Bright Ideas No. 43
What’s hiding in your walls?
There is something behind your walls, and it’s not just air… It’s the insulation! Insulation is one of the best ways to improve the energy efficiency of your house at a much lower cost than other efficiency solutions.
Benefits of Insulation
- Instant Climate Control. By adding insulation or ensuring what you have is what your house needs, the heat transfer rate is reduced which prevents hot or cold air from transferring through the insulated barriers. This means it’s easier to maintain the climate in your home throughout the year.
- Noise Reduction. For both internal and external walls, increasing the use of insulation can reduce the overall room noise and put a damper on noise generation through the absorption of emitted sounds.
- Lots of Options. There are a variety of options and accessibility to different types of insulations that can offer a variety of benefits to your home. Some of the material options include fiberglass, cellulose, spray foam, mineral wool, etc.
- Best bang for your buck! Effective insulation can lead to lower heating and cooling costs and increased year-round comfort. Basic insulation can be a very affordable alternative to some of the bigger and flashier products.
Where is insulation needed?
An energy assessment is the first step towards energy waste reduction. Different tests can identify energy usage and areas of concern, such as high draft areas like attics.
- Blower Door Test – The home is examined with a thermal camera to find air leakage.
- Combustion Safety Test -Testing furnaces and boilers to determine efficiency and ventilation.
- Thermal Cameras – Uses thermal cameras to identify where insulation is missing.
- Indoor Air Quality – This test is used to prevent potential air quality hazards and to reduce overall moisture.
How you can make it even more affordable!
Different rebates are available for low- and moderate-income households such as energy assessments, reduced insulation costs, etc. Between $6,000-$9,000 in rebates are available to assist in covering costs.
It’s not just low/moderate income households that are eligible for rebates. Anyone can qualify for a rebate between $4,000 and $5,000 and up to 50% of the total cost of the insulation project.
If you want to create a more energy efficient home, but you’re overwhelmed by the options or wary of large price tags for heat pumps and solar panels, consider the silent savior: insulation!
For more information check out Efficiency Maine at www.efficiencymaine.com. Learn more about rebates, installers, energy assessment, and other efficiency options.
Bright Ideas is brought to you by Portland Climate Action Team which meets the Third Tuesday of the month, 6-7:30 p.m. All are welcome to join in. FMI: portlandclimateaction@gmail.com.
