Contributed photos
Above, a pie chart from Energy Star showing typical household energy use. Below left, a low investment requires replacing your older thermostat with a newer model to ensure a higher degree of temperature accuracy and keep the heat more even in the house.
Happy home heating Some eco-friendly steps to keep warm in these colder months simply swap out that old furnace (source) without sealing Happy New Year from the your ductwork (distribution), or you will just keep sending Energy Matters crew. With the holidays behind expensive heat into the crawlus and winter in full swing, space through all the duct we thought it would be a leaks (dollars). Let’s play with some numgood time to talk a little about bers. If you connect a new home heating. The steps to saving energy 90 percent efficient furnace are often small and incre- to an old duct system that is only delivermental, so let’s look at how Reducing the energy ing 70 percent of its heat, the we can ratchet effective effiused for home down heating ciency of your energy one heating is the single new system is click at a time. 64 perReducing your most effective way only cent. home’s energy Also, make to save money and sure use for heatyour ing can save installer calcuease your home’ s you money, lates the size impr ove contribution to of the system health, and even increase global environmental properly, so that the outyour home’s put matches concerns. comfort. the heat loss According of your home. to the Department of Energy, An oversized heating system heating is the biggest piece of the home energy pie and does not optimize efficiency, accounts for around 45 per- and if undersized you will not cent of our total energy con- stay comfortable. And don’t forget to take sumption. steps in reducing heat loss Reducing the energy used for home heating is the single by air sealing and insulating most effective way to save floors, walls and ceiling. If you’re interested in a low money and ease your home’s contribution to global envi- investment with a quality benefit, consider replacing your ronmental concerns. There are many benefits to older thermostat (control). keeping your home warm in Newer thermostats ensure the winter, beyond your obvi- a higher degree of temperature accuracy and keep the ous comfort. When outdoor tempera- heat more even in the house. Programmable units will tures drop, our homes need to be kept warm to prevent allow you to set lower temmold and mildew growth. peratures in your absence or Cold indoor temperatures at night. An 8 degrees Fahrenheit can more easily reach dew decrease from your typipoint, creating unhealthy cal setting can save energy condensation. To keep the air healthy, and money. There are even indoor temperatures in the “smart� new controls that will winter should range between learn your habits and antici65-70 degrees Fahrenheit pate your heating adjustand humidity levels 30-60 ments for you. Kinda creepy, but cool. percent. A significant energy reducHow can we reduce our heating bills while effectively ing step can be found by utimaintaining health and com- lizing Heat Pump technology. A heat pump works just like fort? We have two options: a refrigerator, but in reverse. An air-source heat pump can repair or replace. There are three aspects deliver 1.5 to 3 times more to any heating system that heat energy to a home than can be fixed or changed out: the electrical energy it consource, distribution, or con- sumes. This magic is possible trols. It is important to focus because a heat pump moves on the big picture. Don’t heat rather than converting
By Doug Poole
Below, right, a look at a disconnected duct, which is sending hot air — and essentially your money — into the crawl space rather then into your house.
Member of the Islands’ Energy Coalition
it from a fuel. Air-source heat pumps are ideal for our climate. A heat pump is a good choice when replacing your existing ducted furnace. Or if your current system does not have ducts, such as baseboards or wood heat, a ductless mini-split heat pump provides a very efficient alternative or addition. While heat pumps are a significant investment, in many cases OPALCO offers rebates to help offset the cost. As an added perk, on the five days in the year we could benefit from cooling our homes, you can run it backwards as an air conditioner. Keep in mind that your most cost effective mea-
sures might be found in adding insulation and air or duct sealing, and that many heating systems require regular servicing in order to maintain maximum efficiency. For guidance with your specific system, begin with the professional advice available from a $25 OPALCO snapshot or a licensed professional. You can find great tips on saving energy at energystar.gov or feel free to call me at 298-1313. However you choose to improve upon your current heating system, remember you will be living more comfortably and consuming less energy. Happy heating.
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