Archive for the ‘Energy Conservation’ Category
Update – Our Net 50 Energy Challenge
If you’re new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting! Our utility bills have been paid through the end of August and our year to date savings has climbed to $700.67.
Progress: as of end of August 2009 vs 2007
Electricity – 65.6%
Natural Gas – 77.3%
Water – 83.5%
Utility Costs – 73.7%
Savings [...]
October 2, 2009
Tags: Net 50 Energy Challenge, Utility Bills Posted in: Energy Conservation, Home Energy Audit, Net 50 Energy Challenge, Water Conservation 
No Comments
Our Net 50 Energy Challenge – Part 3
In step 1 we set our goals: reduce our energy usage by 50% and invest up to $8,200 to accomplish this . In step 2 we investigated the exterior of our house and property.
Now in step 3 we collected information on the Building Envelope and filled in this chart:Â
Building Element
Cavity Insulation 1
Thickness (inches)
Continuous Insulation 1
Thickness [...]
September 29, 2009
Tags: Building Envelope, Energy Conservation, Net 50 Energy Challenge Posted in: Energy Conservation, Home Energy Audit One Comment
How to Assess Mechanical Systems for Your Home Energy Audit
This step in developing your own Home Energy Audit will help you examine the major working parts or the mechanical systems of your home. This may sound complicated, but below is a worksheet that will make it easy as 1, 2, 3 (repeat.) 1: Take a look at a system, 2: take a photo, and [...]
September 23, 2009
Tags: Energy Audit, Energy Conservation, Water Conservation Posted in: Energy Conservation, Home Energy Audit, Water Conservation One Comment
Our Net 50 Energy Challenge – Part 2
In step 1 we set our goals: reduce our energy usage by 50% and invest up to $8,200 to accomplish this.
Here in step 2 we will investigate the exterior of our house and property.
We don’t have a survey of our property, so we have developed one ourselves. We went to our county auditor’s website [...]
September 22, 2009
Tags: Energy Audit, Energy Conservation, Net 50 Energy Challenge Posted in: Energy Conservation, Home Energy Audit No Comments
How to Weatherize Your Home – Window Glazing
If the glass in your windows rattle when you open and close them, it is a sure sign that your windows are leaking. Take a close look at the outside of your windows, you shouldn’t be surprised to see cracked and even missing glazing putty. If you have single pane windows this means that it [...]
September 17, 2009
Tags: Energy Conservation, Weatherize, Windows Posted in: Energy Conservation, Weatherize One Comment
How to Use Your Head and Examine the Holes in Your House for Your Home Energy Audit
Personal Goals:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Check.
Site Plan & Photos:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Check.
Building Envelope:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Check.
Where to Weatherize:        Let’s find out.
If you could move all of the little gaps, cracks and holes in the exterior walls and attic of your house all together you might end up with a hole that you could poke your head thru. Putting your head there [...]
September 13, 2009
Tags: Energy Audit, Weatherize Posted in: Energy Conservation, Home Energy Audit, Weatherize No Comments
Building Envelope:
This is the barrier between the inside and the outside of your house. It consists of generic elements such as exterior walls, windows, doors, roofs, ceilings and floors, and specific elements such as vapor barrier, weather stripping, insulation, glazing, and exterior finish materials. It’s purpose is to limit fire, heat and water vapor [...]
September 12, 2009
Tags: Insulation, Weatherize Posted in: Eco-Glossary, Energy Conservation, Indoor Air Quality, Weatherize No Comments
Take Five Minutes and Save Some Electricity
 The biggest electricity user in your house is your heating and cooling system. The next biggest single energy user is you refrigerator. However, it may not be performing up to its potential. It’s now time to fix that.
Pull out your vacuum cleaner, remove the grille at the bottom of the front of your refrigerator. Plug [...]
September 8, 2009
Tags: Energy Conservation, Net 50 Energy Challenge Posted in: Energy Conservation 2 Comments
How to Seal the Big Gaps and Weatherize Your Home
Weatherizing your home is one of the most cost effective ways to save energy year round but especially when the temperature dips and the wind whips around. Spend a few dollars and an hour or two to seal up some gaps in your walls. You will quickly save those few dollars on your energy bills, [...]
September 6, 2009
Tags: Energy Conservation, Indoor Air Quality, Weatherize Posted in: Energy Conservation, Indoor Air Quality, Weatherize One Comment
Your Personal Home Energy Audit – Looking at the Building Envelope
The main purpose of an energy audit is to help determine which strategies to use in order to save the most energy for the smallest investment.  Today, it’s time to turn your attention to the building envelope, otherwise known as the stuff that separates the inside from the outside: walls, ceilings, roofs, floors, doors and [...]
September 4, 2009
Tags: Energy Audit, Insulation Posted in: Energy Conservation, Home Energy Audit One Comment
