Three Investments to Make Your Home More Comfortable and Save on Energy Costs

For those of us who live in the desert full-time, and more and more of us are lucky enough to do so, we know how brutally hot the summer months are, and how difficult and pricy it can be to keep our homes comfortable when the high temperatures are 110 + for multiple days in a row!

With cooler temperatures, it’s a good time to plan to invest in improvements to help keep our homes more comfortable during summer months, and save money!

First, plant trees and/or vines along your east and west exposures. If you live in a condo, ask your HOA to plant one or two “approved” trees along your east and west facing walls. Our west views, of course, are sought-after (along with the views to the south!), and many of us may be hesitant to plant trees in fear of blocking the majestic “million dollar” views. It’s absolutely possible, however, to have both shade and views! Plant strategically, and you can have your cake, and eat it too. If trees aren’t possible because of space constraints, etc, consider planting vines along those exposures. Studies show that shaded west and east exposures can save up to 10% on energy costs. Trees, of course, provide many other benefits, including habitat for wildlife, carbon sequestration, and reduction in pollution levels. Another option, and one that can be done in addition to planting trees and/or vines, is to paint your home a light-reflecting color. Doing so, you create a “cool wall” that won’t absorb nearly as much heat as a structure painted a non-reflective color. “Cool walls” and shade from plants (trees, vines, hedges) also help keep our immediate surroundings (gardens, patios, etc) cooler, and when many homeowners do the same, an entire neighborhood or community will be cooler!

Here’s a few of our favorite shade trees for our desert climate:

“Desert”:

Palo Verde, including “desert museum” (hybrid of Parkinsonia aculeata and Cercidium floridum and Cercidium microphyllum) and and Blue (Cercidium floridum)

Acacia, including “Shoestring” (Acacia stenophylla), Willow (Acacia salicina), and Palo blanco ( Acacia willardiana)

Texas ebony ( Ebenopsis ebano)

Mesquite including Argentine (Prosopis alba) and Chilean (Prosopis chilensis)

Silver dollar gum (Eucalyptus polyanthemos)

“Transitional”

Olive (Olea europa)

Pine (best for large sites or public spaces) Afghan (Pinus eldarica) and Aleppo (Pinus halepensis)

Pomegranate (Punica granatum)

Cork oak (Quercus suber)

Carob (Ceratonia siliqua)

Fig (edible - Ficus carica)

“Tropical’

Jacaranda (Jacaranda mimosifilia)

Hong Kong orchid tree (Bauhinia “Blankeana”)

Tipu (Tipuana tipu)

If you have single pane windows, or first generation dual pane, new high-efficiency windows will add lots of comfort, and save tons of money over the lifetime of the windows. Keep in mind that if you live in a homeowners association, the architectural committee will need to approve your window selection. Most condo communities will have an approved “style” that can be installed. Speaking of style, many designers and architects recommend installing new windows that match as close as possible to the style of window original to the home (architecture).

Here’s a couple recommendations for window manufactures:

Milgard (aluminum line)

Fleetwood

We all know that our biggest energy use in the desert comes from cooling our homes. And, any of us who has lived through a summer (or two!) where the AC just doesn’t cool the way it should, and comes with a big Edison bill, knows how uncomfortable and expensive a summer is living with a poorly functioning, inefficient AC. If your AC isn’t cooling the way it used to, and your Edison bills are more than they were a summer or two ago (minus any increases in utility rates), it’s likely time to install a new AC. In our hot summer climate (April - Oct), it makes sense to invest in a super-efficient HVAC system. Consider at least a SEER 19 or better for the best energy savings, and comfort. The higher the SEER rating, the more efficient the unit is.

More and more desert homes have rooftop solar, and that’s a great thing! If you have solar, or if you’re planning to install a system, it still makes sense to have energy efficient windows and HVAC, and to keep east and especially west sun off your exterior…it’s all about added comfort, and the highest savings in energy costs.

If you’re lucky enough to have a new or newer HVAC system, energy efficient windows, and shaded exterior, one final thing that will add comfort and savings is replacing a gas or electric cooktop with an induction cooktop. We know that a majority of homeowners (and buyers!) like to cook with gas. But, cooking with gas heats your kitchen, not just your pot of pasta, and thus makes your AC work harder and longer to cool the space. Cooking with induction heats only the pot, not the space, and uses about half the energy to cook your pasta than gas does. It’s the quickest and cleanest (no carbon monoxide) cooking method. We have an induction cooktop, and absolutely love it, especially in the summer! The initial cost is more, but your comfort and the long-term savings are much greater.