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

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

Great team!

George S.

Bath

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

Evergreen Home Performance shows its expertise from start to finish. Evergreen did three house projects in winter/spring/summer 2020 for me, attic insulation, crawl space under a porch insulation, and basement foam/vapor barrier. From my initial discussion with Bryan, I understood the reasons for choosing different types of insulation, the associated costs, and time estimates. Evergreen scheduled in advance, came when they said they would, and the crews were highly professional in their work and demeanor.

Iris S.

Portland

We had Evergreen Home Performance of Rockland come in to make our home more energy efficient, and what a TOP notch crew. Brian and his crew did an amazing job from start to finish. Very knowledgeable and professional. We would Definitely highly recommend this crew to anyone who is looking for energy efficiency in their home with a company that truly is an expert and knows how to do a quality job and truly cares about their customer.

Melissa S.

Owls Head

We are thrilled with the job Evergreen did to transform our 213 year old home into a warm, draft-free, cozy space. The entire team led by Bruce was prompt, courteous, knowledgeable, and hard working. If Evergreen could transform our home in this way, we are sure they would make a comparable difference in YOUR home!

Jonathan M.

Bridgton

We are so pleased with the work the team from Evergreen Home Performance did in our home. The project included encapsulation of our basement with a reinforced vapor barrier, installation of a sump pump, spray foam insulation on the walls and insulation of the heating duct work. Everyone at Evergreen was friendly and professional. The project was completed on time and in budget. Our home is much cozier and warmer since the project was completed.

Linda Metzger

We had Evergreen redo the insulation in our roof. The team handling our project did a great job. They left the house spotless. We've already noticed the difference in how much better our house is retaining heat. I would definitely recommend and will use them for future projects.

Ffej C.

South Portland

Thorough, smart, informative, integrated, and communicative -- that's how my experience was with Evergreen even with the covid interruption midstream. The team picked up where they left off, insulated basement and air sealed attic and knee wall in 100' temps under the eaves! This business group was a pleasure to work with.

Karen W.

Gray

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

We initially contacted Evergreen through Efficiency Maine for an energy audit, which was conducted promptly and professionally by Justin McEdward, one of their Energy Advisors who is BPI-certified. After a thorough inspection of our newly purchased home, Justin explained in great detail what we needed and did not need. It was agreed that Evergreen would remove all of the existing attic insulation, which was not adequate, and replace it with blown in cellulose, to a rating of R-60.

Thomas W.

Scarborough

I highly recommend Evergreen! 1st, I had a home efficiency inspection (that was free) & Bryan P. was great! He took the time needed, asked & listened to what I thought were priorities, explained clearly what he thought were priorities & why, then gave me numerous options. No pressure whatsoever. Then I had my attic sealed & insulated as the 1st step & Bryan came along on day 1 to introduce everyone & make sure we were all on the same page. Bruce's team (inc. Kelsey & Roland) did the work - they were exceptional!!

Melissa M.

Kennebunk

Highly recommended. Our heating usage is now less than half what it was before we had our roof insulated. Evergreen was knowledgeable, friendly, and left no trace they were ever in our house. Not only is our heating bill much lower now, but our home is generally more comfortable year-round with less temperature fluctuations. Money well spent.

RC Lations

Led by Brian Robinson, the Evergreen Home Performance team just completed an insulation refit at my home. It was truly a great experience from start to finish, a period of time that was a fraction of the time that I originally anticipated due to the team's unbelievable work habits and professional knowledge of their tasks. As impressive were the communication skills and friendliness of each and every member of the team.

Anne W.

Rockport

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

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