by CHRISTOPHER KAZARIAN
Historic floods, rampant wildfires, and record-setting temperatures in the summer (and winter). Barely a day goes by without news of a weather-related event tied to climate change. While it may be overwhelming, there is hope. And it starts at home.
That is exactly what one single mother is demonstrating with a two-bedroom house she is having constructed in East Falmouth, for her and her teenage son. “She is completely committed to making it a net-zero home,” said Jill Neubauer, principal of Jill Neubauer Architects in Falmouth. “That is her first commitment that will not be budged on, even though she has a very tight budget. That is a moral and intellectual commitment to say, ‘It’s okay. I’m not going to buy the kitchen I would love to have, but I’m going to buy a much more modest kitchen because I’m putting my available money into insulation.”
Net zero is a lofty goal that a growing number of homeowners are striving for—to live in a home that generates as much energy as it uses. Getting there isn’t easy, but for Neubauer, it’s a goal more of her clients, like the single mother from East Falmouth, are striving toward.
“What is great about this endeavor to strive for this goal is everything we do along the path, from a building that meets code to one that is striving to meet net zero or the ultimate—which is net positive— to make more energy than it uses and give it back for others to use. Everything we do helps the environment,” Neubauer said. “It isn’t that we did it or we didn’t do it, but that we’re on a gradual path of doing better with all decisions that are made.”
The first step on that path is the easiest: contact Cape Light Compact for a home energy assessment. “I strongly encourage everyone to sign up for an assessment whether you rent or own,” said the Compact’s Residential and C&I Program Manager Briana Kane.
The assessments provide detailed information on “where you are in your home and what improvements we can support and incentivize to get your home to be more efficient, so you can be more comfortable in it,” she said.
They look at everything from insulation to HVAC to appliances to lighting to duct sealing. Weatherizing a home—adding insulation and air sealing—is often where residents can see the biggest value with energy upgrades. “It really buttons up a home to make it warmer inside during the winter and has the opposite effect of keeping it cooler during the summer,” said Kane.
Energy Efficiency Incentives
Through Cape Light Compact, there are incentives for residents to implement energy-efficiency measures in their homes. “With some recommendations, if they are renters or moderate income, they may qualify for 100 percent of their energy upgrades,” Kane said.
Rebates are available for upgrading HVACs, appliances, thermostats, and even purchasing battery-powered lawn equipment and electric bicycles. Some upgrades include zero-interest loans to finance these green projects.
What if you’ve already had an energy assessment in the past? “Depending on when you had it done, incentives now may be greater and we’re able to go deeper with insulation levels,” Kane said. “There may also be some new technologies and rebates that were not available when the assessment was first done.”
The Cape Light Compact also provides support for new construction, renovations, and additions to ensure these projects are as energy efficient as possible.
Green design is not only how you can save energy, “but how you can produce energy to offset the energy you do use,” said Matthew Cole, CEO and president of Cape Associates.
On the energy-saving side, he had a slew of recommendations including installing high-efficiency heat pumps, low-consumption lighting, energy-efficient appliances, and air sealing and insulation.
“On the production side, solar is an incredible investment with huge financial benefits with tax credits available down the road,” Cole said.
As to where consumers should begin, Cole suggested they clearly identify their conservation goals. “Do you want to get to net zero? Do you want smart systems that have a return on investment? Homeowners should state their goal and do an energy audit of their house,” he said. “The audit will consider all systems—the building envelope, HVAC, and energy consumption and provide a menu of recommended options to choose from.”
He noted that these investments can be made with financial support in the form of rebates and tax credits, making them less costly to pursue.
Rely On The Experts
And they can be put into proper perspective with the use of experts like Neubauer. “How do you make a better project? Hire an architect,” she said. “The reason you do that is because the money you’re going to spend will be spent so much more wisely and you will get so much more for your money.
“You should use people for their skillset,” she continued. “Builders are good at building, but there’s a reason why builders are not designers or architects. …You wouldn’t want your knee surgeon to also be an anesthesiologist. You want people to work within their skillset because together they will build a better project.”
And when it comes to going green, that means relying on architects and designers who will have a thoughtful eye toward siting, creating a tight building envelope, types of building materials to use, designing environmentally friendly outdoor landscapes, and ways to generate electricity.
While new construction projects offer an easier path toward achieving energy goals, Neubauer said, “it is also possible for renovations.”
She referenced a deep energy retrofit her company designed for an antique farm in Connecticut, which has a house on it which was constructed in the 1700s. “We surgically opened up that house and it now has a negative energy footprint,” she said.
She said there are some low-hanging fruit, such as solar panels, where energy upgrades can have a significant impact. “You can call solar companies to look at your roof system to see what is possible,” she said.
Properly insulating a house is another important step. “Let’s say you’re getting a new roof. The best thing to do is put insulation on top of the roof before you reshingle it,” she said. “Think of it as putting a hat on when it’s cold outside.”
If a homeowner is adding new windows, doors, or siding, Neubauer said, it’s an opportunity to put rigid insulation on the inside.
She also recommended moving away from fossil fuels and to electric to heat and cool a home. “Most homes can handle that transition,” she said.
Having been an architect for roughly 35 years and having owned her firm for 29 of those, Neubauer still has excitement for the work she is doing. “It is an unending adventure at every level,” she said.
That adventure is rooted in the questions posed not only by her clients, but by the moral one as a result of climate change—how can we minimize our impact on the environment as much as possible? “I love all the questions. I love the non-stop striving and endeavoring from what we learned yesterday and what we learned last month,” she said. “Architects love to make very beautiful buildings and that is really important. That is our responsibility to the built environment to make intelligent, beautiful, joyful buildings, but now added to that responsibility is to make those buildings energy responsible.”