If you’re like many homeowners throughout Windsor and the surrounding communities, you might have already discovered the many advantages of having solar panels installed for your home.
You’re already saving energy, and therefore you’re saving money. But did you know that you could do even more to get even better efficiency from your home systems? Going solar is just the first step to optimal efficiency in your home.
What homeowners sometimes don’t know is that even with solar panel systems, HVAC systems account for almost half of an entire household’s energy usage. This is a lot! Most of that energy is used when your air conditioner, or heating system, cycles on. Considering what our weather is like, this means a good amount of energy gets used!
Read on as we uncover some fairly easy steps to how you can boost your home’s energy efficiency even beyond solar panel installation.
Manage Air Loss
Did you know that you may actually be losing some of your home’s energy through drafty windows and doors? These drafts need to be properly sealed to allow conditioned air to stay in, and outside air to stay outside!
Leaks through drafts or even ductwork leaks can really negatively affect your energy efficiency since your cooling and heating systems will both have to run longer than they should need to in order to compensate and try to reach the desired temperature settings in your thermostat.
Utilize Curtains and Blinds
Sunshine is a universally enjoyable resource for California residents. One of the times it’s really not that enjoyable, however, is at the peak of summer. If recent weather is any indication, it can become swelteringly hot.
If you have south-facing windows, it can get downright miserable in your home at the peak of summer, since the sun shines in during the hottest part of the day.
This is understandably uncomfortable, and it signals your air conditioner to cycle on a lot earlier than you may like, for efficiency purposes. But you can bring down the temperature in your home by closing your curtains and blinds in the late morning and early afternoon. This saves energy as your air conditioner won’t need to cycle on as soon.
In the wintertime, this concept applies in reverse! Given how cold it can get in our area, your heating system gets a lot of use. You can open your blinds and curtains to south-facing windows during the warmest part of the day and bring in some ambient heat. This can allow your heater to stay off until a more reasonable time of day.
Adjust Your Temperature Setting
In the summer, homeowners are often tempted to set their thermostats as low as possible, thinking it will help their homes cool down faster. This isn’t the case, however. Most people are comfortable at 78°F, and setting your thermostat any lower just causes your air conditioner to run longer than it really needs to, which is inefficient.
Whether you want efficiency-boosting tips or want to explore the installation of solar power in Windsor, CA, look no further than Jonas Energy Solutions. Contact us today!