The Future of Low Carbon Home Comfort, Step 1: Energy Efficiency

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You may remember our recent post about climate change in 2018, where we discussed how the climate has become increasingly warm and unpredictable — here in Maine and beyond — and how human activities have contributed to that phenomenon.

About 87% of human-produced CO2 emissions come from burning fossil fuels like oil, coal, and natural gas. That means it’s more important than ever for homeowners here in Maine and elsewhere to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels — or in other words, strive for “low carbon home comfort.”

In this blog series titled “The Future of Low Carbon Home Comfort,” we discuss some of the most effective ways you can reduce your reliance on fossil fuels as a Maine homeowner. In today’s first blog post of the series, we’re discussing energy efficiency and how you can achieve it at home with smart upgrades like air sealing, insulation, and basement encapsulation. We will then dive into heat pumps in part two, “The Future of Low Carbon Home Comfort: Heat Pumps,” and solar in part three, “The Future of Low Carbon Home Comfort: Solar + Storage.”

Reducing Fossil Fuel Reliance Starts with Conserving Energy

“How do I reduce my reliance on fossil fuels?” you ask. Well, you probably rely more on fossil fuels than you think.

If you have a propane cooking stove or a heating system that runs on oil or natural gas, for example, you rely on fossil fuels directly in order to make these appliances run. And if you do not have solar panels on your roof, some of the electricity you use is likely produced by burning fossil fuels. So, whether you are turning on the lights, warming the house, washing clothes, or watching TV at home — if you’re using energy, you are probably relying on fossil fuels in some way.

The first step, then, to reducing your reliance on fossil fuels and achieving low carbon home comfort is to conserve energy.

Conserve More Energy with These Home Upgrades

Conserving energy starts with making the right energy efficiency upgrades to your home. The following measures not only improve home efficiency but also qualify for valuable incentives from Efficiency Maine!

Air Sealing

Air sealing your home eliminates any air leaks which allow conditioned indoor air to escape and unwanted outside air to enter. It also reduces stack effect (the natural tendency of heat to rise in the home), resulting in fewer indoor drafts. Air sealing is an excellent weatherization upgrade to start with because it provides energy saving benefits year-round. In the winter, it keeps valuable heated air in; in the summer, it keeps hot outside air out. Air sealing also helps prepare your home for insulation.

Insulation

While air sealing controls air flow into and out of the home, insulation controls heat flow. Insulation is usually most needed in the attic, exterior walls, and basement. Together, air sealing and insulation stabilize indoor temperatures. The result is a more comfortable house year-round and less need to run your heating and cooling systems — thus saving energy.

Air sealing and insulation also qualify for numerous rebates through the Efficiency Maine Home Energy Savings Program!

Basement Encapsulation

Related to insulation and air sealing is basement encapsulation. Basement encapsulation is the process of air sealing the basement with spray foam and installing a heavy duty vapor to keep excess moisture out. When done right, this upgrade keeps your home dry and makes it possible to insulate your basement without creating humidity-caused indoor air quality problems.

Start Conserving Energy by Scheduling a Home Energy Consult

If you are not sure exactly which upgrades your home in Mid Coast or Southern Maine needs for greater energy efficiency, a great place to start is with a home energy consult. During the consult, an Evergreen home performance specialist will help you understand where your home could be wasting energy. You’ll find out where air leaks and insulation gaps are, if you could benefit from installing a vapor barrier in the basement, and more.

Stay tuned for part two of this series about heat pumps!

Get started on your path to low carbon home comfort. Call 207-594-2244 or contact us to learn more or schedule an energy consult!

Original Bangor News Article by Associated Press, photo by Robert F. Bukaty

Reducing your carbon footprint starts with conserving energy.

Learn more about improving home energy efficiency 207-594-2244

Evergreen has just completed Phase 2 of 2 at my home. They are professional, hard-working and courteous. They communicate well..no surprises. They've gone above and beyond to make my home comfortable and were very respectful of my home.I recommend them unequivocally!!!Many thanks to Brian, Brian, Rick, Eddie, Dawson and the rest of the Evergreen crew!!

David Henry Feldman

Evergreen did a fantastic job insulating our 1930's home. The onsite team was professional, clean, and really just a joy to interact with throughout the process. A blower test at the end showed a significant decrease in air leakage. I highly recommend Evergreen.

Kristen H.

South Portland

This team of individuals was professional at all times. They set up barriers that kept the dust at a minimum. They conducted an air flow audit and cut the draft circulation from the outside in half by sealing cracks. They hauled out the old insulation and replaced it with blown in insulation with an R - 60 Value. They also did the rebate paperwork so that I could get my $1500.00 rebate from the state of Maine. I highly recommend Evergreen Home Performance!

Daniel B.

Rockland

Evergreen did an amazing job insulating our historic home. Their professional staff worked hard to ensure the tough areas in the attic were covered, and clearly communicated their progress. We are seeing the results with our discounted heating bills. Thank you, Evergreen!

Melissa Knoll

Portland

Evergreen is a highly professional company from start to finish. They went over all of our options, costs and rebates thoroughly before even beginning the job. Once the job began, they worked in a timely, neat, thorough, friendly and thoroughly professional manner. We waited 14 years to have the insulation redone in our attic and within days of it being completed we seen a drastic difference in the warmth of our home. We have a wood stove on our main floor and although it has warmed the main rooms of our home, the bedrooms were always still chilly.

Andréa C. de Almeida

Evergreen was so helpful in securing us Efficiency Maine funding for a big attic insulation project early this winter. They did all of the paperwork, and totally guided us through a vermiculite removal process that included a payment from a trust for the procedure. I could instantly feel the second floor being so much warmer than before. The boiler does not kick on nearly as frequently since they completed the job. It was worth every penny! Brian Robinson was so thorough throughout the whole process including a full walk through after the job had been completed.

Todd W.

Camden

I am very pleased with my experience with Evergreen Home Performance. I met several times with Richard Burbank and he was very detailed in his explanations to all of my questions. He provided me with several options for improving the insulation to our home. The team of installers were very professional and respectful of our home. They did a great job of cleaning up every day after the days work and they were also very responsive to all my questions as well as we collaborated to get our home better insulated. It was a pleasure to work with Richard and…

Brian C.

Falmouth

Very easy process, start to finish.  Friendly, professional, and really know their stuff.  They made some improvements to our condo and we were very happy with how it played out.  Would definitely recommend them.

Clayton Eames

Really great experience from start to finish with Evergreen. They helped us prioritize what needed to be completed first, and has made a significant difference in our hearing costs already. Plus they were really friendly and considerate to work with!

Amy W.

Kennebunk

Evergreen has a professional and reliable team of people who do excellent work. If you want the best of the best in the area, select Evergreen to accomplish your insulation needs.

Mary E.

St. George

From beginning to end – that is from the moment Justin McEdward stepped into our home to assess our energy conservation needs until the crew left – the Evergreen Home Performance process went absolutely smoothly. Justin made a thorough inspection and took pictures with an infrared camera. His proposal described the scope of work in detail, and he explained what we could expect the proposed work to accomplish. Our proposal was forthcoming within a couple of days, and Justin was available to discuss it and answer questions.

Adrienne Harkavy

Great job installing windows and insulation.

Bob S.

Rockland

Last week, my oil company asked if we were using some other kind of fuel because our usage was so much less than they had expected We are very happy with the results; the house is much more comfortable

Steve T.

St. George

I would recommend Evergreen wholeheartedly because of their professionalism, their follow through, and thoughtful project planning.

Jennifer A

We had a fantastic experience working with Evergreen to insulate our roof this winter. Everyone was extremely friendly throughout the process - the crew at our home worked hard, were approachable with questions, and the team leader even showed me around the project to point out specific areas they were working to improve.

Joel Wentz

Portland Buy Local
Efficiency Maine
EPA Lead-Safe Certified
Building Performance Association
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