Solar Power Brings Choice – What System is Most Beneficial?

April 27, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Post Remodeling - Solar Installation in BensalemHave you been thinking about adding solar power to your home? Have you wondered whether to add a Photovoltaic (PV) (electric) or a Solar Thermal (hot water) system?

The systems are vastly different and it’s not always intuitive as to which one will benefit you the most. How much sun-drenched roof you have might make the decision for you.

This Bensalem home had enough roof area with good solar exposure to employ both systems. These homeowners will be offsetting both their electric and natural gas bills. With PECO raising prices regularly (especially in the summer), these solar systems will help them control their overall energy cost & consumption.

An interesting reality here in greater Philadelphia is that natural gas is relatively inexpensive. Local natural gas production has increased and many claim that prices will remain low for years to come.

This is not the case with electricity. Costs are trending upward – and not slowly, either. With antiquated grids and a myriad of regulations, electricity generation and transmission are becoming more and more expensive.

This reality coupled with the decreasing costs of Solar PV systems have led some in the industry to suggest that it does not make sense to install Solar Thermal systems at all. They argue that instead of solar thermal panels, one should add more PV panels and replace conventional hot water heaters with highly efficient electric heat pump water heaters.

The bottom line for homeowners considering solar is to trust the experts. Contact Montgomery County’s leading residential energy expert – Post Remodeling & Handyman Services – and determine the best course of action. Every home is unique and requires a thoughtful custom energy strategy.

Trust our advice? Share this tweetable:

“Trust the experts to help devise the best money-saving solar plan.” – Click To Tweet

Ready for your free in-home consultation? The Post team is ready to meet you! Schedule your consultation today.

Filed Under: Energy Retrofit, Roof, Solar Tagged With: , ,

Celebrating Earth Day with a Solar Water Heater Installation

April 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Post Remodeling installs a solar water heater in Newtown Square, PA.

The recent boom in solar technology for home energy needs has led to specialized projects for homeowners looking to save money yet not wanting to completely cover their roof with solar panels.

As we celebrate Earth Day this week, the Post Remodeling and Handyman Services team spent the day in Newtown Square installing a new solar hot water system.

The new Rheem solar water heater  (pictured) allows a family of four who have been using a conventional hot water heater to save several hundred dollars yearly. The systems produce about 2/3 of their hot water needs. Larger families who use more hot water will save more. With rebates, this usually represents about a 10 year payback on the investment.

To complete the project effectively, the following best practices were observed:

  • Paint all pipe insulation with UV protector and another coat to blend with house.
  • Seal penetrations where pipes enter house.
  • Insulate all pipes from panels to tank.
  • Insulate hot water pipes in home.
  • Always use safety gear such as eye & ear protection and gloves. Safety harnesses should be used on roofs with pitch.

Looking to explore a solar installation at your house? Get a free in-home estimate from Post Remodeling today!

Curious about how solar water heaters work? See the below diagram for more information.

Explanation of solar hot water systems.

Filed Under: Basement, Energy Retrofit, Roof, Solar Tagged With: ,

Easy Fixes for Hidden Sources of Air Leakages

April 13, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Basement Insulation - Post RemodelingAir leakage inside your home can be a major source of energy loss, especially in the summer and winter months. A homeowner’s HVAC system will have to work harder in order to replace energy lost through any poorly insulated areas such as windows.

While it may be a counter intuitive source of air leakage, your basement is a high-value target for energy savings. Easy access and relatively inexpensive materials makes this a no-brainer for most homes.

In many cases, simple fiberglass insulation is all that stands between indoor space and the exterior of your home. As you can see, this home in Blue Bell had quite a few areas where air was entering their basement.

To remedy the problem, the experts at Post Remodeling & Handyman Services, Montgomery County’s leader in energy efficient remodeling projects, placed a layer of foam insulation closest to the exterior and sealed it with spray foam to completely seal the area. To finish, the existing fiberglass insulation was included as secondary rather than primary insulation.

The addition of foam insulation will help normalize temperature inside the home – keeping things warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

Looking for a cost-effective way to improve your home’s insulation? Schedule a free in-home consultation today with the experts at Post Remodeling!

Filed Under: Basement, Energy Retrofit, Home Improvement Tagged With: , ,

Post Remodeling Lights The Way With LED

March 19, 2012 By Leave a Comment

LED Install - Post RemodelingThe evolution of LED lighting over the past few years has seen more and more customers taking advantage of this technology.

Post Remodeling & Handyman Services recommends LED lighting for customers/situations meeting the following criteria:

  • Desire for significant energy savings
  • Plan to be in the same home for a while (or are willing to transport bulbs to new location if needed)
Through the recent evolution, the following considerations no longer apply to the decision making process:
  • Lower lumens (light output or brightness)
  • Inability to be dimmed
  • Compromised CRI (color rendering index) which will misrepresent colors and make them look washed out.
  • Long-term return on investment (ROI)
  • Risk of being an early adopter

Post Remodeling has expertise required to select the right LED lamp for your fixtures. A recent project featured in this post shows a recessed light retrofit using an LED Trim Kit. The unit provides 675 lumens (approximately 65 watts), has a CRI of 92 (anything over 90 is good), is able to be dimmed, and provides a fresh new white trim ring.

The best part is a life span of 15-20 years with a ROI of just 5 years. These figures are loosely based on average office hours usage.

The photos below show the removal of the old bulb, installation of the new trim and bulb, and side-by-side photos of the previous bulb and new LED bulb.

Post Remodeling is able to obtain LED lamps for nearly any fixture. While it can get rather technical with sizes and specifications, our expert team has simplified everything to give you the best possible solution.

Ready to install some LED bulbs in your home and/or office? Contact Post today for a free estimate!

Filed Under: Energy Retrofit, General

Saving Money With Solar Power in Bensalem!

March 13, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Energy efficiency is a top request of homeowners that contact Post Remodeling and Handyman Services. In some cases, it’s possible to save money by generating electricity from solar power.

Recently, Post Remodeling spearheaded a solar photovoltaic install at a home in Bensalem. With this job, we took advantage of Enphase Microinverters which allow for individually managed panels rather than being forced to manage all panels together. The end result is greater efficiency for the entire installation.

The Post team installed panels on two different roof planes (pictures below) with the same orientation. Additional wiring was done in the attic to connect the panels down to the electrical panel in the basement. The roof was particularly steep, but proper staging and safety measures aided in overall efficiency.

After only two days, the home in Bensalem was generating its own electricity! The homeowners are looking forward to lower energy bills as we enter the spring and summer months. Looking to install solar panels on your roof? Contact Post Remodeling today for a free in-home (and on-roof) consultation!

Filed Under: Energy Retrofit, Roof, Solar Tagged With:

Post Remodeling Supports PA Home Energy Loan Program

February 23, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Post Handyman can help with PA Home Energy Loan Program Projects!Energy efficiency is a hot topic in 2012 and the state of Pennsylvania offers a terrific Home Energy Loan Program for households wishing to embark on a variety of energy-saving updates to their home.

If you have been considering substantial upgrades to your insulation or HVAC systems, now is a great time to explore your options with Post Remodeling & Handyman Services. We are an approved contractor for this program that is geared towards making energy efficiency affordable.

For homeowners making less than $150,000 and fitting a small number of additional criteria, the following projects (all available and offered by Post Remodeling & Handyman Services) are eligible for low rate loans:

  • Air Source Heat Pumps
  • Geothermal Heat Pump Systems
  • Central AC Systems
  • Boilers
  • Furnaces
  • Water Heaters
  • Ceiling Fans
  • Programmable Thermostats
  • Ventilating Fans
  • Windows/Doors
  • Air Sealing and Insulation
  • Other Whole House Energy Improvements
All of the projects features below qualify under this program!

Ready to get started on an improvement today? Check out the flyer on the Home Energy Loan Program and have a free in-home consultation from Post today!

 

Filed Under: Energy Retrofit, General Tagged With: , ,

Low Profile Solar Installations Please Community Associations

November 23, 2011 By Leave a Comment

West Chester Solar InstallationA homeowner in West Chester, PA wanted to install a photovoltaic array on the south-side of their roof to generate electricity.

After contacting Post Remodeling & Handyman Services for the job, we ran into an immediate roadblock – their community association. This group did not approve of the standard solar panel installation which drove our research to a more aesthetically pleasing photovoltaic system – the Sun Energy Shingle™. After seeing its extremely thin profile, the association approved the product.

A second challenge was the roof itself – plumbing penetrations in numerous places facilitated some initial cleanup. A key rule of installing roof-top system is to make sure the underlying shingles last as long as the solar equipment. Post Remodeling replaced the old shingles and relocated plumbing penetrations to allow for a durable, uninterrupted installation.

After laying an underlayment called VersaShield® and re-shingling the roof, the solar system installed seamlessly. The system is working as expected and the roof looks terrific.

In general, here are some best practices when working on the roof:

  • Monitor the PSI of your nail gun compressor so you do not overdrive roofing nails.
  • Use of harness for protection
  • Use multi-layer Class A (fire rating) roofing underlayment systems including VersaShield for greatest coverage.
  • Use a little paint to make sure your plumbing penetrations don’t stick out unnecessarily.

Thinking about a solar system of your own? Contact the experts at Post Remodeling for a free estimate!

Filed Under: Energy Retrofit, General, Solar Tagged With: , ,

“Greening” Your Home In 3 Easy Steps

November 21, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Many of us are attracted to the idea of “greening” our homes. Few of us have the opportunity to build a sustainable home from scratch and take advantage of the latest methods and materials.

Here is the challenge: How do we bring our older homes into the new millennium and up to current energy standards?

1. Get an energy assessment (or audit) by a seasoned, certified energy auditor. (Post Remodeling & Handyman Services is a certified energy auditor.) The leading certifiers are Building Performance Institute (BPI) and Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) certified. The report offers a thorough analysis, and a prioritized list of conservation measures, their effectiveness and ROI (return on investment) or SIR (savings to investment ratio). This is essential and will guide you in “greening” your home.

2. Avoid the temptation to employ sexier tactics like solar arrays or bamboo floors, and commit to the report’s recommendations. Usually, the rudimentary work includes behind-the-scenes measures like air sealing and insulating. While this work is not exciting, it will usually last the life of your home and have a relatively quick ROI. Some of the work can be self-performed if you are reasonably skilled. Your safety is paramount as is adherence to building codes, so due diligence and patience are required.

3. After the work has been completed, it is time to have fun employing more advanced measures like solar electric or hot water, geothermal, rain gardens or harvesting, LED or passive lighting, home energy monitoring, advanced ventilation systems, passive solar, or other cutting edge tactics.

As you can see, there is a sound methodology to use when “greening” your home. It requires discipline and commitment. The results pay you back with greater comfort, lower utility bills, bolstered home value, and a sense that you have accomplished something really meaningful.

Filed Under: Energy Retrofit, Home Improvement Tagged With:

The Cobbler’s Children Have No Shoes

November 16, 2011 By

Robert Post's home roof improvement project in-process.…or in this case, no roof. Yes, this is my cape-style home in Fort Washington. My family and I are currently undertaking a major energy retrofit.

So far, we’ve done the following:

  • Installed a 96% efficient variable speed furnace
  • Installed a 95% efficient natural gas hot water heater that is also capable of providing space heating for a future addition via radiant in-floor heat
  • Demolished our chimney (appliances no longer vented through it)
  • Removed old asphalt roof and sent to be recycled into new road surface material
  • Begun to move the thermal envelope (where the insulation is) to the outer most surfaces i.e. gable end walls and roof slope.

We have a ways to go before we complete this roof-related phase including:

  • Adding 3” rigid foam to the new thermal boundary – the roof deck
  • Air-seal and insulate small uppermost attic and nine separate small attic spaces formed by second floor kneewalls/roof lines
  • Install a metal shingle system from Classic Metal Roofing Systems. This aluminum product is made from 95% recycled aluminum and can be recycled completely when it is removed in the distant future.

Cape-style houses are notorious for being difficult to properly air-seal and insulate. There are thousands of these in the greater Philadelphia area and a key aspect of this project is to develop the most efficient way to accomplish an effective energy retrofit on a Cape.

Stay tuned for future updates on my progress with the home!

Filed Under: Energy Retrofit, Home Improvement Tagged With: , ,