Page 44 - BusinessWest June 12, 2023

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Sustainable Solutions
Homeowners Increasingly Seek Energy-efficient Technologies
IBY MARK MORRIS
n the past year, energy prices have taken a bigger chunk out of everyone’s budget. Increases at the gas pump get the most attention, but rising costs for heating and cooling homes have also taken their toll on bank accounts.
That’s why, as homeowners look to renovate and update their spaces, energy efficiency is often top of mind.
As local contractors told BusinessWest, when homeown- ers build or invest in new projects, long-term energy savings have become a key consideration. The good news is that many home-improvement products today use technologies that deliv-
er that energy savings better than ever before.
Brian Rudd, owner of Vista Home Improvement in West
Springfield, explained that, when people consider vinyl siding, it’s an opportunity to make their house look good and create an insulation barrier that saves energy.
“The foam insulation that is behind the siding is amazing in the way it encapsulates the home,” he said. “The siding panel that faces out looks great and is designed to reflect the sun and slow down the transfer of energy, which keeps the house cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter.”
Rudd believes it’s important to stay on top of advances in materials and sees siding as more than a house covering; in fact, he considers siding installed 20 or 30 years ago “old tech- nology.” Indeed, one industry statistic suggests that a proper siding job can increase energy efficiency on an average home up to 15%.
“There are advances happening in materials all the time, and we believe in staying on top of the latest technologies,” he added.
Another project that adds to aesthetics and energy effi- ciency is replacement windows. The Environmental Protection Agency notes that new windows can save energy and increase comfort. Like new siding, windows can also add to a home’s resale value.
“There are advances happening in materials all the time, and we believe in staying on top of the latest technologies.”
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Brian Rudd compares a traditional vinyl panel with an insulated one.