Well, it’s been hot this summer, some say record-breaking hot, but you couldn’t tell it by the energy usage for our timber frame home. This timber frame, wrapped in energy efficient structural insulated panels, has met and exceeded our expectations.
Timber frames and SIPs are a great combination when it comes to a well insulated home. Even with walls of windows, which are notoriously inefficient, and an electric dryer, we are not seeing the high power bills that might be expected.
Of course, we have all Energy Star rated appliances and fixtures, use fluorescent bulbs, and are manic about turning off lights when we aren’t in the room. However, our 2 ton heat pump and fans are keeping our timber frame home cool and comfortable.
Last month we topped out at $74 and this month we went down to $72.
We are pleased at the money we’ve saved…and at the energy we’ve saved. Our home is 1700 square feet and we cook most days (heating up the house) and embraced daylighting and have more than our share of windows. We do use our ceiling fans and we keep the house cool during the day just because it’s our “model” home. I guess I can say our “model energy saving home”, can’t I?
All these years I’ve been encouraging people to consider using panels on their home and I am pleased. I’d like to know how much energy is saved every year just in timber frames with insulated panel enclosures. That would be a significant number, I’d think. Sustainable homes are important to each of us.
So, I’ll sit here and not stress over the heat and high utility bills, and I might hope for cooler weather so we can open the windows and go back to our $30 power bills of the spring.
small home office, not isolated, but comfortable enough for me and my sidekick (also known as my laptop). I wanted light…natural daylight.. and I didn’t want to feel closed off. Well, it happened and this snowy day made me realize just how important it was.
(I grew up in far west Texas and snow wasn’t in our picture). He’d already been to the barn and even driven me to town (where the grocery store was without power and closing for the day), so this wasn’t a big imposition.
is built with panels and offers the same comfort and efficiency as the rest of the enclosure. We design and build many hybrid homes with timber framing in the living areas and panelized construction for the rest of the home. A great compromise without sacrifice (well…not much sacrifice).
Pickartz Power Bill