9 Simple Steps to a Carbon Neutral Home
Brandon Cheshire, Owner
& Chief Technical Officer at Arizona-based SunHarvest Solar,
recently spoke with Sierra Club Green Home about the benefits of going solar. During the interview, they discovered
that his home is not only solar powered, it’s carbon neutral. This means it’s
completely energy independent and emissions-free. Here’s how he did it.
1. LED light bulbs. First thing I did was decrease my lighting
demand by switching all my high-use lights to LED. That reduced my lighting
energy demand by about 35% since I previously had CFLs installed (replacing
incandescent light bulbs would have resulted in 95% savings). This is a great
investment because the LED lamps last over 20 years! SunHarvest can provide
this service for our customers if it is not something they are comfortable
doing themselves.
2. Insulation. I hired a contractor to install radiant
barrier and extra insulation in my attic. This process was not very expensive,
and a difference was noticeable immediately. My home remains 15-25 degrees
cooler/warmer than the outside temperature without A/C or heating! Installing
these products saved me another 30% on my cooling and heating costs.
3.
Energy controller. I installed a KVAR Energy Controller which optimizes the way all the motors
(fridge, dishwasher, etc.) operate in my home. The manufacturer guarantees a
6-12% savings in energy and backs the product with a 90-day money back
warranty. You can actually see it work by looking at your utility meter, it’s
pretty cool! We are a distributor for KVAR and can also provide this service
for customers.
4. Tankless water
heater. Just after I installed
the KVAR, my water heater started leaking, damaged the drywall, and provided me
with the fine opportunity to install an EcoSmart tankless water heater. It has a
lifetime warranty on the entire product, is very simple to install, and
eliminates any wasted energy. It turns on as soon as you want hot water, on
demand. This has saved me an additional 20% in energy costs, and SunHarvest
offers this installation service.
5.
Sun screens. I also installed solar
sun screens which block up to 90% of the sun’s heat. This also keeps my house
cooler during the summer, saving 10% on additional cooling expenses. SunHarvest
is certified to offer this service with a local Aluminum Screen Manufacturer
and Phifer Suntex heavy duty shading fabric.