Scott Homes, the leading builder of green homes in Thurston County, has received a lot of attention in recent years. They have won numerous awards, from Builder of the Year to Best of Show, which has resulted in a lot of media exposure. Headlines in local and national media that read “Homes so efficient they cost only $15 a month to heat,” have had an impact as well. “Calls started flooding the office from homeowners who wanted the super efficient technology put into their existing homes, so Scott created a new division of his company called Northwest Energy Team,” said Paul Ivy of Northwest Energy Team (NET).
Now, homeowners who want the features of a new super-efficient house put into their existing home can turn to the most knowledgeable builder in the region to make it happen. NET specializes in upgrading heating systems, insulation, ventilation, and air sealing to make existing homes more comfortable and efficient. This lowers the homeowner’s carbon footprint and definitely saves money on utility bills.
“We like people to start with a Home Energy Audit done by an independent auditor. The auditor will come to your home, do a thorough inspection and use a thermal camera to detect heat loss, then compile a report that details improvements the homeowner can make to increase efficiency,” said Ivy.
The best return on investment typically involves air sealing, installing a ductless heat pump, and adding insulation. “I’ll come in with a copy of the Home Energy Audit report, and will put the projects in the order that make the most sense. Some things cost very little and save you a lot of money, like air sealing. Next on the list is almost always a ductless heat pump. They are super quiet and they clean the air because they have washable filters in them. For every dollar you put into a heat pump you get four dollars of heat out,” said Ivy. He points out that every single member of NET has a ductless heat pump in their own homes.
NET approaches every home from a building science perspective. “A lot of companies will come in and install a heat pump and that is it. We look at the big picture and view your home as a complete, dynamic system,” he said.
NET provides a list of upgrade options working from the least expensive to the most expensive. They also look at the return on investment (ROI) each upgrade will make. For example, wall insulation is expensive and has a low ROI, while attic insulation is inexpensive and gives you a better ROI. “Ceiling insulation will pay for itself in a matter of months while a ductless heat pump can pay for itself in three to five years, depending on what heat source you currently use,” he said.
Ivy is quick to point out there are many upgrades that homeowners can do on their own so he prices each item separately to make it easy to determine which upgrade to hire NET to complete and which ones they might tackle on their own.
Last week Ivy spoke at a historic home event for the City of Olympia. The topic was winterizing historic homes and businesses. “There are a lot of issues to consider when you address upgrades in older homes and businesses. The upgrades must not hurt the appearance of the home and must comply with historic home regulations. There are a lot of things you can do that have minimal impact on appearance while complying with all of the regulations,” he said.
NET is also part of a home efficiency seminar called HEAT, for Home Efficiency Action Training. It will be held every other month starting January 17th, 2013 at the Lacey Library at 5:00 p.m. This seminar is co-sponsored by Puget Sound Energy and Generations Credit Union among others, and will give you all the information you need to become knowledgeable about improving the efficiency of your home.
To learn more about this seminar call 360-357-9167 visit the Northwest Energy Team website. For more photos of energy efficiency projects, click here.
