Major investments in home energy upgrades such as a new Heat Pump HVAC system, or Solar PV on your roof is expensive, but the alternative is even more expensive. Let me help explain why “Today” is the lowest price you can expect to pay on these investments for your home. If you look into the past, what is cheaper now compared to then? Not much due to inflation and supply chain issues.
With our rising temperatures in the summer months and climate change, we can only guess that utility costs will continue to rise. Investing in your home today is sure to pay you back the moment you start using your new products.
You know your utility bills are more expensive than ever and you need to replace that old central heating and cooling system, but trying to find the right contractor, at the right price can be exhausting, right?
Here are a few things to think about to help you cut a few all-important dollars off.
First, let’s try to cut the load the house will need for cooling and/or heating. For example, properly installed attic insulation along with air sealing. This is a very important upgrade that gets overlooked. I’m not talking about a few more inches of insulation; we are talking about reaching Todays’ code requirement of up to 16-18 inches or more in some cases to reach the R-Value that is going to help reduce the heat load in your attic. Or you could consider dense-packed cellulose in between the roof rafters. This is BEST Techs Contracting installation of choice. You can add better R-Value with less room.
Contact BEST Techs Contracting if you have any questions, we would love to talk to you about your project.
Along with properly installed insulation, Air-Sealing is a crucial step. We want to seal up all the air leakage from the attic to the living space. This step will help keep all unwanted unconditioned air out of the home and help reduce the load the HVAC system will have to fight to keep you comfortable. Also, if your ducts are in the attic, it can bring those ducts into the conditioned space of the home.
Remember we are not talking about a traditional gas furnace; we are talking about ducted and/or ductless Heat Pump HVAC systems. These types of HVAC systems can reduce your energy use and are safer to use without the worry of harmful gas pollutants possible entering your home, and they cost a lot less to run, especially if you have a solar PV system installed on your home.
Speaking of Heat Pumps, there is a new Heat Pump Water Heater technology that has been hitting California. This appliance is up to 400%+ more efficient than gas water heaters on energy efficiency, and they are safer to operate than their gas counterparts.
All these new energy efficient appliances now have rebates/incentives tied to the purchase and installation. We can help you navigate all the applications and refunds/incentives available.
When you have chosen to lighten the load, we are talking about a smaller unit HVAC needed to heat/cool the home because we have air-sealed and insulated so well, we can purchase a smaller system. After all these great upgrades have been incorporated into your home, a solar PV system would be the last step to help you save energy and money for the long run.
Solar PV is a great addition once you have reduced your electrical load on your home. There are great incentives available for solar installations. We cannot forget that now, more than ever, that the use of backup batteries is essential to solar installations. Since you are using the electricity company for your home, you cannot disconnect from them, but you certainly do not want to use the power company once you have solar PV installed. This is why you need to budget for backup batteries, either now or soon. Once you stop producing solar at night you will use your backup batteries to power your home.
Once you understand how to make your home more comfortable and pay less for the components you will want to take advantage of all the rebates/incentives available. Then you should agree that these energy upgrades and the right order of these energy upgrades are very important. Make your home comfortable, safe, and energy-efficient for all the family members who will enjoy your hard work.
We provide a homeowner with better comfort, better indoor air quality, and a safer, more durable home that uses less energy.
BEST Techs Contracting is a Home Performance General Contractor that specializes in healthy, environmentally friendly homes utilizing Net Zero Energy and Passive House Standards.
Please reach out to us anytime with any questions, we look forward to speaking to you!
