Serving Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and other towns of the North Carolina High Country | Founded 05-05-05

February 15, 2007 issue

What’s In Your Crawl Space?

If It’s Yukky, Finding Out Can Save You $$

Story by Kathleen McFadden

Renewable energy is getting lots of attention these days, from the proposed wind farm in Ashe County to the design of the new Watauga High School, but Brent Summerville, project manager for the Western North Carolina Renewable Energy Initiative, told a group of nonprofit representatives on Tuesday that the first step in energy efficiency is minimizing energy waste. There’s not much point in generating energy, Summerville said, if it flows into attics from holes in ducts or outside from holes in walls. And the average homeowner has no idea of the problems lurking behind the drywall, in the crawl space and in the attic.

Summerville was one of the presenters at Energy Efficiency for Nonprofit Agencies, a program sponsored by ASU’s ACT (Appalachian and the Community Together) office. The purpose of the program was to highlight the most common energy efficiency problems and explain how to fix them so agencies can spend less on energy and more on crucial community outreach and programs.

Every homeowner and business owner in the High County should see this program. Even if you think you know all there is to know about energy efficiency, Scott Suddreth, efficiency guru and program manager for Southface, a nonprofit energy service provider, can teach you plenty. Most folks think of leaky windows and doors as the big problems, but they are by no means the only—or even the most egregious—culprits in energy waste. Even if you live in a new home that you think is tops on the energy efficiency scale, you might have some surprises in store.

Suddreth’s presentation focused on problems he has discovered in his work with the North Carolina Nonprofit Weatherization Program, a pilot program launched in November 2006 to help nonprofit agencies in Avery, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Lincoln, Mitchell and Yancey counties save on their energy expenses. His slides are eye-openers and myth busters.

Think insulation is the answer to saving energy? Think again. Throwing insulation on top of holes just creates a filter that readily allows air passage. Suddreth has seen plenty of insulation turned black from trapping dirt from the air flowing right through it.

What about your ducts? Suddreth has found ductwork installed as recently as two years ago that has gaping holes at attachment points. Gaping holes mean that heat and cooling escape into spaces that aren’t supposed to be heated and cooled. That’s energy that is not making it to the register. Uninsulated ducts and disconnected ducts are also common. A California study found that 50 cents of every $1 spent on cooling costs was flowing straight into attics because of duct problems. According to Suddreth, 60 to 70 percent of energy is lost on its way to the duct exit, and HVAC systems account for 40 percent of energy use. To save energy, “eliminate the garage doors in your attic,” Suddreth said.

Unsealed electrical penetrations, holes in the subfloor under bathtubs, construction cavities that expose interior walls to the temperature extremes in attics, poorly sealed registers and uncapped showers are other problems that allow unwanted air flow through homes and commercial buildings, causing comfort problems, moisture problems and high heating and cooling bills.

That said, insulation certainly has its place in an overall energy efficiency design, but it doesn’t work if it isn’t touching what it’s supposed to insulate—without gaps and low spots. Suddreth likened insulation to clothing. If you were to take off all your clothes and put them in a pile at your feet, you’d get cold. The same principle applies to insulation. And it needs to stay dry. Think about the clothes analogy. Wet clothes are cold. Crawl spaces are frequently wet, so insulation under floors can get wet too, and subsequently sag, mold or fall down completely, rendering it worse than useless.

So how do you find these problems and have them corrected? The first step is an energy audit to identify all the unwanted airflow problems in the home. Suddreth emphasized that energy audits need to be done by pros with the proper equipment. The tests include blower door testing to measure the building’s leak paths and air infiltration rate and duct pressure testing to evaluate the air tightness of HVAC systems. A residential energy audit costs from $200 to $300, while a commercial energy audit is about $500.

The second step is corrective work by a home performance contractor who uses materials such as duct-sealing mastic, sheet metal, caulk and insulation to properly weatherize a building.

The return? Estimates are that the average homeowner can save $3 to $5 for every $1 spent to fix problems. That’s a pretty good return.

For more info about energy audits and home performance contractors, click to www.southface.org or contract Southface-North Carolina at 828-265-4888 or southface@goboone.net.

 

 

W.A.M.Y.’s Energy Efficiency Programs

W.A.M.Y. Community Action offers home energy audits and weatherization services to low-income families who meet the income guidelines. According to program administrator Oliver Adams, low-income families spend an average of 16 percent of their income on energy costs. That’s a huge bite for a family of four making around $30,000 per year.

Typical services include performing tune-ups and repairs to heating and cooling systems, addressing carbon monoxide levels and combustion safety, sealing major air leaks, installing insulation, sealing and insulating ducts, installing a smart thermostat and replacing existing lighting with energy-efficient bulbs.

According to Adams, W.A.M.Y’s goal is to serve 74 families through the program this year. So far, the agency has helped approximately 50.

W.A.M.Y. also has a heating and cooling repair and replacement program. Eligible families can qualify for an entirely new heating system.

To find out if you qualify for W.A.M.Y.’s assistance programs, call Adams at 828-264-2421.

 

Easy Energy- and Cost-Saving Changes

While a home audit and subsequent remediation are the big ticket for big energy savings, efficiency expert Scott Suddreth outlined several relatively easy steps that homeowners can take to reduce their energy and water consumption and costs.

• Insulate your hot water heater and turn the temperature down.

• Install low-flow showerheads and sink aerators and repair water leaks.

• Replace light bulbs with compact florescent bulbs. Lighting accounts for 29 percent of energy use, and CFLs are the “easiest, low-hanging fruit” in any building, Suddreth said.

• Check your refrigerator settings, clean the cooling coils and check the door seals. “If your refrigerator is over 10 years old, chuck it. Trust me,” Suddreth said, “and don’t donate it to a nonprofit.”