Contact: Priscilla Knight, 703-392-1580, pknight@novec.com
NORTHERN VIRGINIA - American homes use 37 percent of U.S. electricity and produce 21 percent of the nation’s carbon emissions, according to the Building Performance Institute. The institute reports that one-third of American homes are at least 45 years old and many need to be remodeled with new energy-saving appliances and building materials to reduce the nation’s carbon emissions. In addition, many homes built after 1963 were not constructed with energy-saving building technology.
A home’s “carbon footprint” is the approximate amount of greenhouse gases created directly and indirectly from energy used at home. To help reduce carbon emissions, the Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative and NOVEC Solutions recommend the following:
- Heating and Cooling - Almost half of household energy goes to heating and cooling. When it’s time to replace old units, purchase high-efficiency systems. In old and new units, replace the air filter monthly and have the system checked by a licensed service technician yearly. Set an energy-saving programmable thermostat to 78 degrees in summer and 68 degrees in winter.
- Water Heater - Purchase an energy-efficient water heater. Lower the thermostat to 120 degrees. (Keep it at 140 degrees if you have a dishwasher that does not have a temperature booster feature.)
- Insulation - Insulate the attic ceiling with at least R-30 insulation and house walls and floors over crawl spaces with at least R-13 insulation. Weather-strip or insulate the attic door or hatch, exterior house doors, storm doors and windows.
- Windows - Add storm windows to single-pane windows or install double-gazed, low-emissivity coated windows. New energy-efficient windows with Low-E coatings can reduce energy loss as much as 50 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Low-E coatings can be applied to existing windows and glass doors.
- Refrigerator - Refrigerators manufactured before 1993 use more than three times the electricity that modern ENERGY STAR models use. Replacing a 1992 side-by-side, 20-cubic foot model with a new ENERGY STAR model will save about $116 a year in electricity and eliminate hundreds of pounds of CO2 from being emitted into the atmosphere, according to ENERGY STAR. (Visit http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=refrig.calculator to calculate individual savings.) Open and close refrigerator and freezer doors quickly and infrequently. Locate the refrigerator away from the oven and stove.
- Lighting - Replace incandescent indoor and outdoor bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. CFLs use 75 percent less electricity and last 10 times longer. Use halogen and LED bulbs where applicable. Install task lighting under kitchen cabinets and over tool benches and desks to avoid illuminating entire spaces. Turn lights off when leaving a room.
- Electronics - Turn off televisions, DVD players, game consoles, computers and other electronics when not in use. Better yet, plug them into a power strip and turn off the power, because most electronic devices use electricity even when the switch is “off.”
Virginians can save local and state sales tax (5 percent) on qualified ENERGY STAR products that cost $2,500 or less during the second annual Virginia ENERGY STAR Sales Tax Holiday, October 10-13, 2008. Qualified products include:
- Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs)
- Ceiling Fans
- Clothes washers
- Dehumidifiers
- Dishwashers
- Programmable Thermostats
- Refrigerators
- Room Air Conditioners
For more energy-saving information, visit www.novec.com and click on Energy Conservation under the “Residential” tab on the home page, or call 703-335-0500 or 1-888-335-0500.
NOVEC Solutions, a NOVEC affiliate, offers electric and natural gas water heaters, standby generators, surge protectors, dark fiber service and lighted optical data networking service, including wholesale high-speed internet services for medium to large business and governmental agencies. For more information, contact NOVEC Business Development at 703-392-1589 or toll-free 1-888-335-0500 ext. 1589, or via email at novecsolutions@novec.com.
