At America’s Best Mechanical & Electrical we realize that you spend a lot of money on your home. Unfortunately, if yours is like most homes in the U.S., it has construction shortfalls that cause common comfort and energy efficiency problems including hot and cold spots, drafts, moisture and humidity, poor air quality, and excessive dust.

To avoid these shortages, a house should

• be “Net Zero,” meaning that it will generate as much energy as it consumes throughout the course of the year, required no fossil fuel inputs.
• be Ultra-Efficient that combines state-of-the-art, energy-efficient construction and appliances with commercially available renewable energy systems, such as solar water heating and solar electricity.
• Solar Active that comprises an active solar collector (solar thermal and photovoltaic energy) in conjunction with a solar heater, which switches on automatically according to your heat and hot water needs.
• have Passive Design that is the best and most-obvious way to start a green building, because it improves ventilation, it’s more comfortable than living with constant heating and air-conditioning, it significantly reduces electricity bills, and it reduces greenhouse gas emissions from heating, cooling, mechanical ventilation and lighting.

For instance, the 5kw grid tied photovoltaic (PV) system will produce roughly 6,000 kilowatt hours of clean, renewable electricity annually. Electricity will be used for normal household loads as well as an electric boiler which supplies radiant heat, and a backup element to the solar hot water system. From May through September, the evacuated tube solar hot water collectors will provide nearly 100% of the home’s domestic hot water supply. Combined, the two systems will offset roughly 11,600 lbs of C02 emissions each year.

Ultra-efficient homes optimize and include the following design features:

• Climate-specific design. Every homeowner has a unique building and site. However, the relationship of your home to the sun and wind is paramount in maximizing thermal efficiency.
• Passive solar heating and cooling. Situating your home (and your rooms, doors and windows) in a way that makes maximum use of sun-paths and wind patterns is called Passive Design, because it allows your house to function without active mechanical heating and cooling.
• Energy-efficient construction. A whole-house systems approach can help to develop a successful strategy for incorporating energy efficiency into your home's design.
• Energy-efficient appliances and lighting. The most obvious place to look for improving your home’s energy efficiency is the mechanical systems that provide heating and cooling. A new central air system should have a Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating (SEER) of 13 or greatly. The greater the SEER, the greater the savings – but you will pay a premium upfront. The underlying principle remains this: the more energy efficient a home is, the less heating load it requires. When minimal heating load is required, smaller, modest, and renewable heating options make sense, and monstrous fossil fuel heating systems are unneeded and uneconomical.
• Insulation. Every material has a specific ability to resist heat traveling through it; this is its R-value. Higher value = better insulation. Insulation can range from plain fiberglass batts (R-2.2) to high-tech aerogel based products (R-50). For the residential market, however, there are essentially three forms of insulation: flexible sheets, rigid boards, and spray or blow-in products. In relation to windows, be sure to take note of the U-value, which is a measure of how much heat makes it through an assembly (as opposed to an R-value, which is a measure of resistance.) The lower the U-value of your windows, the more insulation they provide. Due to U.S. energy codes, insulated glass is becoming more common in new construction and renovations (two panes of glass sandwich an airspace, which serves as an insulator). To improve upon this, commercial manufacturers often use a specially type of glass with a coating on the outside called “Low-e” (low-emissivity) glass, and then fill the gap between the double panes with argon gas, which thermally responds slower than air.
• Air Tight Building. Leaking areas might be around light fixtures (especially recessed) electrical outlets, attic access openings, old wood floors, cracks in walls, and most often through gaps around windows. With newer homes, an air/moisture barrier is wrapped around the frame of the house before the exterior cladding goes up. A blower door test can determine where a house might have air leaks.
• Solar water heating system. The new solar heater ensures 100% of your energy supply for heat and hot water without additional conventional heating systems.
• Small solar electric system (photovoltaic). Natural Ventilation and Cooling. A controlled, natural ventilation and cooling system regulates the indoor temperature through a controlled air exchange, which occurs via the windows.
• Sustainable materials. Natural building materials provide for a comfortable and healthy indoor environment both in summer and in winter.

Ultra-efficient homes have a number of advantages:

• Improved comfort – an energy-efficient building envelope reduces temperature fluctuations and creates a healthier and safer indoor environment.
• Reliability – an ultra-efficient home can be designed to continue functioning even during blackouts.
• Energy security – a home that produces energy protects its owner from fluctuations in energy prices.
• Environmental sustainability – an ultra-efficient home saves energy and reduces pollution. Increased resale value – energy efficiency is as an attractive selling point if you put your home on the market.
• Tax Credits and Incentives.

America’s Best Mechanical & Electrical (Philadelphia & Bucks County, PA) offers energy efficient solutions that increase in-home comfort, health, and safety and significantly reduce energy usage and utility bills.

We use whole-house approach to assess the energy and efficiency and performance of your home. We apply building science principles and sophisticated diagnostic equipment to quickly pinpoint causes of common problems and we recommend cost-effective solutions that resolve them permanently.

Call or contact us us now!