Sure, it's easy to build "green" with new construction, but what about those of us that own older homes? Is there more that we can do after replacing our incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents? Can an older home ever get close to "carbon neutral"?
The answer is a definite yes, and although some investments will take quite a few years to pay off, others have a quick payback, especially with tax incentives and rebates that are available from Palo Alto Utilities. And if your house is of good quality, it is likely to be around for many years whether you own it or someone else does. In the past, energy efficiency improvements weren't worth much at resale, but these days that is no longer true. Increasingly, a "green" home is a more desirable property.
Below is more information on the major categories of improvements worth considering.
Thermostats Programable thermostats cost only $40 and let the do-it -yourselfer connect easily to the same two low voltage signal wires your old thermostat is on. Programable thermostats let you program in 4 periods of each day for week days and week ends to condition your home when it's needed and let it coast when it's unoccupied. And you can override it in any period with the touch of a button. Or even set it and forget it, like your old thermostat. It's like having a little helpful robot adjusting the dial to your orders. Pays for itself each year if you program it to coast while you are out or to ease back while you sleep. Mine wakes up 10 minutes before I do and has the house up to a cozy 64 by the time I'm at the shower door. It coasts while I'm at work and greets me with 66 toasty warm degrees when I ride home in the evening. It relaxes after dinner and coasts through the night before starting over the next day.
Furnace and zoning
Cool roof (A light colored roof that reflects the suns high angle summer rays to keep you cooler inside, or a roof with a thermal reflective barrier.)
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