Comments on: Putting Our Greenbacks Into Green http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2007/06/01/putting-our-greenbacks-into-green/ Science, Environment, and Nature in the SF Bay Area Fri, 19 Mar 2010 20:20:26 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Jim Gunshinan http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2007/06/01/putting-our-greenbacks-into-green/comment-page-1/#comment-3059 Jim Gunshinan Wed, 06 Jun 2007 16:44:32 +0000 http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2007/06/01/putting-our-greenbacks-into-green/#comment-3059 Hello David. Yes, I am familiar with the Energy Star programs. Builders use the Energy Star Homes certification of new homes for marketing high-performance homes. The Home Performance with Energy Star program is for exisiting homes. The certification adds value to a home that is being sold. And a buyer can even increase the amount of a mortgage on a home through an Energy Efficiency Mortgage, which credits furture savings and adds to a home's value because of energy efficiency upgrades (seewww.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=bldrs_lenders_raters.energy_efficient_mortgage). For our house, I'd like to have an energy audit by a home performance contractor, after we've lived in the house for a while. The payback will be a better-performing, healthier, more comfortable, and efficient home. Which retrofits will we go for? Don't know yet! Hello David. Yes, I am familiar with the Energy Star programs. Builders use the Energy Star Homes certification of new homes for marketing high-performance homes. The Home Performance with Energy Star program is for exisiting homes. The certification adds value to a home that is being sold. And a buyer can even increase the amount of a mortgage on a home through an Energy Efficiency Mortgage, which credits furture savings and adds to a home's value because of energy efficiency upgrades (seewww.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=bldrs_lenders_raters.energy_efficient_mortgage).

For our house, I'd like to have an energy audit by a home performance contractor, after we've lived in the house for a while. The payback will be a better-performing, healthier, more comfortable, and efficient home. Which retrofits will we go for? Don't know yet!

]]> By: David D. Schmidt http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2007/06/01/putting-our-greenbacks-into-green/comment-page-1/#comment-3018 David D. Schmidt Tue, 05 Jun 2007 23:23:16 +0000 http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2007/06/01/putting-our-greenbacks-into-green/#comment-3018 Jim mentioned his Energy Star washer. Did you know there are Energy Star homes, appliances, and lights? Look for the Energy Star logo in stores/new homes, or go to the Energy Star website, www.energystar.gov . The Energy Star logo means a home/appliance/light is much more energy-efficient than the average. Energy Star is a joint effort of U.S. EPA and the Department of Energy. Jim mentioned his Energy Star washer. Did you know there are Energy Star homes, appliances, and lights? Look for the Energy Star logo in stores/new homes, or go to the Energy Star website, http://www.energystar.gov . The Energy Star logo means a home/appliance/light is much more energy-efficient than the average.

Energy Star is a joint effort of U.S. EPA and the Department of Energy.

]]> By: Jim Gunshinan http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2007/06/01/putting-our-greenbacks-into-green/comment-page-1/#comment-2985 Jim Gunshinan Tue, 05 Jun 2007 00:01:29 +0000 http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2007/06/01/putting-our-greenbacks-into-green/#comment-2985 Thanks Scott for the encouragement! $30 per month average is pretty amazing. I have met a few contractors who are excellent. One is Sustainable Spaces in San Francisco and another is Applied Home Performance in Marin. I might have one of them come look at my house and give suggestions after we've been in the house for a while. With such a tight house, how do you get fresh air into the living spaces? Also, what is the Energy Efficiency Index? Thanks Scott for the encouragement! $30 per month average is pretty amazing. I have met a few contractors who are excellent. One is Sustainable Spaces in San Francisco and another is Applied Home Performance in Marin. I might have one of them come look at my house and give suggestions after we've been in the house for a while.

With such a tight house, how do you get fresh air into the living spaces? Also, what is the Energy Efficiency Index?

]]> By: Scott Kruse http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2007/06/01/putting-our-greenbacks-into-green/comment-page-1/#comment-2984 Scott Kruse Mon, 04 Jun 2007 23:42:39 +0000 http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2007/06/01/putting-our-greenbacks-into-green/#comment-2984 We retrofitted our home during 1990-1996 (R-100 ceiling, triple pane windows, tile floor, fully insulated garage, caulking everywhere, gaskets behind outlet and switch plates, storm liners on curtains). No PV or solar hot water. Our PG&E bill has averaged less than $30 per month year round. I did most of the work myself because either contractors don't or won't understand and they wouldn't know what to do. Home = 2300 sq ft. Our Energy Efficiency Index is 1.0 or less per month. We have a drought-tolerant, native plant front yard that needs pruning only once per year in autumn. We retrofitted our home during 1990-1996 (R-100 ceiling, triple pane windows, tile floor, fully insulated garage, caulking everywhere, gaskets behind outlet and switch plates, storm liners on curtains). No PV or solar hot water. Our PG&E bill has averaged less than $30 per month year round. I did most of the work myself because either contractors don't or won't understand and they wouldn't know what to do. Home = 2300 sq ft.

Our Energy Efficiency Index is 1.0 or less per month. We have a drought-tolerant, native plant front yard that needs pruning only once per year in autumn.

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