[Greenbuilding] winterizing

[Laren Corie]

"George J. Nesbitt" <geoedb at idiom.com>

> Of course lowering the thermostat saves energy (remember Jimmy Carter).
> How much they save depends on many variables, and will likely only be
> 1-2% of the total bill.

That may be that case, when it is 15°F to -35°F, but that is usually
quite rare.  Most of the heating season, in most US climates, rarely
ever get that cold, and the vast majority of the time the house needs
only be heated by 20°F or less. That is why you find general, rough
rules of thumb, saying something like a savings of 5%, per °F that
the thermostat is turned down (for the whole heating season.)

Obviously, if you turned it down 20°F, you would not save 100%,
but the first 5°F, in most climates, may nearly totally eliminate the
need for the furnace to run, for two or three month.  By turning
down the thermostat, you are effectively altering the heating degree
days.  In a 150HDD month, a house with modest thermal mass,
and no Solar tempering, will not need the furnace.  Examples of
such a climate would be: Alabama, or Arkansas in April:
Connecticut and Chicago in May, or Tampa year round.   For
every Spring month, there is an equivalent Fall time. With modest
Solar tempering, another four month can be added to that, for an
elimination of the six mildest heating months.  Remember the 5°F
that you turn down, not only reduce the temperature differential
on the coldest night of the year.   It reduces it during the whole
heating season, which in much of the US is over six month of
the year.

-Laren Corie-
Natural Solar Building Design Since 1975

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