,getprofessionalhelp.

• Insulatethefirst6feetofthehotandcoldwaterpipesconnectedtothewaterheater.

• Ifyou’reinthemarketforanewdishwasherorclotheswasher,considerbuyinganefficient,water-savingENERGYSTARmodeltoreducehotwateruse.

• Installheattrapsonthehotandcoldpipesatthewaterheatertopreventheatloss.Somenewwaterheatershavebuilt-inheattraps.

• Drainaquartofwaterfromyourwatertankeverythreemonthstoremovesedimentthatimpedesheattransferandlowerstheefficiencyofyourheater.Thetypeofwatertankyouhavedeterminesthestepstotake,sofollowthemanufacturer’srecommendations.

• Althoughmostwaterheaterslast10to15years,it’sbesttostartshoppingnowforanewoneifyoursismorethansevenyearsold.Doingsomeresearchbeforeyourheaterfailswillenableyoutoselectthebestonethatmeetsyourneeds.

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• Buyanewenergy-efficientwaterheater.Whileitmaycostmoreinitiallythanastandardwaterheater,theenergysavingswillcontinueduringthelifetimeoftheappliance.LookfortheENERGYSTARandEnergyGuidelabels.

• LookfortheENERGYSTARlabelonefficientwaterheatersinthefollowingcategories:high-efficiencygasnon-condensing,gascondensing,electricheatpump,gastankless,andsolar.

• Considerinstallingadrainwaterwasteheat-recoverysystem.ArecentDOEstudyshowedenergysavingsofupto30%forwaterheatingusingsuchasystem.

• Consideranaturalgason-demandortanklesswaterheater.Researchhasfoundthatsavingscanashighas30%comparedtoastandardnaturalgasstoragetankwaterheater.

• Aheatpumpwaterheatercanbeverycost-effectiveinsomeareasandclimates.

SolarWaterHeaters

Ifyouheatwaterwithelectricity,havehighelectricrates,andhaveanunshaded,south-facinglocation(suchasaroof)onyourproperty,considerinstallinganENERGYSTAR-qualifiedsolarwaterheater.Solarunitsareenvironmentallyfriendlyandcanbeinstalledonyourrooftoblendinwiththearchitectureofyourhouse.

Morethan1.5millionhomesandbusinessesintheUnitedStateshaveinvestedinsolarwaterheatingsystems,andsurveysindicatethatmorethan94%ofthesecustomersconsiderthesystemsagoodinvestment.Solarwaterheatingsystemsarealsogoodfortheenvironment.Solarwaterheatersavoidthegreenhousegasemissionsassociatedwithelectricityproduction.Duringa20-yearperiod,onesolarwaterheatercanavoidmorethan50tonsofcarbondioxideemissions.Whenshoppingforasolarwaterheater,lookfortheENERGYSTARlabelandforsystemscertifiedbytheSolarRatingandCertificationCorporation,ortheFloridaSolarEnergyCenter.

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Windows

Windowscanbeoneofyourhome’smostattractivefeatures.Windowsprovideviews,daylighting,ventilation,andsolarheatinginthewinter.Unfortunately,theycanalsoaccountforupto25%ofyourheatingbill.Duringthesummer,yourairconditionermustworkhardertocoolhotairfromsunnywindows.Energy-efficientwindowsmayhavetwoormorepanesofglass,warm-edgespacersbetweenthewindowpanes,improvedframingmaterials,andlow-ecoatings,whicharemicroscopicallythincoatingsthathelpkeepheatinsideduringthewinterandoutsideduringthesummer.

Ifyourhomehassingle-panewindows,asmanyU.S.homesdo,considerreplacingthemwithnewdouble-panewindowswithhigh-performancelow-e(low-emissivity)orspectrallyselectiveglass.Incolderclimates,choosewindowsthataregas-filledwithlow-ecoatingsontheglasstoreduceheatloss.Inwarmerclimates,choosewindowswithspectrallyselectivecoatingstoreduceheatgain.

Ifyou’rebuildinganewhome,thehighercostofenergy-efficientwindowscanactuallybeoffsetbyallowingyoutobuysmaller,lessexpensiveheatingandcoolingequipment.InstallENERGYSTARwindowsandusecurtainsandshadetogiveyourairconditionerandenergybillabreak.IfyouliveintheSunBelt,lookintolow-ewindows,whichcancutthecoolingloadbyupto15%.

Ifyoudecidenottoreplaceyourwindows,thesimpler,lesscostlymeasureslistedherecanimprovetheirperformance.

Cold-ClimateWindowTips

Cold-climatewindowskeepheatin.

• Double-panewindowswithlow-ecoatingontheglassreflectheatbackintotheroomduringthewintermonths.

• Duringthecoldwintermonths,youcanuseaheavy-duty,clearplasticsheetonaframe,ortapeclearplasticfilmtotheinsideofyourwindowframes.Remember,theplasticmustbesealedtightlytotheframetohelpreduceairinfiltration.

• Installtight-fitting,insulatingwindowshadesonwindowsthatfeeldraftyafterweatherizing.

• Closeyourcurtainsandshadesatnight.• Openyourcurtainsduringtheday.

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• Ifyouhavewindowslocatedonthesouthsideofyourhouse,keepthemcleansothattheycanletinthemaximumamountofwintersun.

• Installexteriororinteriorstormwindows.Stormwindowscanreduceheatlossthroughthewindowsby25%to50%.Stormwindowsshouldhaveweatherstrippingatallmovablejoints,bemadeofstrong,durablematerials,andhaveinterlockingoroverlappingjoints.Low-estormwindowssaveevenmoreenergy.

• Repairandweatherizeyourcurrentstormwindows,ifnecessary.

Warm-ClimateWindowTips

Warm-climatewindowskeepheatout.Inthesummertime,thesunshiningthroughyourwindowsheatsuptheroom.Windowswithlow-ecoatingsontheglassreflectsomeofthesunlight,keepingyourroomscooler.

Herearesomethingsyoucandotokeepcomfortable.

• Installwhitewindowshades,drapesorblindstoreflectheatawayfromthewindows.

• Closecurtainsonsouth-andwest-facingwindowsduringtheday.• Installawningsonsouth-andwest-facingwindows.• Applysun-controlorotherreflectivefilmsonsouth-facingwindowstoreducesolar

gain.

Long-TermSavingsTip

• Installinghigh-performancewindowswillimproveyourhome’senergyperformance.Whileitmaytakeyearsfornewwindowstopayoffindollar-for-dollarenergysavings,thebenefitsofaddedcomfortandimprovedaestheticsandfunctionalitymaketheinvestmentworthitmuchsooner.Manywindowtechnologiesareavailablethatshouldbeconsidered.

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ShoppingTipsforWindows

• LookfortheENERGYSTARlabel.• Checkwithyourlocalutilitycompanytoseeifanyrebatesorotherfinancial

incentivesareavailableforwindowreplacement.• High-performancewindowshaveatleasttwopanesofglassandalow-ecoating,so

makesurethewindowsyouchoosehavethesefeatures,andnotjustaclaimorlabelthatsays“high-performance.”

• TheU-factorforwindowsissimilartotheR-ratingforinsulation.TheU-factormeasurestherateofheattransferandtellsyouhowwellthewindowinsulates.ThelowertheU-factor,thebettertheinsulation.Incolderclimates,focusonfindingwindowswithalowU-factor.

• Lowsolarheat-gaincoefficients(SHGCs)reduceheatgain.Inwarmclimates,lookforalowSHGC.

• Intemperateclimateswithbothheatingandcoolingseasons,selectwindowswithbothlowU-factorsandlowSHGCstomaximizeenergysavings.

• Lookforwhole-unitU-factorsandSHGCs,ratherthancenter-of-glass(orCOG)U-factorsandSHGCs.Whole-unitnumbersmoreaccuratelyreflecttheenergyperformanceoftheentireproduct.

• Haveyourwindowsinstalledbytrainedprofessionals.Besurethey’reinstalledaccordingtothemanufacturer’sinstructions;otherwise,yourwarrantymaybevoided.

LightingLEDsandCFLs—TwoBrightIdeas!

Makingimprovementstoyourlightingisoneofthefastestwaystocutyourenergybills.Anaveragehouseholddedicates11%ofitsenergybudgettolighting.Usingnewlightingtechnologiescanreducelightingenergyuseinyourhomeby50%to75%.ENERGYSTAR-qualifiedlightingprovidesbright,warmlightandusesabout75%lessenergythanstandardlighting,produces75%lessheat,andlastsupto10timeslonger.Advancesinlightingcontrolsofferfurtherenergysavingsbyreducingtheamountoftimethatlightsareturnedonbutnotbeingused.

IndoorLighting

Uselinearfluorescenttubesandenergy-efficientcompactfluorescentlightbulbs(CFLs)infixturesthroughoutyourhometoprovidehigh-qualityandhigh-efficiencylighting.Fluorescentlampsaremuchmoreefficientthanincandescent(standard)bulbsandlastupto12timeslonger.

Today’sCFLsofferbrightnessandcolorrenditionthatiscomparabletoincandescentbulbs.AlthoughlinearfluorescentandCFLscostabitmorethanincandescentbulbsinitially,they

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arecheaperovertheirlifetimebecausetheyusesolittleelectricity.CFLlightingfixturesarenowavailablethatarecompatiblewithdimmersandoperatelikeincandescentfixtures.

IndoorLightingTips

CFLscontainaverysmallamountofmercurysealedwithintheirglasstubing.ManyretailersofferfreerecyclingservicesforthesafedisposalofCFLs.

ENERGYSTAR-qualifiedCFLsareavailableinsizesandshapestofitinalmostanyfixture.Visitwww.energystar.govtofindtherightlightbulbsforyourfixtures.

BesuretobuyENERGYSTAR-qualifiedCFLsbecause:

• theywillsaveyouabout$30ormoreinelectricitycostsovereachbulb’slifetime;• sincetheyproduceabout75%lessheat,theyaresafertooperateandcancuthome

coolingcosts;and• theyprovidethegreatestsavingsinfixturesthatareonforalongtimeeachday.The

bestfixturesthatuseENERGYSTAR-qualifiedCFLsareusuallyfoundinthefamilyroomandlivingroom,kitchen,diningroom,bedrooms,andoutdoors.

ConsiderpurchasingENERGYSTAR-qualifiedfixtures.Theyareavailableinmanystyles,includingtable,deskandfloorlamps.Therearealsohard-wiredoptionsforfrontporches,diningrooms,bathroomvanityfixtures,andmore.Also:

• ENERGYSTAR-qualifiedfixturesdistributelightmoreefficientlyandevenlythanstandardfixtures,andtheyprovideconvenientfeatures,suchasdimmingonsomeindoormodels.

• Timerandphoto-cellcontrolssaveelectricitybyturninglightsoffwhennotinuse.• Dimmerssaveelectricitywhenusedtolowerlightlevels.Besuretoselectproducts

thatarecompatiblewithCFLbulbsbecausenotallproductsworkwiththem.

MoreTips

• Whenremodeling,lookforrecesseddownlightsandcanlightingthatareIC-ratedorsafeforcontactwithinsulation.

• Takeadvantageofdaylightbyusinglight-colored,loose-weavecurtainsonyourwindowstoallowdaylighttopenetrateintotheroomwhilepreservingprivacy.Also,decoratewithlightercolorsthatreflectdaylight.

• Ifyouhavetorchierefixtureswithhalogenlamps,considerreplacingthemwithcompactfluorescenttorchieres.Compactfluorescenttorchieresuse60%to80%lessenergyanddonotgetashotashalogentorchieres.

OutdoorLighting

Manyhomeownersuseoutdoorlightingfordecorationandsecurity.Whenshoppingforoutdoorlights,you’llfindavarietyofproducts,fromlow-voltagepathwaylightingto

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motion-detectorfloodlights.Light-emittingdiodes,orLEDs,areexcellentchoicesforoutdoorenvironmentsbecauseoftheirdurabilityandperformanceincoldweather.LookforENERGYSTARLEDproducts,suchaspathwaylights,steplights,andporchlightsforoutdooruse.

OutdoorLightingTips

Light-emittingdiodes,orLEDs,offerbetterlightqualitythanincandescentbulbs,last25timeslonger,anduseevenlessenergythanCFLs.LookforENERGYSTAR-qualifiedLEDproductsathomeimprovementcentersandlightingshowrooms.

Someoftheirbenefitsincludethefollowing:

• Becauseoutdoorlightsareusuallyleftonforlongperiods,usingCFLsinthesefixtureswillsavealotofenergy.MostbarespiralCFLscanbeusedinenclosedfixturesthatprotectthemfromtheweather.

• CFLsarealsoavailableasfloodlights.Thesemodelshavebeentestedtowithstandtherainandsnowsotheycanbeusedinexposedfixtures.Mostofthe,however,cannotbeusedwithmotiondetectors.

• LookforENERGYSTAR-qualifiedfixturesthataredesignedforoutdooruseandcomewithfeaturessuchasautomaticdaylightshut-offandmotionsensors.

Appliances:What'stheRealCost?

Everyappliancehastwocosts:thepurchasepriceandtheoperatingcost.Considerbothwhenbuyinganewappliance.

Appliancesaccountforabout17%ofyourhousehold’senergyconsumption,withrefrigerators,clotheswashersandclothesdryersatthetopofthelist.

Whenyou’reshoppingforappliances,thinkofthosetwocostsorpricetags.Thefirstonecoversthepurchaseprice.Thesecondisthecostofoperatingtheapplianceduringitslifetime.You’llbepayingonthatsecondpricetageverymonthwithyourutilitybillforthenext10to20years,dependingontheappliance.

• refrigeratorslastanaverageof14years;• clotheswashersabout11years;

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• dishwashersabout10years;and• roomairconditionerslastalmost10years.

ViewInterNACHI'sHomeLifeExpectancyChart.

Whenyoushopforanewappliance,lookfortheENERGYSTARlabel.ENERGYSTARproductsusuallyexceedminimumfederalstandardsbyasubstantialamount.

Tohelpyoufigureoutwhetheranapplianceisenergy-efficient,thefederalgovernmentrequiresmostappliancestodisplaythebrightyellowandblackEnergyGuidelabel.Althoughtheselabelswillnottellyouwhichapplianceisthemostefficient,theywilltellyoutheannualenergyconsumptionandoperatingcostforeachappliancesoyoucancomparethemyourself.

What’saKilowatt?

Whenyouuseelectricitytocookapotofriceforonehour,youuse1,000watt-hoursofelectricity!Onethousandwatt-hoursequal1kilowatt-hour,writtenas1kWh.Yourutilitybillusuallyshowswhatyouarechargedforthekilowatt-hoursyouuse.Theaverageresidentialrateis9.4centsperkWh.AtypicalU.S.householdconsumesabout11,000kWhperyear,costinganaverageof$1,034annually.

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HowMuchElectricityDoAppliancesUse?

Clicktoenlarge.

Thechartshowshowmuchenergyatypicalapplianceusesperyearanditscorrespondingcostbasedonnationalaverages.Forexample,arefrigeratorusesalmostfivetimestheelectricitythattheaveragetelevisionuses.

HowtoReadtheEnergyGuideLabel

TheEnergyGuidelabelgivesyoutwoimportantpiecesofinformationyoucanusetocomparedifferentbrandsandmodelswhenshoppingforanewdishwasher:

• itsestimatedyearlyoperatingcost,basedonthenationalaveragecostofelectricity;and

• itsestimatedenergyconsumptiononascaleshowingarangeforsimilarmodels.

Mostoftheenergyusedbyadishwasherisforwaterheating.TheEnergyGuidelabelestimateshowmuchpowerisneededperyeartoruntheapplianceandtoheatthewater,basedontheyearlycostofnaturalgasandelectricwaterheating.

DishwasherTips

• Checkthemanualthatcamewithyourdishwasherforthemanufacturer’srecommendationsonwatertemperature.Manyhaveinternalheatingelementsthatallowyoutosetthewaterheaterinyourhometoalowertemperature.Theidealtempis120°F.

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• Scrapeofflargepiecesoffoodandbones,ratherthanpre-rinsingyourdishesbeforeplacingtheminthedishwasher.Soakingorprewashingisgenerallyonlyrecommendedincasesofburned-onordried-onfood.

• Besureyourdishwasherisfull,butnotoverloaded,whenyourunit.• Avoidusingthe“rinsehold”featureonyourmachineforjustafewsoileddishes.It

uses3to7gallonsofhotwatereachtimeyouuseit.• Letyourdishesairdry.Ifyoudon’thaveanautomaticair-dryswitch,turnoffthe

controlknobafterthefinalrinseandpropthedooropenslightlytoallowthedishestodryfaster.

Long-TermSavingsTip

• Whenshoppingforanewdishwasher,lookfortheENERGYSTARlabeltofindadishwasherthatuseslesswaterand41%lessenergythanthatrequiredbyfederalstandards.

RefrigeratorsandFreezersENERGYSTARRefrigeratorsAreCool!

TheEnergyGuidelabelonnewrefrigeratorstellsyouhowmuchelectricityinkilowatt-hours(kWh)aparticularmodelusesinoneyear.Thesmallerthenumber,thelessenergytherefrigeratorusesandthelessitwillcostyoutooperate.InadditiontotheEnergyGuidelabel,don’tforgettolookfortheENERGYSTARlabel.AnewrefrigeratorwithanENERGYSTARlabelusesatleast20%lessenergythanrequiredbycurrentfederalstandardsand40%lessenergythantheconventionalmodelssoldin2001.

Refrigerator&FreezerEnergyTips

• Lookforarefrigeratorwithautomaticmoisturecontrol.Modelswiththisfeaturehavebeenengineeredtopreventmoistureaccumulationonthecabinetexteriorwithouttheadditionofaheater.Thisisnotthesamethingasan“anti-sweat”heater.Modelswithananti-sweatheaterwillconsume5%to10%moreenergythanmodelswithoutthisfeature.

• Don’tkeepyourrefrigeratororfreezertoocold.Recommendedtemperaturesare37°Fto40°Fforthefreshfoodcompartmentoftherefrigeratorand5°Fforthefreezersection.Ifyouhaveaseparatefreezerforlong-termstorage,itshouldbekeptat0°F.

• Tocheckrefrigeratortemperature,placeanappliancethermometerinaglassofwaterinthecenteroftherefrigerator.Readitafter24hours.Tocheckthefreezertemperature,placeathermometerbetweensomefrozenpackages.Readitafter24hours.

• Regularlydefrostmanual-defrostrefrigeratorsandfreezers.Frostbuildupdecreasestheenergyefficiencyoftheunit.Don’tallowfrosttobuildupmorethanaquarterofaninchthick.

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• Makesureyourrefrigeratordoorsealsareairtight.Testthembyclosingthedooroverapieceofpaperoradollarbillsoitishalfinandhalfoutoftherefrigerator.Ifyoucanpullthepaperorbillouteasily,thelatchmayneedadjustment,thesealmayneedreplacing,oryoumightconsiderbuyinganewunit.

• Coverliquidsandwrapfoodsstoredintherefrigerator.Uncoveredfoodsreleasemoistureandmakethecompressorworkharder.

Long-TermSavingsTip

• LookfortheENERGYSTARlabelwhenbuyinganewrefrigerator.Selectanewrefrigeratorthatistherightsizeforyourhousehold.Top-freezermodelsaremoreenergyefficientthanside-by-sidemodels.Ancillaryfeatures,suchasicemakersandwaterdispensers,maybeconvenient,butthey’llincreaseyourenergyuse.

Energy-SavingKitchenTips

• Besuretoplacethefaucetleveronthekitchensinkinthecoldpositionwhenusingsmallamountsofwater.Placingtheleverinthehotpositionusesenergytoheatthewatereventhoughitmayneverreachthefaucet.

• Ifyouneedtopurchaseanaturalgasovenorrange,lookforonewithanautomaticelectronicignitionsystem.Anelectronicignitionsavesnaturalgasbecausethepilotlightisnotburningcontinuously.

• Innaturalgasappliances,lookforablueflame.Ayellowflameindicatesthatthegasisburninginefficientlyandanadjustmentmaybeneeded.Consultthemanufactureroryourlocalutilityserviceperson.

• Keeprange-topburnersandreflectorsclean.Theyreflecttheheatmoreefficiently,andyou’llsaveenergy.

• Useakettleoracoveredpantoboilwater.It’sfasterandituseslessenergy.• Matchthesizeofthepantotheheatingelement.• Usesmallelectricpansortoasterovensforsmallmealsratherthanyourlargestove

oroven.Atoasterovenusesathirdtohalfasmuchenergyasafull-sizedoven.• Useapressurecookerandmicrowaveovenwheneverit’sconvenienttodoso.They

saveenergybysignificantlyreducingcookingtime.

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LaundryAppliancesSaveEnergyandMorewithENERGYSTAR

ENERGYSTARclotheswashersuse50%lessenergythanstandardwashingmachines.

About90%oftheenergyusedforwashingclothesinaconventionaltop-loadwasherisforheatingthewater.Therearetwowaystoreducetheamountofenergyusedforwashingclothes:uselesswaterandusecoolerwater.Unlessyou’redealingwithoilystains,thewarmorcoldwatersettingonyourmachinewillgenerallydoagoodjobofgettingyourclothesclean.Switchingthetemperaturesettingfromhottowarmcancutaload’senergyuseinhalf.

LaundryTips

• Wheneverpossible,washyourclothesincoldwaterusingcold-waterdetergent.• Washanddryfullloads.Ifyou’rewashingasmallload,usetheappropriatewater-

levelsetting.• Drytowelsandheaviercottonsinaseparateloadfromlighter-weightclothes.• Don’tover-dryyourclothes.Ifyourmachinehasamoisturesensor,useit.• Cleanthelintfilterinthedryeraftereveryloadtoimproveaircirculation.• Usethecool-downcycletoallowtheclothestofinishdryingwiththeresidualheat

inthedryer.• Periodicallyinspectyourdryerventtoensurethatit’snotblocked.Thiswillsave

energyandmaypreventafire.Manufacturersrecommendusingrigidventingmaterial,notplasticventsthatmaycollapseandcauseblockages.Also,donotinstallascreenattheexteriorventifyou’reconcernedaboutnestingbirdsandotherpests.Ascreenwillholddebrisinandmaycauseafire.Theexteriorventshouldhaveadamperthateasilyopensandclosesbytheforceoftheexpelledair,somakesureit’snotstuckopen,whichwillpermittheentryofunwantedpestsandbirds.

• Considerair-dryingclothingandotherlaundereditemsonaclotheslineordryingrack.Air-dryingisrecommendedbyclothingmanufacturersformanyfabrics.


• LookfortheENERGYSTARandEnergyGuidelabels.ENERGYSTARclotheswashersuse50%lessenergythanstandardwashers.Mostfull-sizedENERGYSTARwashersuse15gallonsofwaterperload,comparedtothe32.5gallonsusedbyanewstandardmachine.ENERGYSTARmodelsalsospintheclothesbetter,resultinginlessdryingtime.

• Whenshoppingforanewclothesdryer,lookforonewithamoisturesensorthatautomaticallyshutsoffthemachinewhenyourclothesaredry.Notonlywillthissaveenergy,itwillsavethewearandtearonyourclothescausedbyover-drying.

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• ENERGYSTARdoesnotlabelclothesdryersbecausemostofthemusesimilaramountsofenergy,whichmeansthereislittledifferenceinenergyuseamongdifferentmodels.

Quiz#3T/F:Installingaerating,low-flowfaucetsandshowerheadscanhelplowerwaterheatingcosts.

• True• False

Settingthehotwatertanktemperatureto_____degreessavesenergy.

• 120• 140• 180• 212

Thefirst_____feetofthehotandcoldwaterpipesconnectedtothewaterheatershouldbeinsulated.

• 6• 25• 47

Makingimprovementstoyourlightingisoneofthe_____waystocutyourenergybills.

• fastest• slowest• mostexpensive• mostcomplex

T/F:Whenyoushopforanewappliance,lookfortheENERGYSTARlabel.

• True• False

Mostoftheenergyusedbyadishwasherisfor_____.

• waterheating• spinning• sprayingwater• gettingdishesdry

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T/F:Placingthekitchensink?sfaucetleverinthehotpositionusesenergytoheatthewatereventhoughitmayneverreachthefaucet.

• True• False

About_____%oftheenergyusedforwashingclothesinaconventionaltop-loadwasherisforheatingthewater.

• 90• 10• 35• 27

MajorAppliancesShoppingGuideShoppingforEnergy-EfficientAppliances

Whenitcomestoshoppingforandcomparingenergy-efficientappliancesandhomeelectronics,lookfortheENERGYSTAR®andEnergyGuidelabels.

ENERGYSTARLabel

ENERGYSTARlabelsappearonappliancesandhomeelectronicsthatmeetstrictcriteriaforenergyefficiencyasestablishedbytheU.S.DepartmentofEnergyandU.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency.TheENERGYSTARlabelingprogramincludesmosthomeelectronicsandappliances,exceptforstoverangesandovens.

EnergyGuideLabel

TheFederalTradeCommissionrequiresEnergyGuidelabelsonmosthomeappliances(exceptstoverangesandovens),butnotonhomeelectronics,suchascomputers,televisionsandhomeaudioequipment.EnergyGuidelabelsprovideanestimateoftheproduct’senergyconsumptionorenergyefficiency.Theyalsoshowthehighestandlowestenergyconsumptionorefficiencyestimatesofsimilarappliancemodels.

Thefollowingeasy-to-readguidemayhelpyouunderstandhowappliancesareratedforefficiency,whattheratingsmean,andwhattolookforwhenshoppingfornewappliances.

Appliance:NaturalGasandOilHeatingSystems

Rating:LookfortheFTC(FederalTradeCommission)EnergyGuidelabelwithanAFUE(AnnualFuelUtilizationEfficiency)ratingfornaturalgas-andoil-firedfurnacesandboilers.The

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AFUEmeasurestheseasonalorannualefficiency.ENERGYSTARfurnaceshavea90AFUEorhigher.

SpecialConsiderations:Biggerisnotalwaysbetter!Toolargeasystemcostsmoreandoperatesinefficiently.Haveaprofessionalassessyourneedsandrecommendthetypeandsizeofsystemyoushouldpurchase.

Appliance:Air-SourceHeatPumps

Rating:LookfortheEnergyGuidelabelthatliststheSEER(SeasonalEnergyEfficiencyRatio)andHSPF(HeatingSeasonalPerformanceFactor)forheatpumps.TheSEERmeasurestheenergyefficiencyduringthecoolingseasonandHSPFmeasurestheefficiencyduringtheheatingseason.TheENERGYSTARminimumefficiencylevelis13SEERorhigher.

SpecialConsiderations:Ifyouliveinacoolclimate,lookforaheatpumpwithahighHSPF.ENERGYSTARheatpumpsareabout20%moreefficientthanstandardmodels.Contactaprofessionalforadviceonpurchasingaheatpump.

Appliance:CentralAirConditioners

Rating:LookfortheEnergyGuidelabelwithaSEERforcentralairconditioners.TheENERGYSTARminimumefficiencylevelis13SEER.

SpecialConsiderations:AirconditionersthatbeartheENERGYSTARlabelmaybe25%moreefficientthanstandardmodels.Contactaprofessionalforadviceonsizingacentralairsystemforyourhome.

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Appliance:RoomAirConditioners

Rating:LookfortheEnergyGuidelabelwithanEER(EnergyEfficiencyRatio)forroomairconditioners.ThehighertheEER,themoreefficienttheunitis.ENERGYSTARunitsareamongthemostenergy-efficientproducts.

Whatsizetobuy?AreainsquarefeetBTU/hour100to150=5,000150to250=6,000250to350=7,000350to450=9,000400to450=10,000450to550=12,000550to700=14,000700to1,000=18,000

SpecialConsiderations:Twomajorfactorsshouldguideyourpurchase:correctsizeandenergyefficiency.Iftheroomisverysunny,increasecapacityby10%.Iftheunitisforakitchen,increasethecapacityby4,000BTUsperhour.

Appliance:ProgrammableThermostats

Rating:ForminimumENERGYSTARefficiency,thermostatsshouldhaveatleasttwoprograms,fourtemperaturesettingseach,aholdfeaturethatallowsuserstotemporarilyoverridesettings,andtheabilitytomaintainroomtemperaturewithin2°ofdesiredtemperature.

SpecialConsiderations:LookforatheENERGYSTARlabelandathermostatthatallowsyoutoeasilyusetwoseparateprograms:onethatcanbeprogrammedtoreachthedesiredtemperatureataspecifictime,andaholdfeaturethattemporarilyoverridesthesettingwithoutdeletingthepre-setprograms.

Appliance:WaterHeaters

Rating:LookfortheEnergyGuidelabelthattellshowmuchenergythewaterheaterusesinoneyear.Also,lookfortheFHR(first-hourrating)ofthewaterheater,whichmeasuresthemaximumhotwatertheheaterwilldeliverinthefirsthourofuse.

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SpecialConsiderations:Ifyoutypicallyneedalotofhotwateratonce,theFHRwillbeimportanttoyou.Sizingisimportant—callyourlocalutilityforadvice.

Appliance:Windows

Rating:LookfortheNFRC(NationalFenestrationRatingCouncil)labelthatprovidesU-valuesandSHGC(solarheat-gaincoefficient)values.ThelowertheU-value,thebettertheinsulation.

SpecialConsiderations:LookattheClimateRegionMapontheENERGYSTARlabeltobesurethatthewindow,doororskylightyou’veselectedisappropriateforwhereyoulive.

Appliance:RefrigeratorsandFreezers

Rating:LookfortheEnergyGuidelabelthattellshowmuchelectricity,inkWh,therefrigeratorwilluseinoneyear.Thesmallerthenumber,thelessenergyituses.ENERGYSTARrefrigeratorsuseatleast15%lessenergythanrequiredbyfederalstandards.

SpecialConsiderations:Lookforenergy-efficientrefrigeratorsandfreezers.Refrigeratorswithfreezersontoparemoreefficientthanthosewithfreezersontheside.Alsolookforheavydoorhingesthatcreateagooddoorseal.

Appliance:Dishwashers

Rating:LookfortheEnergyGuidelabelthattellshowmuchelectricity,inkWh,thedishwasherwilluseinoneyear.Thesmallerthenumber,thelessenergyituses.ENERGYSTARdishwashersuseatleast25%lessenergythanrequiredbyfederalstandards.

SpecialConsiderations:Lookforfeaturesthatwillreducewateruse,suchasboosterheatersand“smart”controls.Askhowmanygallonsofwaterthedishwasherusesduringdifferentcycles.Dishwashersthatusetheleastamountofwaterwillcosttheleasttooperate.

Appliance:ClothesWashers

Rating:LookfortheEnergyGuidelabelthattellshowmuchelectricity,inkWh,theclotheswasher

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willuseinoneyear.Thesmallerthenumber,thelessenergyisuses.ENERGYSTARclotheswashersuselessthan50%oftheenergyusedbystandardwashers.

SpecialConsiderations:Lookforthefollowingdesignfeaturesthathelpclotheswasherscutwaterusage:waterlevelcontrols,“suds-saver”features,spin-cycleadjustments,andlargecapacity.Fordoubletheefficiency,buyanENERGYSTARunit.

HomeOfficeEquipmentandHomeElectronics

Nearly4.2millionpeopleintheU.S.workedfromhomein2000,upfrom3.4millionin1990.Workingfromhomesavesenergyandtimebycuttingoutthecommute,butitmayincreaseyourhomeenergybillsalotunlessyouuseenergy-savingofficeequipment.

ENERGYSTARlabeledofficeequipmentiswidelyavailable:itprovidesuserswithdramaticsavings,asmuchas90%savingsforsomeproducts.Overall,ENERGYSTARlabeledofficeproductsuseabouthalftheelectricityofstandardequipment.Alongwithsavingenergydirectly,thisequipmentcanreduceair-conditioningloads,noisefromfansandtransformers,andelectromagneticfieldemissionsfrommonitors.

HomeOfficeTips

ShopforENERGYSTARproductsforyourhomeoffice,including:

• computers;• monitors;• copiers;• faxmachines;• printers;• scanners;and• multifunctiondevices(fax,scanner,copier).

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KeepYourHomeOfficeEfficientwithENERGYSTAR

Homeofficesareincreasinglypopular.BesuretouseENERGYSTARofficeequipmenttosaveelectricity.Herearesometips.

• Selectingenergy-efficientofficeequipment—personalcomputers(PCs),monitors,copiers,printersandfaxmachines—andturningthemoffwhenthey’renotinusecanresultinenormousenergysavings.

• AnENERGYSTAR-labeledcomputeruses70%lesselectricitythancomputerswithoutthisdesignation.Ifleftinactive,ENERGYSTAR-labeleddesktopcomputersenterasleepmodeanduse4wattsorless.Spendingalargeportionoftimeinlow-powermodenotonlysavesenergy,butithelpsequipmentruncooler,whichmeansitcanlastlonger.

• Tomaximizeenergysavingswhenusingalaptop,plugtheACadapterintoapowerstripthatcanbeturnedoff(orwillturnoffautomatically).IftheACadaptorispluggedintoawallreceptacleoroutlet,thetransformerinitwilldrawpowercontinuously,evenifthelaptopisnotpluggedintotheadapter.

• Commonmisconceptionssometimesaccountforthefailuretoturnoffequipment.Manypeoplebelievethatequipmentlastslongerifit’sneverturnedoff.Thisincorrectperceptioncarriesoverfromthedaysofoldermainframecomputers.

• ENERGYSTAR-labeledcomputersandmonitorssaveenergyonlywhenthepower-managementfeaturesareactivated,somakesurethesefeaturesareactivatedonyourcomputer.

• Thereisacommonmisconceptionthatscreensaversreducetheenergyusedbymonitors;theydonot.Settingyourcomputertoautomaticallygointosleepmodeafterapre-settimeofnon-use(ormanuallyturningmonitorsoff)isalwaysthebetterenergy-savingstrategy.

Long-TermSavingsTip

• Considerbuyingalaptopforyournextcomputerupgrade;theyusemuchlessenergythandesktopcomputers.

TipsforHomeElectronics

ShopforENERGYSTARhomeelectronics,including:

• cordlessphones;• televisions;• VCR,DVD,DVRandothertypesofmediaplayers,includingcombinationunits;• homeaudioequipment;and• set-topboxes.

OtherTipsforUsingHomeElectronics

• Powerstripshelpsavewastedenergy.

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• Lookforenergy-savingENERGYSTAR-labeledhomeelectronics.• Manyappliancescontinuetodrawasmallamountofpowerwhentheyareswitched

off.These“phantom”loadsoccurinmostappliancesthatuseelectricity,suchasDVDplayers,televisions,stereos,computers,andsmallkitchenappliances.Thesephantomloadscanbeavoidedbyunpluggingtheapplianceorusingapowerstripandusingtheswitchonthepowerstriptocutpowertotheappliance.

• Unplugbatterychargerswhenthebatteriesarefullychargedorwhenthechargersarenotinuse.

• StudieshaveshownthatusingrechargeablebatteriesforproductssuchascordlessphonesandPDAsismorecost-effectivethanusingstandardbatteries.Ifyoumustusenon-rechargeablebatteries,checkwithyourtrashremovalcompanyaboutoptionsfortheirsafedisposal.

Solar-PoweredOutdoorLighting

Installingsolarlightingaroundyourhomeandgardenisquickandeasytoinstall,withanaddedbonus—nowiresorelectricitycosts!

Youhavemanyoptionsforusingrenewableenergyathome—fromsolar-poweredoutdoorlightstobuyingrenewableenergyfromyourlocalutilityprovider,orevenproducingsolarelectricityathomewithphotovoltaic(PV)cells.

RenewableEnergyTips

• Anewhomeprovidesthebestopportunityfordesigningandorientingthehometotakeadvantageofthesun’srays.Awell-orientedhomeadmitslow-anglewintersuntoreduceheatingbillsandrejectsoverheadsummersuntoreducecoolingbills.

• ManyU.S.consumersbuyelectricitymadefromrenewableenergysources,includingthesun,wind,water,plants,andtheearth’sinternalheat.Thispowerissometimescalled“greenpower.”Buyinggreenpowerfromyourlocalutilityisoneoftheeasiestwaystouserenewableenergywithouthavingtoinvestinequipmentortakeonextramaintenancetasks.

• Anotheruseofsolarpowerisforheatingwater.Ifyouhaveaswimmingpoolorhottub,youcanusesolarpowertocutpoolheatingcosts.Mostsolarpoolheatingsystemsarecost-competitivewithconventionalsystems.Andsolarpoolsystemshaveverylowoperatingcosts.It’sactuallythemostcost-effectiveuseofsolarenergy.

Long-TermSavingsTip

• Ifyou’vemadeyourhomeasenergy-efficientaspossibleandyoustillhaveveryhighelectricitybillsbutagoodsolarresource,youmightwanttoconsidergeneratingyourownelectricityusingPVcells.NewproductsareavailablethatintegratePVcellswiththeexistingroof,makingthemmuchlessvisiblethanoldersystems.

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Ifthefollowingconditionsapply,youmightwanttodomoreresearchtoseeifinvestinginPVtechnologyisrightforyou:

• Yoursitehasadequatesolarresources.• Agridconnectionisnotavailableinyourareaorcanbemadeonlythroughan

expensivepowerlineextension.• Youarewillingtopaymoreupfronttoreducetheenvironmentalimpactofyour

electricityuse.• Yourpowerproviderwillconnectyoursystemtotheelectricitygridandbuyany

excesspoweryouproduce.• Yourstate,cityorutilitycompanyoffersrebates,taxcreditsorotherincentives.

VisittheDSIREWebsiteatwww.dsireusa.orgtofindoutaboutanyfinancialincentivesofferedinyourarea.

Do-It-YourselfHomeEnergyAssessments

Youcanconductabasic,do-it-yourselfhomeenergyassessmenttogetageneralideaabouthowefficientyourhomeis.Withadiligentwalk-through,youcanspotmanyproblemsinanytypeofhouse.Whenassessingyourhome,keepachecklistofareasyouhaveinspectedandproblemsyou’vefound.Thislistwillhelpyouprioritizeyourenergyefficiencyupgrades.

LocatingAirLeaks

First,makealistofobviousairleaks(drafts).Thepotentialenergysavingsfromreducingdraftsinahomemayrangefrom5%to30%peryear,andthehomeisgenerallymuchmorecomfortableafterward.Checkforindoorairleaks,suchasgapsalongthebaseboardandtheedgeoftheflooring,andatjuncturesofthewallsandceiling.

Checktoseeifaircanflowthroughtheseplaces:

o electricaloutlets;o switchplates;o windowframes;o baseboards;o weatherstrippingarounddoors;o fireplacedampers;o attichatches;ando wall-orwindow-mountedairconditioners.

Also,lookforgapsaroundpipesandwires,electricaloutlets,foundationseals,andmailslots.Checktoseeifthecaulkingandweatherstrippingareingoodconditionandappliedproperly,withnogapsorcracks.

Inspectwindowsanddoorsforairleaks.Seeifyoucanrattlethem,sincemovementmeanspossibleairleaks.Ifyoucanseedaylightaroundadoororwindowframe,thenthedooror

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windowleaks.Youcanusuallysealtheseleaksbycaulkingorweatherstrippingthem.Checkthestormwindowstoseeiftheyfitandarenotbroken.Youmayalsowishtoconsiderreplacingyouroldwindowsanddoorswithnewer,high-performanceones.Ifnewfactory-madedoorsorwindowsaretoocostly,youcaninstalllow-costplasticsheetingoverthewindowsduringcoldweather.

Ifyouarehavingdifficultylocatingleaks,youmaywanttoconductabasicbuildingpressurizationtestbyfollowingthesesteps:

1. First,closeallexteriordoorsandwindowsandanyfireplaceflues.2. Turnoffallcombustionappliances,suchasagas-burningfurnaceandwaterheater.3. Then,turnonallexhaustfans(generallylocatedinthekitchenandbathrooms),or

usealargewindowfantosucktheairoutoftherooms.

Thistestincreasesinfiltrationthroughcracksandleaks,makingthemeasiertodetect.Youcanuseincensesticksoryourdamphandtolocatetheseleaks.Ifyouuseincensesticks,movingairwillcausethesmoketowaver,andifyouuseyourdamphand,anydraftswillfeelcooltoyourhand.

Ontheoutsideofyourhouse,inspectallareaswheretwodifferentbuildingmaterialsmeet,including:

o allexteriorcorners;o wheresidingandchimneysmeet;ando areaswherethefoundationandthebottomofexteriorbrickorsidingmeet.

Youshouldplugandcaulkholesandpenetrationsforfaucets,pipes,electricaloutletsandwiring.Lookforcracksandholesinthemortar,foundationandsiding,andsealthemwiththeappropriatematerial.Checktheexteriorcaulkingarounddoorsandwindows,andseewhetherexteriorstormdoorsandprimarydoorssealtightly.

Whensealinganyhome,youmustalwaysbeawareofthedangerofindoorairpollutionandcombustion-appliancebackdrafts.Backdraftinghappenswhenthevariouscombustionappliancesandexhaustfansinthehomecompeteforair.Anexhaustfanmaypullthecombustiongasesbackintothelivingspace.Thiscanobviouslycreateaverydangerousandunhealthysituationinthehome.

Inhomeswherefuelisburnedforheating(includingnaturalgas,fueloil,propaneandwood),becertaintheappliancehasanadequateairsupply.Generally,1squareinchofventopeningisrequiredforeach1,000BTUsoftheappliance’sinputheat.Whenindoubt,contactyourlocalutilitycompany,energyprofessional,orventilationcontractor.

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Insulation

Heatlossthroughtheceilingandwallsinyourhomecouldbeverylargeiftheinsulationlevelsarelessthantherecommendedminimum.Whenyourhousewasbuilt,thebuilderlikelyinstalledtheamountofinsulationrecommendedatthattime.Giventoday’senergyprices(andfuturepricesthatwillprobablybehigher),thelevelofinsulationmightbeinadequate,especiallyifyouhaveanolderhome.

Iftheattichatchislocatedaboveaconditionedspace,checktoseeifitisatleastasheavilyinsulatedastheattic,isweatherstripped,andclosestightly.Intheattic,determinewhetheropeningsforitemssuchaspipes,ductwork,andchimneysaresealed.Sealanygapswithanexpandingfoamcaulkorsomeotherpermanentsealant.

Whileyou’reinspectingtheattic,checktoseeifthereisavaporbarrierundertheatticinsulation.Thevaporbarriermightbetarpaper,Kraftpaperattachedtofiberglassbatts,oraplasticsheet.Iftheredoesn’tappeartobeavaporbarrier,youmightconsiderpaintingtheinteriorceilingswithvapor-barrierpaint.Thisreducestheamountofwatervaporthatcanpassthroughtheceiling.Largeamountsofmoisturecanreducetheeffectivenessofinsulationandpromotestructuraldamage.

Makesurethattheatticventsarenotblockedbyinsulation.Youalsoshouldsealanyelectricalboxesintheceilingwithflexiblecaulk(fromthelivingroomsideoratticside)andcovertheentireatticfloorwithatleastthecurrentrecommendedamountofinsulation.

Checkingawall’sinsulationlevelismoredifficult.Selectanexteriorwallandturnoffthecircuitbreakerorunscrewthefuseforanyoutletsinthewall.Besuretotesttheoutletstomakecertainthattheyarenotenergizedorhot.Checktheoutletbyplugginginafunctioninglamporportableradio.Onceyou’resureyouroutletsarenotgettinganyelectricity,removethecoverplatefromoneoftheoutletsandgentlyprobeintothewallwithathin,longstickorscrewdriver.Ifyouencounteraslightresistance,youhavesomeinsulationthere.Youcouldalsomakeasmallholeinacloset,behindacouch,orinsomeotherunobtrusiveplacetoseewhat,ifanything,thewallcavityisfilledwith.Ideally,thewallcavityshouldbetotallyfilledwithsomeformofinsulationmaterial.Unfortunately,thismethodcannottellyouiftheentirewallisinsulated,oriftheinsulationhassettled.Onlyathermographicinspectionwithaninfraredcameracandothis.

Ifyourbasementisunheated,determinewhetherthereisinsulationunderthelivingarea’sflooring.Inmostareasofthecountry,anR-valueof25istherecommendedminimumlevelofinsulation.TheinsulationatthetopofthefoundationwallandfirstfloorperimetershouldhaveanR-valueof19orgreater.Ifthebasementisheated,thefoundationwallsshouldbeinsulatedtoatleastR-19.Yourwaterheater,hotwaterpipes,andfurnaceductsshouldallbeinsulated.

HeatingandCoolingEquipment

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Inspectheatingandcoolingequipmentannually,orasrecommendedbythemanufacturer.Ifyouhaveaforced-airfurnace,checkyourfiltersandreplacethemasneeded.Generally,youshouldchangethemaboutonceeverymonthortwo,especiallyduringperiodsofhighusage.Haveaprofessionalcheckandcleanyourequipmentonceayear.

Iftheunitismorethan15yearsold,youshouldconsiderreplacingyoursystemwithoneofthenewer,energy-efficientunits.Anewunitwouldgreatlyreduceyourenergyconsumption,especiallyiftheexistingequipmentisinpoorcondition.Checkyourductworkfordirtstreaks,especiallynearseams.Theseindicateairleaks,andtheyshouldbesealedwithaductmastic.Insulateanyductsandpipesthattravelthroughunheatedspaces.AninsulationR-valueof6istherecommendedminimum.

Lighting

Energyforlightingaccountsforabout10%ofyourelectricbill.Examinethewattagesizeofthelightbulbsinyourhouse.Youmayhave100-watt(orlarger)bulbswhere60or75wattswoulddo.Youshouldalsoconsidercompactfluorescentlampsforareaswherelightsareonforhoursatatime.Yourelectricutilitymayofferrebatesorotherincentivesforpurchasingenergy-efficientlamps.

ProfessionalHomeEnergyAudits

Professionalenergyauditsgenerallygointogreatdetail.Theenergyauditorshoulddoaroom-by-roomexaminationoftheresidence,aswellasathoroughexaminationofpastutilitybills.

Manyprofessionalenergyassessmentswillincludeablowerdoortestandathermographicscanusinganinfraredcamera.

PreparingforanEnergyAssessment

Beforetheenergyauditorvisitsyourhouse,makealistofanyexistingproblemsyou’reawareof,suchascondensation,anduncomfortableordraftyrooms.Havecopiesorasummaryofthehome’syearlyenergybills.(Yourutilitycompanycanprovidethesetoyou.)Auditorsusethisinformationtoestablishwhattolookforduringtheaudit.

WhattheAuditorDoes

Theauditorfirstexaminestheoutsideofthehometodeterminethesizeofthehouseanditsfeatures,includingthewallarea,thenumberandsizeofwindows,etc.

Theauditorthenwillanalyzetheresidents’behavior,including:

o Howmanypeopleliveinthehome?o Iseveryroominuse?o Isanyonehomeduringthedaytime?

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o Whatistheaveragethermostatsettingforsummerandforwinter?

Youranswersmayhelpuncoversomesimplewaystoreduceyourhousehold’senergyconsumption.Walkthroughyourhomewiththeauditorass/heworksandaskquestions.Theauditormayuseequipmenttodetectsourcesofenergyloss,suchasablowerdoor,aninfraredcamera,afurnaceefficiencymeters,andsurfacethermometers.

SelectinganEnergyAuditor

Thereareseveralplaceswhereyoucanlocateprofessionalenergyassessmentorauditingservices.Yourstateorlocalgovernmentenergyorweatherizationofficemayhelpyouidentifyalocalcompanyororganizationthatperformsaudits.Theymayalsohaveinformationonhowtodoyourownassessment.Yourelectricorgasutilitymayconductresidentialenergyassessmentsorrecommendlocalauditors.Also,checkyourtelephonedirectoryunderheadingsbeginningwiththeword“Energy”forcompaniesthatperformresidentialenergyassessments.

TofindanInterNACHI-CertifiedHomeEnergyAuditor,visitwww.InspectorSeek.com.

Beforecontractingwithanenergyauditingcompany,youshouldtakethefollowingsteps:

• Getseveralreferences,andcontactthemall.Askiftheyweresatisfiedwiththework.

• CalltheBetterBusinessBureauandaskaboutanycomplaintsagainstthecompany.• Makesuretheenergyauditorusesacalibratedblowerdoor.• Makesuretheydothermographicinspections,orcontactanothercompanyto

conductone.

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Low-CostandNo-CostWaystoSaveEnergy

Hereareseveraldo-it-yourselftipstosaveenergyrightnow,includingeasylow-costandno-costwaystosaveenergy.

• Installaprogrammablethermostattolowerutilitybillsandmanageyourheatingandcoolingsystemsefficiently.

• Replacelampsinyourolderindoorandoutdoorincandescentlightingfixtureswithenergy-savingincandescent,CFL,andLEDlightbulbs.Upgrading15oftheinefficientincandescentlightbulbsinyourhomecouldsaveyouabout$50peryear.

• Airdrydishesinsteadofusingyourdishwasher’sdryingcycle.• Turnthingsoffwhenyouarenotintheroomsuchaslights,TVs,entertainment

systems,andyourcomputerandmonitor.• Plughomeelectronics,suchasTVsandDVDplayers,intopowerstrips;turnthe

powerstripsoffwhentheequipmentisnotinuse—TVsandDVDsinstandbymodestilluseseveralwattsofpower.

• Lowerthethermostatonyourwaterheaterto120°F.• Takeshortshowersinsteadofbathsanduselow-flowshowerheadsforadditional

energysavings.• Washonlyfullloadsofdishesandclothes.• Airdryclothes.• Checktoseethatwindowsanddoorsareclosedwhenheatingorcoolingyourhome.• KeepingtheairfilteronyourHVACsystemcleancanloweryoursystem’senergy

consumptionby5%–15%.• Youcansignificantlyreducehotwaterusebysimplyrepairingleaksinfixtures—

faucetsandshowerheads—orpipes.Aleakofonedrippersecondcancost$1permonth.

• Youcanpurchasesomequality,low-flowfixtures(showerheadsandsinkfaucetaerators)foraround$10to$20apieceandachievewatersavingsof25%–60%.

• Installheattrapsonyourwaterheatertank(valvesorloopsofpipethatallowwatertoflowintothewaterheatertankbutpreventunwantedhot-waterflowoutofthetank)tosavearound$15-$30onyourwaterheatingbills.

• Unlessyourwaterheater’sstoragetankalreadyhasahighR-valueofinsulation(atleastR-24),addinginsulationtoitcanreducestandbyheatlossesby25%–45%.Thiswillsaveyouaround4%–9%inwaterheatingcosts.

• Youcansignificantlyreduceswimmingpoolheatingcostsbyusingapoolcover.• Addingastormdoorcanbeagoodinvestmentifyourexistingdoorisoldbutstillin

goodcondition.• Youcanuseweatherstrippinginyourhometosealairleaksaroundmovablejoints,

suchaswindowsordoors.• Awell-designedlandscapenotonlycanaddbeautytoyourhomebutitalsocan

reduceyourheatingandcoolingcosts.Onaverage,landscapingforenergyefficiencyprovidesenoughenergysavingstoreturnaninitialinvestmentinlessthan8years.

• LookfortheENERGYSTAR®labelonlightbulbs,homeappliances,electronics,andotherproducts.ENERGYSTARproductsmeetstrictefficiencyguidelinessetbytheU.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgencyandtheU.S.DepartmentofEnergy.

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References

Thefollowingresourceswereusedtodevelopthissite:

o AmericanCouncilforanEnergy-EfficientEconomyhttp://www.aceee.org/consumer/

o CensusBureauPressRelease,InformationonHomeWorkersOctober20,2004.CB04-183.http://www.census.gov/

o DOEBuildingAmericahttp://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/building_america/

o DOEBuildingTechnologiesProgramhttp://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/

o DOEBuildingTechnologiesProgram,2007BuildingsEnergyDatabookhttp://buildingsdatabook.eere.energy.gov/

o DOEConsumerGuidetoEnergyEfficiencyandRenewableEnergyhttp://www.energysavers.gov/

o DOE/EPAFuelEconomyGuidehttp://www.fueleconomy.gov/

o DOEEnergyInformationAdministrationResidentialEnergyConsumptionSurvey2005http://www.eia.gov/consumption/residential/index.cfm

o ENERGYSAVERShttp://www.energysavers.gov/o ENERGYSTAR®http://www.energystar.gov/o HomeEnergyMagazinehttp://www.homeenergy.org/o RockyMountainInstituteHomeEnergyBriefshttp://www.rmi.org/o Wilson,Alex;Thorne,Jennifer;Morrill,John.ConsumerGuidetoHome

EnergySavings,8thEdition.2003.Washington,D.C.:ACEEEhttp://www.aceee.org/consumer

HomeEnergyInspectors

Thereareover9,000CertifiedHomeEnergyInspectors™intheUnitedStates.TofindyourlocalHomeEnergyInspector,visithttp://www.inspectorseek.com/andaskforanInterNACHIHomeEnergyInspection.

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YOUROPERATINGCOSTSIttakesalotofenergytoheat,cool,andoperateahome.Mosthomebuyerspurchaseahomewithoutfirstunderstandingwhatitwillcosttooperateitoncetheymovein.HOMEENERGYREPORTTheHomeEnergyReportwillgiveahomebuyeraquickunderstandingof:

• howmuchahomewillcosttooperateoncetheymovein;• whereenergy(and,therefore,money)isbeingwastedinthehome;and• whatcanbedonetosaveenergyandincreasecomfort.

Theaveragehomeownercansaveover$500everyyearonutilitybillsbyfollowingtheprioritizedrecommendationswithintheHomeEnergyReport.CERTIFIEDINSPECTIONToproduceaHomeEnergyReport,yourinspectorwillcollectover40datapointsrelatedtohomeenergy,thenuseanadvancedenergycalculatordevelopedbytheInternationalAssociationofCertifiedHomeInspectorsto:

• estimatethehome’syearlyenergyusage;• pinpointpotentialenergyinefficiencies;• developrecommendationsforenergyimprovements;and• determineyourpotentialenergysavings.

HOMEENERGYBOOKTheHomeEnergyBookisincludedwithyourHomeEnergyReport.Thiscompanione-bookdescribesadditionalwaystosaveenergy,increasecomfort,andprotecttheenvironment.Italsoincludesdo-it-yourselftipstosaveenergyrightnow,includingeasylow-costandno-costwaystosaveenergy.MAKINGHOMEENERGYIMPROVEMENTSThebenefitsfrommakingenergyimprovementsincludesavingonyourutilitybills,increasingthecomfortofyourhome,andreducingyouruseofnaturalresources.Intheexamplereportshownabove,thishomewillcostthehomeowner$1,451peryeartooperate.Ifthefamilymakestherecommendedenergyimprovementsaftertheymovein,theycouldexpecttosave$571everyyear.TheseestimatesandrecommendationsarebasedontheenergycalculationsandcostdatabasesadministeredbytheU.S.DepartmentofEnergyanditsLawrenceBerkeleyNationalLaboratory.

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HomeEnergyeBook

AboutTheHomeEnergyeBook

ThisisthecompanionbooktotheHomeEnergyReportprovidedtoyoubyyourInterNACHI-certifiedinspector.ToaccessyourHomeEnergyReport,pleasecontactyourinspector.

PleasereferbacktoyourHomeEnergyReporttounderstand:

• howmuchyourhomewillcosttooperate;• whereenergy(and,therefore,yourmoney)isbeingwasted;and• whatyoucandotosaveenergyandincreasecomfort.

Inadditiontotheenergy-savingrecommendationsinyourHomeEnergyReport,thiscompanionbookdescribesadditionalwaystosaveenergy,increasecomfort,andprotecttheenvironment.Italsoincludesdo-it-yourselftipstosaveenergyrightnow,includingeasylow-costandno-costwaystosaveenergy.

ThisinformationwasadaptedfromdataandcontentinthepublicdomainprovidedbytheUnitedStatesgovernment,includingtheU.SDepartmentofEnergyandtheEnvironmentalProtectionAgency.InterNACHI,noranyoftheiremployeesorcontractors,makesanywarranty,expressorimplied,orassumesanylegalliabilityorresponsibilityfortheaccuracy,completenessorusefulnessofanyinformation,apparatus,productorprocessdisclosed,orrepresentsthatitsusewouldnotinfringeonprivately-ownedrights.Referencehereintoanyspecificcommercialproduct,processorservicebytradename,trademark,manufacturer,orotherwisedoesnotnecessarilyconstituteorimplyitsendorsement,recommendationorfavoringbyInterNACHI.TheviewsandopinionsofauthorsexpressedhereindonotnecessarilystateorreflectthoseofInterNACHI.

BoulderEnergySmart

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InJuneof2012,anewpartnershipbetweenInterNACHIandBoulderCounty'sEnergySmart(www.EnergySmartYES.com)willresultinInterNACHI-CertifiedHomeInspectorsdrivingdemandforhomeenergyimprovements.

Nearly300InterNACHI-CertifiedProfessionalInspectors®inColoradowillbeprovidingaddedbenefitstoBoulderCountyhomebuyersatthepointofsalebyprovidingHomeEnergyReportsandlinkingtheirinspectionresultstoEnergySmartAdvisors.TakealookatasampleHomeEnergyReportthatincludesEnergySmartAdvisorsathttp://energytool.nachi.org/my-report/22f7b8j-g1i5ch8.

Overview:

1. TheHomeEnergyReportwillbeusedinsteadofEnergySmart's$120"HomeEnergyAssessment"

2. ThereportwillautomaticallybesentaBoulderCountyEnergySmartAdvisor3. TheEnergySmartAdvisorwillprovidetheinspector'sclientwith:

o freeenergy-savinglightbulbs;o freewater-savingshowerheads;o freewaterfaucetaerators;o freein-homevisitandconsultationbyanEnergySmartAdvisor;o anexplanationofthehome'senergyuse;o helpwithdeterminingthemostcost-effectivehomeimprovements;o helpwithobtainingandevaluatingbidsfromqualifiedcontractors;ando helpinfindingandapplyingforrebatesandfinancialincentives.

EnergySmartreportsareonlyavailableinBoulderCounty.EnergySmartisacollaborativepartnershipthroughoutBoulderCounty,fundedbytheDepartmentofEnergy'sBetterBuildingsProgram,combinedwithcontributionsfromtheCityofBoulder’sClimateActionPlantaxandtheCityofLongmont.Typically,EnergySmartrequiresthata$120"HomeEnergyAssessment"beperformedonahometoqualify.InterNACHI'shomeenergyreportisacceptedasanalternative,whichmeansthattheinspectors'clientshaveaccesstotheprogramatnoextracost.

EnergySmartreportsincludeadditionalinformationaboutBoulderCounty'sEnergySmartprogram,andaresenttoBoulderCountysothatyourclientcanreceivethebenefitsofthisprogram.

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Yourclienthasnoobligationtoreceivethesefreeservices,andcanopt-outwhenanadvisorcontactsthem.

EnergySmarthasagreedtopayInterNACHImembersasmallfeetoperformHomeEnergyReportsinBoulderCounty.Fundingislimitedandendssoon.ContactBenGromickoformoreinformation.

Homebuyersareincreasinglyconcernedaboutenergyissues,askingquestionssuchas,“Howmuchwillthishomecosttooperate?”and“HowcanIsavemoneybysavingenergy?”Homeinspectorsnationwidesitdownwithabout5millionnewhomeownerseveryyearandspendseveralhourstalkingaboutthosehomes.Thetypicalnewhomeownerstartsplanninghomeimprovementprojectsatthepointofsaleandwillspendaround$8,000inthefirstyearontheirnewhome.That’s$40billionofworkthatcanbeinfluencedbythehomeinspectors.Morethananyotherconsumer,arecenthomebuyerspendsthemostmoneyonmajorhomeimprovementsprojects,butoftenwithlittleregardtoenergy.EnergySmartcanassistthemwithprioritizingandimplementingtheseprojects,aswellasprovidingrebatesandfinancingtomakeupgradesmoreaffordable.Leveraginghomeinspectorstotargethomebuyerswithconsumereducationcanbetterdrivedemandfortheseservices.Inthisnewpartnership,InterNACHI-CertifiedProfessionalInspectors®andEnergySmartAdvisorswillworktogethertoreachresidentsandbusinessesinallBoulderCountycommunitiestomotivatethemtotakethenextstepinsavingenergy,whichwillhelpprotecttheenvironmentandspurtheeconomy.

Copyright©2006-2016InternationalAssociationofCertifiedHomeInspectors,Inc.

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