Energy efficiency presents challenges to nation’s utilities

For decades, economic expansion in America always led to an increase in electricity sales. In fact, during the 1950s and 1960s, energy demands actually grew faster than the nation's gross domestic product. But over the last few years, another trend has developed. While the economy continues its rebound, the electric retail industry saw its peak in 2008, around the time of the Great Recession's genesis, at an annual sales mark of 3.77 trillion kilowatt-hours. That figure then dropped continually until a slight rebound in 2011 and then continued to descend with the latest 2013 statistics totaling at 3.69 trillion kilowatt-hours, a two percent dip from 2008. 

But The Wall Street Journal recently suggested that the electric retail industry may be enduring demand destruction, the substantial near-permanent reduction of the need for a resource, as more people turn to solar energy and other green alternatives. 

Energy efficiency initiatives have been diluting the effects of population and economic growth because of energy usage upgrades. In 2005, the average refrigerator used 840 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year, compared to only 453 kilowatt-hours in 2010. An LED bulb can consume between 70 and 80 percent less electricity to produce the same amount of light as an incandescent light bulb. That disparity has even begun to attract large companies and organizations like Macy's Corp. In 2010, the retailer began replacing their traditional light bulbs with LEDs in more than 800 of their stores, slashing its energy usage by up to 73 percent. 

As the prospect of cheaper utility bills through alternative means becomes more broadly known, home energy efficiency continues to grow into more of a priority for many homeowners. If you live in the Maryland area and are looking to have an energy audit evaluate your own power consumption needs, simply schedule an appointment with leading home inspection company Alban Inspections!

Decline in housing prices bringing more potential home buyers into the market

Veros Real Estate Solutions, a Santa Ana analytics company, forecasts that the upcoming year will show that home price increases in "all but the most upbeat markets are slowing" across the country and that one out of every five markets will undertake a year-to-year decline in housing prices . 

According to the Los Angeles Times, these impending fiscal shifts have also led to inventive financial maneuvering. David Stevens, chief executive of the Mortgage Bankers Association, confirms that Long & Foster Cos. "did a ton of buy-downs" when he was a senior executive with the company. A buy-down mortgage is a financial compromise where, in exchange for agreeing to a price closer to what a seller is requesting, the seller pays a fee to a loaning agency that would guarantee the buyer receiving a lower monthly payment for the duration of his or her mortgage.

With these oncoming changes in the market opening the door for more potential home buyers, the need for a quality home inspection is greater than ever. Declining prices invariably means more prospective buyers competing over a single piece of property. That's a development which puts less pressure on a seller with multiple options to ensure that a home is in sound condition.  Consequently, it falls on the buyer to confirm that a potential home doesn't have any easy-to-overlook defects that could flare into disasters just a few months after first buying it. 

The work that goes into negotiating a good price for a home can be exhausting. But putting in all that effort only to find out later that your property has bad wiring or rusty pipes can be devastating. That's why the value of a quality home inspection is a necessity that can't be overlooked. If you live in the Maryland area and are looking for a professional home inspection company, Alban Inspections is a dependable industry leader that can meet all your needs! 

Report: China and India more energy-efficient than U.S.

Out of the 16 largest economies in the world, the United States languishes in 13th place for energy efficiency.

This is according to a new study conducted by the nonprofit American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). ACEEE assessed the world's 16 leading economies, accounting for roughly 81 percent of the planet's gross domestic product and 71 percent of its energy use, in 31 different areas surrounding political and procedural approaches to matters like fuel economy standards. Among Australia, Brazil, Canada and the 13 other nations, even India and China, two of the world's most prolific polluters, ranked higher than the U.S. at 11th and 4th place respectively. 

"There's really no excuse for the United States lagging behind other nations on energy efficiency," Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., told USA Today. "There's bipartisan common ground on this issue in Congress." 

The scoring system evaluated each nation's efficiency based on four categories: buildings, industry, transportation and national effort. One hundred points was the highest possible score. America scored less than 50 points, beating out only Mexico and Brazil.

While the report may generate surprise and even frustration from public officials like Rep. Welch, Congress has not passed a major energy bill since 2007. Furthermore, a bipartisan bill to boost energy efficiency collapsed in the Senate earlier this year. Consequently, with energy-efficient building codes now mandatory in Germany, and only Italy and the United Kingdom having managed to reach the 38.4 miles-per-gallon milestone for passenger vehicles, what progress the U.S. has made in energy efficiency failed to make a significant impact in the survey. 

Nevertheless, the effort to conserve energy and embrace new approaches to renewable power continues.  If you live in the Maryland area and want to learn more about home energy efficiency or have an energy audit evaluate your household's power consumption needs, schedule an appointment with Alban Inspections!

3 creative ways to use solar energy

As energy efficiency grows in popularity across the nation, so do the debates on how green energy ought to be utilized. But while some solar power initiatives are still waiting on politicians, this renewable energy source is still widely available and applicable for every day use, even for people who either don't want to or just can't afford to slather their roofs with shimmering solar panels. 

Here are three less obvious ways of going solar in your home: 

Purchase a solar water heater: While these appliances can be carry a larger price tag upfront, they end up being cost-effective in the long run as you use only the sun and the glass panels on the device to generate the hot water you need . 

Try solar oven cooking: Through a combination of glass and reflective materials used to collect and trap the heat, solar ovens have the ability to cook food at up to 350 degrees without the use of fuel.  There are several versions of these appliances, fit for both outside and inside culinary fun. But a setback to be aware of is that some solar ovens need more time to warm up than conventional models.

Use Thermal Storage Tubes: These appliances are traditionally used in greenhouses and gardens but can also serve as a creative way to heat a room or open space in your home. If it fits within your budget, converting one of these devices to fit comfortably in almost any living space is a very doable procedure. 

With their promise of cheaper utility bills and a reduce environmental footprint, home energy efficiency remains a top priority for many homeowners. If you live in the Maryland area and are looking to have an energy audit evaluate your own power consumption needs, or to learn what adjustments you can make for a greener lifestyle, simply schedule an appointment with leading home inspection company Alban Inspections!

Be savvy about your home inspection

A quality home inspection is an invaluable investment that looks to spare you the unseen, and often significant, costs that can crop up only after you've taken the leap of purchasing a home. These can include issues such as mold, weak insulation and poor drainage — problems that you may not notice until you've already begun living in your new house. 

In the interest of alleviating some of the stress that may come with having an inspection done, and equipping you with a few tools to help verify that your inspector is a competent one, here are a few questions you can ask during an inspection to make sure that you're getting your money's worth: 

Are those gaps I see around the doors? – Uneven spaces and crevices in between a door and its frame are tiny details that may indicate a shifting foundation. 

Is the wiring overworked? – Wiring for a home is like the fuel injection system for a car. Just as you wouldn't put diesel in your sedan when it runs on unleaded, the wiring  in older houses  isn't always equipped to match up with the power demands of modern appliances like hair dryers or flat-screen televisions. Flickering lights and tripped circuits may signal a need to have an electrician reconfigure your potential home's power capabilities before bigger problems arrive. 

Why does this toilet shake? – A seemingly small hiccup in your bathroom's structure can lead to major water damage. An unsteady toilet can eventually crack the wax ring at its base and lead to water leakage with every flush, eventually rotting your floor. 

If you live in the Maryland area and need a reliable and professional home inspection company, Alban Inspections  can help! Contact us today to schedule an appointment.

Clayton Homes finds historic success in energy efficiency

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has been laboring to find more ways for consumers to improve the energy efficiency of their homes. Those efforts recently blended with the work of the Systems Building Research Alliance (SBRA) when the non-profit organization commissioned America's most prolific home builder, Clayton Homes, to construct three houses for a 15-month energy-performance test. The final results included one of the the Clayton Homes' houses becoming the only home in the nation to qualify for the DOE Challenge Home Program. 

"A DOE Zero Energy Ready Home is a high-performance home that is so energy efficient, that a renewable-energy system can offset all or most of its annual energy consumption," according to a DOE statement published by Business Wire which went on to say that the DOE's Builders Challenge Program "represents a whole new level of home performance." 

Southern Energy Homes, Inc. (SEhomes), a subsidiary of Clayton Homes, completed the three SBRA test houses at their home-building facility in Double Springs, Ala with each representing differing levels of energy efficiency. One home meets HUD thermal requirements, another complies with the standards of an Energy Star (r) qualified home and the third is the DOE Zero Energy Ready Home. 

"The SBRA testing process is a milestone in our industry's pursuit of the efficient use of energy," said Keith Holdbrooks, president of CMH Manufacturing, Inc., Clayton Homes' manufacturing division, according to Business Wire. "We are proud that Clayton Homes has the opportunity to demonstrate its leadership in innovation." 

Since 2008, the DOE's Builders Challenge Program has recognized hundreds of achievements in home-building energy efficiency which have led to millions of dollars in energy savings and more than 14,000 new energy-efficient homes. If you live in the Maryland area and want to learn about how efficient your home's energy output is through an energy audit, or more about home energy efficiency in general, just schedule an appointment with leading home inspection company Alban Inspections!

The growing significance of passive houses

The cost of resources needed to build passive houses, homes that require very little energy to maintain a comfortable temperature year round, has often been decried as excessive. While Josh Wojcik, owner of Upright properties, had a crew removing the roof of a 1973 ranch house in order to convert it into a high-efficiency home, a passerby leaned out the window of his truck and, according to the Business Sun Journal, yelled, "You're doing too much!" 

The widespread criticism that building passive houses is overkill has been a constant hurdle for this industry that refuses to stop growing. Conversely, proponents maintain that the upfront costs of the low-energy heating units are offset by extra savings in energy costs. Thus, several companies have begun to make their mark in what Wojcik describes as "a new frontier." 

Bangor-based building retrofitter House Revivers is walking the same path as Wojcik with plans to finish the first of six Bangor EcoHomes houses and oversee an opening set for July 26 of this year. WABI TV reported that Bangor EcoHomes's project manager, David Kelly, insists that insulation is one of the most effective ways to create an energy efficient home. He references a Bangor house where a modest 1500-watt heater would suffice to warm the entire home for the winter while only consuming roughly the same amount of energy used by a handheld blow dryer. 

Along with the vocal criticisms there is also the lack of awareness of house builders and buyers to address, in regard to the available techniques and technology used in building energy efficient homes. But word of the upside is spreading as G-O Logic, builder of the first passive certified house in Maine and Michigan, was reported by the Business Sun Journal to have estimated that a 1,500-square-foot home built to code can save a homeowner roughly $1,400 annually.

As the status of energy efficient homes grows in America, remember that if you live in the Maryland area and are looking to learn more about home energy efficiency or have an energy audit to evaluate your power consumption needs, just schedule an appointment with leading home inspection company Alban Inspections!

Maryland-area developers create net-zero-energy home

While it did not break into the top ten most energy efficient states for 2014, Maryland is making great strides in the ways of green technology at a residential and commercial level.

According to Clean Technica, a clean energy news site, one Maryland-area home has achieved zero net energy use for a full calendar year.

Researchers and builders from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) set out to determine whether it was possible for a net-zero-energy home to exist, and with the proper implementation of energy-efficient appliances, insulation, heating and cooling systems and location, the team exceeded their own expectations.

Built with the guidelines of the U.S. Green Building Council LEED Platinum Codes, which are the highest standards for energy efficiency in the country, the researchers estimated that the house would be 60 percent more efficient than the average Maryland home.

The average Maryland-based house uses approximately 27,000 kWh of energy, whereas this house only used 13,086. The builders, who had worked with researchers to find the places in normal homes that tend to hemorrhage energy – and as a result, money – included solar paneling, energy star certified appliances and strategic placement. While the implementation of proper sealing, windows and appliances lowered the overall energy consumption, the use of solar paneling actually created more energy than the house could use in a year.  

"Residents of these type of houses would save about $4,373 in electricity a year ($364 a month), and the improvements will not only increase the total value of the house, but it will also enhance the living comfort," says Clean Technica.

Step one in creating more efficient homes is identifying the places within your current environment that need improvement. The best way to do that is seek out a professional home inspection from Alban Inspections. For more information, contact us today.

Massachusetts named most energy-efficient state

For the first time in four years, California is no longer leading the country in energy efficiency, according to the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE).

After analyzing each state's renewable energy initiatives, ACEEE found that Massachusetts is now the most efficient, largely due to the commonwealth's implementation of the Green Communities Act (GCA).

The GCA is an initiative that aims to help all of the Bay State's cities and towns to find clean energy solutions, according to the Massachusetts Energy and Environmental Affairs website. These progressions aim to strengthen local economies by reducing long-term energy costs.

"The legislation requires electric utilities in Massachusetts to purchase all available energy efficiency improvements that cost less than it does to generate power," Co-Director of the U.S. Department of Energy Northeast Clean Energy Application Center, Thomas Bourgeois, told Forbes.  "It has been a major boon to energy efficiency in Massachusetts over the past three years.

The top ten states for energy efficiency were Massachusetts, California, New York, Oregon, Vermont, Washington state, Rhode Island, Minnesota, Connecticut and Maryland.

When calculating rankings, ACEEE considered residential involvement in creating more efficient homes and businesses, as well as state-led green initiatives.

One of the best ways to become part of the green revolution is by getting a home inspection that evaluates the overall efficiency of your house and determines steps for improvement that can be made. While Maryland is clearly already well established in the field of energy efficiency, residents can make further progress of their own right in their own homes.

If you live in the Maryland area and are interested in having your home inspected, contact Alban Inspections today.

3 clean energy light bulbs and how they differ

Energy efficiency becoming a more prevalent component of our society has led to changes that can easily leave someone feeling overwhelmed. With respect to light bulbs, there are several relatively new options that don't overtly distinguish themselves with their names, leaving you to wonder what exactly you're paying for when you buy them because the truth is that if you've bought one light bulb you have most certainly not bought them all: 

1) Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs): Perhaps the number one quality of the CFLs is that they consume only 25 percent of the energy used by traditional incandescent bulbs while lasting 10 times longer. They are also quieter and have warmer, color-corrected tones. Conversely, these bulbs contain minimal quantities of mercury, a harmful substance which means these bulbs have to be recycled and that extra care needs to be exercised to protect against breakage.

2) Halogen light bulbs: Halogen light bulbs are identical to the traditional incandescent light bulbs except that they use roughly 25 to 30 percent less energy and produce the closest approximation of natural dayligh​t. The downside is that they don't always last very long and burn at a higher temperature, which could be a fire hazard. 

3) Light-emitting diode bulbs (LEDs): The LED bulb's claim to fame is that it requires even less energy than the CFLs. And as the technology improves, the LEDs are becoming more effective at lighting an entire room but not yet to the effectiveness of the other bulbs. Their major shortcoming is that they cost significantly more money but the price of these bulbs is steadily declining.

Remember that if you live in the Maryland area and are looking to learn more about home energy efficiency or have an energy audit evaluate your power consumption needs, just schedule an appointment with leading home inspection company Alban Inspections!