Homeowners throughout Hillsborough County face a constant struggle to make their homes more energy efficient. While the reasons they have for creating energy efficient homes in Hillsborough may vary from one person to the next, the challenges remain largely the same.
The hot Florida climate. The need to maintain security for the home while reducing energy costs. The sheer expense of many energy-efficiency upgrades. The risk of a massive hurricane blowing through town and causing damage to fancy external efficiency upgrades or putting holes in the home that air can easily pass through.
What can you do to reduce your home’s energy consumption to save electricity, reduce your monthly utility bills, and minimize your carbon footprint?
Here are a few different strategies for creating energy efficient homes in Hillsborough County, along with an assessment of their feasibility in the face of the weather challenges unique to living in a hot, humid region so close to the ocean.”
Tip to Create Energy Efficient Homes in Hillsborough #1: Check for ENERGY STAR Appliances
You thought we’d begin with windows, didn’t you? We’ll get to that idea later on down the line. For now, let’s start with one of the most common power draws in any residential home: the appliances in that home.
If you have an older home with older appliances, you might be spending more on electricity than you really should. Older electrical appliances like electric stoves, refrigerators, televisions, etc. are often less energy efficient than more current versions of those same appliances.
So, one way to make your home more energy efficient is to remove old, outdated appliances and replace them with newer ENERGY STAR-certified appliances. You can find recommendations for certified appliances on the ENERGY STAR website.
Pros:
- Good chance to update your home’s interior.
- Can help you modernize your appliances as part of a ‘smart home’ upgrade.
Cons:
- Expensive.
- Return on investment varies depending on what appliances you’re replacing and how old they are.
- Similar or better energy savings can sometimes be realized via removal of unnecessary appliances and smart usage practices (unplugging unused appliances, switching off lights when leaving rooms, etc.).
Tip to Create Energy Efficient Homes in Hillsborough #2: Use Comfort Ranges on Thermostats
One of the biggest power draws in the home, especially in Florida, is your air conditioning system. To keep your home comfy throughout the worst of the summer heat, your AC system often has to work extra hard.
Not only does this draw more energy, it puts extra strain on the air conditioning unit, leading to more wear and tear requiring more maintenance down the road.
One way to alleviate the burden on your AC system is to use a smart thermostat device that allows you to program your home’s air conditioning to maintain temperature in a broader comfort range rather than holding fast to a single temperature.
Some smart thermostats even let you set schedules so that your AC doesn’t run when you and your family won’t be in the home, further enhancing your energy savings.
Pros:
- Relatively easy to set up with the right thermostat.
- Smart thermostats let you remotely control your air conditioning.
- Cheaper than replacing your air conditioning unit itself.
- Reduces wear and tear on your AC.
Cons:
- Finding the right thermostat and tying it into your smart home setup can be challenging for some homeowners.
- Not all smart thermostats are created equally.
- Doesn’t solve the problem of an air conditioner not being powerful enough to keep your home cool.
Tip to Create Energy Efficient Homes in Hillsborough #3: Improving Insulation
One of the reasons why air conditioning units often struggle to keep your home cool, especially during the height of summer, is because of poor insulation in the home.
If you find that your AC is barely keeping up with your cooling needs or the temperature tends to steadily climb throughout the day even as your AC struggles at maximum output, then it might be time to check your home’s insulation. Especially if your air conditioner is rated for the size of home you have.
Some common areas to check the insulation of when your home gets unreasonably hot too quickly are your roof/attic space, your doors, and all of your windows.
If you have no insulation or old insulation that has been degraded significantly due to moisture damage or other issues, it might be time to start replacing it.
Pros:
- Can provide long-term energy savings that lasts for decades.
- Can help improve your home’s soundproofing.
Cons:
- May require contractors to do tear-out and replacement of walls and/or roofing and attic materials, driving up costs and disruption to the home.
- Can be costly for labor and materials depending on how much insulation is needed.
Tip to Create Energy Efficient Homes in Hillsborough #4: Solar Panel Installation
Here’s a method to cut your energy costs directly by generating your own power during the day: installing solar panels to offset your energy consumption. This is a particularly popular option here in the Sunshine State.
The abundance of sunshine in Florida helps make solar panels extremely good at generating electricity for your home. So good that homeowners can actually earn credits from net metering incentives where you get energy credits for the excess power your panels generate throughout the day.
Pros:
- Helps increase home value.
- Can earn you energy credits from your electricity company.
Cons:
- High upfront cost with a long time-to-repayment on investment.
- Solar panels are vulnerable to extreme weather events impacting Hillsborough County (such as hurricanes).
- It can be difficult to find a reliable solar energy company to perform the installation.
Tip to Create Energy Efficient Homes in Hillsborough #5: Impact Window Replacement
Told you we’d get to this suggestion eventually. Now, as a window installation company, we would naturally recommend window replacement as a top method for improving your home’s energy efficiency.
Windows (and doors) are where much of your home’s thermal bleed will happen. Big glass windows and doors let in lots of hot sunlight. Metal window and door frames conduct heat and radiate it easily inside the home. Air leaks from old, drafty windows let your cool, conditioned air out and the hot outside air in.
Replacing old windows and doors with newer impact windows that have energy efficiency enhancing features can be a great way to save on energy bills long-term while also making your home safer from hurricanes and other threats.
Pros:
- Provides a long-lasting energy efficiency improvement.
- Can improve home security against intrusion attempts.
- Improves property value for a long time.
- Can qualify you for insurance premium benefits (specifically when you do impact-rated energy efficient windows).
Cons:
- High upfront costs, especially for homes with many windows or especially large windows.
- Not all window installation companies provide adequate installation to ensure maximum energy efficiency improvements.
Want to Make Your Home’s Windows As Energy Efficient as Possible? Contact Karoly!
While we can’t help with the other suggestions on this top 5 list, as a window replacement company, Karoly Windows & Doors can help you improve your home’s energy efficiency through the use of ENERGY STAR-certified windows and doors!
We specialize in installing impact-rated windows and doors that don’t just meet the bare minimum requirements of the Florida Building Code (FBC), but exceed them.
What sets us apart from the competition here in Hillsborough County is that, unlike many of our contemporaries, we do the installation work ourselves. With Karoly Windows, you never have to worry about dealing with a third-party subcontractor.
We only use our own internal team of certified window installation specialists to handle every window installation we do. This is how we’re able to guarantee our work so strongly that we offer a 25-year labor warranty and a 50-year material warranty on the windows we install. We do window installations the right way, every time.
Also, when you reach out to Karoly Windows, everything starts with a free in-home window installation consultation where one of our experts walks you through your replacement window options and helps you find the best windows to maximize your home’s energy efficiency while keeping consistent with your style preferences and budget.
When the consultation’s over and our expert has finished measuring your window openings, we’ll provide you with an accurate quote for service that clearly spells out how much your labor, materials, permits, and other costs will be so there are no surprises on your final bill.
Get honest, upfront pricing, top-tier installation work, and the best windows and doors for homes in Hillsborough. Contact Karoly Windows & Doors to get started.
