Home Energy Efficiency Guide – Brian Brainerd

AlabamaWISE is a home energy guide edited by Brian Brainerd for Nexus Energy Center.

Inside your home lurk soil gasses, mold, carbon monoxide — all due to poor home performance. Just like your car, a home is a machine and it needs tune-ups and repairs to keep it safe and efficient. Indoor air quality has never been more important for Alabama families because children today spend so much time indoors.

Health concerns are related to indoor air quality, primarily mold hazards from poor moisture management and carbon monoxide hazards from combustion appliances.

Financial pain of wasted energy hurts too. But it’s often a slow bleed of $50 to $100 per month and is easy to push off. Even though energy rates in Alabama are low, your monthly bill may be uncomfortably high. A report by ACEEE reported that Alabama residents pay the highest electric bills in the nation.

How can buyers spot an energy hog or tell if a new home will be healthy and comfortable? Look for a label. Energy Star and EPS are reliable indicators that a home will be comfortable to live in and affordable to heat and cool. The HuntsvilleWISE program includes the EPS label from earth advantage.

A recent study demonstrated that homes with green labels, such as energy efficiency sell for a premium price over comparable homes in the market. than quality home environmental systems bearing a home performance label. But, you can feel the symptoms of poor home performance in your indoor environment and your wallet as comfort problems or high utility bills. AlabamaWISE can help you find a solution. because it takes a certified building analyst and specialized tools to diagnose home performance problems. The AlabamaWISE mission is to help you tame wild utility bills with conservation strategies and home improvements that pay dividends to Alabama households.