Mid-West Ohio Energy & Environmental Consulting
Sidney, OH 45365
ph: (407) 257-1973
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Home Energy Rating
Home Energy Rating System (HERS)
ENERGY STAR was introduced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1992 as a voluntary market-based partnership to reduce air pollution through increased energy efficiency. Today, with assistance from the U.S. Department of Energy, the ENERGY STAR Program offers businesses and consumers energy efficient solutions to save energy, money and help protect the environment for future generations. More than 8,000 organizations have become ENERGY STAR partners and are committed to improving the energy efficiency of products, homes and businesses.
Home Energy Evaluation, Audit or Rating
Signs That You Need A Home Energy Evaluation:
1. Burn marks, rust, melted pipe insulation or scorching at the top or bottom of a gas water heater.
2. Mold or persistent moisture on walls or ceiling, or a musty smell in the house, especially in the basement and bathrooms.
3. The furnace turns on and off repeatedly.
4. Attached or tuck-under garages with exposed ductwork or cracks and holes in walls and ceilings that are common to living spaces.
5. For gas furnaces, check the supply plenum (large duct above the furnace) after it has run for four to five minutes. If you cannot comfortably touch it, air flow may be insufficient. (Oil and wood units operate at hotter temperatures).
6. Check your roof for signs of melting snow or frost on early mornings. Compare yours to neighboring roofs. Partial or total melting indicates excessive heat loss.
7. Check the attic for mold, ice or moisture on the roof decking, especially above the bathrooms and kitchen. Look for low levels of insulation, ductwork that is not properly treated or exhaust fans terminating into the attic space.
8. Remove a few pieces of insulation from the rim joist area in the basement and look for mold and moisture on the wood. Dirt in the insulation indicates uncontrolled air leakage into the house.
Radiant Barrier
Benefits of a Radiant Barrier
Build "Green" To Cut North American Emissions
WASHINGTON - "Green" construction could cut North America's climate-warming emissions faster and more cheaply than any other measure, environmental experts from Canada, Mexico and the United States reported on Thursday. |
The report was issued at a conference in Vancouver by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation, a panel set up by the United States, Canada and Mexico to address environmental concerns raised by the North American Free Trade Agreement. Payback for increased construction costs would begin almost immediately, said John Westeinde, a partner in the Windmill Development Group in Ottawa and chairman of an advisory group that guided the report. "The investments made for climate change benefit in buildings have direct payback, generally from the point of view of reduced energy costs and water costs as well the indoor health environment and increased productivity of the inhabitants of those buildings," he said in an interview. North America's buildings release more than 2,200 megatonnes, or about 35 percent of the continent's total, of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. If the construction market quickly adopted current and emerging energy-saving technologies, that number could be cut by 1,700 megatonnes by 2030, the report said. But there are obstacles to putting green building techniques into widespread use. One is the so-called split incentive policy, where those who construct environmentally-friendly buildings do not necessarily reap the benefits of using them. Also, governments and other institutions separate capital and operating budgets instead of budgeting for the lifetime of a construction project, creating a disincentive to build "green," the report found. It recommended setting up task-forces in all three countries to tackle the issue, set clearly defined targets to spur more green building and foster environmentally-friendly construction already in the works. Story by Deborah Zabarenko, Environment Correspondent March 14, 2008 |
Sidney, OH 45365
ph: (407) 257-1973
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