Conservation and Optimized energy usage

Energy can be conserved in a house with;

    * Highly effective thermal insulation . An effective insulation installation will have;
          o Correct insulation material
          o Correct R and U factors for the insulation
          o Correct insulation thickness
          o Correct density of insulation material
          o Incorporation of a means for vapor sealing
          o Incorporation of a reflective film

The applied insulation may be in cavity walls, wall cladding, under floor and basement, attic or ceiling or the roof itself.

    * Air tight insulated Windows with double or triple glazing. Low emissivity type offers best energy savings.
    * Properly designed ventilation without depending on uncontrolled infiltration.
    * An efficient heating (or air conditioning) system which may incorporate high efficiency condensing boilers, gasification boilers or biomass type boilers.
    * The distribution and control of thermal energy for space heating and hot water incorporating proper insulation for air ducts (if any) and plumbing.
    * Use of electrical energy efficiently for lighting (for e.g. with CFL s)
    * Using efficient pumps and fans with optimized performance by system design,

In addition use of energy rated appliances such as washing machines, dishwashers, refrigerators etc. with (for example A++ ) will save quite an amount of home energy irrespective of the high investment.

Alternative Energy as a buffer

Alternative energy sources are renewable and sustainable. Presently the following are widely implemented systems. In micro generation for home usage the following are widely considered.

    * Wind Turbines
    * PV solar panels
    * Micro Hydro power generation
    * .Micro CHPs using Biomass, Natural gas, Propane or petroleum derived fuels.(Except for Biomass all the other fuels do not fall under renewable fuel category but exhibit other environmental friendly properties through CHPs high fuel efficiency demanding special consideration)

While the free energy from renewable fuels may not be consistent throughout the year, in a grid tied system one could complement the other where both parties would be benefitted.

A wide range of concessions is offered by SEI for retrofitting existing homes for energy efficiency. Micro generation also provides an additional avenue to cut down your energy bills and also recover your investment in an energy efficient home sooner by way of exporting the surplus to the utility grid. Further the BER rating too will be enhanced making your property value rise higher.

Source: articlesbase