#16 of the series
Select better bulbs – Your lighting bill represents 10% of your home’s total electricity used and you can save about $50 annually by getting rid of incandescent bulbs . Energy Star qualified halogen bulbs last 3 times longer, and LEDs last 25 times longer.
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Posted in energy savings
Tagged energy efficiency, halogen, LED, light bulb, lower bills
A Whole-House Home Energy Rating is a comprehensive evaluation of the efficiency of the entire home. The homeowner receives a written report that includes a numeric score or “rating” of the home, plus recommendations for improvements that will reduce energy bills and make the home more comfortable. Knowing the energy rating of your home is similar to knowing the miles per gallon rating of your car.
What kind of tests will they do in your home?:
and the pressure test will show where the air is leaking out so you can “plug” the leaks and make your home less drafty. You want to keep heat and AC inside your home. Leaks let that conditioned air escape resulting in higher energy bills.Read more about HERS rating at: http://www.energy.ca.gov/2009publications/CEC-400-2009-008/CEC-400-2009-008-BR-REV1.PDF
Will this add value to your home? Depends. If you have a HERS rating that can be presented to the appraiser that is one tool for the appraiser to determine value for your property being energy-efficient. The appraisers at Southern California Appraisal Services have been working with UCSD’s Environmental Engineering Department on ways to use a HERS rating to determine value of a property’s energy efficiency. If you have questions regarding value contact the appraisers at www.socalappraisalserv.com
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Posted in energy retrofitting
Tagged blower door, energy efficiency, hers, hers rating, insulation
According to a report by UCSD and UCLA, solar power fetches an even higher premium in neighborhoods with a greater share of college graduates or registered Pruis hybrid vehicles.
Read the study at: http://www.uce3.berkeley.edu/WP_001.pdf
That is good news but how do you determine value for your home? It is a complicated process for an appraiser to determine value for a solar powered home and each home is unique. First step for the homeowner is to have at least 12 months of utility bills. preferably 12 months before the installation of the panels and 12 months after the installation. If you do not have the bills you can order them from your local utility office or if you just can’t get the bills don’t dispair, an appraiser has many tools to determine value and that is why it is important you contact an appraiser that specializes in energy efficiency.
If you have questions you can contact the professionals at Southern California Appraisal Services; they specialize in green properties and energy retrofits. www.socalappraisalserv.com
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Green Real Estate Appraiser 