Thor Peterson is a Residential Specialist with the City of Seattle's Green Building Program. Thor's monthly tips for Around the House will help homeowners and industry professionals who want to build wisely. Click on More Thor to get built green ideas from previous months.
Our rainy Pacific Northwest winters are mild compared to some parts of the country, but our energy use still spikes as our furnaces spring to life as the weather turns cool. One of the most cost-effective things you can do to save on energy bills is to weatherize your home. Air sealing and insulation are the two main components of weatherization.
Hunting for Air Leaks
In order to seal leaks, you need to find them. Often the biggest holes are found in the attic and basement.
Common sources of air leaks include:
• Poorly sealed windows and doors
• Attic hatches
• Recessed can lights
• Electrical outlets and outdoor faucets
• Dryer vents and range hoods
• Fireplaces
Depending on the leak, spray foam, caulk, rigid foam or a combination of these materials will be needed. The ENERGY STAR website provides a handy do-it-yourself guide to home energy sealing.
Insulating Your Home
After finding and plugging air leaks, the next most cost-effective way of increasing your home’s energy efficiency is to add insulation. Depending on the configuration of your attic and your ability to access wall cavities or basements and crawl spaces, insulation can be a relatively quick and inexpensive project. Adding insulation in unfinished attic spaces is usually quite straightforward.
Greener insulation choices include blown-in cellulose insulation made from recycled newsprint and formaldehyde-free fiberglass with recycled glass content. Learn more about insulation choices from the US Department of Energy website.
Your electric or natural gas utility has conservation experts on hand to answer specific questions about being more energy efficient.
Investing in energy conservation will pay for itself in reduced utility bills for years to come, and reduces your family’s impact on global climate change. And through 2007, there are federal tax credits available for energy efficiency measures. See www.energystar.gov for details about tax credits for insulation, energy-efficient windows, solar panels, and much more.
Saving energy and fighting global warming is a win-win situation. Imagine if we all chipped in!
More Thor!
Thor Peterson is a Residential Specialist with the City of Seattle’s Green Building Program. Six years of experience in the green building realm gives him expertise in a wide variety of green design strategies and products, including water and energy conservation, healthy and eco-friendly materials, indoor environmental quality, and low impact development approaches. Thor is a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Accredited Professional and a graduate of the Sustainable Building Advisor certificate program.
