Maximizing Energy Efficiency in Your Vacation Home
Owning a vacation home is a great investment, and with proper energy-efficient upgrades, you can reduce utility costs, improve comfort, and help the environment. In this article, we will explore various ways to make your vacation home more energy-efficient, from roofing and lighting to HVAC and pool systems. By making a few smart upgrades, you can enjoy a more sustainable and cost-effective property.
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1. Roof:
One of the most impactful ways to increase energy efficiency in your vacation home is by improving performance of your roof, attic, and crawspace. The roof surface takes a direct hit from the sun, so keeping it cool, especially on the exterior, can have a huge impact on heating and cooling bills.
Foam roofing provides superior insulation by forming a seamless barrier that prevents air leaks, keeping your home cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. This reduces the load on your heating and cooling systems, ultimately saving energy. If you have a roof that is anywhere near re do time, this medium can really help. Consider the crystals added to the surface, to reflect more heat, and add to the durability.
• Benefits:
• Reduces energy bills by enhancing insulation. Insulation outside of home is more effective than trying to slow heat down with internal insulation.
• Improves indoor comfort year-round
• Helps prevent roof leaks and water damage, easy to repair in case of leaks or penetrations for utilities.
2. Attic or Crawspace Insulation and Venting, Duct Sealing:
Insulation:
It gets hot in your attic and crawspace. Insulation can slow the progression of that heat into your home, so maximizing your R Value to around 30 to 38, is beneficial, as is making sure your ducts are also highly insulated, since the struggle to deliver cool air, against the hot crawspace, can add to utility use. The additional insulation should be as close to the living space as possible.
Ductwork:
If ducts are older than 15 years, or if you have rooms that are not cooling well, consider replacing them with the newer 3x insulate versions, or at the very minimum, invest in a duct leak test, which sometimes finds as much as 30% of the conditioned air, leaking out in the crawspace. If ducts are over the roof, at a minimum they should be painted a reflective white, and optimally, covering in 1.5" of foam roofing and reflective paint.
Attic or Roof tile Venting:
When your attic is not ventilated, the hot air is trapped, causing the primary action to be for heat molecules to push their way into the structure. Insulation slows this down but not my much. If the choice was attic venting, or more insulation, we would pick attic venting hands down. Of course both are effective together as well however the go to is more insulation when in fact lowing the overall temp in the space, is the first step. Installing ridge vents, soffit vents, and attic fans can help air flow properly, preventing heat buildup and reducing the strain on your air conditioning system.
• Benefits:
• Reduces attic heat and moisture buildup
• Improves energy efficiency by maintaining consistent home temperatures
• Extends the lifespan of your roof and HVAC system
Here is a google search link to how attic venting works. This should explain most roof types and the opportunities for venting. Low vent for draw and high for air flow, with power assist, are the go to for many people.
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3. Use Light-Colored/Reflective Paint on West or North-Facing Walls, or consider Rain Screen Siding Detail:
The orientation of your vacation home plays a significant role in its energy efficiency. Walls that face west and north tend to absorb more heat during the afternoon or evening, especially in warm climates. By painting these walls with light or reflective colors, you can minimize heat absorption and reduce the load on your air conditioning system. If your walls are old 2 x 4 construction, with questionable insulation which over time even if once ok, now likely dirty and collapsed, consider a rain screen siding detail.
• Benefits:
• Reduces heat gain, keeping the house cooler
• Lessens the reliance on air conditioning
• Increases aesthetic appeal with a fresh, modern look
Rain Screen works like the following graphic, by providing a gap which allows for insulative air, and also to prevent heat gain thru actual sun hitting the wall surface inside, essentially creating a shade wall in from of your actual wall. The thermal effect, allowing hot air to escape at the top of the wall, without entering your home, and on cold days, cool drops out the bottom, will save on heating and cooling bills, as well as adding to the overall comfort. There are many options these days for pvc / composite, or even hardwood options, which are beautiful, long lasting, requiring no maintenance.
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4. Invest in Smart Thermostats from Acme, which Only heat and cool during planned occupancy.
Acme smart thermostat allows us to only heat and cool when the home is going to be occupied, and keep to a reasonable unnoccupied temp when it will not be.
• Benefits:
• Remote control and scheduling features, with occupancy sensors which edge the temp up when rented but not occupied, or turns off when rented but doors left open.
• Reduced range of temps when vendors are in home, and ability to track by user code, who did what when.
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5. Upgrade to Energy-Efficient Light Fixtures
Switching to energy-efficient lighting is one of the simplest and most effective ways to lower energy consumption. LED light bulbs, for example, use up to 80% less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs and have a much longer lifespan. Also the lighting is more similiar to incandescent. Adding dimmers, and smart switching with schedules, can also slash usage. Given the option to dim, many guests will, which is already half the electrical usage. Consider the same with landscape lighting, if you haven't switched to LED and smart timers, please consider.
• Benefits:
• Significant reduction in electricity usage
• Lower utility bills
• Longer-lasting bulbs, reducing replacement costs, with better looking warmer lighting, cleaner dimming.
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6. Air Conditioning and Ductwork
Older air conditioning systems often operate at a single speed, which can be inefficient. Modern, multi-speed or variable-speed air conditioning units adjust their speed based on the cooling demand, ensuring optimal energy use. These systems not only cool your home more efficiently but also improve indoor air quality and maintain comfort throughout the day. Consider testing the ductwork for leaks or simply replacing it if it is not triplen insulated or certainly if older than 15 years. At a minimum, test it for leaks with a HERS testing company, who can also test for air flow to rooms, ensuring adequate and even air flow. Also think about location of your condenser and air handler. If in the sun, or in a hot space like a air handlers in the garage, or exterior closet, consider how to shade or cool that space. Also make sure the lineset is insulated between the condenser and air handler, and if it is more than 40' or so, consider putting them closer. Higher SEER efficiency rating pays for itself many times, however high efficiency heaters are used less, as it is not often cold in the desert, so 85% efficiency on the heater portion is actually fine. Mini splits can be great for single room, or added to all bedrooms vs forced air. Multi air handlers on a single condensor unit, can operate at 30% less cost than a forced air unit for the same area.
• Benefits:
• Energy-efficient cooling that adapts to your needs
• Reduced wear and tear on the system, extending its lifespan
• Improved air quality and consistent comfort
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7. Pool Pump, Heater, Controls
Pool pumps and heaters are one of the highest consumers of electricity in a vacation home with a pool. Installing an energy-efficient, variable-speed pool pump or efficient pool heater, (see heat pump info under solar) can significantly reduce your energy costs. These pumps are quieter, more reliable, and use far less energy by adjusting the pump speed to the filtration needs of the pool, and the heaters heat more quickly with less gas, reducing consumption thru less usage and lower time spent heating. The controls being remotely controlled and accessed, are a brand standard for Acme, however if you have slipped thru the cracks, consider fixing this. Guests can get into controls if not a smart remote system, and the time on and off for usage, is not as accurate as it requires a visit by our technicians. Think pool heat turned on early due to many arrivals, and left on an extra day due to houses being max occupied and all of the service calls. Never use a tablet controller for your smart system, there is no way to lock out guests who now may change heat and schedule settings, and break things, and the overall experience is just not good.
• Benefits:
• Lower energy consumption and reduced utility bills
• Quieter operation
• Improved water circulation, which helps maintain cleaner water
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8. Seal Doors and Windows
Energy leaks from unsealed doors and windows can account for significant energy loss in your vacation home. Check for gaps and seal them with weather stripping or caulking to prevent drafts. If your windows are outdated, consider upgrading to double-glazed windows, which help maintain better temperature control. However make sure you have exhausted all sealing and shading options, before going to that significant expense. Windows & doors, exposed to the direct sun, in the warm months, and clear gaps in the openings, are the first place to start.
• Benefits:
• Better insulation and reduced heat loss
• Improved indoor comfort by eliminating drafts and lowing outdoor sound entering home
• Lower heating and cooling costs
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9. Consider Solar Panels
If you’re looking for a long-term energy solution, installing solar panels for a full time vacation rental, is nearly always a positive ROI investment. Solar energy can power your vacation home’s lighting, appliances, and even heating or cooling systems, reducing your reliance on traditional energy sources. When considering solar, and most of the usage is for guests, your math is much simpler on the payback or ROI. First get an annual cost of the solar system by taking either the lease payment, or the cost of the system, minus tax benefit. If lease, take annual lease payments, If purchase, take the cost to install, divided by the useful life of the system in years. Next, Consider how much the system will generate, each year, multiplied x the cost of that power from the utility company. Take the cost of the annual utility you are producing at the utility rates, subtract the annual cost of the system, this should be a positive number. In general, you can produce solar at 75% of the cost of utility power. People get hung up on the low reimbursement rate from the utility companies for over producing, however the strategy is to use the power you produce, all of it, by either powering the home, or a combination of that and a pool heat pump, which uses the excess electricity produced during the fall and winter when it is cooler and you are not using much HVAC, and/or by storing the excess production during the day, in batteries, which can power your home thru dusk and dark, thru the peak rate times of 4pm to 9pm. Resist the urge to provide more than 80% to 85% of your full time power, as the sell rate to the utility, makes the over production a poor investment. (with a heat pump for your pool, you will still need the natural gas heater, as it will be unable on its own to bring your pool to temperature except in warm months, and will never be able to get your spa up to speed. Think of it a pre warmer, to keep your pool at 20 degrees or so, above the water ambient temp)
• Benefits:
• Significant long-term savings on energy bills
• Reduction in carbon footprint
• Increased property value
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10. Landscape & Shade Strategically
In addition to improvements inside your home, you can also optimize energy use through landscaping. Planting trees or installing shading structures on the west and south-facing sides of your home can provide natural shade, reducing the amount of heat that enters the house. This helps reduce the workload on air conditioning units during the warmer months.
• Benefits:
• Natural cooling through shade
• Enhanced value of home if sold, as well as added enjoyment for guests and you!
• Lower cooling costs during hot months
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Final Thoughts
There are many ways to make your vacation home more energy-efficient, from simple changes like upgrading light fixtures to more significant investments like installing solar panels. These upgrades not only save you money on energy bills but also make your property more comfortable, sustainable, and appealing in the long term. By implementing some of these suggestions, you’ll be on your way to a more energy-efficient vacation home in no time.
If you would like help asessing the actual culprits for high energy use, please use an energy auditor, they can do a thermal scan of your home to see where you are gaining or losing energy, including appliances, attic, outdoors. Here is a google search for energy auditors in the area, please make sure they are not aligned with a company, this is one area where a free audit will end up giving you potentially misleading or skewed information.
If you need assistance with any of these upgrades, feel free to reach out, and we can help guide you through the process!
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