This month we were lucky enough to have syndicated columnist and author of About the House, Henri de Marne talk to us about old homes and seasonal water problems and some of the causes and problems related to that perennial issue. Mold, air exchange and “drafty old houses” were some of the key points touched upon. My favorite sound bite was - Ron “Are drafty old houses better?” Henri “Well, healthier, in some ways”.
I enjoyed the opportunity to talk with David White our Director of Planning and Zoning here in Burlington and he had a lot to say about the benefits of local preservation planning.
By Mary Sullivan, BED Communications Coordinator - City of Burlington, Pine St, msullivan@burlingtonelectric.com Fri, 06 November 2009
Here is a tip from Chris Burns, director of BED’s Energy Services.
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Energy Tip from the Burlington Electric Department
With the heating season here it is important to know what types of improvements save energy in buildings and what do not. There is still a lot of myths and misinformation.
Let’s discuss two — setting back the temperature and replacing windows.A thermostat setback does save energy. For each degree you lower the thermostat (for the entire day) you save about 2% on your bill.With one or two regular setbacks lasting six to 10 hours each day it is possible to reduce your annual heating costs by 10 to 25%.Consider getting a 7-day programmable thermostat (about $30 to $60) to automatically adjust the temperature for you.You can program it to meet your work and sleep schedules.
Regarding window replacement, if your only reason for replacing windows is to save energy dollars it’s typically not worth it.The annual energy costs for a typical single-glazed window with a storm is about $35 per year when using natural gas heat.Installing the most energy efficient window could easily cut that in half.However, the price of a window could be several hundred dollars. Savings of about $17 per year is not very cost-effective.Houses generally lose much more heat through the ceiling to the attic, exterior walls and other air leaks than through the windows. More inches of insulation in the attic and/or sealing the big air leaks is almost always more cost-effective and improves comfort.
When determining the best bang for your buck in making your homes more energy efficient and comfortable, feel free to consult with BED or Vermont Gas Systems about options and potential savings.
Richard Moe talks again about efficiency and sustainability and the role of preservation.
http://www.preservationnation.org/magazine/2009/september-october/presidents-note.htmlWe look forward to the results of this long term study about the energy efficiency of original windows.
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“How do you feel about replacing original windows in historic building with new in the name of “energy efficiency”?
“Why do they call them replacement windows? Because you have to replace them in 15 years.”
As an architect specializing for over 30 years in historic renovations and the “greening” of historic homes, I have never seen an instance where replacement windows cost less than restored windows, last longer than restored windows, are more energy efficient than restored windows with storms, or ever look as good as the original. I also find the payback period on a restored window is half or less than that of a replacement, and frequently the replacement is being replaced before the payback is ever realized. And if you want to talk “green”, if you consider the embodied energy in an existing window, the energy requirements for manufacture and installation of a replacement window, the remarkably small amount of energy required to restore a window, the lack of energy savings from replacement vs restored, and the disposal of the original window in a landfill, the replacement window is not a green product. So why are the feds pushing replacements windows? What would you expect when the window industry writes the guidelines for them? Gary Kleier
130 year old wood windows, in exceptional condition, were replaced with vinyl windows because the contractor said they were better. Today the owner is in trouble with the local Historic Landmarks Commission, he is experiencing severe plaster damage, the installer is out of business and the heating and AC bills haven’t changed.
Kleier Associates Architects
P.O. Box 3343
Louisville, KY 40201-3343
Subject: New comment (15) on “How do you feel about replacing original windows in historic building with new in the name of “energy efficiency”?”
July 1, ‘09 I just talked with Andy at Green Mountain Windows and learned that on June 15 the feds changed the performance standards once again so that storm windows cannot be made to qualify for the tax credits. The fed’s website still mentions storms windows being allowed, but the standard they set cannot be met in practical terms of actually making a storm. I talked with the good folks at MonRay and they say the same thing.
The vinyl pirates win another battle. We cannot depend on the big corporations and federal government. Forget tax credits. We must take our own action to save our windows. Buy Green Mountain storms, or any other, or simply maintain the storms you now have. Add a low cost interior air panel to your wood windows and exterior storms, or simply use ordinary roller shades and curtains and you will have a window system that far out-performs any replacement window, and you keep the vinyl pirates’ off your ship and their hooks out of your pocket book.
We had a great time teaching the Window Restoration Workshop for Preservation Burlington yesterday. If you couldn’t make it fear not we will be running it again late in the summer or early in the fall. Also, keep checking the Preservation Burlington website for other workshops and forums throughout the year.
In a related vein I’ve attached a link to the Landmark Society webblog “Confessions of a Preservationist” that talks about the fallacies of the window industry.
