What are five changes people can make right now to make their homes more energy-efficient?
- Clean and seal your home’s duct work. Leaky air ducts are the #1 cause of energy loss in homes. On average, 33% of heated or cooled air does not reach the intended room and 90% of homes have duct systems with holes and cracks in them (including new construction!). Aeroseal® duct sealing is an excellent solution to repair leaky duct systems.
- Air seal and properly weatherize your home. Sealing cracks, gaps and leaks in your home’s envelope (exterior) and adding insulation can save up to 10% on home heating and cooling costs.
- Ensure your heating and/or cooling system is properly maintained. Annual maintenance allows your HVAC system to operate at manufacturers specifications, assuming proper installation and duct sizing. Your heating/cooling system runs 5-7 times as much as your vehicle on an annual basis – a performance maintenance with filter change is the HVAC equivalent to tuning up your car and getting an oil change. Air filters should be changed semi-annually, at a minimum.
- Set it and forget it! During winter months, set your thermostat to 68-degrees F – during summertime, set your thermostat to 78-degrees. On average, every degree of extra heating or cooling will increase energy usage by 6-8%.
- Convert your light bulbs to LEDs and properly seal can light fixtures.
5 Products to Make Your Home More Energy Efficient.
Aeroseal Duct Repair
Created by the company of the same name, Aeroseal is a spray-based sealant technology for ductwork in homes. Aeroseal fills and seals small to medium leaks in the ductwork—from the inside—throughout your home. This increases airflow efficiency, improves air quality, and can even reduce dust throughout your home. Aeroseal is an aerosol-based sealant applied through the air vents in your home. It adheres to cracks and gaps—up to 5/8″ diameter—to seal your entire ductwork from the inside. Aeroseal guarantees it will last 10 years, and could last up to 30+ years. Aeroseal-treated ducts can bring two key benefits: lower energy costs and a cleaner home. With Aeroseal, your system can deliver more heated/cooled air directly to your living areas with lower speeds and with shorter run times. The ductwork picks up fewer particulates, extending the life of air filters and reducing dust around your home.
Bradford White Heat Pump Water Heater
Heat Pump Water Heaters use advanced technology to heat water with greater efficiency and no greenhouse emissions. They pay for themselves in the energy savings you’ll see every month and help make your home eco-friendlier. Their technology AeroTherm® Series heat pump water heater has high efficiency, energy savings and performance homeowners will really warm up to. With five easily selectable operation modes (Heat Pump, Hybrid, Hybrid Plus, Electric and Vacation), the AeroTherm® Series gives you greater control over your water heater’s energy consumption. AeroTherm® Series water heaters are compatible with Bradford White Connect™, allowing consumers to adjust temperature settings, set schedules, and track energy usage via mobile app. It’s designed for indoor installation virtually anywhere – basement, garage, utility room, attic – even a closet. Energy Star® certified, the environmentally friendly AeroTherm® can save the average homeowner up to $300 annually in energy costs and qualifies for many state and local utility rebate programs and even tax credits. The AeroTherm® is also California Title 24 compliant, making it a great choice for heating the water in your home – no matter where you live.
Simpli Fire Inception Electric Fireplace
The Inception from SimpliFire® is the first traditional electric fireplace that brings true to life flame experience to your home. Simple to install almost anywhere, it creates a safe and relaxing retreat with flickering flames, hand-painted logs, and glowing LED embers. Easily adjust the brightness, warmth, lighting, and timer from the comfort of your chair. Installation is a breeze with no gas line or venting needed. Build the Inception into your wall with its thin profile that hardly takes up floor space. Or choose the optional Wescott Mantel Kit for a built-in look with no need for construction.
Daikin FIT Enhanced Heat Pump
We are pleased to announce the launch of the new Daikin FIT E heat pump, model DZ6VS-E, with up to 17.5 SEER2 and up to 8.6 HSPF2. This new addition to our Daikin FIT family features increased performance, efficiency, and extra capacity at both low and high ambient. When matched with appropriate coil components, the Dakin FIT E is an ENERGY STAR® Certified Residential Cold Climate Heat Pump and is also qualifying equipment for the Canada Greener Homes Grant and the 2023 CEE North Tier 1, which is qualifying equipment for the IRA 25C tax credit for the CEE’s North region, to ensure contractors and homeowners have a robust offering.
Solar with Battery Backup
The United States has more blackouts than any developed country, thanks to an aging electric grid and increases in extreme weather. Power outages can make our homes dark and uncomfortable and cause huge disruptions to our daily life. Food in the refrigerator can spoil and sump pumps stop working, potentially causing basements to flood. Pipes can freeze when heating systems shut down and home offices become unproductive. At-home medical equipment can stop working, putting people’s health at risk. Plus, houses with wells can run out of water and electric vehicle owners can’t charge their cars. As a result, many homeowners are looking to solar systems with batteries to keep the lights on. We examine four critical home needs that batteries can support during a blackout to help you determine if battery storage could be a wise investment for you. One of the biggest advantages of battery storage is having electricity during power outages. Your solar energy system charges your battery bank, making electricity available during blackouts. Solar panel systems without batteries must shut down during outages to protect the safety of utility crews, but systems with batteries continue to operate independently of the electric grid. In fact, many families with energy storage capacity don’t even realize there is a blackout until they notice that all the other houses in the neighborhood are dark! Battery backup systems are designed to automatically kick in, instantly powering critical loads.
What can you tell me about Barron’s commitment to Clean Energy?
In 2017, Barron installed 400 solar panels via multiple arrays on our Ferndale, WA facility. Additionally, we retrofitted all lights to LEDs. Barron also upgraded its central HVAC system to a state-of-the-art Variable Refrigerant Volume (VRV) Daikin heat-recovery system that provides extremely energy efficient heating and cooling to our co-workers and visiting clients. As a result of these clean energy investments, the Barron Ferndale campus now produces more electricity than it consumes.
For decades, Barron has been installing high-efficiency ductless mini-split and ducted heat pumps to our Pacific Northwest customers. There have been numerous years that Barron has been recognized as a top 10 Daikin Ductless Dealer in the United States.
As a result of our commitment to clean energy, Barron is now a 5-time award winning Best of the Northwest Clean Energy company, as voted on by the communities we serve via Bellingham Alive magazine. www.barronheating.com