Energy Efficient Windows

Windows provide our homes with light, warmth, and ventilation. If they are old, drafty, or installed incorrectly they can also negatively impact a home's energy efficiency. You can make your home more comfortable and attractive while reducing energy cost by installing energy-efficient windows.

High Efficiency Heating & Cooling

After completing basic air and duct sealing and insulation, you can save money by reducing the size and need of your heating and cooling equipment.

High-efficiency heating and cooling equipment can help save energy and money over low-efficiency models and help you maintain a comfortable temperature in your home.

Attic and Wall Insulation

Old insulation or no insulation translates to higher energy costs because heated or cooled air escapes through non-insulated areas. Hot or cold air from outside can also get into your home when you don’t need it. Properly installed insulation helps your home stay cool in the summer and warm in the winter, increasing your family’s comfort and reducing your utility bills.

Air and Duct Sealing

Air Sealing

Air sealing is one of the easiest and cost effective ways to tune up your house. Most homes have small holes where the air you pay to heat or cool leaks outside. A blower door test performed by the groups selected contractor will determine where your home is losing air. They will then seal the leaks to keep conditioned and heated air in and dust and allergens out, saving you money and increasing indoor air quality for your family.

Duct Sealing

Does your furnace turn on and off frequently? Do some of the rooms in your home get too hot or cold? If so your ducts, which send heated and cooled air throughout your home may be leaking.

Most duct systems experience wear and tear over time. Duct leakage can cause indoor air quality problems and can increase energy use.

Seal your ducts properly to make sure the air you are paying to heat and cool gets to where you want it to go throughout your home. You will improve indoor air quality by reducing pollutants entering ducts and circulating through your home and cut your utility cost.

Solar PV

You can take care of your electricity needs by using sunlight. GroupEnergy would like to help you understand how solar works and how to make it work for you.

The process of turning light into electricity is called the photovoltaic effect: photo, or light and voltaic or producing voltage.

Solar Cells: We can change sunlight directly to electricity using solar cells made of silicon. When the sun shines on these cells they absorb the sunlight and generate direct current (DC) electricity.

PV modules or solar panels are made of groups of PV cells. The solar panels are then grouped together on your roof and connected to create an array or PV system.

Inverter: In addition to solar panels, your PV system will include a device called an inverter. Because the appliances and other electronics in your home run on alternating current (AC) electricity, it is the inverters job to convert the DC electricity from the solar panels to AC for use in your home.

Utility Meter, Grid and Net Energy Metering: PV systems are most commonly interconnected to the utility grid (the network of power lines throughout our communities). Your utility meter will keep track of how much electricity your PV system produces and how much electricity you use.

When the PV system is producing more electricity than your household is consuming, for instance, during the middle of the day when you're at work, excess electricity is sent back to the utility grid. You will receive credits (like a savings account) for excess generation that can be used at night or on cloudy days when your PV system isn’t producing as much energy. This process is called Net Energy Metering.

Balance of System: The Balance of System is what keeps your solar panels on your roof and delivers electricity to your inverter and home. Racking for the solar panels, wiring and conduit all play a part in your homes PV system.

PV System Maintenance and Benefits: Solar is reliable, simple, low maintenance and is able to produce clean energy from the sun for up to 25 years! Your PV system will generate electricity when it is most expensive, during the day enabling you to create clean energy at a fraction of the cost for years to come.

A WHOLE HOUSE APPROACH

A whole house approach to energy improvements takes into account the fact that a building is a system of interacting parts and forces. The most effective way to improve the comfort and energy efficiency of your home is through a comprehensive, whole house approach that assesses all of the systems within your home.