Create an Energy Efficient Home with a Deep Energy Retrofit

CREATE AN ENERGY EFFICIENT HOME WITH A DEEP ENERGY RETROFIT With a holistic approach, an inefficient home can be transformed into a comfortable, energy-saving oasis. WHY DO A DEEP ENERGY RETROFIT? IMPROVE CO OR V BREATHE BETTER AIR 67% 96% V AC TOO TOO COLD HOT INSIDE OUTSIDE 48% of homeowners cite improving comfort as the most important 67% of American homes have at least one room that is too cold in winter and too hot in summer 96% of North American homes have at least The air inside the reason to install a central HVAC system average home is 2-5 times more polluted than the air outside one indoor air quality problem REDUCE GREENHOUSE EMISSIONS CONSERVE ENERGY >$2,200 S 44% The average family spends more than $2,200 per of U.S. electricity is generated by burning coal year on energy A deep energy retrofit 50% can reduce home energy use by 50-90% Ax2 The average home is responsible for 2 times as many greenhouse gas emissions as the average car 90% Home Annual energy use (in KWh) per ft: Energy Use Average existing home Comparison Average new home 18% Homes are responsible for 18% of all U.S. emissions 18 13.5 ENERGY STAR home 10 German "Passive House" 4 WHAT IS A DEEP ENERGY RETROFIT? Elements include: A deep energy retrofit transforms the way your home uses energy, creating a healthier and more comfortable environment. • Installing energy-efficient HVAC unit & appliances Sealing air leaks Adding insulation • Controlling ventilation • Ensuring safety of gas-burning appliances • Adding solar or other renewable power Managing moisture • Upgrading windows STEP 1: TEST YOUR HOME'S PERFORMANCE & GET A HOME PERFORMANCE ROADMAPTM Your home is tested from top to bottom for airtightness to identify how well its systems are working together. Blower Door Test: HOW YOUR HOME USES ENERGY Measures the quantity and location of air leakage in the home, usually with a thermal camera to identify air leaks, water issues and low insulation levels 8% Heating I Cooling IWater heating Appliances Lighting 20% 15% Duct Blaster: 5% Identifies and measures leaky HVAC ductwork to find the best places to improve comfort and indoor air quality Electronics 44% An estimated 99% of 99% U.S. homes are not Combustion Safety Test: properly insulated Uses a gas sniffer and combustion analyzer to test for proper functioning of gas appliances, even in worst-case scenarios WHERE HOMES LEAK ENERGY Ventilation Test: 11% Floors, walls & ceiling Measures how existing bath fans, kitchen hood and dryers work to make sure stale, moist air can get out and to plan how fresh air can get in 13% Ducts 10% 4% 2% I Fireplace I Plumbing 14% IDoors I Windows Visual Test: 15% Fans & vents 31% I Electrical outlets Inspects for signs of problems, including mold, air infiltration (ghosting or cobwebs), ineffective ventilation, low or damaged insulation, rot or structural damage 50% In an average home, 50% of heating and cooling energy is wasted STEP 2: OPTIMIZE THE BUILDING ENVELOPE Air leaks are sealed and insulation is added to create an airtight envelope around your home. Proper sealing and insulation can save up to 20% of energy spent on heating and cooling. ALIGNING PRESSURE & THERMAL BOUNDARIES PRESSURE BOUNDARY: The surface that separates the inside from the outside of the house – it functions GAP like a windbreaker for your home in winter • Restricts the flow of AIR THERMAL BOUNDARY: The layer of insulation that separates living space from uninsulated areas (garage, attic, etc.) and the outdoors- it functions like a sweater for your home in winter Pressure boundary Thermal boundary Restricts the flow of HEAT FOR OPTIMAL PERFORMANCE: Gaps or low performance in either boundary result in energy loss Thermal and boundaries must be aligned, which means they are: • Continuous (no gaps) • In substantial contact with each other, so both work effectively 50% A 7% gap in insulation can reduce effectiveness by nearly 50% STEP 3: IMPROVE HVAC PERFORMANCE Your HVAC system is evaluated for inefficiencies, and ventilation ducts are sealed and balanced for optimal air flow. A HIGH-EFFICIENCY UP TO 40% HVAC SYSTEM energy lost of heating and cooling energy can be lost via leaky air ducts can reduce heating and cooling costs by 20% Do You Need a New HVAC Unit? Consider replacing if your furnace or air conditioner is: POOR INSTALLATION > More than 10 years old > The wrong size for your home can reduce an HVAC system's efficiency by 30% Improperly installed STEP 4: CONSIDER SOLAR OR OTHER RENEWABLE POWER Many parts of the U.S. offer strong incentives for using solar power, with payback available in as few as 4 years. Almost all locations in the U.S. have better solar resources than Germany and Japan – yet they each have Can Solar Work for you? about 20 times as much solar > Do you have 200 square feet of mostly shade-free southeast, south or southwest-facing roof? • Does your roof have 10 years of life left, or can it be replaced? power as we do. > Is your home structurally sound? The difference between the best and worst solar locations is only 40% STEP 5: ENJOY A MORE COMFORTABLE HOME Most people who do a deep energy experience a "transformation" in how the house feels and works – not just in energy usage, but in the comfort and air quality throughout. retrofit SOURCES: American Home Comfort Study, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Green Building Advisor, Union of Concerned Scientists, U.S. Department of Energy, ENERGY STAR, International Association of Certified Home Inspectors, Environmental Health Watch www.ImagineEnergy.net IMAGINENERGY Copyright © 2012 Imagine Energy, LLC. All right reserved. Infographic designed by Mad Fish SEO Efficiency Best Worst | || | | |