What’s at Stake?
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Weatherization is the practice of protecting a building and its interior from the elements, while modifying it to reduce energy consumption and optimize efficiency. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that weatherization can reduce heating bills by 32% and overall energy bills by $358 per year.
Not since the days of the oil crisis in the 1970's have Americans been so focused on energy consumption, especially weatherization. Just as the cost of heating and cooling has risen, so has the awareness of just how much energy seeps out of an average home every day. Central to this discussion is the role of older and historic buildings – and making them more energy efficient without jeopardizing their unique character. While experience has clearly shown this is possible, in practice, weatherization approaches vary greatly and can result in the unnecessary removal and loss of historic features – most often original windows.
True, there is a lot of information – not all accurate – out there about weatherization. Policies and practices may actually favor and promote replacement products over repair and reuse, despite actual performance. Windows, especially, are often the prime target for weatherization, even though they are not the main cause for energy loss. The U.S. Department of Energy's own website states that "the best way to improve your home's energy efficiency is to replace them with new, energy-efficient windows." This all-too-often claim does not support all the facts or studies that demonstrate the opposite and show how old windows can be energy efficient.
For good reason, weatherization has been catapulted into the public eye in recent months. The 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provides an unprecedented amount of funding for weatherization – $5 billion. Congress estimates that this program alone will weatherize one million homes across the nation.
The stimulus package also includes a 30% energy tax credit (up to $1,500) for homeowners. This has prompted an aggressive national advertising campaign by the replacement window industry calling for homeowners to act now while there is still time. This is the wrong message, as it leaves out that installing appropriate, energy-saving storm windows (interior and exterior) and doors can also qualify for the tax credit.
Older and historic buildings are often inherently designed for energy conservation and respond to different regional environments. Overhanging roofs, porches, awnings, and shutters can maximize shade and provide insulation. Thick walls provide thermal mass and buffering. Large, operable windows provide natural light and promote air circulation. All in all, older buildings offer these "built-in" advantages.
Too often, weatherization and being "green" are pitched as a means for buying new and replacing old. It has become consumer oriented and a profitable business, with homeowners barraged with infinite ways to go green. Looking back to the 1970's and that era's call to action for energy conservation, we should learn from our mistakes. Then and now, there was a rush to tear out and replace with new (especially windows), often at the expense of older buildings and their character. Now, those replacement products are often failing and needing to be replaced again. We now know older windows perform well when maintained and in good working order. They do even better when combined with a good storm window. In terms of cost-benefit analysis, weatherizing a leaky window will nearly always be more cost-effective than installing a replacement. It also will achieve the same goals for energy efficiency.
It is far easier to save energy than one might think, as there are simple ways to reduce our carbon footprints. Older and historic buildings have an important role to play in this discussion. They have stood the test of time and can always be made more energy efficient. If you really want to be "green" and save energy, reusing existing materials and retrofitting older and historic buildings is a smarter, more long-term and sustainable choice that will save both money and resources.
Want to dig deeper? Visit our Whole House Resource Bank for links to some of the best weatherization information and materials available online. From insightful blogs and articles by the experts, to checklists and how-to's, you’ll find it all here.
