With over 40 percent of today’s homes soaking up our nation’s energy supply, it’s easy to see why we need to make all of our homes more energy efficient. Energy consumption is much greater in older homes and these are the homes that need the most help and benefit the most from energy conservation home improvements. But going green with too many home improvements, renovations and remodeling projects can destroy the architectural appeal of a historic or antique structure. Use these green renovations and help conserve energy while keeping the architectural integrity of your older home.
Lighting
I know it is cliché, but one of the best ways to go green in any home is to change all of the bulbs to CFL’s. Compact fluorescents use less energy and last longer than conventional light bulbs. It is estimated that if you changed just one conventional light bulb to a CFL, you would save the energy equivalent of removing over 800,000 cars from the road in a single day. What’s even better, LED’s are twice-if not more energy efficient than CFL’s and contain no mercury.
Windows and Doors
More often than not, inefficient doors and windows are on your older home. Replacing them can definitely cost a pretty penny and if you have a historic structure, removing the older windows, doors and frames can destroy the architectural appeal of your home. But you don’t have to spend a fortune to save a fortune on heating and cooling costs; you can install interior or exterior storm doors and shutters to help keep the conditioned air in the home where it belongs.
Water Conservation
It’s not just about saving money on electric bills when renovating an older home, saving water can really add up the savings as well. Low flow water fixtures and faucets are the perfect way to increase water efficiency. Low flow toilets can also increase your water savings as well; just keep in mind the lower water pressure makes it a little harder to flush solid waste. A larger storage tank upgrade can be the perfect water saving solution for your older home. Water conservation also works for rain water. Water storage tanks and a new gutter system can be the perfect solution for saving water with an older homes outdated irrigation system.
Insulation
This can be a tricky subject when it comes to older homes. While adding another layer to your attic insulation is probably a cost effective energy efficient home improvement, spray foam insulation could cause some problems. Since older homes were built to expand and contract with the environmental conditions and the weather, spray foam insulation can enclose the crawlspaces, adding humidity, moisture and additional structural stress to an older home. When in doubt, call in a professional historic home renovation expert to see if sealing the crawlspaces to conserve energy is right for your older home.