Some say that St Patrick’s Day is widely celebrated because it brings the first green of spring. Shamrock clad and excited about winter’s exit — homeowners might forget that a different shade of green can be found at home all year long. With these tips, from CertainTeed Corporation, a leader in building science, Chicago homeowners won’t need the luck of the Irish to create a more sustainable home that is energy-efficient, comfortable and cozy.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the typical U.S. family spends about $1,900 a year on home utility bills, and a large portion of that energy is wasted. Here's how to reverse that loss:
· Install new windows. Reduce energy loss with new windows. Consider more energy-efficient options like casement or double pane windows or install tight-fitting, insulating window shades on windows that feel drafty after weatherizing.
· Re-insulate your home. According to ENERGY STAR, improperly installed insulation can waste 20 percent or more of the energy you pay for to heat and cool your home the equivalent of leaving a window open all winter and summer. Re-insulating your home can help prevent these leaks. CertainTeed offers Sustainable Insulation(TM) as an option, which has 35 percent recycled glass content.
· Use smart lighting. Turn off lights when they aren’t being used or use smart occupying sensors. Take it one-step further by making sure those lights are energy-efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs. According to the DOE using new lighting technologies can reduce lighting energy use in your home by 50 to 75 percent.
· Remember to power down. Many appliances use energy even when switched off, to prevent this use a smart power strip to shut down all stand-by power in electronics and appliances.
· Choose to go solar. Options such as EnerGen(TM) photovoltaic solar roofing panels and Landmark Solaris(TM) solar reflective asphalt shingles, by CertainTeed, make it easier and more affordable to brighten a roof with solar technology and can qualify homeowners for energy tax credits.
· Conduct a home energy audit. To locate obvious air leaks around baseboards or electrical box outlets and learn where you are losing energy in your home, conduct an at-home energy audit. Visit www.energysavers.gov to locate an auditor in your area.
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