Existing Homes: the Frontline of Global Warming
February 5th, 2008
Building on the consensus that existing homes present the biggest hurdle in reducing carbon emissions in the city, the Sallan Foundation, an environmental organization, looks to contractors’ role in addressing the issue. It notes that the majority of home improvement contractors do not communicate with one another when addressing individual issues such as heating. So, for example, a contractor who installs a new heating system often does not look to see whether the home could be better weatherized. Further, there are a limited number of contractors specialized in reducing energy use in existing homes.
To address these issues, the Sallan Foundation recommends training contractors to conduct energy audits and giving incentives to contractors and consumers to conduct such audits and retrofit the homes to be more energy efficient. The organization also suggests requiring an energy audit when an alteration permit is approved by the Department of Buildings or when a building is sold.
By Mike Muller on February 5, 2008, 3:24 pmIn category: Environment, Housing
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February 6th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
The most critical thing is to get homeowners to consider rooftop solar when it is time to replace the roof. That is the time to do it.
February 7th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
Getting an audit to identify energy leaks and implementing cost-effective measures such as insulation and heating system adjustments are not only more accessible to homeowners but are more critical in the immediate-term. Colin Cathcart, whose architectural firm, Kiss+Cathcart, has probably done more high-profile solar installations than anybody else in NYC) recommends that homeowners spend your first dollar on conservation. NYSERDA’s incentives through the Home Performance with Energy Star program make getting a home energy assessment and implementing conservation measures inexpensive for the homeowner and financially lucrative for the contractor.