Energy Savings - cars fuels costs
When it comes to using energy more efficiently, houses are a lot like cars. It would be great if there were a single solution to dramatically increase auto fuel efficiency and reduce pollution, but automotive engineers know that’s not the case. Achieving better fuel efficiency involves many factors, from lighter materials and more powerful batteries to new engines and new technologies like fuel cells.
The silver bullet solution won’t work for houses either. Building scientists, the guys who study building performance like automotive engineers study cars, have identified many factors and features that determine how houses use and lose energy.
The House is a System
One of the most important concepts of building science is that the house is a huge system composed of smaller systems that interact with each other. When one system is altered, other systems are affected. For example, improvements to the “building envelope” system such as air sealing and insulation affect the performance of the ductwork, heating, cooling and ventilation systems.
Motor History
But let’s get back to Detroit. For most of our motoring history, we’ve enjoyed the benefits of cheap gasoline. Back in 1970, the price at the pump was 36 cents a gallon. The cars that came off the assembly line back then were gas-guzzling behemoths. When the first Arab Oil Embargo pushed gas prices above $3 a gal., Detroit made a brief foray into compact, fuel-efficient vehicle design. But it didn’t last. When the oil crisis abated, we went back to our old ways.
Energy on the Rise
Today there aren’t any experts out there predicting that gasoline prices are going to drop dramatically. In fact, energy in all forms is becoming more precious because of growing global demand, political instability and the need to drill deeper and work harder to extract petroleum and natural gas.
At the pump and in our homes, energy costs will continue to rise. So while the automotive industry is striving to transform transportation, we have to work on improvements that cut home energy consumption.
The good news is that we know a lot more today about products, techniques and technologies that can dramatically improve home energy performance.
The Energy Solution
Rather than make energy-saving home improvements in a random or haphazard manner, it’s smarter to trust a company like Energy Savers 2 to perform a comprehensive home energy audit.
By conducting a series of tests, inspections and calculations, energy technicians can determine exactly how your house is using and wasting energy. In addition to gaining a detailed home energy profile that includes insulation and airtightness assessments, you’ll also learn how your lights, HVAC system and water heater compare to the super-efficient ENERGY STAR® equipment that’s currently available. The outcome you’re after is a prioritized list of recommended improvements that can transform an energy-wasting house into a model of energy efficiency. You might even want to consider adding solar systems (PV and/or solar hot water) for even greater savings.
Food for Thought…
It’s not possible to turn a gas-guzzling car from the 1960s into a hybrid that delivers 40 miles per gallon. But we can definitely transform houses from any era into greener, more efficient buildings that reward their owners with significant energy savings. And that’s what we need to do. Have you scheduled your home energy audit yet?
