Category Archives: energy savings

Renovations; New Doors New Windows This may help deciding what you need

Posted on December 12, 2012 | Leave a comment

window

If there’s one thing guaranteed to cause arguments, it’s renovations.

Aside from the disruption of having tradies traipse through your home, the confusion over whether certain facts were actually communicated, and the sharp sense of unease watching the bank balance shrink, the biggest bone of contention has to be the vast array of choices.

We’ve gotten through bathroom taps, the toilet, the hand basin and what to cover the floor with. But the showstopper this week was something seemingly innocuous – the door.

The statement “I’ve ordered the door”, was met with stony silence. On one side of the fence is the argument for a bog-standard single-pane glass entry door that lets in plenty of light and garden views, but also heat and cold.

On the other is the desire for, at the very least, double-glazing, preferably with a low-emissivity (low-e) coating on one face to make the set-up more efficient.

Both sides of the fence are happy with a timber frame, which although requires more maintenance, suits the style of the house and is more energy efficient than standard aluminium.

The main sticking point is the price difference of the two different glazing options (several hundred dollars at most suppliers), and the fact that, as most companies don’t offer double-glazing as standard, it will throw the wait-time for the door out past Christmas.

For all the talk of building more energy-efficient homes, it seems most suppliers are still playing catch up. Few have off-the-shelf double-glazed doors, and those that do, stock them in limited sizes.

One company I contacted this week said they used to do a double-glazed unit, but found the double-glazing didn’t fit their doors so now they only offer single glazed.

Argh!!

While the argument is not yet settled on the domestic front, and the door deposit has not actually been paid, there has been plenty of reading of the Window Energy Rating Scheme (WERS) website, in particular the climate zone map and the window comparison tool on the Efficient Glazing site.  NOTE: this is for Australia;  USA uses Energy Star check out their website at: http://www.energystar.gov

Read more at: http://smh.domain.com.au/green/blogs/talking-property/doors-windows-the-weak-points-20121211-2b6s4.html

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Posted on November 29, 2012 | Leave a comment

 

San Diego water officials are calling on residents to limit irrigation during cooler months, to help maintain water supplies sapped by a hot, dry year.

By adjusting sprinklers, checking for leaks or installing weather-based irrigation controllers, residents can reduce winter watering.

A heat wave in August and September capped a dry 12-month period during which rainfall was down 25 percent, the San Diego County Water Authority reported. Residents used 7 percent more water last month than they did during the same time last year.

Key California reservoirs measured an average of 63 percent full at the end of September, down from 88 percent from a year earlier, after what water officials called the third-driest year since 1963.

Winter rain and snow won’t fully replenish supplies to Southern California, said water officials, who expect a weak El Niño to leave the region’s water sources in Northern California and the Colorado River Basin relatively dry.

Residents can cut outdoor water use by turning off irrigation systems when rainstorms are predicted and leaving them off for at least a week after significant rainfall.

The city of San Diego and other agencies offer services to help residents cut their outdoor water use, which makes up more than half of water consumption for most Southern California households.

Residents can get help evaluating their irrigation systems through San Diego’s online Watering Calculator at apps.sandiego.gov/landcalc/.

Residents and businesses also may request a free WaterSmart Checkup, which offers tips on improving water efficiency, such as fixing leaks, upgrading hardware and swapping out grass for drought-tolerant plants. Details are available at www.20gallonchallenge.com/programs.html.

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San Diegans Get Reimbursed for Your Rain Barrels

Posted on November 26, 2012 | Leave a comment

Investing in a rain barrel in San Diego may seem like an exercise in wishful thinking, but the city Storm Water Department is so sure it’s a good deal that it will help pay for it.

The department will reimburse 50 cents per gallon of rain barrel storage to residents who install the vessels at their homes, for a total rebate of up to $200.

The barrels connect to a home’s gutter spout and capture water flowing from the roof to irrigate yards and gardens. Rainwater harvesting is a technique dating to the Greek and Roman empires, where sophisticated collection systems captured rainwater for domestic and agricultural use.

In San Diego, rainwater collection can help preserve potable water for indoor use, officials say.

“Over 60 percent of S.D. water is used to water landscape, turf and other plants,” said Maureen Hall, a water conservation analyst for the Public Utilities Department. “Whatever small percentage we can save per person, per residence, is going to add up to a good amount of savings for San Diego. That’s more water for us to use for drinking, for bathing, for cooking.”

Collecting the water before it spills down streets and sewers also helps prevent stormwater pollution, Hall said.

Although the San Diego region only gets about 10 inches of rain per year, a 1,000-square-foot roof collects 625 gallons for every inch of rainfall.

A typical rain barrel holds 50 to 200 gallons, and easily fills up in a single storm, Hall said. Even the condensation from foggy nights and dewy mornings can top off a barrel, she said. Her own rain barrel collected enough precipitation to water her rose garden all summer, she added.

The rain barrel rebate, introduced early this year, has paid $6,285 in rebates to help install 115 barrels at 57 homes.

For information, call (619) 533-4126 or visit utsandiego.com/rainwater.

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