By Bret Curry –
When compared to years past, building science hasn’t changed all that much. Fifty years ago, a properly constructed and insulated home could provide comfort and affordable electric bills. This is still true today.
Although building science remains the same, energy efficiency technology has changed with the improvement in construction framing methods, insulation, windows, doors and air sealants. The introduction of infrared thermal imaging cameras now allows us to see the behavior of heat transfer, insulation performance (or lack thereof), moisture and air infiltration within a dwelling.
The cost and value of a kilowatt-hour is just as important today as it was in 1964. Nationwide, electric cooperatives stayed the course for decades by providing their members with helpful energy efficiency resources for new home and retrofit construction. You can rest assured we’ll be doing so for decades to come.
One free educational resource for your energy efficiency toolkit is the Smart Energy Tips podcast. Many of you already know about podcasts. For those who don’t, a podcast is an audio format available on the Internet. A podcast can be listened to on your computer or a portable media device, such as an iPod or smartphone. Once you subscribe to this podcast feed, new episodes are automatically downloaded to your device as soon as they are available, and you can listen to them at your convenience.
The Smart Energy Tips podcast provides fact-based, scientific building science information for a national audience in a fun format that’s easy for the listener to understand. The content helps you select what is appropriate for your climate and take charge of your utility bills without sacrificing comfort and conveniences. Episodes address how construction practices, appliances, heating and cooling equipment, moisture, weather, politics, regulations, consumer habits and much more impact your electric bill. You will learn how to identify your energy and comfort problems.
But better energy efficiency is something we can all pursue, whether it involves testing the windows for leaks, learning about weather stripping or figuring out where to use a space heater. Use these podcasts to help you get smart about saving money and saving energy.
Bret Curry is the residential energy manager for Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corporation.