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Window Replacement
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Three tips to make your utility meter run backward
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(ARA) - What would you do with an extra $2,200 per year? That is the
annual energy bill for a typical American home, according to the U.S.
Dept. of Energy (DOE). Dramatically reducing that cost, or even selling
power back to the utility company, could mean having enough money for a
vacation, a down payment on a car or a boost to your child's college
savings.
If you are wondering how this can be done, a trend emerging in new home
construction, "net-zero energy," is helping homeowners keep energy
dollars in their pockets. Builders construct such homes with highly
energy-efficient materials, and with the means to generate their own
power. The goal is to reduce the yearly total energy bill to zero, and
perhaps make the meter run backwards at times.
Lowering heating and cooling costs is critical to achieving net-zero
energy, since these typically account for nearly half of a home's
energy use. Keeping warm air in during the winter and cool air in
during the summer is key, along with adding on-site power systems.
Steps can include new construction methods for greatly improved
insulation, using energy-efficient windows, and installing solar panels
or other renewable ways to heat water or create electricity.
1. Build with SIPs
Most homebuyers are familiar with "stick framing" - construction using
numerous individual sticks (boards) with the insulation added between
them. Yet an increasingly popular building method for high energy
efficiency involves a different approach.
Known as structural
insulated panels - or SIPs - the body of the house
is made of large-size prefabricated wall, ceiling and floor sections
with built-in insulation. SIPs work like a giant insulated cooler. They
are made of wood panels sandwiching a rigid insulating foam core. The
result is fewer gaps in the home and more continuous insulation. Homes
built with SIPs are 15 times less leaky and have 47 percent greater
insulating capacity than conventional construction, according to DOE.
"SIPs can be used to build any style of home, and are generally
stronger than stick framing," says James Hodgson of Premier Building
Systems, North America's largest SIPs manufacturer. "They can cut
heating and cooling costs up to 50 percent, and can even help save
money by speeding construction and allowing for smaller furnaces and
air conditioners." SIPs also contribute to healthy indoor air by
sealing out pollutants, and create up to two-thirds less waste during
construction. (For more information on SIPs, visit www.pbssips.com or
call (800) 275-7086 to speak with Premier Building Systems).
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2. Install energy-efficient windows
In addition to well-insulated walls, ceilings and floors, another key
consideration for net-zero energy homes is efficient windows. Such
windows may have double or triple panes with gas fillings and special
coatings to help resist heat gain or loss. Specially constructed frames
help seal against air leaks.
How the windows are installed in the wall is also important, since much
of the heat loss can occur around the window rather than through it.
Proper mounting and sealing of the window in the wall can help protect
against air leaks.
"Installing windows for high energy efficiency can be tricky," says Jim
Crowley, owner of Crowley
Builders in Grass Valley, Calif. "If the window opening isn't
right, it's like putting a round peg in a square hole; there are going
to be gaps."
Crowley addresses this by using SIPs for the walls. "In addition to
providing insulation, SIPs have pre-cut window openings that are
straight, square and properly sized. Combine this with proper sealing
of the window and it's the best way we've found to get a tight fit."
3. Generate your own power
More new homes are using environmentally responsible, renewable energy
sources on-site to further reduce reliance on utility companies. These
systems can include geothermal heat pumps that obtain warmth from the
ground, solar panels for electricity or heating water, and windmills
that convert wind to energy. When combined with home construction
methods like SIPs and energy-efficient windows, such systems can help
the home achieve net-zero energy use. In some cases, homeowners have
even reduced their consumption enough and generated sufficient power to
make the meter run backwards - in essence selling electricity back to
the power company.
"Achieving energy self-sufficiency in homes and other buildings seemed
pretty radical not too long ago," says Hodgson. "But building methods
have advanced greatly in recent years, saving energy without homeowners
having to sacrifice comfort or style. Why build with methods that have
been around for a hundred years, when newer, proven methods are
available that will outperform what can be done with conventional
framing?"
Courtesy of ARAcontent
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