Energy Check Newsletter Fall 2013

Efficiency First News

Energy Check

health • comfort • safety • energy efficiency

Fall 2013

Easy Ways to Save Energy This Fall

Keep your house warm, snug, and energy-efficient all winter long.

At Energy Check, we offer solutions to problems that affect the efficiency, health and comfort of your home year round. But with the start of a new season, there are simple steps you can take as a homeowner to help you save energy during the cool fall and cold winter months.

Having an energy audit done on your home is a great first step to find out where you can save the most, and consider making a larger investment for long-term energy savings. Among other benefits, an energy audit will evaluate your insulation levels, the tightness of your building envelope and the efficiency of your heating system. These are all areas where positive change can make quite an impact on your upcoming winter bills.

There are more, but here are a number of things you can do to save energy and money this winter as well as make your living

space more comfortable.

Take advantage of the sun Open curtains on your south-facing windows during the day to allow sunlight to naturally heat your home, and close them at night to educe the chill you may feel from cold windows.

Cover your windows - Drapes or shades on your windows can really make a difference - make sure all your windows are covered or look into installing tight-fitting, insulated or other efficient window treatments.

Turn down the thermostat - When you are home and awake, set your thermostat as low as is comfortable. Every degree you lower your thermostat you save about 2 percent off your heating bill. continued on page 2

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.

Albert Camus

Optimize Home Performance Year-Round with Our New Preventative Maintenance Program Just like your car or body, all systems in your home need to be properly maintained to operate safely and perform at their peak efficiency.

In response to the needs of our clients, we are excited to announce a new Preventative Maintenace Program. Following your energy audit, we become familiar with how your house is operating and what your best course of action should be to optimally maintain your home’s durability and the life and efficiency of its systems.

This annual or bi-annual inspection will help you extend equipment life, lower energy bills, and prevent unexpected, costly and inconvenient breakdowns.

The best plan is to have your house inspected in the summer or fall to ensure that it is properly winterized and inspected again in the spring to be alerted to any winter damage and to ensure that your home is ready for the heat of the summer.

See the page 3 for more information and a list of what a visit includes

Inside Energy Check Preventative Maintenance Program Local Sustainabilty Events Home Energy Efficiency Incentives Ventilate Your Home With Minimal Energy Loss Energy Action Month

Contact Us 540-443-9966 carolineb@wecheckenergy.com WeCheckEnergy.com

Serving the NRV, Roanoke and Smith Mountain Lake from Downtown Blacksburg since 2007

Current Incentives Some tax credits and other incentives are still available. For the most current information, please visit DSIRE, the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency.

Federal Income Tax Credit This credit applies to energy efficiency improvements in the building envelope of existing homes and for the purchase of high-efficiency heating, cooling and water-heating equipment.

Tax Credit: 10% of cost up to $500 or a specific amount from $50–$300.

Energy Efficiency Sales Tax Holiday See details in column to right www.energystar.gov In house incentives Client Referral Program - recieve a $25 Kroger card, that also benefits our friends at the New River Land Trust when refer a friend who has an energy audit.

Energy Audit Rebate - Recieve a credit for half the cost of your audit or maintenance visit if you proceed with a contracting project with Energy Check or Shelter Alternatives.

October is Energy Action Month!

Last year, President Obama declared October Energy Action Month to encourage Americans to save energy, water, and money for American taxpayers. This year, the President is continuing to ask Americans to work together to strengthen U.S. energy security and build a more robust economy. Formerly known as Energy Awareness Month, October is now a time to not just be aware but to act.

Try to use this opportunity to think about how you use our valuable energy resources in your life and where you can take action for positive change.

Part of this declaration was institution of the October Sales Tax Holiday: Energy Star and WaterSense Qualified Products When: This four-day holiday begins on the Friday before the second Monday of October each year. The 2013 holiday will take place Friday, Oct. 11, 2013, through Monday, Oct. 14, 2013.

This incentive is available for dishwashers, clothes washers, air conditioners, ceiling fans, compact fluorescent light bulbs, dehumidifiers, programmable thermostats or refrigerators that meet federal Energy Star standards.

Note: Certain EPA "Watersense" products may also qualify. https://www1.eere.energy.gov/femp/services/energy_aware.html

Fall Energy Tips, continued If you have a programmable thermostat, use it wisely, if you do not have one, consider installing one, they make it easy to set back your temperature and save without thinking about it.

Weatherization - Seal those drafts and leaks around exterior doors with inexpensive and easy to install weather stripping.

Look for leaks - Reducing air leaks could cut 10 percent from an average household's monthly energy bill. Look for leaks - The most common places where air escapes homes are: floors, walls, ceilings, ducts, fireplaces, plumbing penetrations, doors, windows, fans, vents and electrical outlets. They can also be found in gaps around chimneys and recessed lights in insulated ceilings, and unfinished spaces behind cupboards and closets.

If you suspect a potential problem, contact us to discuss your options.

Change your filters - Changing your filters really matters for air quality and efficiency. And, the change in seasons is a great time to address this. Be sure to check all the filters in the systems in your home and change or clean as necessary. Or give us a call to enroll in our Preventative Maintenance Program.

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Maintain your HVAC system - schedule a preventative maintenance visit with us to find out what maintenance is required to keep your heating system operating efficiently.

Reduce Heat Loss from Fireplace - Keep your fireplace damper closed unless a fire is burning. Keeping the damper open allows warm air to go right up the chimney. If you never use your fireplace, plug and seal the chimney flue. If you do use the fireplace, consider installing tempered glass doors and a heat-air exchange system that blows warmed air back into the room. Check that the seal on the fireplace flue damper is good. Feel free to contact us to find out more techniques to improve your fireplace or wood-burning appliance's efficiency.

Turn down your water heater temperature Water heating can account for 14% to 25% of the energy consumed in your home. Turn down the temperature of your water heater to the warm setting (120°F). You'll not only save energy, you'll avoid scalding your hands.

Insulate or increase the amount of insulation in your attic, basement and outside walls. Also cover through-the-wall air conditioners to prevent cold air from leaking into your home.

Events THANKS to the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center! We had a blast introducing our Recycling Swish game at your Annual Family Picnic!

Your are a vital part of our community and we applaud the efforts you make to support a sustainable professional park!

Upcoming: Celebrate Sustainability 2013 • Sept. 18-20 Various Locations • Blacksburg An event celebrating eco-friendly efforts and enthusiasm in our community! The Town of Blacksburg, VA Tech and Sustainable Blacksburg come together each year to recognize efforts which enhance our relationship with the natural environment.

Join us for the Conserving Resources at Home event, Thurs..

9/19 @ 6:30 at the Blacksburg Library Info: www.facebook.com/CelebrateSustainability

The New River Land Trust – Land & River Revel 2013 Sunday, September 15th • German Club Manor, Blacksburg, 2 to 5pm Celebrating 11 years of protecting the land, landscape and heritage of the New River region. Don’t Miss!!! A chance to learn more about land conservation. An amazing Live and Silent Auction which features fabulous local artists and artisans plus weekends away and romantic dinners.

Good food, good people and family fun, and children’s activities!

Admission is free – Donations are welcome!!

Info: newriverlandtrust.org

Preventative Maintenance Program Details what a visit includes:

 Filter check on HVAC, Range Hoods & Mechanical Fresh Air Systems

 Ambient Carbon Monoxide (CO) check  Attic Inspection  Roof, Gutter and Draining Evaluation  Window and Exterior Door Inspection  Crawlspace and Basement Inspection  Exterior Maintenance & Durability Inspection

 Grading Evaluation  Dryer Vent Inspection  Humidity and Moisture Inspection  Optimize Thermostat Programming In addition to the maintenance inspection services, you will receive:



A checklist of items inspected including any recommended actions.

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Half the cost of this inspection back on repair or consulting work*

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Free estimate, at your request, for any recommended actions or other home improvement contracting.

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Coupon for $50 off the cost of a Home Energy Audit.

Conservation Celebration • Sept. 22 Braeloch • Vinton • 4 - 7 pm The Blue Ridge Land Conservancy’s annual Conservation Celebration is a fun, festive event for the whole family. Eat, drink, mingle and mix to the sweet sounds of the Easy Pickins band while also checking out the one-of-a-kind items available in a silent auction.

Info: blueridgelandconservancy.org/celebration/

2013 Fall Home Show • September 28 & 29th Salem Civic Center, Salem, VA Featuring a wide variety of companies showcasing their products & services for building, remodeling, or enhancing your home and life.

Info: rrhba.com

Green Living and Energy Expo • Nov. 1 and 2 Roanoke Civic Center Mark Your Calendars! AECP’s 14th Annual Expo brings together a wide variety local organizations and business dedicated to sustainability. Feature over 70 exhibits and demonstrations as well as two days of presentations and workshops.

Info: aecpes.org

Cost: To properly maintain the systems at work in your home, we recommend 2 visits annually at a cost of $150/per year.

You may also have us come out once a year and perform a seasonally appropriate inspection for $100.00.

how do i sign up?

It’s easy. All you have to do is give us an initial call or email and we will get your visits scheduled at an appropriate and convenient time for you. * project must be valued at over $2K and scheduled within 1 yr.

540-443-9966 carolineb@wecheckenergy.com 3

Energy-Recovery Ventilators: Ventilate Your Home With Minimal Energy Loss If your home is air-tight and energy-efficient, it may need more fresh air. An energy-recovery ventilator (ERV) is one way get it without sacrificing efficiency.

Sealing air leaks and adding insulation are two important ways of conserving energy in your house. But some homes may be so tightly sealed that they don’t allow in enough fresh air for a healthy environment. To allow adequate fresh air into your house (without using extra energy to heat or cool the fresh air) you might need some type of ventilation system.

To conserve energy, an ERV passes the outgoing warm air from inside the house through an internal unit called a heat

exchanger. In the heat exchanger, heat from the outgoing air is transferred to the cool incoming air. This exchange (heat recovery) prevents the home’s occupants from being blasted with cold winter air. It also saves considerable energy because the home’s heater doesn’t need to warm the cold incoming air.

In the summer, outgoing room air cools the incoming warm air, helping to maintain comfort.

Energy-recovery ventilators can be operated by timers or controlled by humidistats, sensors that detect humidity levels in a home. Energy-recovery ventilators often remove excess humidity, but also can be set to add humidity.

When researching energy-recovery ventilators, don’t be confused by the terminology. An energy-recovery ventilator is not the same as a heat-recovery ventilator. In an energyrecovery ventilator, the heat exchanger transfers a certain amount of water vapor — along with heat energy — to the incoming air. A heat-recovery ventilator transfers only heat.

Because an energy-recovery ventilator transfers some of the moisture contained in the exhaust air to the usually less humid incoming winter air, the humidity of homes with energy-recovery ventilators tends to stay more constant. This feature also keeps the heat exchanger core warmer, minimizing problems with freezing.

Most energy-recovery ventilation systems on the market today recover about 70 to 80 percent of the energy in the outgoing air, transferring it to the incoming air.

How It Works?

An Energy Recover Ventilator (ERV) can be connected to the duct work of your HVAC system or installed as a stand alone unit. .

Equipped with two fans, one fan draws fresh air into the building while the other pushes stale air out. As the two air streams pass through the ERV, the patented heat exchanger transfers both heat and moisture from one air stream to another. In other words, the heat from the exhausted air is transferred to the fresh inbound air.

As outside air enters the ERV, it is also forced through a filter to capture incoming contaminants. After passing through the patented heat exchanger, the warmed or cooled fresh air is distributed through the house through the existing HVAC duct work or new duct work. This comprises the air filtration system.

About 95% of the heat energy from the outbound stale air is transferred to the incoming air flow. This creates incoming air temperature closer to the temperature already inside the home, therefore requiring less energy to condition the new air. This process is why ERVs are less expensive to own and operate.

Some benefits could include: • Indoor air is fresh, comfortable and healthy • Room-to-room climates are more consistent •Less dust • Helps control odors • Your home will be safer from mold and mildew • The service life of your HVAC system is extended Maintenance on these units are fairly is easy–filter changes are usually all that is needed.

Be in touch with us if you would like to investigate whether an ERV is right for your home.

540-443-9966 - energycheck@wecheckenergy.com - WeCheckEnergy.com an affiliate of

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ALTERNATIVES, INC.

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