Kerry Veach

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If your parents were anything like mine, then you grew up in a home conscious of energy conservation.  These messages were embedded into our brains via simple four-word phrases, such as “Stop cooling the neighborhood!”, “Quit running the water!”, and “Turn off the lights!”

While the first two are still good practices, the last one might need an upgrade.  As counter intuitive as it may feel, certain light bulbs conserve more energy by being left on.

When your parents were concerned about saving electricity (and money), it was because incandescent lighting was (and is) highly inefficient.  90 percent of energy is emitted as heat, leaving only 10 percent for light.  Halogen lighting is a little more efficient than this, but not nearly as good as CFL’s and LED’s.

Compact Fluorescent Lighting has far more advanced technology than its predecessors.  You can generally extend the life of a CFL bulb by leaving it on, as opposed to simply using it less.  This is because CFL’s use more energy to power up, so just leave the light on if you plan to leave a room for less than fifteen minutes.

Light Emitting Diodes have a completely different set of rules.  These bulbs are unaffected by the number of times switched on and off.  They also reach maximum power almost instantly, unlike other bulbs which have some degree of delay.  However, the lighting capability of LED’s are not as effective as CFL’s.

To get more energy (and money) saving tips, make sure you check the Veach View Blog frequently.  And as always, if you or anyone you know would like to buy real estate in Destin, FL, or sell a home in Destin, FL, contact Kerry Veach online or call him directly at 1.800.879.0309.

With over 1,000 closings, 20+ years of experience and a full-time real estate team, it’s no surprise that 95% of Kerry’s business comes from referrals.

Destin, FL homeowners can always benefit from ways to save electricity, and one area of opportunity for huge savings is in a home office.  If you have a home office, then where you are saving on gas you could be losing on electricity if you don’t have an ENERGY-STAR computer and/or laptop.

ENERGY-STAR equipment uses up to 65 percent less power than older equipment.  In addition to purchasing energy efficient computers, it’s also advisable that you plug these units into a power strip so they can be turned off easily.  Otherwise, they will continue drawing current and wasting electricity (known as “vampire” loads).

One outdated notion is that leaving your desktop computer on is better for the machine, making it last longer.  This was true years ago with larger mainframe computers, but it is not at all the case now.  You can, however, adjust your computer’s power management settings on the cpu and monitor to use less energy while the unit is running.

If you’ll be in the market for a new purchase soon, look at laptops instead of desktop units.  Desktops use considerably more electricity than laptops, and the mobile feature of the laptop means that you are running on battery power instead of your home’s electrical current.  Here’s a helpful tip:  It’s recommended that you only plug your laptop in to charge the battery – not only will this save energy, it will also extend the life of your battery.

Make sure you check the Veach View Blog frequently to get more energy (and money) saving tips.  And as always, if you or anyone you know would like to buy real estate in Destin, FL, or sell a home in Destin, FL, contact Kerry Veach online or call him directly at 1.800.879.0309.

With over 1,000 closings, 20+ years of experience and a full-time real estate team, it’s no surprise that 95% of Kerry’s business comes from referrals.

Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

When it comes to energy efficiency through solar power, Destin, FL homes have a huge advantage.  Being in a sunny climate year round offers many more opportunities than are available in other parts of the country.  One of these opportunities is a solar water heater.

On average, a solar water heater will cut your water heating bills down by 50 – 80%.  If you’re planning on refinancing, include the price of a solar water heater in a new 30-year mortgage.  This will usually amount to between $13 and $20 per month. In addition, the federal income tax deduction for mortgage interest attributable to the solar system reduces that by about $3–$5 per month.

Now, you’re probably wondering about cost.  Not surprisingly, a solar water heater is more expensive than a conventional water heater.  However, as you just read, the savings far outweigh the additional upfront expense.  The unit itself will run just over $1,000 (depending on size, model, etc.)

If you want to estimate how much the unit will save you, you’ll need to know:  1. The system’s solar energy factor (SEF) and 2.  The auxiliary tank fuel type (gas or electric) and costs (your local utility can provide current rates).  Once you have that information, plug those numbers into the following equation:

With a gas auxiliary tank system:

You need to know the unit cost of fuel by Btu (British thermal unit) or therm. (1 therm = 100,000 Btu)

365 × 41,045/SEF × Fuel Cost (Btu) = estimated annual cost of operation

OR

365 × 0.4105/SEF × Fuel Cost (therm) = estimated annual operating cost

Example: Assuming the SEF is 1.1 and the gas costs $1.10/therm

365 × 0.4105/1.1 × $1.10 = $149.83

With an electric auxiliary tank system:

You need to know or convert the unit cost of electricity by kilowatt-hour (kWh).

365 × 12.03/SEF × Electricity Cost (kWh)= estimated annual operating cost

Example: Assuming the SEF is 2.0 and the electricity costs $0.08/kWh

365 X 12.03/2.0 X $0.08 = $175.64

Make sure you check the Veach View Blog frequently to get more energy (and money) saving tips.  And as always, if you or anyone you know is interested in buying real estate in Destin, FL, or selling a home in Destin, FL, contact Kerry Veach online or call him directly at 1.800.879.0309.

With over 1,000 closings, 20+ years of experience and a full-time real estate team, it’s no surprise that 95% of Kerry’s business comes from referrals.

Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Last week, I wrote about the benefits of landscape shading for Destin, FL homes.  This week, I’m going to focus on cool roofs.

Satisfying both meanings of the word “cool”, these roofs combine hip with energy efficiency.  A cool roof reflects the sunlight and absorbs less heat – also known as solar reflectance and thermal emittance.  They may be constructed out of a highly reflective paint, sheet covering, or highly reflective tiles or shingles.  Cool roofs average temperatures that are about 50 degrees less than that of standard or dark colored roofs.

If the difference in temperature isn’t enough to entice you, then consider these benefits as well:

• Since your air conditioning unit won’t have to work quite as hard as it would with a standard roof, you can expect reduced electricity bills.
• If many houses in the same neighborhood have cool roofs, you can expect fewer power outages during peak times due to a lower electricity demand.
• Areas outdoors (such as a patio) that are shaded by the roof, but not air conditioned, will be cooler than they would be with a standard roof.
• Since your roof isn’t taking the quite the beating it was before you upgraded, you can expect the service life of your roof to last longer.
• Because you are using less electricity, you will be contributing to a reduction in power plant emissions such as carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrous oxides, and mercury.

To learn more about cool roofs, download Guidelines for Selecting Cool Roofs from the EERE Building Technologies Program.

Make sure you check the Veach View Blog frequently to get more energy (and money) saving tips.  And as always, if you or anyone you know is interested in buying real estate in Destin, FL, or selling a home in Destin, FL, contact Kerry Veach online or call him directly at 1.800.879.0309.

With over 1,000 closings, 20+ years of experience and a full-time real estate team, it’s no surprise that 95% of Kerry’s business comes from referrals.

Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net