When driving through Tucson, one can see the building trends from block to block. There were building phases in the 60’s 70’s and 80’s and 90’S. There are homes in the 30-50’s and even older, but the bulk of Tucson’s trends can be seen in the 60-1990’s and of course the roaring 2k’s, but those are far more efficient, energy wise.

The cost effectiveness in some of these houses is questionable. To bring an older home to current comfort and efficient standards of today could cost $20,000 to $40,000 plus. Of course a return on that kind of investment may take decades to recover so it may not make the most sense.

Tucson is loaded with single pained windows and under insulated houses. Upgrading these items along with installing a new HVAC system would be the most cost effective way to improve a Tucson home and reduce the energy cost by more than 30%. Air sealing a home would be the next step. Tucson Electric Power is currently offering an incentive to do that and they have a program in place that involves a complete Home Energy Analysis.

The cost of utilities is on a continual rise and government regulations are backing down to these demands. My guess is big oil companies would prefer we continue to use their services on a larger scale. Tucson is fast becoming a “GREEN” city, but not nearly fast enough. Doing a simple, affordable project such as upgrading your insulation is one small step for man, one giant leap for mans future.

We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children. ~Native American Proverb”

This article was provided to us by:
Richard Burch of Gale Insulation & Gutters of Tucson

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