Retrofit Energy Hog Homes Into Power Sippers

Posted: Mar. 8, 2012 | 2:03 a.m.

Want to know what the "next big thing" in home ownership will be? No one can predict the future with absolute certainty, but there are no safer predictions than these: Nonrenewable energy sources will become increasingly scarce, energy costs will rise over time and people will continue to desire comfortable homes that are affordable to maintain. Wrap it all up in a solution that makes sense for the vast majority of existing homes and, voil: The next big thing is ... drum roll please ... the energy efficient retrofit.

It may not seem very sexy, but no one can deny that slashing home-energy bills is an attractive goal. Did you ever wonder why they are so high in the first place? Don't blame the power company. There is no free lunch. We pay a lot because we use a lot, and we use a lot because most of our existing buildings are, I will say this as delicately as possible, gross energy hogs.

In fact, suburban America was mostly built using a flawed strategy of resource extraction, depletion, externalized costs and the short-term availability of cheap fossil fuels. James Howard Kunstler, author of "The Geography of Nowhere: The Rise and Decline of America's Man-Made Landscape," has called it "the greatest misallocation of resources in history."

Our economic system is designed to maximize profit (referred to as "shareholder value") while minimizing long-term value for the end user.

Rather than wring their hands and wish for a magic solution that will never come, some people are actually dealing with this issue head on, developing practical approaches that incorporate state-of-the-art science, materials and techniques. The results are often spectacular.

I recently attended an open house event that showcased two home-energy remodeling projects. Turning decrepit old energy hogs into beautiful, affordable, power-sipping homes requires some effort, but the results are so worthwhile.

The process involved four basic steps:

1. Energy assessment: Test the current performance level and diagnose the best opportunities for an energy-efficient remodel.

2. Develop the plan: Determine the specific items and tasks to provide optimum performance in energy, comfort and health.

Follow this link:
Retrofit Energy Hog Homes Into Power Sippers