Looking for a way to learn how much energy your home consumes and what you can do about it? Call TAG today at (315) 314-2246, or simply schedule an appointment online.
A home audit will help determine how much energy your home uses and what measures you can take to make it more energy efficient. We can help to identify problems with any improper installations that can be causing air leakage. We can also determine if your heating and/or cooling system is the most energy efficient system for your home. Improperly installed windows, doors, and skylights can also pull from your energy use.
By performing an audit, TAG can help with any needed repairs and installations for a more comfortable and energy efficient home. This can save you significant money over time!
Energy Star
As much as half of the energy used in your home goes to heating and cooling. So making smart decisions about your home’s heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system can have a big effect on your utility bills — and your comfort. Take these steps to increase the efficiency of your heating and cooling system – see Guide to Energy Efficient Heating & Cooling.
Tune-up Your HVAC Equipment Yearly
Just as a tune-up for your car can improve your gas mileage, a yearly tune-up of your heating and cooling system can improve efficiency and comfort. Learn more at the following links:
Learn more:
Energy Audit
TAG makes energy savings easy!
Consider Installing ENERGY STAR Qualified Heating and Cooling Equipment
If your HVAC equipment is more than 10 years old or not keeping your house comfortable, have it evaluated by a professional licensed HVAC contractor. If it is not performing efficiently or needs upgrading, consider replacing it with a unit that has earned the ENERGY STAR. You can reduce your energy usage by up to 40% by implementing qualified Home Performance with Energy Star energy efficiency measures.
But before you invest in a new HVAC system, make sure that you have addressed the big air leaks in your house and the duct system. Sometimes, these are the real sources of problems rather than your HVAC equipment.
Ask about Proper Installation of Your New Equipment
Replacing your old heating and cooling equipment with new, energy-efficient models is a great start. But to make sure that you get the best performance, the new equipment must be properly installed. In fact, improper installation can reduce system efficiency by up to 30 percent — costing you more on your utility bills and possibly shortening the equipment’s life.
The following is a bar chart showing cooling efficiency for quality installation versus problem installations.
Make sure to ask your contractor if their work meets guidelines set by ENERGY STAR and the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA). These guidelines include:
Proper Sizing of Equipment
Installing the right size equipment for the home is essential to getting the best performance and comfort. Many homeowners believe that bigger is better when buying new heating and cooling equipment. But in reality, a system that’s too large will not keep your home comfortable because of frequent ‘on/off’ cycling. Incorrect sizing can also put stress on system components and shorten the equipment’s life. To ensure proper sizing your contractor should provide a copy of the home’s heat gain/loss calculations for your records.
Sealing Ducts
To ensure that ducts are properly sealed, your contractor should test the leakage rate. If the ducts are very leaky (i.e. more than 20% of the air moving through the system is leaking into spaces you do not want heated or cooled) your contractor should use duct sealant (mastic), a metal-backed (foil) tape or an aerosol sealant to seal the seams and connections of ducts. After the ducts are sealed ask your contractor to wrap them in insulation.
Proper Refrigerant Charge (Central Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps Only)
A properly charged system will operate more efficiently and help prolong the life of the heating and cooling system. To ensure the system has the correct amount of refrigerant a contractor must test and confirm that the system is properly charged. If the system is not properly charged, the contractor should make the appropriate adjustment by adding or removing refrigerant.
Optimizing Air Flow
If air flow in your heating and cooling system is too high or too low, you may incur problems and higher utility bills. A contractor should test air flow and make any needed adjustments for optimal performance.
Use the ENERGY STAR quality installation checklist (PDF) when soliciting bids from contractors to help ensure that your system is properly installed.
Click on the links below to learn more…
NYSERDA incentives:
Green Jobs/Green NY – low costs or no costs audit. 10% incentive up to $1,300 can be paired with a low interest loan (3.49% APR currently up to $11,700). In addition, if your family is income eligible, you may be able to obtain a grant for up to $5,000 to have work performed in your home. The grant must be matched dollar for dollar (i.e. If you take advantage of the $5,000 you must match it with $5,000. This can be in the form of a low interest loan).