News from the EarthWays Center

Winter is coming. Link up here for top tips to make house or apartment a healthier and more energy efficient home. It turns out, making a home more energy efficient can also make it a more healthful environment in which to spend time. And in this most unusual of years, most of us are spending more time at home than ever.

One of the biggest connections between energy efficiency and good indoor air quality is ventilation. We want to keep the energy we buy to heat our homes and water in the house as long as it coincides with a healthy environment. To do this we tighten up our homes ‘building envelope’ (think overcoat for the home) to keep heat from escaping AND we want to make sure we have enough fresh air coming in to keep things from getting stale. Often times this mean ‘managed outside air.’ An Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV) is one way to ensure air doesn’t enter home, willy-nilly, through cracks and crevices that would be better off sealed up. Instead, fresh air is drawn in and filtered prior to being introduced into the home.

Learn all about Mechanical Ventilation here! 

Now let’s add in tips for energy efficiency and a checklist or two and get ready for winter!

• Top 10 Tips for Renters
• Getting Home Ready for Wintry Weather
• Why Insulation and Air Sealing?
• A Safe and Healthy Home
• A Deep Dive into a Healthy Home and Energy Efficiency A Healthy Homes Checklist

Questions? Contact the EarthWay Center's energy expert, Richard Reilly at richard.reilly@mobot.org. 

Check out some additional resources for sustainable living in your home here!