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ENERGY EFFICIENT HOMES, BETTER HEALTH FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY

Did you know that, people spend 90% of their time inside a building? If we add together all the hours we spent sleeping, working in offices or at school people on average spend the vast majority of their time inside a building where they are constantly exposed to indoor air pollutants. The US Environmental Protection Agency, estimates that the average person receives 72 percent of their chemical exposure at home, which means that special place that you consider the safest has the great potential of hazards for your health. In fact, indoor air can be 2 to 5 times more polluted – and in some cases 100 times more polluted – than outdoor air.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, residential (21%) and commercial buildings (18%) account for almost 39% of total U.S. energy consumption and 38% of U.S. carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Nearly all of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the residential and commercial sectors can be attributed to energy use in buildings. All of these outdated buildings across the nation represents a great potential hazard for our health and the one with a bigger impact in your life is your own home.

Did you know that the four leading causes of death in the United State: cancer, chronic respiratory disease, heart disease and stroke are caused by pollutants from fossil fuel?

Studies had demonstrated that these pollutants damage all the major organ systems in the body. One of the serious respiratory health problems is lung cancer killing more men and women in the US than any other form of cancer; COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), the third leading cause of death in the country.

Pollutants from fossil fuel are also responsible for coronary heart disease, the leading cause of death in the country. Pollutants released by burning coal target the nervous system, particularly the brain, leading to serious neurological consequences.

Living in a home with moisture/dampness, mold, pests (cockroaches or mice), cold or inconsistent temperatures, environmental tobacco smoke, or indoor air pollutants can increase the risks of asthma attacks, wheezing, and other respiratory problems. Exposure inside your home to extreme heat, cold, carbon monoxide (CO) or fires can result in death. CO exposures can also create headaches, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain, confusion, or “flu-like” symptoms.

Also, burning fossil fuels release enormous quantities of carbon dioxide and methane the main cause of climate change which leads to extreme weather events that can severely affect health. Fortunately, a reduction in our dependency on fossil fuels by shifting to renewable energy and the improvement on energy efficiency in all the buildings across the nation will allow dramatic improvements to human health. Let’s be part of the solution by transforming your own homes.

By retrofitting your home and lowering the amount of energy you waste we will reduce the need to burn coal and other fossil fuels to generate electricity which will translate in reduction of greenhouse gas emissions or air pollution and a huge gain for our health. Let me give you some examples: if just one in ten households nationwide replaces their old heating and cooling system for a high efficient equipment, it would prevent the release of more than 17 billion pounds of greenhouse gases.  Also, if every household in the United State replaced just one incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent bulb, it would prevent greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to taking more than 800,000 cars off the streets.

Making your home more energy efficient, goes beyond that just saving you money, increasing your property value or helping the local economy; It will improve the quality of indoor air in your home and as consequence will improve your health and the ones you love.

An efficient home will reduce the energy waste and the exposure to air pollutants, asbestos, lead, radon, formaldehyde among other potential hazards for your health. By installing and efficient HVAC system or new high efficient windows will reduce the air pollutants exposure and will improve air temperature reducing the risk of respiratory health problems and coronary disease.

Your home is the place where you spend most of the time, making it healthy is a priority. Now with the PACE program, it is easy to make it more energy efficient and improve the safety, because you can make all the necessary upgrades now with O down payment and 100% financing with the first payment in one year. For more information on how to improve your property or how to apply for the PACE program, please, send us an email to floridaleedap@gmail.com. We go beyond building codes to improve the health of people and protect the planet.

By: Maria M. Hernandez, CGC #1515987 – LEED AP- Building Analyst- PACE certified

Ciudad Weston Newspaper

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OPEN LETTER FROM A FLORIDIAN TO FLORIDA MAYORS

“My concern about Climate Change and Sea level rise”

Dear Mayors:

Climate change is a pronounced environmental challenge that threatens us all equally, so I consider it of great importance, not only to read your open letter sent to Senator Marco Rubio dated January 21, 2016, but also to express my comments. In this letter, you expressed your concerned about Climate Change and Sea Level rise in South Florida and you call Senator Marco Rubio to acknowledge the problem and articulate a Climate action plan. As a Floridian, I share your concerned and I support your vision: I believe urgent actions have to be taken in order to mitigate the effects of Climate Change to protect the future of South Florida.
I agree with you, the next president of the United States must acknowledge the reality and urgency of climate change. Not only to propose solutions, but to project the US in a leading position on the new low carbon global economy of the 21st century. However, 2016 is a Presidential Election year, which means interest groups are constantly looking for and using any and all weaknesses to disqualify candidates. My concern, then, is that you are using an incredibly important issue as a political wedge – seeking to divide, rather than unite. Climate Change can’t afford to wait for a new President, the time is now; the solution is in your hands as community leaders to create awareness and also in the desire of each of his residents to provide solutions.
Combating climate change must be more than just a political buzzword; it is a global issue that requires an aggressive campaign to inform the public about the potential devastating consequences. There is no point having a Climate Action plan in our cities, or a policy of low carbon or participate in the COP21 meeting and sign a global treaty to keep global temperatures levels below 2° Celsius, if we are not first educating why such steps are necessary. The risk associated with energy waste, the terrible consequences of lack of recycling, the need to conserve water and the urgency about reducing our carbon footprint. The issue of climate change goes beyond a political issue; it is a problem that lies in the lack of awareness in our communities, schools and our own homes.
Allow me to take a moment to introduce myself, my name is Maria Mercedes Hernandez; my experience as a disaster  inspector in NJ during the aftermath of Sandy awakened in me the interest to understand and find solutions to the problems of buildings destruction caused by severe weather events. At the same time to recognized the importance of creating awareness and educating homeowners about sustainable and resilient construction to mitigate the effects of climate change. This urgency to find solutions made me get my certification as a professional in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED AP ID + C) which allows me to understand problems related to the standard construction and the real and hidden value of efficient buildings.
Consider the following: 72% of buildings in the United States have been built inefficiently, without taking into account the relationship between energy use and environmental impact. 40% of total energy consumption in the US is consumed by residential and commercial buildings, which produces a lot of greenhouse gases (main contributor for climate change and in turn the rise in sea levels). As certified general contractor in Florida and LEED AP I’ve found lack of information in our communities, on the importance of implementation of energy efficiency, conservation or fortification in the properties to be a direct cause to inaction. The lack of information on programs that help its implementation such as the PACE program, among others, continues to be dismissed. This issue represents many challenges, but also a great opportunity for the State of Florida in their fight to mitigate climate change.
Humbly, I asked all of you to continue to encourage Senator Rubio & others running for President of the United States about the urgency of Climate Change, but beyond that I think it is necessary and proper for all of you Mayors to push the issue at a local level. Through information we can achieve greatness. Start the conversation about a PACE program in your city; create educational forums in libraries about property retrofit and sustainable construction as a solution to climate change, also, inform about tax credit, incentives, and financing available for implementation. Encourage citizens to support Floridians for Solar Choice; demand an end to fracking in the Everglades. Become certified as a STAR community, to lead in sustainability. Let’s start from the ground up with the people.
I congratulate some cities Mayors, who have taken this challenge of Climate Change as priority, but there are still other cities that have been left behind without seeing the need for urgency. The future of our state will be at risk until all the cities in Florida, support a Climate action plan and informed its residents about it.
It is my wish to see the State of Florida leading as the first state in solar energy nationwide with more buildings and schools certified LEED, with the highest recycling rate in the nation, as a state with the lowest carbon footprint and better quality of life. A leader in sustainability is not due to government policy but by the desire and the participation of each of its inhabitants to assume the challenge implementing solutions for a better life.
Sincerely,
Maria M. Hernandez
Florida resident.
Ciudad Weston Newspaper
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WARNING: Energy Vampires lurking your home

Halloween is almost here and a band of spooky energy vampires could be lurking around your home. Ghosts and zombies will be roaming the streets, be careful, stay at home and prepare to hunt down those pesky Energy Vampires that are already sucking your power bill. Watch out, don’t let these vampires give you a scare this Halloween, keep them at bay year round by learning some tricks on how to hunt phantom loads and ward off Energy Vampires.

Energy vampires are appliances that even when turned off utilize a small amount of electricity, called phantom loads. The average home in the US spends around $150-$200 every year on vampire energy. Some estimates suggest that Americans have anywhere between 30-65 vampire devices throughout their homes. Nearly every appliance has become smart with electronic digital displays. Some of the biggest energy consumers include cable or satellite set-top TV boxes, computer modems and aquariums.

Haunted rooms found in your home:

  • Living Room: this is the scariest one, most homes have two or more TV/cable set-ups, so you could easily be losing $50-$100 a year on TV-based phantom load alone. If you leave your cable box plugged in for a year and never turned it off, it would add $17.83 to your electrical bill and If this cable box has a DVR capability, the energy waste will doubles to $43.46.
  • Office: Be aware, this could be another scary room. Just a desktop computer left running, connected to monitor in sleep mode, can cost over $87 per year, also, you have to add the computer speakers (3 watts); a wireless router (5 watts); a printer (5 watts); surge protectors (2 watts), and a cordless phone that uses 3 watts even when it’s completely off adding a waste of $25.50 a year.
  • Bathrooms: could be a cause for concern if you’re leaving devices like hair dryers, curling irons, or electric shavers plugged into the wall. Even when turned off, these devices can idly sip electricity from your outlet costing you money.

TRICK on how to slay the Energy Vampire:

Here I share with you some tricks on how to kill the Phantom load and the amount of power you waste:

  • Unplug all your appliances and device chargers when you are not in use.
  • Use a power strip with an on/off button so you can easily shut down multiple devices at once.
  • Set your computer or laptop to go to sleep after 30 minutes of inactivity or less.
  • Purchase appliances and equipment EnergyStar qualified products that use less energy and limit the amount of standby power they draw.
  • Install switches or timers that automatically stop powering devices once they go to standby mode
  • Use a “Kill a Watt” on your appliances to cut down the cost.

Unplugging energy vampires can lower your electric bill up to 10%, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Now that you know the Tricks, don’t let the Vampires and Phantoms attack your power bill, treat yourself with extra cash and a better planet reducing your carbon footprint.

We can help you to find ways to fix leaks in your home with a simple home energy audit. By making upgrades following a home energy audit, you can save up to 30 percent on your energy bill.

By: Maria Mercedes Hernandez. Leader in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED AP), Building Analyst, General Contractor. hernandezmaria@hhdcgreen.com

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