Cooperative Living May 2018 - 28

EnergySense | by Pat Keegan and Brad Thiessen, Contributing Writers
Excess heat
can also be
This summer, play it cool
Tips to help you stay comfortable with lower energy bills.
D
ear Pat: My energy bill was
pretty high last summer. Do you
have any tips for how to keep
comfortable this year without breaking
the bank?
- Don
Dear Don: Absolutely! There are
several ways to make your home more
comfortable this summer. Some of the
solutions are low-cost, while others
require a bigger investment. In the end,
you can be more comfortable and have
lower energy bills this summer.
The first step is to reduce your home's
solar gains - the heat energy it collects
from the sun. Since most solar gains
originate through your home's windows,
awnings are an effective solution. They
can reduce solar heat gain by as much as
65 percent on south-facing windows and
77 percent on west-facing windows. You
can also try less-expensive solutions on
the outside or inside of your windows,
like reflective films and solar screens.
Heavy window coverings also work
and have the added benefit of
reducing heat loss in winter.
Clockwise, from top: Ceiling
fans provide air movement to
cool anyone sitting on the deck.
Sealing air leaks is critical to
keeping the home's interior
cooler than the exterior.
Converted attics tend to
overheat in the summer because
of low insulation levels and poor
ventilation between the living
space and the roof. A skylight
can provide welcome
daylight but unwanted solar
heat gain.
Since most solar gain enters
through your home's windows,
awnings and shade trees
are effective in making your
home cooler during summer
months.
26 | Cooperative Living | May 2018
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Two areas that can be major sources
of heat gain are skylights and attics.
Reflective film or specially designed
window coverings are potential
solutions for skylights. Attics can
become extremely hot and radiate
heat through the ceiling into your living
space. Abundant venting through the
roof, gable or eaves is one solution, but
you also need adequate attic insulation.
Another important step is to seal air
leaks around windows, doors, plumbing
and wiring penetrations to keep warm
air out and cool air in.
Excess heat can also be generated
inside your home - and at your
expense. Here's a quick list of simple
steps you can take:
* Make it a habit to turn off lights
and TVs in rooms that aren't in use.
* Incandescent lightbulbs generate a
lot of heat. Replace them with LEDs.
* Unplug devices you aren't using,
like chargers, computers, monitors
generated inside
your home -
and at your
expense.
and consumer electronics. Many of
these use phantom power that
keeps them on constantly (even
when they're not in use!), which
generates heat.
* Maintain appliances for peak
efficiency. For example, clean your
refrigerator coils.
* Lower your water heater temperature
to no higher than 120 degrees
Fahrenheit and your refrigerator to
no lower than 38 degrees Fahrenheit.
Also, consider insulating your
hot-water pipes.
* Minimize use of your oven, and
don't run the dishwasher or
washing machine until they are full.
Now that you've worked on keeping
heat out of your home and minimizing
the waste heat generated inside, let's
look at how to make the inside air
cooler. That starts by assessing your
air-conditioning (AC) system.
If you have central AC, make sure
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Cooperative Living May 2018

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