41,599 pennies. That’s how much the Jones family of Sugar Land, Texas saved in just one month on their energy bill once they upgraded their home’s old windows, HVAC system and attic.
“$415.99 is an impressive energy savings in just a month,” said homeowner John Jones. “Before the home’s energy-efficient renovation our energy bill was $749.70 in August of 2008. A year later the bill was just $333.71 for August of 2009 — that’s a drop of 55.5 percent!
“We attribute much of these savings to the 20 ENERGY STAR qualified Simonton windows that were installed in our house. The windows were constructed with Simonton’s exclusive ETC glass packages and are guaranteed to qualify for the federal Energy Tax Credit.”
The recipients of an Energy Savings Makeover project coordinated by Houston radio show host Gary Parr, the Jones family made many energy-efficient changes to their 2,800-square foot two-story home during the summer of 2009. A new tankless water heater, programmable thermostat, HVAC system, insulation and solar attic fans were added to the home, allowing their kilowatt hours to immediately drop more than 38 percent during the first month after the renovation.
“If our family can experience these drastic savings with energy-efficient products then I believe it’s possible for any homeowner to achieve similar results,” said Jones. “Energy savings means more dollars in our pockets and a more comfortable living situation for everyone in our family.
Green transformation
Dr. Anna Marie, health specialist for The Weather Channel and host of the nationally-syndicated Your Life with Dr. Anna Marie television show, isn’t surprised by the instant savings at the Jones home. For her Greenovation remodeling home project in Florida, she also selected energy-efficient vinyl windows and saw fast results.
“The first thing we did was update all the single pane and metal frame windows and patio doors in this 1971 home,” said Dr. Anna Marie. “We selected Simonton ENERGY STAR qualified vinyl windows and doors for our project because I was impressed by their durability and easy maintenance. Plus, vinyl is green in the sense that it’s recyclable and serves as a great insulator.”
Dr. Anna Marie replaced 14 windows and seven doors in Greenovation of Terra Verde, known as a showpiece demonstration home for green practices and products. “As soon as the new replacement windows were installed I noticed a dramatic change,” said Dr. Anna Marie. “Even though we were still under construction with holes in the house everywhere, there was a noticeable drop in the interior temperature during the heat of the day. The energy efficiency features started working the minute these windows were installed! That’s the kind of energy-efficient benefit that homeowners nationwide can receive when replacing their windows!”
For information on energy-efficient windows, visit www.simonton.com. (MS)
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- Amy Bilodeau, a partner at Gamache & Lessard, demonstrates a cellular shade. “This particular shade has lots of great features that have made it a popular choice for window coverings for the past five years. Features like ‘top down/bottom up’ and cordless have made this a best seller.” Bilodeau added that the blackout option is great for use in certain rooms such as bedrooms and media rooms. According to the manufacturer of this particular shade, “Comfortex ComforTrack Plus Energy Saving Sidetrack Insulation System is specifically and primarily designed to reduce heat loss or gain in your windows. ComforTrack Plus features an integrated side track system that seals off the gaps between cellular shades and windows to create a solid insulating barrier to drafts. ComforTrack Plus Insulation System are certified for federal tax credits for energy efficiency. ComforTrack Plus Insulation System, when installed with light filtering double honeycomb fabric over double-pane glazing window, forms an assembly with a U-factor of less than 0.35 (R-value greater than 2.86).”
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- “You can have virtually anything printed on a graphic roller shade,” said Chris Bilodeau of Gamache & Lessard. Bilodeau took a photo and had it printed on a Comfortex Persona roller shade. When sunlight strikes the shade, the photo seems to come alive. The manufacturer, PERSONA, “offers custom designed roller and roman shades based on a customers unique combination of thousands of colors, textures, patterns and design options.”
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