The heat wave this summer has put a strain on the electric
grid, increased utility bills and made a lot of homes unbearably hot. We have been inspecting about 25 homes a week
all summer long and these are the most common issues that we see which can be
easily addressed and also qualify for rebates from your local utility.
1. Problem: Inadequate
Attic Ventilation and Attic Temps that Commonly Exceed 135 Degrees:
Due to an oversight in the building code some
40 years ago, standards for the Front Range were accidentally lumped in with
the Rocky Mountains, so nearly every attic has about half the ventilation that
is recommended today.
Solution:
Install additional passive ventilation, like ridge vents, roof vents, gable
vents and/or soffit vents. This is affordable
and highly effective (also, choose a
lighter color whenever you replace the roofing).
2. Problem: Excessive
Building Air Leakage, especially in Architecturally Interesting Homes:
Many newer homes have complex floor plans,
roof lines and framing. This often
results in numerous hidden bypasses between the indoors and the outdoors. Bypasses allow over-heated attic air or 100°
outside air to migrate into interior building cavities causing overheated homes. The old “brick
box on a basement” might not be as interesting, but they are usually easier to
heat and cool.
Solution:
These bypasses can be identified with a low-cost home energy audit, using a
blower-door test and infrared camera. The
leaks can be cost-effectively fixed by a skilled air-sealing crew and rebates
often cover much of the cost. Insulation
can also be added if needed.
3. Problem: High Solar Gain through
West-Facing Windows:
Here on the Front Range “mountain views”
are highly desirable, but large west-facing windows drive up interior
temperatures significantly.
Solution: Apply reflective window film to reduce
solar-gain by up to 60% and reduce the costs of cooling these rooms
significantly. Materials and Labor costs
are about $5 per square foot and rebates cover 30-50% of that cost depending on
your utility company. This is considered
to be so effective that it’s one of the few improvements that still qualify for
federal tax credits.
4. Problem:
Summer “Tiered-Rates” for Electricity Driving Up Monthly Electric Bills
for AC Use.
Cooling a home during the day with air conditioning
is expensive. The typical 3-Ton AC
system uses 3500 watts and a 5-ton system uses about 6,000 watts. With tiered summer electricity rates, the
3-Ton system costs 50 cents an hour to run and the 5-ton system cost 85 cents
per hour, which adds up to $5-$10 dollars per day or $150-$300 a month in
cooling costs.
Solution: Cool the Building at Night with an Energy
Efficient Whole House Fan. The
Northern Colorado Front Range is high and dry which gives us a 30-40 degree
temperature difference between the daytime high and the overnight low. The latest generation of whole house fans are
designed to run quietly all night long, bringing in the cool night air and
“pre-chilling” the building to as low as 67 degrees. The truly amazing part is that this only
costs 5 cents per night or $1.50 per month.
5. Inadequate AC Airflow and Inadequate Return
Duct Airflow on the Upper Floor:
On a hot day, three-story homes are often
65 degrees in the basement, 75 degrees on the first floor and 85 degrees
upstairs. Sound familiar? The hottest air in the home just stagnates on
the upper levels. One common reason for
this is the inadequate system air-flow and minimal “return-vents” on the upper
floor.
Solution:
AC systems in Colorado need 400-500 CFM per ton of cooling. Adding additional dedicated return air ducts
to the top floor will moderate temperature differences between floors. Depending on the home, this can be a simple
job or more involved.
Feel free to call or write with questions regarding the efficiency or comfort of your home at:
info@thisefficienthouse.com
970-204-9931
