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The High Performance Home

Most of us don't realize our home often contributes more pollution to the air than our car. In fact, energy that we waste while trying to create comfort indoors contributes to a global process that harms the environment. Luckily, it only takes a few simple steps to make our homes more energy-efficient and begin to reverse the health-endangering effects of air pollution.

Give Your Home a High Performance Tune-up

Creating a high-performance home doesn't require a 11-scale renovation. It's actually quite simple.

For starters, go through your home and identify problems using this helpful list as your guide.

LIGHTING

❑ USE NATURAL LIGHTING WHENEVER POSSIBLE
❑ CONCENTRATE LIGHT WHERE NEEDED
❑ PAINT WALLS AND CEILINGS LIGHT COLORS TO REFLECT LIGHT
❑ REPLACE INCANDESCENT BULBS WITH COMPACT FLUORESCENTS

WINDOWS & DOORS

❑ CHECK FOR LEAKS IN WINDOW SEALS WITH A LIT CANDLE
❑ INSTALL WEATHERSTRIPPING AND STORM WINDOWS/DOORS
❑ USE CURTAINS & DRAPES FOR INSULATION FROM SUMMER HEAT AND WINTER COLD
❑ COVER WINDOW AIR CONDITIONERS WITH SLEEVES IN WINTER
❑ INSTALL DOOR SWEEPS AND SEALERS

HEATING & COOLING

❑ CHECK DUCT SYSTEM FOR LEAKS
❑ KEEP RADIATORS FREE OF DIRT AND DUST
❑ WRAP WATER HEATER WITH AN INSULATING BLANKET
❑ INSULATE EXPOSED WATER PIPES
❑ CLEAN AIR CONDITIONER AND FURNACE FILTERS REGULARLY
❑ USE CEILING FANS TO CIRCULATE WARM AIR IN WINTER AND PROVIDE A BREEZE IN THE SUMMER
❑ INSTALL A PROGRAMMABLE THERMOSTAT

KITCHENS & LAUNDRY ROOMS

❑ KEEP REFRIGERATOR IN A COOL PLACE
D WASH FULL DISHWASHER AND LAUNDRY LOADS
❑ ALWAYS USE COLD WATER IN THE WASHING MACHINE'S RINSE CYCLE
❑ SEPARATE CLOTHES AND DRY SIMILAR TYPES TOGETHER

you can make a difference

[image: a yellow daisy]

More than 200 million people live in the U.S. today. If each of us would make efforts to live more energy-efficiently, we would greatly reduce the amount of pollution in the atmosphere. For the most part, this requires simple behavior changes—like turning out lights when you leave a room. And when we all do these things, collectively our behaviors can make an enormous difference.

Fortunately, it's easy to use energy wisely. By taking advantage of new technologies, you can help reduce energy waste and save yourself money without sacrificing comfort and convenience. And you can feel good knowing you're doing your part to help make the air a little cleaner.

laundry rooms

[image: a clothes pin]

Ninety percent of the energy used by a washing machine goes toward heating the water. Temperature, however, doesn't affect cleaning quality in the rinse cycle—use cold water.

Load the washer to capacity when possible. Most people underload when, in fact, washing one large load uses less energy than washing two loads on a low or medium setting.

Separate clothes and dry similar types together. Lightweight synthetics, for example, dry much quicker than bath towels. To reduce the need for ironing, take clothes out while they are slightly damp. Also, overdrying causes shrinkage, shortens fabric life and generates unwanted static electricity.

windows and doors

[image: open patio doors]

About a third of your home's total heat loss occurs through windows and doors. Check for leaks in the window seals by moving a lit candle around the frame—where the candle flickers, there's a leak. Apply weather stripping to windows to decrease heat loss in the winter and keep cool air inside in the summer. Also. storm windows are relatively inexpensive and another great way to prevent heat loss.

Sunshine is a source of heat. Take advantage of it in cold weather, block it out in hot. Curtains and drapes provide added insulation and a means to regulate heat from the sun. In winter. close them at night to significantly cut heat loss.

For doors that open to the outside or into unheated areas, caulk between the frame and the wall. Also, loss of warm air is frequently greatest under doors, so install door sweeps, of use draft guards.

lighting

[image: a lamp]

American homes contain over three billion light fixtures. And each year we spend $11 billion to light them. Unfortunately, more of the energy used to provide electricity is squandered in wasted heat than goes to provide light. For example, only 10% of electricity used by incandescent bulbs goes to making light, the rest ends up as heat. And halogens can be especially hot—they can reach temperatures of 1000 degrees Fahrenheit. It is better to use compact fluorescents, which use 1/4 to 1/3 as much electricity and last up to 10 times longer.

Use natural lighting whenever possible. Rearrange rooms to make better use of sunlight. Install skylights if you can. Paint walls light colors to best reflect available light. And try to concentrate light where it's needed. For instance, you don't have to light an entire room to read. It's better to use a reading lamp.

heating and cooling

[image: a heating vent]

More than half of the energy you use in your home goes to heating and cooling.

Dirt and dust on radiators absorb and reduce heat–keep them clean. Wrap your water heater with an insulating blanket so that it heats only water, not the room it's in. Similarly, heat exposed water pipes and should be insulated. Clean air conditioner filter regularly. This will decrease the amount of energy it takes to cool your home and increase the quality of the air you breathe. And, like a summer breeze, a ceiling fan can make the air feel 4 to 5 degrees cooler. Plus, it requires about a tenth of the energy needed to run an air conditioner.

kitchens

[image: an open refridgerator]

Make sure your refrigerator is away from the stove or dishwasher and out of the sun. Defrost freezers on a regular basis–the buildup of ice on the coils inside makes the compressor work harder to maintain cold temperatures, wasting energy. If you have a self-defrosting refrigerator, make sure it is operating efficiently.

Dishwashers use the same amount of water washing one glass as they do a full load. Wash only full loads. 80% of the energy used by a dishwasher goes toward heating the water–using less water uses less energy. Also, use the "No-Heat" drying feature. If that's not an option, turn the dishwasher off after the final rinse cycle, open the door, and air dry.

Pre-heating your oven is often unnecessary, especially as the oven loses about 20% of its heat every time you open the door–try to limit this.

list of sources

Here are some additional organizations, web sites and publications so you can learn more about how to tune up your home, make it more energy-efficient and save money along the way.

Books & Publications

Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings, A. Wilson and J. Morrill, ACEEE (510) 549-9914
Home Energy Magazine (510) 524-5405

Good for You, Good for the Planet: A Consumer's Guide to Energy-Efficient Lighting, Alliance to Save Energy (202) 857-0666

Guide to Performance Evaluation of Efficient Lighting Products, Lighting Research Center (518) 276-8716

Homemade Money: How to Save Dollars and Energy in Your Home, A. Lovins, Rocky Mountain Institute (970) 927-3851

Organizations

Environmental Protection Agency—(888) STAR-YES
Earth Share—(800) 875-3863
American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy—(510) 549-9914 U.S. Dept. of Energy—(800) DOE-EREN
Alliance to Save Energy—(202) 857-0666
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Clearinghouse (EREC)—(800) 363-3732

Web Sites

www.earthshare.org www.energystar.gov www.adcouncil.org

Earth Share

Earth Share is the nation's preeminent non-profit organization promoting environmental education and charitable giving in workplace charity campaigns. Earth Share's members are non-profit environmental and conservation organizations that work to protect human health through their efforts to eliminate air, water and toxic pollution; to preserve the world's natural resources; and to expand recreational and educational opportunities for individuals. If you would like to help, you can donate directly or ask your employer to include Earth Share in your workplace charity campaign.

something's in the air

[image: an industrial smokestack]

Most electricity is generated by power plants that burn coal or natural gas. Burning these "fossil fuels" emits harmful particles and gases into the atmosphere: primarily, carbon dioxide, which contributes to global climate change; sulfur oxides, which cause acid rain; and nitrogen oxides, which contribute to acid rain and urban ozone problems which have been linked to increasing cases of asthma and similar respiratory diseases. Currently, over 100 cities in the U.S. fail to meet air quality standards.

Automobiles are a major source of air pollution. But if everyone in the U.S. simply bought energy-efficient products for their homes over the next 15 years, the benefit to the atmosphere would be the same as if we removed 17 million cars from the road.

out of your pocket

[image: a stack of hundred dollar bills]

The average homeowner's energy bill is approximately $1,300 per year. The EPA estimates that each homeowner could reduce that by 30 percent (about $400 a year per household) just by using energy more wisely and purchasing energy-efficient products.

To determine the real cost of an appliance or product, add the initial purchase price to the amount of money it will take to operate it over the course of its lifetime. Paying more for an energy-efficient product will probably cost you less in the long run.

As an added incentive, many utility companies provide rebates or purchases of energy-efficient products. Contact your local utility for more information.

Here's the information you requested on how to make your home a High Performance Home

EPA
United States
Environmental Protection Agency (6202J)
401 M Street, SW
Washington, DC 20460

Official Business
Penalty For Private Use $300

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