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Larry Caldwell

In article , (CJT)
says...

Wow! That's really good. We've managed to cut our consumption by
almost half, but you've got us beat. On the other hand, we didn't
spend much money -- mostly just sealing ductwork, replacing
incandescents with CFL's, and installing (and using) a programmable
thermostat.

It's all relative. This house was built in 1971, and had never been
upgraded. I installed a heat pump in 1995 (the old furnace was forced
air electric), blew in attic insulation in 1996, put in U .36 windows in
about 2001, then in 2004 we remodelled, including subfloor insulation,
more attic insulation, attic fan, insulated entry and patio doors,
insulated all the water lines, and installed energy star appliances.
While the walls were open, I ran around and foamed all the plate and
plumbing penetrations with foam caulk. We also installed a generator
transfer switch. We are the last house on the power line, and have a
history of power outages lasting several days.

My wife found these nifty insulating blinds that are kind of like a
honeycomb an inch thick that fit inside the window trim like a mini
blind. They are translucent, so they let light in, and are white, so
they reflect heat. They are mostly air, so when you raise them up they
only take up about 2 inches of space at the top of the window.
Combined with the efficient low-E glass, they button things up nicely.
We replaced the old aluminum slider patio door with a Pella french door
that has the mini blinds in between the double glazing panes. I also
added an open porch roof to the west side of the house that shades that
wall on hot afternoons.

The next step is solar hot water. We don't have a great solar site, but
we do have wood heat. I figure between coils on the roof and coils
behind the wood stove, we could produce 80% of our hot water for free.
Someday I want to add another layer of insulation on the walls and
install cement board siding, which would turn the outside walls into a
thermal break system.

Down the road I would like to install a high pressure gravity feed water
system. We already have a low pressure system with about 10 feet of
head. A power outage means we lose most of our water pressure, but not
all of it. You can still flush a toilet or fill a bathtub. We have
decorated the house with brass candle sconces and wall mounted oil
lamps. When the power goes out, we can light the house, do dishes (by
hand) and cook on the wood stove. The insulation upgrade means only
about a 15 degree temperature drop from one end of the house to the
other in freezing weather.

Energy upgrades don't all have to happen at once, but they are a gift
that just keeps on giving.

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