This is part of an ongoing series of guest posts about issues in Norwalk. yourCT.com is a non-partisan site dedicated to airing all sides of a issue. That can’t happen without valuable contributions from our readers.
By Chris Lionetti
You may have noticed green construction in Stamford (RBS headquarters, UBS, Metro Green) and the Wall Street Revitalization project in South Norwalk. Even Darien’s future Library will use two geothermal wells to heat and cool the building! These buildings are efficiently designed to use less energy and less water. Reduced operating costs mean more profitable buildings, which developers and banks understand and appreciate.
You may ask: How can my quaint older house be as efficient as these new multi-million dollar buildings? According to architect Carl Elefante, “The greenest building is the one that is already built.” Our homes represent a major investment of resources and energy. Preservation of these structures is an important act of recycling timber and minerals; by owning your house you have already achieved a light shade of green. These conventional houses (CHs), however, were built when energy was cheap. Insufficient insulation and low performance windows and appliances are proof of this, and encourage unnecessary fuel consumption. It is no surprise that our houses emit 30% of all greenhouse gases—that’s more than our transportation sector!
Conservation, through efficiency, is the only real option for the foreseeable future. In fact, high-performance houses (HPHs) are more desirable than conventional houses because they cost less to operate and promote a healthier planet. Thankfully, market forces, the Department of Energy, and state governments are making it economical to do the right thing, through tax incentives as well as the Energystar program for windows and appliances. Currently there is no sales tax on replacement windows or insulation in the state of Connecticut.
If you are planning a project of any scope—small jobs included—or simply want to improve your home’s efficiency, and want to discover how to improve your energy efficiency, feel free to contact me at:
Chris Lionetti
Center Line Building
203.921.8140
