After reviewing the energy consumption of my apartment, I have determined that most energy consumption is the result of heating. The LEED AP in me says "put your money into your windows". Deep-energy retrofits and LEED for Existing Buildings strategies typically prioritize replacement of windows because so much heat bleeds-out through the building envelope. We witnessed this methodology at the Castle Square project, where windows were being replaced with "R5" upgrades. The decision to replace the windows was made using an energy modeling software. The base-case, or existing conditions, were first modeled to approximate energy demand/consumption. Then, a second-case, or theoretical condition, was modeled wherein the windows were replaced by R5-rated upgrades. The delta between the existing condition demands, and the theoretical condition demands, is the energy savings by making the change to R5.
By using the eQuest Energy Simulation Tool, I'm going to approximate the energy savings I could potentially realize by switching from the existing conventional single-paned operable windows to a modern R5 window.
I'm in the process of learning the (free) program, which is accompanied by many online tutorials.
... to be continued.
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This sounds like a cool program. We put new windows in last summer (still haven't gotten to the "pretty" stuff like new kitchen cabinets or bathroom tile). Not only are we saving energy, the new windows also made the place look totally revitalized. So we got a two-fer and also got a bit back for the tax credit. Go windows!
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