Tips

Why you should hire an Energy Audit for Your Rental Properties

An energy audit is essential for every type of house, whether it’s a rental property or your main residential property. It offers several benefits, but most importantly, it helps you attract and impress tenants willing to pay your asked price.

Read further to learn why an energy audit is important for any rental property.

What is Energy Audit?

An energy audit can help you determine how energy efficient your property is. Typically, a professional auditor, like an expert electrician, will perform this task. They evaluate all the property’s components and appliances to help you understand how you can make your property more energy-efficient. You might have to replace your bulbs with energy-efficient ones, upgrade your appliances, or get new window shades.

Why do You Need to Hire Energy Audit for Your Rental Property?

An energy audit can save your money and, more importantly, help you play your part in reducing environmental problems. Here are some reasons that you need to hire an energy audit.

Point Out Common Problems

Your hired energy auditor can detect problems in your appliances, devices, and other energy-consuming accessories. Though your appliances and devices may seem like they’re working fine, they might be energy drainers. The experts will suggest necessary improvements such as installing a solar energy system, changing showerheads, or purchasing energy-efficient appliances.

Improves Energy Efficiency

It can help boost your property’s energy efficiency. Energy audits can help you identify areas in need of improvement. For example, your electrician can help you identify air leaks from gaps in the flooring, walls, and ceilings. An experienced and skilled expert will look for heat loss to find the reason for poor insulation. If your HVAC system isn’t heating or cooling your home as well as it should, they can navigate the reason behind it.

Saves Money

Once your energy consumption drops, you ultimately save more money. A carefully done energy audit can cut down 30% of your property’s yearly energy consumption. If you’re living in a big house, you can end up saving thousands of dollars every year.

Attracts Several Tenants

If you ever plan to rent your house, an energy audit can help make the process less daunting. When you rent out an energy-efficient property, more potential tenants will reach out to you. This boosts your chance of renting out your property at a higher value in less time.

Hire an energy audit today

Are you ready to improve your home by reducing the energy consumption of appliances, devices, and other electronic accessories? If yes, contact Cape Cod Energy Solutions to get help from experts in the field. We perform seamless energy audits and offer you approachable suggestions to upgrade and improve your house in Cape Cod.

Tips for Saving Money and Energy at Home while on Vacation

Going on a vacation is a great way to escape the troubles of everyday life. It also allows you to give some time to your family or friends, which isn’t always possible when you have a super-busy schedule. But if you’re about to splurge on a vacation, you’ll want to save money somewhere, no? Here are a few tips to save money at home while you’re on vacation.

Here are some things to do before leaving home for the airport.

Set Water Heater on Vacation Mode

The water heater accounts for 14% to 25% of your total electricity bill. Also, your water heater takes up a lot of energy when you leave it on stand-by. An easy energy-saving tip is to set your water heater on vacation mode before leaving for vacation.

Adjust Programmable Thermostat

If you’re not leaving your pets at home, adjust the programmable thermostat to the highest temperature. This way, it takes less energy than usual.

Unplug all the Appliances

We know that you’ve turned off all the appliances, but you still need to unplug them. That includes your coffee maker, laptop computer, rechargeable toothbrush, cable box, TV, headset chargers, and printer. Americans typically waste one month’s worth of electricity each year by leaving appliances plugged in when unused.

Draw Curtains and Window Shades

When you get back home, it needs to have a comfortable temperature so that you don’t have to set the air conditioner on the highest mode. You can do this by drawing window shades and curtains, preventing sun rays from entering your home.

Turn off all lights

Well, this is obvious- since you probably intend to do this. Turning off the lights can save a lot of money. You also need to turn off the security timer and other devices in your home. Of course, make sure not to turn off the CCTVs. They’ll help you keep an eye on your home while you’re on vacation.

Save money today

When you decide to go on vacation, you probably plan to give your pets to someone for their care, or you ensure that your security system works appropriately. In fact, some people temporarily stop their newspaper and magazine subscriptions. While all these measures are great, you should also consider saving energy and money while on vacation. The tips mentioned above will help reduce your energy bills when you’re not around, helping you avoid high utility costs once you’re back. If you need expert help, you can contact Cape Cod Energy Solutions for ways to save energy.

How to Improve Home Efficiency by Investing in a Thermostat

Homeowners are constantly looking for ways to improve their home efficiency, from turning off bulbs that are not in use to turning down air conditioners at night. However, these methods have proven to be futile, allowing homeowners to intensify their search.

Thankfully, technology has proven to be effective and innovative as millions of homeowners see the new light—in this case, a thermostat. Yes, a good thermostat can drastically reduce your home energy consumption, reducing monthly bills.

What is a thermostat?

A thermostat is a device usually incorporated into appliances to help detect and regulate temperature changes in an enclosed area’s environment. In HVAC systems, thermostats monitor the indoor temperature and automatically regulate to the desired level set by you. Today, many house owners incorporate thermostats into the HVAC units to help detect the current temperature within their entire homes and even specific rooms accurately.

This allows them to adjust the thermostat to their desired condition when the temperature goes above or beyond the set level. Thermostats are great energy-saving devices, and technological advancement has allowed for the development of automatic and programmable thermostats.

Smart thermostats

Smart thermostats are like regular thermostats; however, they are more automated. These devices recognize your temperature and automatically adjust them whenever they have been crossed. For example, homeowners who like their home to be certain at a certain time can input this information on the thermostat. The thermostat automatically turns on this temperature at the desired time.

Benefits of thermostat

1. Save money

The most common reason people own thermostats is to save costs because they help families cut down the ever-rising electricity bills. Thermostats allow you to adjust to your desired temperature and depending on this, you can get save more than 5% of your yearly electricity bill.

2. Zoned temperature

With thermostats, families can get to avoid wastage while exhibiting flexibility. For homes with different temperatures, that is, certain rooms are cooler while others are hot; thermostats allow the equitable distribution of hot and cold air around the home.

3. Saves time

It’s a hassle adjusting thermostats to your desired temperature constantly, and oftentimes, we don’t get our desired adjustment. Smart thermostats are programmed to switch to the set temperature, saving you time and energy that can be channeled into other productive activities.

4. Compatibility

Smart thermostats are compatible with the latest smartphone and home gadgets. Their compatibility gives them an edge and provides families with better comfort. With smart thermostats, homeowners can control the temperature of any room from their gadget on their palm or by vocal sensors with Siri and Alexa.

5. Aids your home HVAC system

Thermostats are beneficial to your whole HVAC system as they help these conditioning systems operate optimally. With a smart thermostat, there is little to no need to change your HVAC systems as the thermostats help regulate their activities, lessening stress and optimizing the lifespan and operation.

Conclusion

Need a thermostat installed in your home? Why not contact Cape Cod Energy Solutions? We are a professional energy efficiency organization in Cape Cod that has helped hundreds of families with their home efficiency.

Steps to Energy Efficiency on Your Own

It is vital to protect energy in a commercial facility. You can adopt various best practices to decrease the consumption of energy, which include managing the ventilation, heating, and cooling systems. You can conduct a maintenance process and improve your HVAC all alone using the following steps.

Maintain Proper System Boundaries.

You can save up to 20% of the energy by creating boundaries according to the season and environment. Steer clear from using a heating and cooling system in your garage or loading area. These locations include doors that need to be open multiple times a day. It would be best to create boundaries and maintain the flow of your HVAC system.

Maintain Set Points for Thermostat.

The thermostat regulates the air according to temperature and air pressure. This enables the system to maintain the comfort level of temperature throughout the day. You can refer to this thermostat as a programmable thermostat. This system adjusts the temperature around the day and night, saving up to 10% of the energy.

Use Automatic Controls.

You can control the speed and temperature to provide the appropriate amount of cooling and heating. This is also a programmable system regulating airflow, saving 25% of the energy. It maintains the flow at different times of the day, keeping the environment comfortable.

Maintain Set Points of the Equipment.

Make sure that the setpoints of the equipment are reasonable. You need to maintain the comfort levels by maintaining the blowers and fans. Consider running this equipment at an appropriate speed. As a result, your system will not deliver heating and cooling more than you need.

Adjust HVAC Operation.

You can also save energy by raising the temperature and maintaining the water supply to the chiller. You can control the cooling water of your chiller through manufacturing guidelines. Make sure that you receive a comfortable level of cooling and heating.

Also, since the compressor will not work as hard in this process, you can save a lot of energy. You need to be aware of the change in season and maintain the HVAC operations accordingly.

Consider Variable Speed Equipment.

You can use various systems to maintain your heating and cooling systems. Components including motors, blowers, fans, and more will improve your energy efficiency significantly. Advanced cooling and heating systems contain variable speed features to manage the operating system according to your preference. You can configure the settings and prevent fans, motors, and other operational components from overrunning.

Conclusion

Following the steps mentioned above will enable you to improve the environment within your house and save energy. If you want any suggestions or help regarding your HVAC system, you can contact us and consult with our experts.

Understanding Whole House Approach/Systems

The whole-house systems/approach considers the entire house an energy system with parts that perform specific tasks that help the whole system function properly. If one part is lacking in performance, the system’s efficiency will become diminished. For example, your HVAC system will not perform optimally if the ductwork system leaks or the attic insulation is inadequate. The whole–house approach acknowledges the interaction between the different components to achieve energy efficiency and recognizes that a fault in one or more can throw the system off balance. Lower energy cost and comfort are two things that the whole-house system approach can help you achieve.

Importance of Whole-house Systems

A focus on energy efficiency and its actual practice can help you to save money on energy costs and in the process, save natural resources. The fewer kilowatt-hours of electricity you use, the less nonrenewable resources, such as coal, oil, and natural gas, are used. This way, you play an indirect role in the broader sustainability, energy efficiency, and green causes while enjoying quality service with fewer energy emissions and inputs. According to a study using current technologies, greenhouse gas emissions linked to home energy use can be cut by 70%.

Where to Start With Whole-house Systems/Approach

With energy efficiency in mind, start by looking at the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, the most critical mechanical component and uses the most energy in a home. Some important steps to take include:

Air Sealing: The last thing you want is a drafty house that leaks warm and cool air. That’s energy being wasted that causes your furnace and air conditioning units to work hard to replace the lost energy. Air sealing helps to create an energy-efficient home. This can be achieved by sealing cracks and gaps around doors, windows, plumbing, electrical, and venting, essentially controlling air exchange and ventilation.

Ductwork Maintenance: A loss in energy efficiency in your home could also be due to leaky ductwork that has the potential to dump conditioned air in unwanted places, such as the attic. In other words, your hot or cool air is escaping outdoors, and the opposite gets back in through the air gaps to replace what’s lost. This also amounts to added stress on your HVAC unit. Check your ductwork system for gaps, secure ducts with mechanical fasteners, seal gaps with a mastic sealant, and, insulate ducts to prevent energy losses.

Insulate: Boost your home’s efficiency by insulating. Focus on your attic first, where the roof temperatures can jump to more than 140°F. The goal should be an attic insulation level of R-30 or above in the southeast. Wall and floor insulation isn’t usually a top priority unless the home has elevated wood floors and crawlspaces that could let in a draft. Insulation enhances the resistance to temperature transfers between indoor and outdoor areas, so don’t neglect insulating where necessary.

Seal Windows: Improve your windows’ efficiency by using caulking and weather-stripping air sealing. Shading is also helpful and can be achieved by adding exterior shading to block solar radiation from getting into your house, like strategically placed trees, awnings, solar screens, or tinted window film. Interior shading could also have an impact with the use of blinds or drapes to stop heat gain by keeping solar radiation at bay. Consider window replacement if windows are old and opt for Low-E double pane windows.

Regular HVAC Maintenance

Regular HVAC maintenance is necessary for your home to remain at optimal energy efficiency. When it comes to the health of your HVAC system, you must frequently replace air filters, clean condenser coils, condensate lines, and straighten coil fins. You should have your HVAC system’s yearly maintenance check performed by a qualified HVAC technician, who would perform commissioning, check refrigerant levels and airflow, test for a refrigerant leak, and test the electrical controls. Upgrade to a newer, higher SEER system if your current HVAC system is old.

Energy-Efficient Lighting and Appliances

High-efficiency lighting and appliances that are properly maintained yearly are energy savers and can help make your home more energy-efficient. In a whole-house system, lighting and appliances may not be the biggest energy saver because of their size, but they overall contribute to whole-house energy savings.

Cape Cod Energy Solutions can be your trusted guide if you have a question regarding whole-house systems/approaches and energy efficiency. Our skilled and knowledgeable staff can provide expert help in home comfort. Contact Cape Cod Energy Solutions today to learn how we can help.

What To Know About Air Sealing Your Home This Winter

A home improvement project that homeowners often overlook is air sealing. It comes with many benefits, remarkably increasing energy efficiency. To some people, blocking air leaks makes the home unsafe and stuffy simultaneously. That is not true because only air leaks can make a house uncomfortable. It is even more dangerous during winter because dirt and dust have direct passage into the rooms.

Below are what you should expect when you seal air leaks this winter:

● Maintain your home structure

By preventing air entrance from the outside, you keep your home in good shape. Air penetration weakens building materials and allows mold growth within the building. If it continues, your home will lose its firmness and gradually become weak. Before it gets to that stage, take the initiative to seal air leaks as soon as you discover them. That will save you from renovation and replacement costs anytime soon.

● Air Sealing is Relatively Cheap

Preventing the inflow and outflow of the air will not cost you much money. While air sealing experts offer these services, you can get the equipment to do it yourself. It doesn’t require many hours to complete, depending on the number of leaks in your home. Technology makes learning easy. See a few YouTube videos to see different air sealing techniques. The steps are easy to understand and implement.

● You can save a lot with an Air Sealing project.

With energy rates on the increase, the air sealing project can cut down your expenses on energy consumption. It is impossible to keep the temperature at the desired level when leaks are everywhere. But once you get rid of the problems, you don’t have to spend your money on heating and cooling systems. It is a great opportunity you have got to reduce energy expenses.

● Home Enhancement

Think about indoor air quality and pollutants access to your room. Air leaks allow contaminants into your room, compromising the air quality. Restoring indoor air quality requires air sealing of cracks and openings in walls. This project can improve the air quality and reduce the humidity that can cause mold growth in your home.

Conclusion

Achieving an energy-efficiency objective is not difficult as many homeowners perceive it. The step begins with sealing every air leak, including attics and basements. You will save a lot on energy bills and keep your home in good shape for years if you can do this. Cape Cod Energy Solutions is an expert at using advanced technology to seal air leaks.

What to Ask Your Energy Auditor

Energy audits are a helpful tool for both residential and commercial property owners. An energy audit is meant to examine your current energy usage and offers advice on how that energy usage can be improved. Improving the energy efficiency in your home or business is important for multiple reasons. An energy-efficient building will result in lower monthly energy costs, a lower carbon footprint, and a more comfortable space!

Will You Review My Energy Bills Before Auditing?

Reviewing recent energy bills before the audit begins will give your auditor a better idea of what your current energy usage looks like. An auditor that doesn’t seem interested in your recent energy bills is not a reliable auditor!

Will You Do a Blower Door Test?

A blower door test is a test done using a fan that mounts to an exterior door of the building. This test allows the energy auditor to check the airtightness of your home. More importantly, it makes it easier for them to pinpoint exactly where the building lacks a good seal. A building with air leaks will struggle to maintain a consistent temperature, leading to higher energy bills. Always confirm a blower door test will be a part of the energy audit before scheduling!

What’s Included in the Final Audit Report?

Your final audit report will be the written documentation of the audit findings and recommendations. Ask your auditor what that report is going to include. A good energy audit report should include a detailed list of what they found, and suggestions to improve the space’s energy efficiency. The format of the report will often depend on the software used to record the audit information and recommendations. Ensure that the report shows the estimated cost to install each energy-saving recommendation and any applicable rebates or discounts, as well as the estimated energy savings that will happen after installation. This information allows you to weigh the cost of installation versus the potential savings and determine what can fit into your budget.

Are You Licensed to Perform Energy Audits?

The Building Performance Institute is the institute that provides training and accreditation for Mass Save energy auditors. Ask your auditor if they’re Building Analysts certified through BPI. Also, all Mass Save auditing companies must have one individual in the company who is BPI Envelope certified. You will then know any installations you decide to make after the audit is complete are going to improve your home. Hiring an auditor who isn’t licensed is a big risk that isn’t worth saving a couple of bucks!

Contact Cape Cod Energy Solutions today to speak with a BPI-certified auditor and installer in your area. Our team can explain exactly what the audit process will look like, and how it can benefit your home. All Mass Save Home Energy Assessments are conducted at No-Cost to eligible primary utility account holders. Let us get you on the schedule for an energy audit before cold winter weather and high heating bills return!

What is Energy Audit?

Why do You Need to Hire Energy Audit for Your Rental Property?

Point Out Common Problems

Improves Energy Efficiency

Saves Money

Attracts Several Tenants

Hire an energy audit today

Set Water Heater on Vacation Mode

Adjust Programmable Thermostat

Unplug all the Appliances

Draw Curtains and Window Shades

Turn off all lights

Save money today

What is a thermostat?

Smart thermostats

Benefits of thermostat

1. Save money

2. Zoned temperature

3. Saves time

4. Compatibility

5. Aids your home HVAC system

Conclusion

Maintain Proper System Boundaries.

Maintain Set Points for Thermostat.

Use Automatic Controls.

Maintain Set Points of the Equipment.

Adjust HVAC Operation.

Consider Variable Speed Equipment.

Importance of Whole-house Systems

Where to Start With Whole-house Systems/Approach

● Maintain your home structure

● Air Sealing is Relatively Cheap

● You can save a lot with an Air Sealing project.

● Home Enhancement

Conclusion

Will You Review My Energy Bills Before Auditing?

Will You Do a Blower Door Test?

What’s Included in the Final Audit Report?

Are You Licensed to Perform Energy Audits?

Contact details