Home Efficiency + Home Automation

Energy efficiency & sustainability are important to many of us today. A home automation system can help us achieve a balance between eco-friendly living & enjoying our cool gadgets. Incorporating smart home technology into a new or existing structure makes it easier to reduce energy consumption and the carbon footprint a home or business creates. Environmental responsibility is everyone’s responsibility, so do your part by making simple changes that not only help the earth, but will also save you money and add convenience to your home. With many new easy to install home automation products readily available, it’s now simpler than ever to automate your home and go green at the same time!

Energy reducing control systems operate only when required & conserve energy – not needlessly consuming energy while on standby. Now, you know you need to turn appliances and electronics off to save energy, but did you know that once you turn them off, they are still using electricity? That’s right – many items in your home continue to draw energy even after they are shut down – items like your computer and its peripherals, your television, stereo, microwave and stove. These items go into standby mode once switched off and create what’s known as a “phantom load” which can add up to 8% to your electricity bill.

It is easier to more fully outfit a house during construction due to the accessibility of the walls, outlets, and storage rooms, and the ability to make design changes specifically to accommodate certain technologies. Want a home automation system in your current home? Not a problem, wireless systems can be installed when outfitting a pre-existing house, as they obviate the need to make major structural changes.

Why go green?

Why go green? It’s easier on the earth, it lowers costs, and it provides a healthier home in which to live. According to the Sustainable Building Industry Council (SBIC), housing alone consumes 20% of America’s energy. Homeowners who choose to remodel green can lower their energy consumption by 30-50%. It’s widely agreed that forests produce 40% of Earth's oxygen, and that building supplies use 25% of its forests. Remodeling green by incorporating recycled materials or sustainable species will help homeowners to tread more lightly on Earth’s natural resources. Green remodeling is becoming more popular as homeowners consider health issues, skyrocketing energy costs and Earth’s natural resources. More than 15 million Americans are estimated to have asthma, including one-in-13 school-age children, and more than 28 million Americans suffer from hay fever and other allergies, all of which are aggravated by poor indoor air quality.
Components of Green Remodeling Energy conservation:

• Energy Conservation: The average home today utilizes systems for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, and most homes are not built as efficiently as they could be, all of which results in high energy consumption. The U.S. Department of Energy believes if current buildings were green-improved, they would use $20 billion less energy per year. Green remodeling puts a strong emphasis on making homes as efficient as possible with modifications like energy efficient appliances and thermostats that can be programmed at different temperatures for different times of the day.

• Indoor air quality: There are many sources that contribute to the air quality inside a home. They include pollutants brought in from the outside, toxic chemicals existing inside the home, and the activities of the occupants that create pollutants. Major contributors are tobacco smoke, smoke from the burning of wood, coal, kerosene or other such substances, toxic fumes from sealants or chemicals from cleaning products, lead paint, asbestos from insulation, damp carpets or fabrics, and certain pressed-wood furniture products that release chemicals into the air. Green remodeling seeks to remedy these problems with things like better ventilation systems and using wood, paint, and sealants that are nontoxic.

• Reduced material waste and resource conservation: When remodeling a home, there is often a large amount of construction waste. This amounts to 136 million tons of waste annually, according to the EPA, which in turn makes up 20% of the waste in landfills. Green remodeling focuses on reducing this waste during remodeling and reusing materials whenever possible, as 85 to 90% of materials thrown out can be recycled. Using local materials, building with engineered lumber, and using recycling companies to remove waste are all ways this can be achieved during remodeling.

• Environmentally safe products: Many products and practices used in the remodel of a home have negative effects on the environment. From chemicals and materials that pollute the air to the disturbing of the surrounding landscape, a myriad of actions taken can cause harm. With green, care is given to minimizing or eliminating products that could cause harm to the environment or the occupants during remodeling or after.

Overall green remodeling proves to be very beneficial for homeowners. It:

• Reduces operating costs in the home by increasing efficiency
• Conserves natural resources
• Increases the value of the home
• Improves indoor air quality and in turn, overall health
• Reduces waste
• Reduces emissions costs
• Increases productivity of occupants
• Improves quality of life

Ways to Implement Green Into Your Home: Green remodeling can be done in small ways and doesn’t necessarily have to encompass the entire home. It’s easy to pick and choose elements that fit each particular homeowner.

• Non-toxic paints and sealants
• Programmable thermostats
• Energy efficient appliances
• Natural flooring
• Local building materials
• Natural fiber rugs and fabrics
• Recycled material roof shingles and tiles
• Energy efficient lighting
• Insulated hot water pipes
• Tankless water heaters
• Quality insulation
• Native plants for landscaping

Another Task for the Winter To-Do List

Inspecting your dryer vents each year can help prevent unnecessary deaths and injuries because of fire and carbon monoxide poisoning. Gas powered appliances require maintenance to ensure they are working safely and efficiently. All gas appliances must be properly vented to eliminate the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. The dryer vent system is responsible for removing heat, moisture and gas by-products by forcing it out through the dryer vent outside. When the dryer vent is clogged with lint, it makes it harder for the hot, moist air to escape. Lint build-up in dryer vent systems can cause dangerous levels of carbon monoxide to enter your home too. Carbon monoxide is odorless, colorless, difficult to detect, and it is deadly!

Some of the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include: dizziness, headaches, nausea, burning eyes, and feeling faint and tired. Many people who experience these symptoms don’t realize it until it's too late. They attribute their symptoms to some other ailment. With carbon monoxide, you will not smell the fuel leak as it takes over your home. Have your clothes dryer exhaust ducts inspected annually and maintained as necessary by a certified technician. Don't forget to clean behind the dryer, where lint can build up. Also clean the lint screen before or after drying each load of clothes.

Save Money and Stay Warm!

This winter, save money and stay warm. Keep your energy bill and your pollution output low this winter by taking a whole-house approach to heating.

• During the heating season, keep the draperies and shades on your south facing windows open during the day to allow the sunlight to enter your home and closed at night to reduce the chill you may feel from cold windows.
• Insulate the floor of your attic. Heat always flows from warmer spaces to colder spaces, and that's why you should insulate your attic. Consider adding insulation in unfinished basement walls and crawlspaces too.
• Install a programmable thermostat to automatically adjust your home's temp setting when you are away or sleeping.
• Replace furnace filters regularly and properly maintain and clean heating equipment.
• Weatherize your home—caulk and weatherstrip any doors and windows that leak air.