CASE STUDY
HOME PERFORMANCE WITH
ENERGY STAR®
Energy Overhaul in Ithaca
Ithaca, Neiv York
When Simon St. Laurent and Tracey Cranston bought their
1930-era colonial home, they knew they had a project on
their hands. One thing they hadn't counted on was the very
high cost to heat the home through the long cold upstate
winters. Despite the money they were paying to heat the
house, it was still cold and drafty; and because they both
work at home, their comfort problems were a round-the-
clock issue. When they heard about the Home Performance
with ENERGY STAR program offered in New York, they
decided the time was right to modernize their heating
system, lower their heating bills, and improve their comfort.
The couple called Performance Systems Contracting
(PSC), a company participating in New York's Home
Performance with ENERGY STAR program. Home
Performance with ENERGY STAR is an innovative whole
house approach to improving the comfort and energy
efficiency of existing homes. Qualified contractors provide
a complete home assessment and recommend ways to
improve its energy efficiency. They can even do the work.
Contractors use equipment such as blower doors and
infrared cameras to pinpoint air leaks and insulation gaps
and to verify that heating and cooling equipment is working
efficiently and safely. The goal is to improve the overall
performance of the home rather than simply fixing one
item that may be only part of the problem.
Jon Harrod of PSC came on a cold winter day to provide
the initial evaluation and set up a blower door to begin his
diagnostics. All of the leaks pulled an amazing amount of
cold air into the house. And an infrared camera verified
thatthe house was in serious need of insulation. The old
furnace tested at 53% efficient, which means that almost
half of the heat produced was going directly up the
chimney and never reaching the rooms in the house.
Having found a lot of room for improvement, Jon put
together a comprehensive plan to improve the house, and
Simon and Tracey agreed to proceed with the work.
Performance Systems removed the old gravity furnace
and replaced it with a high efficiency model. The
contractors did a lot of air-sealing in the attic and
basement to help hold the warm air in. And they added
insulation to the walls and attic. They also educated Simon
and Tracey aboutways to further reduce their electricity
consumption, such as choosing ENERGY STAR qualified
lighting, home electronics, and appliances when replacing
these items.
After the improvements were finished, the couple's heating
bills were as much as two-thirds lower, saving more than
60 cents on every dollar they used to spend. Simon added
"On comfort, there's a double bonus. Not only are we
spared the cold drafts in the winter, the house stays cooler
for longer in the summer. It's been an excellent
improvement on all levels." As he points out, "There's no
good reason even an old house shouldn't be energy
efficient."
The Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program
currently is available in 12 states. Benefits of the program
include:
~	Up to 30% Savings on Energy Bills
~	A Quieter, More Comfortable Living Environment
~	Improved Air Quality
~	Greater Home Durability with Lower Maintenance
To learn more about the Home Performance
with ENERGY STAR program, visit:
www.energystar.gov/homeperformance
"x HOME performance with
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