Recently in Remodeling for Energy Efficiency Category

Seniors face aging issues with their houses and condos.  They must make decisions about what needs to be remodeled, and how to pay for it -- and for seniors that is usually more complicated than for people with full time jobs.  Reverse mortgages have become available as one tool.  But local and state programs also make loans available through affordable housing programs to help seniors remodel for energy efficiency, weatherization and major repairs such as roofing, plumbing and window replacement.

According to the AARP, the lowest cost reverse mortgages are public loans.

The least expensive reverse mortgages are the ones offered by state or local governments. But these "public sector" loans generally can be used for only a specific purpose, like home repairs. Many are only available to persons with low to moderate incomes. But the low cost can make these loans very attractive.

Energy Efficiency and Weatherization

Remodeling projects or home maintenance projects of significant sizes, such as major plumbing upgrades, or energy efficient window replacement or a new roof, can warrant using equity in your home.   These major home renovations can improve the quality of life for a senior at the same time they reduce monthly energy bills and improve the value of the home. 

Deferred Payment Loans (DPLs)

Many local and some state government agencies offer "deferred payment loans" (DPLs) for repairing or improving your home. This type of reverse mortgage gives you a one-time, lump sum advance. No repayment is required for as long as you live in your home.

Property Tax Deferral (PTD)

Some state and local government agencies offer "property tax deferral" (PTD) loans. This type of public sector reverse mortgage generally provides annual loan advances that can be used only to pay your property taxes. No repayment is required for as long as you live in your home.

According to a 2007 AARP study, some type of PTD program is available in parts or all of the following states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and the District of Columbia.

AARP does not endorse any reverse mortgage lender or product -- so do your homework and ask a trusted financal advisor for help in analyzing your situation and the reverse mortgages available to you.

Read more at AARP about Low-Cost Public Loans

I love light, as we all do.  But balancing cost of good lighting with quality is a design challenge.  Retrofitting lighting systems can save significantly on office or manufacturing facility energy costs.  Here are six lighting retrofits that community colleges in California have been implementing to save on their energy costs ... and their environmental impact.

New Generation 25 Watt T8 Lamps
The Philips Energy Advantage 25 watt T8 fluorescent lamps were tested at an elementary school in San Diego CA.  They showed that the 25W lamps saved as much as 7W per bulb, but some application limitations were noted, such as a warm up period was required for full lighting, they are not recommended with occupancy sensors or dimmin ballasts, and they have a higher per bulb cost than 3100 lumen T8 bulbs. 

T5 or T8 High Bay Lighting in Gyms and Open Areas
According to Bright Ideas Lighting Company, "Many people are strongly pushing 4 lamp T5 highbays to replace typical 400 watt metal halide fixtures.    While I think this is not a bad option, in many cases the high bay T8 6 lamp fixture is a better option. Despite the long life rating claims for T5s we are seeing a surprisingly high rate of failures.  We seem to be changing a lot of T5 ballasts in areas where they are less than 2 years old."
 
LED Exit Signs
There are no simpler applications of savings in 24/7 lighting products that will save you money for energy and maintenance than LED exit signs!  Illuminated exit signs are an important and legally required safety feature in your facility. In the case of an emergency such as a fire, their operation is critical in protecting the well being of your congregation's members. By design, exit signs operate 24 hours per day, and can consume large amounts of energy to operate.

Many exit signs in today's buildings use older, incandescent and fluorescent/compact fluorescent lighting (CFL) technology. To make matters worse, many older exit signs require frequent maintenance due to the short life span of the lamps that light them. For example, many older exit signs consume over 350 kilowatt-hours (kWh) and cost $28 each annually to operate.

Recent advances in LED lighting technology have allowed exit sign manufacturers to develop signs that harness the advantages of this technology at competitive costs. In addition, exit signs are easy to install, if you can install a light switch or electrical receptacle you can install an exit sign. ENERGY STAR labeled LED exit signs use approximately 44 kWh of
electricity annually to operate. Low energy use not only means less pollution but also lower electricity bills as a LED exit sign usually costs less than $4 annually to operate. labeled LED exit signs use approximately 44 kWh of electricity annually to operate.  

Bi-level Stairwell Lighting

The Bi-Level Smart Stairwell Luminaire meets lighting and safety code requirements for occupied interior stairwells, while saving energy by sensing occupancy at every fixture and drastically reducing the lighting level during the many hours when no one is present. The fixture is practical for both new and retrofit applications, and it can also be used in other low-occupancy locations such as break rooms and hallways.

This luminaire operates at two lighting levels. It maintains a low light level when the space is unoccupied and quickly switches to full light output when occupancy is detected. These integrated controls, coupled with a high-efficiency electronic ballast, reduce system operation and maintenance costs and extend lamp life.

These bi-level lighting solutions save up to 70% energy savings over traditional products and lamps need replacing less often for additional savings in maintenance costs.

Occupancy Sensors in Classrooms, Offices, and Gyms

Occupancy sensors turn lights on when people need them in a room, and turn them off when the room is empty.  Automated sensors make up for human error or negligence in turning lights off when not needed.  Operated with infrared sensors, occupancy sensors ssave energy, are convenient, automatic lighting that can easily be retrofitted in offices, classrooms and other areas that are periodically used.

Daylighting Control
Sunshine is wonderful...in the right place at the right times.  Good controls are the design key to saving energy with daylighting "In fact, if designed correctly, daylighting control has the ability to delight occupants. By removing glare and making the amount of light flexible to meet different needs, daylight can replace a significant amount of electrical room lighting.   New retrofitting products such as solar tubes, shelves that bounce light, indirect lighting designs and blinds that direct light where you want it are just a few of the "passive" approaches to daylighting controls. 

Daylighting not only saves energy, but is being proven to improve spirits of the people in the room, raise productivity, and reduce illness and sick days.  Not bad for simple sunlight!

Advantages of the Roof Garden

• Reduces urban heat island effects
• Storm water run-off management
• Adds valuable/useable space providing economic benefits
• Energy efficiency year-round
• Air and water purification

Centuries old, the roof garden concept is both functional and aesthetically-appealing. The green roof -- or roof garden technology improves the structure's energy efficiency while adding plant life in populated areas to support health and well being of people and wildlife while also helping clean the air.

The focus on improving the quality of life in higher density urban environments has made  issues such as cooling the city and air quality more pertinent than ever. Roof Gardens meet the objectives of many of the mandates to improve the air quality of cities by mitigating the effects of heat islands caused by ever increasing development.

Carlisle's Roof Garden System

Carlisle's Roof Garden System provides waterproofing options along with a range of membranes such as the 60-mil thick EPDM and the TPO which are ideal for the shallow gardens with standard 10-15 year warranties.

Roof gardens 4" to 8" in depth are classified as a Medium Assembly requiring 75-mil thick EPDM or 72-mil thick TPO membranes for 10-15 year warranties.

For the Intensive Roof Gardens (deep), the membrane options include Carlisle's  90-mil thick EPDM and 80-mil thick TPO.

Carlisle's Roof Garden Systems

Shallow Assembly	Medium Assembly	Deep Assembly
2" to 4" soil depth avg. wt. 12 ppsf general sedium plants.	4" to 8 " soil depth min. wt. 15 ppsf sedium and smaller flowers.	Greater than 8" soil depth min. wt. 25 ppsf shrubbery and small trees

Carlisle SynTec
carlisle-syntec.com

LCD flat screen TVs can save 40% vs. plasma screen TVs.   Wow!  The savings can be more significant than an energy efficient refrigerator!  That says something about how much TV we watch.  You might also consider turning the TV off more often and getting together with friends or nature to enjoy real pleasures!

But back to energy and appliances :-) ...

TIVO and DVRs also use a lot of energy!

Design controllable circuitry to allow turning off all modules of a  home entertainment center other than your DVR.

Provide similar circuits to your home office to allow grouping all your computers and peripherals except your CPU and wireless router.

And in the kitchen -- consider using induction cooking if you use electric; and add a real outdoor venting system that will improve your indoor air quality at the same time it takes unnecessary heat out of your conditioned spaces.

You've probably noticed the side-loading clothes washers and wondered if they really save energy and water!

Yes, and YES!

Horizontal axis clothes washers cut power by 30% or washing and reduces water use by requiring less in the tub for each load.

You can also reduce dryer energy by 10 to 20% by using the new appliances designed for energy efficiency.  Look for the ENERGY STAR label to ensure that you're getting models with the best energy efficiency.

If you have Solar PV cells or a Solar Thermal system...run your wash in the afternoons with solar hot water and solar power!

You can also save energy by hanging your clothes to dry.  Indoors.  Outdoors....take your choice...they are both zero energy options!

Energy Star Dishwashers
If you're the kind of cook who absolutely refuses to wash your dishes in the sink -- which is far more energy and water efficient than an appliance -- be sure to select the highest efficiency model using Energy Star rating.  Look for the Energy Guide label.

Where you place your dishwasher and clothes washer can also save you money.  By keeping the (Insulated pipes, of course!) plumbing lines to the waer heater SHORT, you save temperature cooling.  And consider designing your water heater close to both kitchen and bathrooms for greatest building and energy economy!

Designing your energy and water infrastructure for efficiency is step one in energy savings.  Nothing can make up for large houses, long distance plumbing, or inefficient applieances.  And you can end up paying many times the initial cost of the construction in your rising energy bills!  Think ahead to save for years to come.

Cooling Systems

Whole House Fan or Economizer System

The principal of ventilation cooling is to circulate cool night air through buildings, thereby cooling (removing heat from) interior mass surfaces such as walls, concrete floors, and furnishings. During the day this cool mass absorbs heat from the air, keeping indoor temperatures more comfortable. Studies have shown that ventilation cooling can eliminate the need for air conditioning in coastal  California climate zones, and can substantially reduce both total and peak demand air conditioning energy use in the inland valleys.

One example is:

Davis Energy Group: Nightbreeze  is an integrated night ventilation cooling system with intelligent adaptive controls that optimize security, cooling comfort and energy: www.davisenergy.com.

Auxiliary air conditioning should have a minimum of SEER 17.  Building codes require a minimum of 13.

To maximize savings, consider advanced systems with SEER 18+ that come with high speed operation disabled.  Also, evaporatively cooled condensers in hot locations are an option that work like air conditioners, but they accept outside air that is cooled by evaporation.

Heating Systems

Fully condensing gas furances (91%+) are highly efficient.  Tankless gas heaters with hydronic loop, connected with a whole house economizer system (Nightbreeze, Rinani, Tacagui) are also efficient.  If you use an electric heat pump, consider geothermal ground loop system and minimize circulation pump power.

When the wind blows, temperatures fluctuate -- we know that is normal in nature, but we forget that we've domesticated air to blow through ducts.  But we can significantly improve energy use if we put some thought to how our home ventilation is designed and insulated.

Ducts placed in conditioned space formed by a false ceiling can have a 10% influence on heating and cooling costs.

If it's not possible to create this conditioned space for your duct system, consider burying your ducts in deep ceiling insulation and seal the attic with roof deck insulation.

Ducts in unconditioned attic space can lose up to 1/3 of the energy used to condition the air inside the ducts.

Ductless heat pumps can also be an alternative.

Ducts should be well-sealed and tested; smooth round ducts are more efficient than flex ducts because they provide lower friction and thus, require lower fan power.

Ceilings
Ceilings provide many opportunities for insulating against severe temperatures.  Most ceilings are exposed to the attic, and often, attics are not as insulated or ventilated as they could be.  If attics are seen as tools in the zero energy process, they can be managed to moderate temperatures before those heat or cold fronts affect room ceilings.

R-38 insulation in warm climates and R-49 in cold climates, coupled with advanced framing techniques are your first rung of ceiling defense.

Ceilings above and below need to be inspected for consistency and gaps in insulation.   Ducts should be buried in insulation if they are part of the attic landscape.

Garages are often poorly insulated, again considered secondary space, similar to attics.  But any space next to living space conducts temperatures through surfaces to adjacent living spaces -- so garages should be well insulated in hot climates to reduce energy use.

Roofs
Start with the shape of your roof -- pitched roofs have larger areas and the steeper the pitch, the more material, time and upkeep will be required for the roof itself.  Then comes insulation of the added space!

Hot climates benefit from special attention to roofing materials and insulation.  Light colored tiles with a radiant barrier underneath; or light colored metal make good choices for energy efficient roofs.

Insulated roof decks benefit from at least R-30  coupled with light colored tile that is well sealed.

Glass windows are important for mental health and connections to the environment that surrounds us, but they also can be an energy drain as uncontrolled sunshine or cold winds penetrate into the building through these thin, hard surfaces.  Here are some methods to reduce energy use through windows:

• Use high performance solar control windows designed for your climate.  Insulated frames are better in some situations, non-metal frames in other. 
• Attempt to orient your window spaces more to the south, with awnings to protect during summer heat.
• Aim for glass to floor area ratio of 15% or less.
• Add  2 - 3 foot overhangs on south facing windows in warm climates
• Use old-fashioned porches to protect windows and doors from weather -- sun, rain and heat

Zero Energy Homes are constructed (or remodeled) to reduce the amount of energy and balance usage with renewable energy generation.  Here are some of the successful strategies that maximize energy conservation:

• Cut total electrical loads to 15 kWh per day
• Think less house, more efficiency, just say NO to McMansions
• Add 3-4 kW solar PV system with inverter to generate 15 kWh/day
• Effective solar water heating system with tankless gas water heater auxiliary
• Solar control measures to reduce air conditioning with good insulation, porches, reflective surfaces, and trees
• Well insulated building to reduce heating loads
• Use Energy Star rated appliances of all types:  refrigerators, dishwashers, washers, televisions, computers
• Monitor real time energy use to guide your successful identification of key problem areas.