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Home energy costs are a major concern for most families. You’ve probably asked yourself many times how you can save money on home energy bills. You’ve also probably heard a lot about green living initiatives and are wondering how that plays into energy costs. The good news is that indoor air pollution management leads to significant home energy savings.
One cost-effective approach to home energy savings (in addition to a high efficiency heating/cooling system) is to reduce uncontrolled air leakage. This means making sure your home is well-sealed. A tight home also helps prevent rot and frost damage because moisture penetration is limited. In addition to home energy savings, another huge benefit of sealed homes is in eliminating the amount of dust, pollen, and other outdoor pollutants that enter into your living area. The tighter your home is, the more control you can exercise over ventilation. However, keep in mind that air pollution from indoor sources gets trapped inside of tight homes, thus making controlled ventilation and filtration very important.
The traditional solution most people resort to is opening a window every time they feel the effects of indoor air pollution, or a poorly controlled indoor climate (temperature, humidity, stuffiness). Unfortunately, this method wastes a great deal of energy because the home then needs to be heated up or cooled down afterwards. Rather than opening a window, using controlled ventilation (and/or filtration) gets rid of indoor air pollutants and maximizes home energy efficiency.
Making sure your home is sealed and controlling ventilation and filtration controls the quality of your indoor air, reduces the negative impacts of indoor air pollution on your health, and increases your home’s energy savings all at the same time.
If your home is frequently uncomfortable because of stuffy or stale air, temperature fluctuations, if you have excessive dust, or if you experience allergic or asthma-related symptoms, then you should get your home’s air tested. The test can help determine how ‘tight’ your home is and will offer solutions to improve your indoor air quality, and to save on your home’s energy consumption.
Find an IAQ expert in your area. More suggestions on how to save energy in the home