Energy Saving Tip of the Week: Lower Your Energy Costs With Proper Landscaping!

Did you know that you can reduce your monthly energy costs by up to 25% through careful landscape planning? Properly planted trees, plants, and shrubs can protect your house from afternoon sun in summer and act as a windbreaker during cold winter months. Research has shown that summer daytime temperatures can be 3-6 degrees lower in tree-shaded neighborhoods compared to areas with no trees. Planting dense trees on the west and northwest sides of a house will block summer setting sun. Similarly planting evergreens on the north side will slow down cold winter winds while funneling summer cool breezes into the house. Additionally vines climbing on walls form a foliage cover that insulates the home from summer sun and cold winter winds.

*Landscape Picture above Designed and installed by Garden Associates Landscape Architecture Inc., Licensed Landscape Architects.   

Energy Saving Tip of the Week: Fire up that Grill!

Using your outdoor grill saves you cooling dollars on hot summer days. Cooking inside in the oven or on stove top will warm up your house making your air conditioner work harder. The microwave is another good alternative for energy efficient cooking. Microwave ovens use around 50% less energy than conventional ones.

Recessed Lighting

Recessed lighting can be a key element in both the function and the style of any space. Offering a sleek, streamlined look; increasing the amount of light in a room; highlighting the artwork and other special features of a house are a few of many advantages of recessed lights. There are hundreds of options and products available to create the look you are looking for in recessed lighting.

However if not installed properly, they can certainly make your house less energy efficient. Installed on the second floor of a house recessed lights are holes open into your attic that allow unwanted air flow between conditioned and unconditioned spaces. If there is not proper sealing, they can cause a room to be warmer in summer. Humidity is another problem caused by improper sealing of these fixtures. When the moisture-laden warm air leaks into the ceiling cavity and comes in touch with a cold surface condensation and mold-growth may occur. To make matters worse, when the light is on, the heat from the lamp accelerates the air flow (stack effect) through the fixture, increasing the energy loss.

These potential problems can be avoided if recessed lighting is installed and sealed by certified professionals. You should also use Energy Star qualified lighting fixtures to reduce your energy costs. One of the many advantages of having a home energy audit is to determine whether or not the recessed cans in your house are causing any air leaks. A certified consultant would test the sealing around these fixtures for any leaks that may cause energy loss as well as moisture and mold problems.

Homes With CFL Bulbs Are Cool!

Did you know that Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) bulbs produce 75% less heat than standard bulbs thus cutting down home cooling costs? They also use 75% less energy than ordinary bulbs even though they provide the same amount of light. By installing CFLs in your home’s six most frequently used light fixtures you could save $30 or more per year on energy costs. To gain the most financial benefit from your CFL, leave it on for more than 15 minutes at a time. Frequent switching on and off will shorten the bulb’s life. You can buy CFLs at discounted prices at NJ Clean Energy’s online store. At the end of its useful life, dispose them carefully and safely. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends that consumers take advantage of local recycling options for disposal of CFLs.

Home Performance with Energy Star®

Home Performance with Energy Star®, a program by New Jersey Board of Public Utilities and New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program, is a comprehensive whole-house approach to improving both energy efficiency and comfort of your home. The program provides cash incentives to NJ residents who reduce their energy bills by making their homes more energy efficient.

The first step in taking advantage of these incentives is to get a home energy audit. At the end of your audit, Green Domain’s BPI-certified consultants will prepare a detailed report that advises what Greenfixes need to be implemented. As a result of these Greenfixes, you will receive cash rebates based on your energy savings:

• Projects that will result in 5%-25% savings on monthly energy bills will receive up to $1,300 in cash rebates;
• Projects that will save 25% and higher on monthly energy bills will receive up to $3,000.


Federal tax credits are also available for energy efficient home improvements!

Blower Door Test

Appliance Combustion Test

A home energy audit conducted by our expert consultants is a comprehensive four-hour-long assessment of every aspect of your house from air sealing, windows, and doors to combustion testing of all your appliances. In addition to financial and fiscal benefits, Greenfixes will provide you a healthier and more comfortable home with fewer drafts, consistent temperatures across rooms, and better humidity and ventilation control.

Call Green Domain today to schedule your home energy audit! 908 534 6464.

Energy Saving Tip of the Week: Be a Fan of Ceiling Fans!

Did you know that you could lower your air conditioning costs by up to 14% during the cooling season if you increased your thermostat by two degrees and used your ceiling fan? The blades of a ceiling fan push down the air to create a cool breeze in hot summer days.

Ceiling fans cool only the people and not the rooms, though. So don’t forget to turn it off when you leave the room!