Solar Tax Credit? really? what about existing waste...

Well the voters have spoken.... "Solar" get tax exempt status...
How many people plan on doing a solar project? What does it cost?
Will is  "pull its own weight" in the energy savings arena? What is the projected payback?
many many questions...
I have one... Why don't we focus on the energy waste that nearly every home has due to duct leakage & increased power & Utility costs, for the consumer & producer?
Bring back credits for insulation, HVAC energy improvements, like duct sealing & air sealing and tightening of the building envelope...

We have so much waste right now existing in the current housing stock, but yet our legislators and power brokers that are subject to the influence of special interest want to focus on programs that are "pie in the sky" returns and defacto failures for the recent past.. remember Solyndra?  where did that half a billion dollars go to?
With half a billion dollars applied to tax credits for home energy improvements, that we had as recently at 2008 & 2009 (from the previous administration, I might add) we could infuse the  local economy with consumer dollars saved from reduced power bills each & every month... in the areas where the work is done, the job is produced & the power grid and its environmental effects are reduced...
Imagine tighter duct systems, better, more efficient heating & cooling, better insulation and reduced demand for power during peak hours...
I don't want a mandate, just give the people the incentive to reduce their energy costs by reducing their energy consumption

Lots of people want to tax incentivize solar, but does the general public realize that for a typical $10,000 solar project, you could get significantly higher energy and comfort impact for a infinitesimal fraction of the cost of solar project; consider how much improvement you could have with a  $500-$1000 investment in the above listed energy improvements.
I guess that air sealing & duct sealing is just not SEXY enough on the political / special interest agenda

The Right Fluff

 Ok, picture this,

the attic is recently blown full of fiberglass insulation and you are happily waiting for the lower power bills for the next couple of summer months, Did you have all the duct work tested & sealed before you did that? What about your aluminum wiring or possibly the pex or polybutylene plumbing joints that are leaking all over the country?  Maybe even the cable guy or security system guys have to go up there…Did you get that work done first?  The Key to insulation is that its fluffed up for maximum R-value , if somebody has to work in your attic after you’ve insulated, then the new stuff is going to be all matted down & not worth a hoot…so much for your R-49 insulation project.

If you have dust issues or high power bills you should get a test of the duct or building envelope before you insulate, these issues can be way more costly than the benefit you will get from insulation. Don’t get me wrong Insulation is very important… but timing is everything!!!

So figure out what you might need done in the attic, schedule the inspections, & estimates, work, testing, etc. etc., and set a plan in motion; if it takes a year, then It takes a year… no big deal, However, here is what you should be thinking about before insulation…

 Duct Leaks ~ Do you have excessive Dust or Hot & cold rooms?  This is important because it indicates that there may be an issue in a specific part of the house or with the ducts in the attic. 

  High Utility bills ~ Just do a review of last Summer’s bill & see if it went way up, if you are on level-pay, look at your actual electricity usage  or consumption, If you have high power bills it could be that you need insulation or duct sealing.

Get the right kind of fluff!!!! Don’t have somebody crawling thru you new insulation job because you got out of sequence on your energy upgrade… If you need help with a project plan

Call us at (850) 677-0020

Remember, for our area Gulf Power recommends  R-49 insulation & the code is R-39 on new construction at a minimum…

  So Get Your Fluff Right!

 Go to our website for more Health, Comfort & Energy tips

www.gulfcoastaircare.com

or E-mail Todd@gulfcoastaircare.com

Winter Proved the point...Summer is coming, Don't leave an ENERGY MESS in your air ducts

An Ounce of Prevention or a Pound of Cure 

 Do you have the Winter Ice Storm “High power bill hangover” ? 

Wait till summer hits again for 5 solid months…

Many of us had the experience of the heat pump freezing up during the recent ice storm and through the long cold winter we had this year in Pensacola; then we tried to heat the house with our emergency back-up heat strips.   If you have central air only,  that’s the way the heat runs all the time.   Now we need to deal with the consequences. ("the dreaded power bill")

It’s easy to blame it on the cold weather but a tight duct system would have kept the furnace from running as much as it did.  

 Yes, it was cold but the more air we can direct into the house & keep from leaking into the attic or crawl space the lower our power bill will be.

 I heard a Gulf Power rep say they set a record for power usage on the local grid during our recent cold snaps.  Imagine if you could somehow save that energy all Summer long?   

The same effect happens in our warm humid climate during the air conditioning season but it lasts a lot longer than just a couple days. It’s all about Gaps, Cracks, & Holes.  Most of the duct systems we Inspect & clean have some sort of leakage that could be tightened up or corrected. 

Here’s our recommendation:

1) Get  a duct  leakage test  If you don’t know how much it leaking, then you’re guessing about the fix;  with a leak test of before & after you’ll know how good the investment is for future comfort  and energy savings.

2) Repair the duct leaks.  It’s best to do this in the cooler weather so the hot job doesn’t kill a work crew (i.e. less labor) and you’ll get a better price asking a company to work in your attic now rather than in June or in July when you get that monster power bill from the summer duct leakage.     

 3) INSULATE your attic. Be sure you have the other work done in the attic before you blow in any insulation; that needs to be the last step.

For More Health, Home Comfort, & Energy Tips go to www.gulfcoastaircare.com     or 

Call us at (850) 934-2768 …and if you need help or expert advice, please ask!