| Home Performance Program (For Existing
Homes)
Problem Does your home have one or more the following problems?
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- High energy bills
- Drafty, cold or uncomfortable rooms
- Frost, Condensation, roofice
- High or low humidity
- Unexplained dust, mold or insects
- Freezing pipes
|
What to do
Call for a home Energy Audit to evaluate dozens of ways to
improve you home’s energy efficiency. You will receive a report that
includes costs and “returns on investment” for numerous items that
can be addressed in your home including:
 |
- Air sealing
- Duct sealing
- Upgraded attic insulation
- Lighting and Appliances
- Window and door evaluation
- HVAC evaluation
- Foam sealing
- Weather-stripping
- Proper ventilation
|
Green Star is a participating Home Performance with ENERGY STAR
partner and is accredited by the Building Performance Institute.
High energy bills, drafts and rooms that are too hot or too cold
are all common issues for homeowners. Additional problems like ice
damming, humidity, mold, allergens or infestation can also be
symptoms of an energy-obsolete home. Installing a new heating or air
conditioning system, buying replacement windows, or adding more
insulation may fix part of the problem. But far better results can
be had with an integrated "whole-house" approach that looks at your
house as a system as recommended by the U.S. Department of Energy.
By applying building science, you can save up to 40% on energy costs
while helping the environment, lessening dependence on foreign
energy and making your home more durable, comfortable and valuable!
At Green Star, we are Building Science professionals - we inspect
and test your home with diagnostic tools like a blower door, test
and asses combustion appliances, measure and use special software to
recommend cost effective comfort and energy upgrades for your home
in accordance with the Home Performance with Energy Star program and
BPI requirements. You can confidently choose energy saving
improvements whose financial pay-back ranges from one to ten years
and that may also qualify for tax credits (please check with your
accountant).
Upgrading energy obsolete homes also increases resale value.
According to the National Association of Realtors, savvy home buyers
ask for both tax and energy bills when comparing prospective homes.
And on average, every dollar spent on energy improvements brings an
additional $25 at resale time!
Home Performance with ENERGY STAR, a national program from the
U.S. EPA and U.S. DOE, offers a comprehensive, whole-house approach
to improving energy efficiency and comfort at home, while helping to
protect the environment.
Green Star is a participating contractor in New York State’s Home
Performance with Energy Star program, further information on
financing options in New York can be found at www.GetEnergySmart.org.
Green Star can help you cost effectively improve your home’s
energy efficiency, comfort durability and value. We are
specially-trained contractors that evaluate your home using
state-of-the-art equipment and recommend comprehensive improvements
that will yield the best results.
Diagnosing the Problem
Rather than focusing on a single component, such as single-paned
windows, an old air conditioning system, or leaky ductwork, we
assess how improvements to all of these components can work together
to provide:
- Fewer drafts and consistent temperatures across rooms,
improving your comfort
- Improved indoor air quality with better ventilation and
humidity control, and
- lowered utility bills
Common Recommendations
Sealing Air Leaks with ZeroDraft and Adding Nu-wool Wallseal TM
Insulation
Many air leaks in homes are fairly obvious, such as around
windows, doors, and electrical outlets. But others, like those in
attics, around chimneys, and through thermal bypasses, are often the
more significant sources of energy loss in a home. Sealing air leaks
is critical to improving the overall efficiency of your home and
will make your heating and cooling system perform better, provide
improved comfort and lower operating costs.
The Energy Star Home Sealing program prescribes first sealing
leaks, then adding to insulation. For example, in our climate zone,
the U.S. DOE now recommends R-49 insulation levels in attics. Many
homes are not well-insulated, and some have improperly installed
insulation. Properly installed insulation in walls, floors, and
attics provides for more even temperatures throughout the house and
results in a quieter, more comfortable living environment that is
easier to heat and cool.
Sealing Ductwork
Many homes have leaky ductwork and poor air flow, resulting in
uncomfortable rooms and high energy losses — regardless of the
thermostat setting. We check your ductwork to determine their
leakage of conditioned air to the outdoors. Air sealing and
insulating ductwork in areas outside of the building envelope like
attics, crawlspaces, and some basements will ensure your home is
more comfortable and efficient. |
