8 Innovations for a More Energy Efficient Long Island Home

Energy efficient home upgrades make a positive impact to your interior comfort, wallet, and planet. From small improvements like swapping out lightbulbs and appliances, to larger projects like installing a new roof or siding, the innovations you embrace today can deliver peace of mind tomorrow and over the long term. And we’ve got eight of the smartest ways to upgrade your Long Island home’s energy efficiency.

1. Swap out your appliances

Technology evolves. And standards for energy efficient appliances improve over time. Modern versions conserve way more energy than appliances designed decades prior. And making the switch can put a rewarding dent in your monthly electrical bill.

Even a small change—like a new compact boiler—can deliver significant energy savings. To make a bigger impact, upgrade the other appliances throughout your home including your air conditioner, washing machine, refrigerator, and more.

In New York State, conventional heating and cooling systems—including furnaces, boilers, and central and window air conditioners—are responsible for 37 percent of energy consumption and 32 percent of greenhouse gas emissions.

Remember that every appliance comes with two price tags: the initial purchase price and the long-term operational cost. You can expect to spend more up-front for a smarter appliance. However, you can recoup the cost by lowering your energy use and expenses over time.

2. Install a smart thermostat

What makes “smart” thermostats so smart? The ability to program your heating and cooling system to run for specific hours of the day, creating the optimal climate inside your Suffolk or Nassau County home during the times of day your family is home for a lower operational cost.

Is your home empty from 8am to 6pm? Schedule your smart thermostat to maintain a lower temperature during those hours and slowly increase to reach the perfect temperature by the time you get back. And say goodbye to the days of pumping your HVAC system into an empty house just to avoid coming home to a sauna in the summer or ice box in the winter.

Unlike in the South, smart thermostats (and better home insulation) especially benefit homeowners living in Long Island climates where the lowest temperature averages 17 °F in January and the highest temperature averages 82 °F in July.

3. Better home insulation

How much insulation does your home need? There’s no exact answer. However, poor or limited insulation could be the root cause of your home’s energy problems.

Three common trouble areas often demand an extra layer of insulation: the attic, windows, and doors. Hot air rises, which makes the attic the first area to benefit from better insulation. And an extra layer of sealing for your windows and doors can help solve your home’s energy problem.

Feeling a draft inside your home? Hire a reputable contractor to inspect and detect the right type and amount of insulation or sealing to protect your home.

4. Energy-efficient lighting

One of the easiest and oldest tricks in the energy efficiency book is lighting. Make the switch to LED lighting for significant, long-lasting energy savings without the hassle of changing the bulbs every year.

Sensor-activated LED night lights can also help guide your trips to the bathroom or kitchen in the middle of the night without flipping a switch. You can also keep dim lighting on during the evening without wasting a ton of electricity.

5. Solar panels and shingles

The more costly investment than other upgrades, solar power makes a huge impact to your Long Island home’s energy efficiency. Despite the significant upfront investment, solar power gives you the chance to realize significant savings and benefits over the long term.

However, two things make solar panels a problem: their size and appearance. A better aesthetic solution—although more expensive—is solar shingles.

Solar shingles feature photovoltaic cells that convert sunlight into electricity. Unlike unsightly solar panels, solar shingles boast an elegant profile that mimics the appearance of traditional shingles, harnessing the power of renewable energy without compromising on style.

How much solar power can your home generate? About 13 to 63 watts of energy per shingle. Solar shingles are lightweight, easy to install, and protect your home from rain, wind, and hail. However, there are a few things to keep in mind.

Solar shingles are slightly less energy efficient than solar panels and feature a shorter lifespan. You also need a certain roof slip with high sunlight exposure to generate solar power. And you can expect to spend at least $60,000 more for solar shingles.

Despite the hefty upfront cost, most solar shingles pay for themselves within a decade through energy savings and solar incentives.
Solar shingles are new to the market. However, expect this energy efficient trend to cover more Nassau and Suffolk County homes throughout 2021 and beyond.

6. Energy efficient siding

High-performance insulation technology gives energy efficient siding the same unique design features with an exciting array of shapes, lines, colors, and finishes. And an exceptional hand-milled cedar woodgrain finish creates a harmonious, one-of-a-kind design to elevate your curb appeal.

Energy efficient siding featuring Neopor® graphite-infused insulation closed cell technology increases thermal resistance by up to 19% versus traditional insulation. Built with an ultra-thick reveal that stops thermal bridging and doubles insulation performance, KingWall siding features naturally beautiful and durable trim options and accessories to beautify, protect, and insulate your home for decades.

7. Energy efficient doors

Modern technology, design, and installation techniques create more energy efficient doors that can transform your curb appeal on the outside and increase your comfort on the inside.

A solid door made from highly durable wood, fiberglass, or steel can maximize insulation, resist conducting heat and cold inside your Long Island home, and stand up to harsh weather conditions.

Doors built with dual-pane glass windows can insulate almost twice as well as single-pane. Triple-pane glass can boost energy efficiency even more. And a door built with low-E glass coatings can better reflect the summer heat and winter cold.

For the most energy efficiency, select a glass certified by ENERGY STAR or the NFRC label. And focus on glass built with high R-values and greater Solar Heat Gain Coefficients.

8. Energy efficient roofing

In New York and throughout the Northeast, the winter months bring diverse wind, snow, ice, and continual thaw-freeze conditions. Savvy homeowners prepare their roof and home for the worst before the cold weather sets in. And energy efficient roofing should be a part of that process.

Energy efficient roofing does more than lower your electrical bills. From increased tax savings to a lower carbon footprint, the choice to make the switch is good for your wallet, home, and planet. And if you live in a Long Island town near the water, consider a durable and high-quality roof built to withstand the elements.

Cool roof coatings insulate and ventilate your roof to lower up to 30 percent of your home’s cooling costs. Built to reflect the sun’s rays, cool roof coatings emit heat back into the atmosphere, prevent an increase of internal temperatures, decrease the demand on your air conditioning, and lower your energy bills.

Roof deck insulation is another smart way to lower your energy bills without paying for a new roof. Built to stop outside temperatures from penetrating the attic, and to prevent expensive air-conditioned or heated air from escaping, insulation can lower the need to keep your HVAC cranked and cut up to 10 percent of your home’s energy costs.

Asphalt shingles infused with reflective granules are the most affordable energy-efficient roofing material. Metal roofing built to reflect solar energy costs more than asphalt shingles but can net energy savings up to 25 percent, helping you recoup the purchase and installation costs and more through an exceptional 80-year life span.

Royal treatment for you and your home.

Are you ready to upgrade your Long Island home with energy-efficient roofing, siding, or windows? At King Quality, our decades on the job and exclusive partnerships mean leading manufacturers trust us to install only the highest quality products. And our affordable financing makes your dream of a unique, quality-driven home a reality.

We put lifetime warranties, certified and award-winning installers, and low monthly payments behind every project to turn homes into castles. Call us today at 631-573-0642 to schedule a free consultation—and discover royal treatment for you and your home.