Green Project Highlight 1

Project Description: This 1970s ranch-style home received some major energy renovations over the course of 2010.

According to the science behind efficient buildings, Coastal began by helping the homeowner identify the right weatherization measures (i.e. air sealing & insulation) for his home. We then moved on to scheduling and managing the work. Within a period of two months, the homeowner was able to go from his free energy assessment, and the recommendations provided through it, to having over $3,000 worth of efficiency measures performed for a little under $600 (after utility rebates & incentives).

After performing the most basic of the suite of efficiency measures, additional air sealing and insulation measures were proposed as part of a larger heating sytem upgrade and window replacement project. With a range of generous utility incentives available, the homeowner chose to make a big investment in a much more efficient home.

The additional weatherization measures included insulating the exterior walls (which were previously uninsulated) with foam boards, adding more cellulose insulation to the attic, sealing up cracks of all sizes on the home's exterior, and weatherstripping all the home's exterior doors. The result of all these measures was a much more efficient and comfortable home, all before the windows and heating system had been replaced.

Up to this point, this home had been transformed from a rather typical Cape home --with its relatively high energy bills, drafts, and d potential moisture issues-- to a more efficient, comfortable, and durable home. And all this was accomplished for about $3,000.

If that seems like a lot to you, consider the annual energy savings of roughly $500-$600 per year, and this homeowner will begin to see real money in his pocket in about 5 years (after the initial investment has been fully repaid).

The results (so far): The homeowner can expect roughly $500-$600 per year in energy savings, and has already thanked us for making his home much more comfortable this winter. With near-term plans for new replacement windows and a heating system upgrade, this house has the potential for high energy performance that could translate into savings of more than $1,000 per year on the homeowner's energy bills.

Green Project Highlight 2

Project Description: This newer home, built in 1997, was found to be relatively “tight.” A tight home is a healthy, efficient, and comfortable home (when ventilated correctly). Air sealing opportunities existed (as they typically will for existing homes, as well as new), but the main thrust of the efficiency project at this home was going to be with insulation.

The home was insulated to the energy codes of the day when it was built, but this left the potential for significant heat loss\gain when temperatures began to push toward either end of the thermometer. After mulling over energy bills and walking through the home to better understand its energy profile, the rather obvious priority was the attic floor, especially over the cathedral ceiling and renovated garage. An obvious energy penalty was being paid for here. The combination of two often-witnessed factors (virtually unrestricted air flow through the existing fiberglass batt insulation and shortcomings in the existing insulation’s ability to effectively slow the flow of heat loss\gain) was ultimately to blame.

The homeowner, an engineer, was very interested in shaving away unnecessary and costly energy usage from his life. He showed excitement about an energy-saving project from the outset. After consulting with the homeowner and assisting in the execution of the utility’s energy assessment, it was agreed that the attic would be insulated through a combination of two strategies: 1. Rigid foam board insulation to be used over cathedral ceiling area, and 2. Cellulose insulation to be used over renovated garage and adjoining areas.

After performing some simple clean-up in the attic, Coastal began by building some platform space for storage purposes. Building a platform, versus simply laying down decking (such as sheets of plywood), allows for the entire attic floor space to be insulated—this really matters…ask us about this if you care to. So, after building the platform frame, we installed 7 inches of cellulose insulation on top of the existing fiberglass batt insulation in the attic. This measure pushed the level of insulation to an R-value close to the recommended value.

The final measure to be performed in this project was the installation of 2 inches of foam board insulation above the cathedral ceiling section in the attic. The use of expanding foam for gaps and heavy-duty foil tape on seams and joints between the foam boards is the trick to establishing both an effective air seal and a more consistent insulating value.

Remember this: When you accomplish an effective air seal and a consistent R-value across all compromised areas, you can almost rest assured that you will also have achieved a very comfortable and healthy home, with hundreds of dollars in energy savings to be put to better uses.

Green Project Highlight 3

Project Description: From the start, this home --built in the late 1800s-- was sure to be a challenge. After working with the homeowners to have a free energy assessment performed, it was determined that the next best step involved some routine air sealing and targeted insulation for the home.

Coastal reached out to an insulation contractor in the Greater Boston area, and we were able to work together to complete the weatherization measures recommended for the home. While we performed the larger of the jobs in-house, our partner was able to concentrate on areas where it was best suited to handle (such as spray foam installed at the rim joists in the basement).

Additional measures beyond the air sealing and insulation measures referred to above were recommended to the homeowners, but measures such as blowing cellulose (recycled newspaper) into all the exterior walls of the house and downsizing the current heating system have been put on hold as Coastal, the homeowners, and other parties continue to prepare for a larger home renovation project for which the home's owners have expressed much interest in approaching as a "green" renovation project.

The "green" piece of any larger home renovation project will almost always include upgrading\downsizing heating and cooling equipment, performing targeted air sealing and insulation throughout the home, determining the energy performance of windows and doors, as well as approaching the idea of integrating renewable energy systems into the renovation. In this case, the homeowners have expressed their interest in integrating a thorough insulation plan as a precursor to switching to a much smaller, high-efficiency heating system.

The results (so far): The homeowners can expect roughly $300-$400 in energy savings every year from the work performed to date. Additionally, increased comfort for the home's occupants has already begun to be felt.