It’s important to remember your current location and the design and layout of your home. This plays a major role on the style and selection of energy-efficient windows you select for your home.

A family living in the northern region will need different windows than a family living in the southern region. The environment and climate conditions are entirely different, and windows will need to serve each purpose.

The windows you select should be purchased by the design of your home. The direction and size of the windows are more important than one would think.

In hot or heat dominated regions, windows facing south should be heavily glazed. This is done to make efficient use of solar heat during the cold and bitter winter months. The windows should also possess a solar heat gain co-efficient of more than .6 but a U-factor of less than .35 to assure heat transfer is reduced during the hot and humid summer months.

Those who live in cooling dominated regions should focus on the north-facing windows. It is a good idea to have the windows facing the south shaded by trees, bushes and porches to minimize the sunlight and heat. Tinted or reflective windows are not suggested for these climates. It has been suggested they reduce the SHGC and allow more heat in during the spring and summer months.

In the regions where temperature fluctuates higher, wooden frames should be avoided. This has been suggested because the materials have been known to expand and contract. Wood laminate window frames are a better option and maintain the same aesthetic appeal.

If you live in heat-dominated regions, glass-filled windows are the best choice. They provide better insulation and considerably reduce the U-factor. Tinted glass is popular and a good choice. The only downside to tinted glass is it can cause indoor plants to die due to the lack of sunlight.

Glaze glass is another good choice. They have multiple panes of glass. Such types of glass are recommended for cooler climate regions. However, the cost of double-pane or triple-pane windows is much higher than single-pain windows, but they last indefinitely and dramatically reduce cooling costs in the hot summer months.

Before making any quick decisions you should consider the variety of glass before buying energy efficient windows. This is what will determine the amount of energy you conserve. Whatever your choice may be, remember to always take into consideration the available options and select one that best fits your needs.

Article originally published here: http://www.homeremodelingct.org/connecticut-contractors/36-windows-doors/140-tips-for-purchasing-energyefficient-windows.htm

However, forfeiting some renovation projects and important repairs might not be the smartest choice. That outdated HVAC system, the old windows, and cold basement might be costing you big bucks. The next rainstorm may flood your basement. In other words, the money you’re trying to save in repairs might be being spent instead in utility bills or depleted in bigger repairs later on due to the lack of proper preventive measures.
Even in tough times, there are some improvements that actually pay off, lowering your energy consumption, preserving or increasing the property value, and giving you much-needed peace of mind.
Below is a list of the five of the most cost-effective home improvements and the best investments you can ever make in your home.

Basement Finishing
Finishing your basement will do more that just add living space to your home. It will actually pay you back and eventually, even prove itself profitable! To sweeten the deal, it can be done at half the cost of building an addition.

Remodeling Magazine’s Cost vs. Value report lists basement finishing as one of the few investments in which you will be recovering most of your money right away in added property value. You can recover an average of 75% of the cost if you sell the property immediately.

However, the most significant benefit of a finished basement is the ability to improve the home’s energy efficiency. The U.S. Department of Energy reports that an average 1,500 square-foot home that has a finished basement with R-10 insulation, and is heated by natural gas (at $0.72/therm) can save anywhere between $200 to $400 a year.

Add to that the fact that, even considering ups and downs in the housing market, the U.S. Census Bureau shows home prices tend to increase in average 251.69% every 20 years interval. Therefore, in 20 years, the added value to your property will not only fully cover the remodeling costs; it will prove profitable!

Crawl Space Encapsulation
That moldy, filthy, rotten crawl space is more than just unsightly and unpleasant. It’s a black hole in which not only your money disappears, but also your home’s value, structural integrity, indoor air quality, and your family’s health.

Because of the way the air moves inside buildings, everything that goes on in the crawl space has significant impact on how structurally sound, comfortable, healthy, and energy efficient your home is.

As the air in the house is heated, it rises and escapes through any openings in the upper floors. To replenish the air supply, new air is sucked from the lower levels, mainly from your basement or crawl space. That is called the “stack-effect” and because of it, everything that is in that filthy crawl space air, including mold spores and dust mites, is consistently entering your home.

It is estimated that 1/3 of the air you breathe inside the home is crawl space air. In addition, the typical crawl space moisture that is also being carried in with the air makes your home harder to cool and heat. During the winter, cold air is also sucked in through the floor. If air ducts run through the crawl space, energy losses can amount to as high as 50% – half of the money you pay in to heat and cool your home is literally wasted.

Crawl space encapsulation is a relatively inexpensive new technology that can control moisture and prevent moisture-related problems in this space. It protects your floor joists and wooden structures from mold and rot, and keep dust mites and other moisture loving pests at bay. Furthermore, according to studies conducted by Advanced Energy and Habitat for Humanity, sealing and conditioning a crawl space can make your home an average of 18% more energy efficient.

Battery Operated Backup Sump Pump
Say that you have a very good drainage system and a quality sump pump, which is well maintained and in great condition. Nevertheless, one morning, after a big storm, you wake up to a flooded basement and thousand of dollars in damaged property. The storm knocked down the power, and with it, the sump pump was rendered useless.

There is no way to fully protect your basement from flooding without a backup sump pump system, preferably one that does not run on electricity or depend on a generator.
During a long-lasting power outage, you will want the generator to spend its energy keeping your refrigerator, appliances and lights running.

A battery-operated backup sump pump is, in that case, your best option. If you have a finished basement, or you store anything of value in your basement, a battery-operated backup pump is a must. It saves you a lot of money and lets you sleep better, knowing that your basement is protected.

Replacement Windows
Replacing your old, obsolete windows with new Energy Star rated windows can help save a lot of money in energy bills.
According to the Alliance to Save Energy, a non-profit coalition of business, government, environmental, and consumer leaders, installing energy-efficient replacement windows can reduce your heating and cooling bills by up to 30 percent! New double-hung, wood-clad windows with double-pane low-E glass, can reduce drastically your heating and cooling costs, besides improving significantly the looks of your home and adding value to the property.

HVAC Upgrades
Replacing obsolete furnaces, which usually operate at only 60 percent efficiency or worse for a new, high-efficiency two-stage unit, that rates at least 90% efficiency, can save you hundreds of dollars each year.

Likewise, replacing your old A/C system with a new unit that achieves a minimum of 13 SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) can save you big bucks in cooling costs during summer. In addition, most new models use non-ozone-depleting refrigerants, making them more environmentally-friendly than older units.

In addition to all the benefits, some of these improvements, such as basement insulation and HVAC upgrades, may qualify for loans, grants and tax incentives under different local, state, and federal government energy efficiency programs.

In conclusion, a good assessment of your home’s overall condition is fundamental in times like these. You can’t afford to let your property, which is probably your most valuable asset, lose value. Sometimes, the best way to save money is to invest in technologies and repairs that will keep you from wasting it.

In general, homes with slanted roofs will use energy efficient metal or tile roofing materials.  Metal reflects sunlight and is very durable.  Tile is made of clay or concrete, both of which are sustainable and eco-friendly.  Often, tile roofing can have an additional energy efficient coating added.

For flatter roofs, membrane roofing can be expensive but it is long lasting and it installs quickly and easily.  Membrane roofing is common in commercial buildings more than private homes.  Sprayed-on polyurethane foam roofing is less expensive than membrane roofing and very resistant to leaks because there are no seams.  This is also used primarily in commercial buildings.
There are key terms to be aware of when deciding on an energy efficient roof.  Emissivity is the rate at which a material releases heat as it is absorbed.  Reflectivity is a number—the higher it is, the more the material reflects heat.  Insulation has to do with additional energy efficient weapons.  What lies beneath the roof now?  Will it work with any new roofing materials, or will it need to be changed?  Be aware that the right new roof may make you eligible for an energy efficient tax break.

“Energy Star” is an international program backed by several governments.  It assists individuals and businesses with protecting the environment by way of excellent energy efficiency.  Energy Star roofs meet the tough criteria that will save you money—and support the “green” cause.

You should get at least three estimates before deciding on a contractor for your new roof.  It’s a major home-improvement project.  Take time to consider not just the cost of materials and labor, but also the cost of maintenance.  Do you have a warranty?

Technology will keep producing state-of-the-art building materials that will lower demand on utilities and reduce chemical emissions, leading to cleaner air.  What’s better than a future where it costs less to have a healthy environment?  Take part in the green progression.  Be proud of playing a role in energy efficiency, and the money you’ll save doing it.

Saving money

The Baltimore Sun’s Home and Garden session this week brings us a nice article, listing some easy (and fairly inexpensive) home improvements that will help you save a lot of money in utilities, cut energy use, and make the house more energy efficient.

Cut energy use, make your home efficient with easy steps — baltimoresun.com.

There is, however, a single great improvement the article fails to mention: crawl space encapsulation.

For homes with dirt or concrete crawl spaces, this process is proven to make the whole house on average 18% more energy efficient and improve indoor air quality by protecing the crawl space against moisture and related problems such as mold, rot, dust mites and structural decay.

While newer homes were being built more and more eco-friendly, retrofitting an existing home  just to make it more energy efficient was something very few would consider. Environmentally responsible technologies were scarce, and not exactly cost effective.

But, all of that has changed.  Today, there is a myriad of green remodeling solutions for just about every application. From home finishes, insulation and sealing to energy-efficient appliances, and green heating and cooling technologies.

In addition, the economic downturn, the housing slump and the energy crisis are slowly changing the way we think about green technologies. Implementing them is no longer only the responsible thing to do to preserve resources and save the planet’s future. Going green is actually the smart thing to do today because it allows you and your family to live better, more comfortably and for much less money.

In other words, homeowners begin to understand that going green pays off. How much?

This article explains how much, helps you understand the ratings used by the industry to rate the efficiency of different solutions, and shows you exactly how much you can save by adopting them.

Improvements such as replacement windows, insulation and sealing, as well as upgrades on heating and cooling systems are eligible for the tax credit. The adoption of energy-saving technologies such as geothermal heat pumps, solar water heating, small wind generators and photovoltaic systems is also eligible.

If you are planning an energy-efficient remodel, this  New York Times interview with Kateri Callahan, president of the Alliance to Save Energy, a nonprofit group that advocated some of these credits, will help answer many of your questions you might have and show you the ways in which you can take advantage of these incentives.