Energy Conservation

As energy conservation has become more and more of a mainstream topic, the proliferation of information and opinions has left many homeowners with more questions than answers. Now that the enticing tax credits have all but dried up, which energy conservation improvements make the most sense financially? Naturally, the answer is different for each home based on its age and condition. Generally speaking; air leaks, U-value, and R-value are what we focus on for the building envelope. From there, we move on to the efficiency of energy consuming devices within the home.

Most often this is a long term initiative which takes into consideration the life expectancy of the various components. i.e. exterior windows and doors, insulation, washers, dryers, furnaces/boilers, a/c condensers, water heaters, kitchen appliances, etc. As more and more mandates for energy conservation are promulgated into law, it is reasonable to conclude that energy conservation improvements not only make sense environmentally and financially, but also may in the future become required, even for existing homes.