Know the Facts
Before buying anything, shoppers are taking time to learn more about the products they put in their homes. For one in four consumers, knowing and understanding what makes up general household products is important. As options continue to increase, this attention to research is key to finding efficient products that offer maximum value. For instance, homeowners will find that a few newer home insulation products that help provide greater energy efficiency also boast new sustainable formulations. Owens Corning EcoTouch insulation is made from 99 percent natural materials, contains a minimum of 58 percent recycled content and is verified formaldehyde free.

Energy-efficient Essentials
According to the 2010 Home Improvement Research Institute Trends Program Report, reducing household energy usage and bills through energy-efficient improvements continues to be the No. 1 reason homeowners make home improvements. That same report also indicated six out of 10 consumers need help identifying what they can do to be more environmentally conscious.

“Now is the right time to make efficiency improvements around the home because homeowners will see an immediate impact on their monthly utility bills, and will reap even greater benefits in the long term,” says Frank O’Brien-Bernini, chief sustainability officer at Owens Corning. “According to the U.S. Department of Energy, buildings use more energy in the United States than either transportation or industry, accounting for the consumption of 40 percent of our nation’s energy resources. On a more granular level, the primary use of energy in a home is for heating and cooling. In many homes, excessive energy is wasted through poorly sealed and insulated attics, walls and ductwork – all problems that can be solved by handy do-it-yourselfers or through experienced contractors.”

The Home Improvement Research Institute reports roughly one in three homeowners plans to purchase more energy-efficient doors, windows or HVAC systems in the coming year. Sealing all openings around doors and windows can help homeowners make the most of their investment. Air ducts should also be inspected to ensure they are clean, are free of leaks and holes and direct air to the right spaces.

Recycling 101
While recycled content is commonly focused on, recyclable materials are also important. Often with home improvement projects, old materials are thrown out and replaced with the new. What many homeowners may not know is that many building materials and appliances are recyclable. Recycling is a better solution for the environment, and may be less costly than taking material to a landfill.

“There are more recyclable materials on and in a home than you might first assume. Millions of tons of shingles torn off from roofs end up in our country’s landfills each year. Fortunately, the technology now exists for all those shingles to be recycled instead,” says O’Brien-Bernini. “In 2009, Owens Corning Roofing and Asphalt, LLC formed an alliance with Heritage Environmental Services to create a Shingle Recycling Program with roofing contractors to make recycling convenient, cost-competitive and differentiating and have since recycled more than 90,000 tons of asphalt shingles.”

Homeowners looking for more information about shingle recycling and other types of recycling can turn to Earth911.com, with whom Owens Corning Roofing and Asphalt, LLC recently also formed an alliance. The site hosts the largest and most accurate recycling directory in North America and provides information about what materials can be recycled as well as lists of recyclers in local markets.

For more tips on efficient home improvements, visit www.OwensCorning.com.

The post Homeowners' Emphasis on Energy Efficiency Grows first appeared on The How Do Gardener.

Biomass Fuel 101
Biomass fuels are natural fuels that are renewable and clean burning. Examples of biomass fuels include wood pellets, wood chips, paper and other agricultural byproducts. Wood pellets are the most common option. Most homeowners who use these types of fuels will install a pellet stove or insert to heat their home. Approximately 1 million homes and businesses in the U.S. use wood pellets for heat, according to the Pellet Fuels Institute.

Cost Savings
The cost of heating by pellet is much less than oil, propane or electric, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Want to know how much you could save? Check out the pellet fuel cost-calculator from Hearth & Home Technologies. Heating with pellets also helps control heating costs since prices for pellets are more stable than propane, oil and natural gas.

Environmental Impact
Much of the material used for wood pellets is unusable for other purposes. The material is considered second growth, and comes from the forest floor. This wood is no longer wasted – it is processed into tiny pellets that burn efficiently, with low CO2 and particulate emissions. By engineering crops and waste such as cornstalks, straw and forest waste, pellets can transform millions of tons of waste and put them to work, according to the Pellet Fuels Institute. Additionally, pellets are often locally derived, helping to reduce our dependence on foreign energy sources.

Pellet Stoves and Inserts
Pellet stoves are compact, attractive metal or cast iron stoves that look similar to wood-burning stoves. Pellet inserts, which are also available in attractive metal or cast iron, are installed inside an existing masonry fireplace. Typically both options include a thermostat you can program to control the heat of your home. The heat is created by pellets that are slowly fed from a storage container called a hopper into the burn-pot, creating a steady flame that produces steady heat. The size of pellet stove or insert needed depends on the size of your home, so be sure to talk to a professional about what size is right for your needs. Visit www.fireplaces.com to browse stove and insert options as well as find a professional near you.

Pellets Needed
Wood pellets are widely available and can be found anywhere from local hardware supply stores to big box outlet stores. They can also be ordered online and delivered in bulk to most locations. Wood pellets are typically sold in 40-pound bags for between $4 and $7 depending on the type of wood used and availability. When burned in a high efficiency pellet stove, a 40-lb bag of pellets can provide about 24 hours of steady heat for 1500 square feet of living space.

Pellets vs. Wood
You might be wondering why not just burn regular wood rather than pellets. Burning raw biomass fuel, like logs of wood, will not provide you with the heat efficiency of pellets. Pellets have significantly lower moisture content so they have a higher BTU value, meaning they burn more efficiently. They are also smaller, so you don’t need to have a large area to keep many cords of raw wood. Pellet stoves and inserts burn much cleaner than wood – up to 50 times lower particulate emissions than older, non-EPA certified wood stoves or inserts, and up to five times lower than newer EPA-certified wood stoves and inserts.

Most American homeowners who switch to pellet heat will enjoy lower heating costs and a more environmentally-friendly home. Isn’t it time to see if this option is right for you?

The post What Efficient Fuel Heats your Home and Saves you Money? first appeared on The How Do Gardener.

Program the Temperature
You already know that the lower you set the thermometer in winter, the less your furnace will work. Having the temperature set in the low 60s when out and about makes perfect sense. But when you are home, setting the temps a bit higher will help keep you comfortable. Instead of continuously running back and forth to the thermostat to constantly keep readjusting the temperature, install a programmable thermostat and preset the times you want the temps lower or higher.

Clean your Heating and Cooling System
To help your furnace operate better, hire a qualified company to clean the ducts, blower, cooling coils and heat exchanger. To find someone certified contact NADCA – the HVAC Inspection, Maintenance and Restoration Association. NADCA recommends homeowners clean their heating and cooling systems annually, because dust and pollen build up on your ducts, and then recirculate through your home. This buildup of dirt prevents your furnace from efficiently running, making it work harder and run longer to maintain the temperature you set.

“A clean heating and cooling system helps to increase the airflow through your furnace, which in turn helps to make your home more comfortable,” says Matt Mongiello, president of NADCA. “And when you combine a clean system with controlled temperatures, you’ll notice the savings on your utility bills.”

Wash Clothes in Cold Water
Every household processes about 400 loads of laundry per year, according to the California Energy Commission , making your washer one of the biggest water consuming products in your house. To help save on energy, wash your clothes only in cold water so you don’t have to spend money using the water heater. And make sure you only process full loads to help conserve the number of loads you run and water you use. Additional energy savings can be found by line drying your clothes, or running them through the dryer for half the time, and then air drying them the rest of the time. Across most of the country, humidity levels tend to be lower during the winter months, which helps to speed up the clothes drying process.

Unplug Appliances
The amount of electricity consumed in your home often can easily be reduced by just unplugging and turning off items. According to Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories, 5 percent of residential energy use in the U.S. is used when appliances are in the off position. Consider unplugging smaller appliances such as your microwave, cellphone charger, coffee maker and desktop computer which can continue to consume energy, even when you’re not using them. If the appliance has a clock, or electrical display of some sort, electricity is needed to keep those items illuminated. If it’s a hassle to unplug these items after each and every use, consider putting them on a power strip, so you can quickly and easily flip the switch on and off when you need to use the appliances.

Tightening down on your energy usage can help you save a couple of dollars here and there, and also keep you more comfortable in your home. So sit back and relax in your home and enjoy the winter season.

The post Save Money with these Energy Efficiency Tips first appeared on The How Do Gardener.