How energy efficient a building is depends on many different factors, from construction to light bulbs. Every little part of your building adds up to an efficient or inefficient building. Being painfully meticulous about conserving electricity won’t be as effective if your insulation is poorly installed and your walls are filled with cracks that the outside air can infiltrate. Every bit of your building matters, check more details here.
Protecting Your Building
One of the most important issues in building energy efficiency is the building envelope, or all the elements that envelop the building. This includes doors, windows, the roof, the floor, and insulation. These different pieces of your building determine how protected it is from the elements. Improving your building envelope can be as simple as weather stripping a door or as complex as replacing insulation.
A good place to start to make your building more efficient is with the windows. Make sure you have windows that are appropriate for your climate. If you’re in a hot climate, try windows tinted with special screens that let sunlight in while reducing the influx of heat. If you’re in a cold climate, invest in storm windows, which will keep your heat in and keep the cold out.
Conserving Water
As you try to maintain building energy efficiency, look to your building’s water usage. Installing low flow toilets, faucets, and shower heads can make a big difference in the amount of water your building uses. Purchasing energy efficient clothes washers and dishwashers can cut down on water and energy use.
Energy Efficiency Audits
Ever look at your utility bill and just wonder how it could possibly be that high? Ever adopted a tough stance on conserving energy in your home or office and not seen enough of a difference? An energy efficiency audit can help you assess how you are using your energy and where your money is going.
Energy Efficiency Consultants
If you are looking to improve your energy efficiency, you might want to look into hiring an energy efficiency consultant. The consultant will look through your business or home and assess where and how energy is wasted. Make sure your hire a consultant with experience and lots of references.
Audits through Your Utility Company
Many local utility companies offer free or low cost energy efficiency audits. It is in their interest, after all, for you to have the most energy efficient home possible. While a higher utility bill for you means more money for them, they are facing the pressure to provide energy to everyone in your area. If everyone tried a few different things to decrease their energy usage, the load on our grids and power plants would be considerably lighter.
What to Expect from an Audit
An auditor will inspect your walls for air infiltration and your insulation for consistency. They will examine your appliances and lights for energy efficiency. The auditor will then advise you on any items that might need to be repaired or retrofitted and will advise you on how you may further move towards energy efficiency by investing in energy efficient appliances, climate control systems, and insulation.