NKY Green Energy Guide

Building or renovating your home for energy efficiency

          If you are looking to build a home or renovate your existing home to be more energy efficient, there are several important things you should consider. Before you rush out and buy solar panels, you first need to think about what things you can do around your home that will reduce your energy use and prepare your home for future investments. No matter what kind of energy efficient equipment or designs you invest in, if you don’t have your house sealed properly you will be wasting energy and money! Here are some standards and things to think about when renovating or designing your home.

WINDOWS

People often underestimate how much energy can be saved by having properly placed energy-efficient windows!

New Windows

• Choose windows that are labeled as energy-efficient (ENERGY STAR® rated) and meet those specifications.

• Make sure the windows are installed properly and have weatherproofing to avoid air leakage.

• Select, orient, and size your new windows to maximize heat from the sun in the winter and minimize it in summer. This is applying a passive solar design. You want to have most of your windows facing south and limit the amount facing north, east, and west.

More information and resources about energy-efficient windows can be found here.

Existing Windows

• Use Caulking around stationary windows to eliminate leaks, and add weatherstripping around windows or doors that can move.

• Have east and west windows shaded by window treatments or coverings (it is difficult to control temperature and light through these windows).

INSULATION AND AIRTIGHTNESS

One of the most important things to save energy in your home is proper insulation!

• Make sure all seams and holes are sealed. Caulk can be an excellent way to do this.

• Proper insulation is very important for reducing heat flow. It helps you keep your desired temperature when paired with sealed cracks and holes. It is important to have insulation in all possible areas of your house; including the ceiling, attic, subslab, basement walls, etc. The effectiveness of different types of insulation is rated by R-values. The higher the R-value, the better it’s insulating effectiveness.

• Be sure to consider the variety of specific energy-saving insulation specifications. You can use 2x6 structural studs instead of traditional 2x4’s to have room for even more insulation.

SITE ORIENTATION AND LANDSCAPING

Where your house is located and what is surrounding it play a major role in the amount of energy you use.

• Orient your home so that it has shade to the east and the west, with the south side getting the most sunlight.

• Make sure your south-facing windows can get the low-angled southern sunlight.

• Have windbreaks from the southwest to northwest. This can be achieved through dense trees and shrubs that lower the wind chill near your home.

• Dense trees and shrubs on the west and northwest sides will block the summer setting sun. Deciduous trees can be used on the south side of your home to shade your roof during the summertime when the leaves are out, and let the sun warm your home in the winter when the leaves have fallen.

• Pay attention to how the water around your home’s foundation is managed. You should have grades sloping away from the foundation to direct rainwater away from the house.

PASSIVE SOLAR POWER AND DESIGN

Passive solar power and design refers to working with your home’s natural location, climate, and materials to reduce energy usage and provide winter heating and summer shading. There are many ways you can design or renovate your home to maximize the amount of energy you save. Have your home’s long axis running east to west, with as many east and west windows as shaded as possible. You also do not want to have skylights to the south, east, or west.

• Have most of your windows facing south, with the most unobstructed view of the sun.

• As the sun shines through south-facing windows, you need to have materials that will collect and retain this heat in the winter (this is called thermal mass). You should also have the proper size of awnings , shutters, or blinds for the summer months to keep this area cool.

• Use natural sunlight for lighting (passive daylighting) by positioning windows and roof apertures to let in daylight without movement.

• Having an open floorplan (and fewer corners) helps allow daylight and solar heat to enter and circulate throughout the main living spaces. Having a south-facing sunroom that is lower than the rest of the house can help with this.

• Use natural ventilation with the outside air whenever possible. Having windows on the top floor that are able to open can draw hot air up and out of the house, which is called the “chimney effect”. Landscaping can also help natural ventilation by blocking or redirecting wind from nearby windows.

Further Reading:

http://passivesolar.sustainablesources.com/

https://www3.epa.gov/statelocalclimate/documents/pdf/12_8_green_for_less_Zeigler.pdf http://www.johnfrobbins.com/types_of_solar.htm

www.hgtv.com/ (lots of interesting videos)

http://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/guide_to_passive_solar_home_design.pdf (explaining passive solar)

http://www.hgtv.com/design/hgtv-smart-home/hgtv-green-home-2012/building-of-the-hgtv-green-home-2012-videos (good overview video of some green home designs)