Best Practices

Energy Smart is committed to following the latest and greatest advances in the emerging field of home performance.  As proof of this commitment, here are some of our core business practices, which we believe are essential to running an effective (and successful) home performance outfit.

Industry Standards and the Whole House Approach to Building Performance

Our technicians are trained and certified by both the national organizations – BPI and RESENT - that create and maintain the standards for home performance.  Moreover, we are a proud partner with Home Performance with EnergyStar and PA Home Energy.  In line with our credentials and expertise, we work according to the whole-house approach to building performance.  This means we that treat each house as a system of interrelated parts; what affects one part of the system affects them all.  An inefficient HVAC system may contribute to moisture problems in unlikely places throughout the house.  Incandescent light bulbs and other heat-emitting home appliances make tangible differences on air conditioning loads.  Air leaks compromise the effectiveness of insulation.  By taking the whole-house approach, we are able to accurately assess the quality of the home environment, and thus help homeowners make the best decisions toward becoming more energy efficienct, cost effective, and comfortable.  To learn more about the whole-house approach, the Whole Building Design Guide is a great place to start.

Air Sealing AND Insulation

Maintaining a comfortable and energy efficient home entails both insulating and air sealing the building envelope.  At Energy Smart Home, we will air seal your home to stop the movement of uncontrolled, unwanted air between the interior and exterior, then insulate to give it a complete thermal boundary.  Here’s a few reasons why air sealing is essential to home performance.

• You can’t control the weather, but you can control the environment indoors.  With air sealing, you keep harsh, outdoor air from creeping in and cozy, indoor air from sneaking out.
• Let your insulation do its job.  Air sealing prevents air movement within insulation, which compromises its effectiveness (i.e., reduces its effective R-value).
• Don’t throw your money out the window (or the cracks around it.)  According to EnergyStar, air sealing can save you up to 20% of your annual heating and cooling expenses.
• Take good care of your HVAC system.  High amounts of air leakage in and out of the building envelope force your heating and cooling system to work harder and longer, which shortens its lifespan and costs you extra money.
• Make yourself comfortable.  Air sealing helps put an end to any of those bothersome drafts lurking around your house.

Cellulose vs. Fiberglass

Compared to fiberglass, cellulose is far and away the better choice for proper home insulation.  For one, cellulose is simply a better insulating material, as measured by R-value.  Loose fill fiberglass has an R-value of approximately 2.8 per inch; fiberglass batts have an r-value of about 3.0 per inch (but only if perfectly installed).  Alternatively, cellulose loose fill ranks at about R-3.7 per inch; high density cellulose wall spray, the ideal choice for new construction projects, also has an R-value of about 3.7 per inch.  In addition, cellulose retains its insulating qualities, regardless of temperatures; studies have shown fiberglass gradually loses its effective R-value as temperatures descend.  Cellulose is also more environmentally-friendly than fiberglass; it is manufactured from recycled paper products and contains less embodied energy (the energy required to manufacture a material).  In sum, when it comes to common sense, cellulose is the way to go.