Historic. Gracious. Efficient. The Beauty of Retrofits.

On Sunday, Richard Moe, President of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, wrote an Op-Ed in the Sunday New York Times arguing that there is a benefit in providing energy retrofits to existing historic buildings rather than replacing them outright with more energy-efficient modern buildings. While his angle, not surprisingly, stems from his interest in preserving historic buildings, his point is well taken for those of us who live in regular old, old houses.

Making a home energy efficient requires neither solar panels on the roof nor starting from scratch.  In fact, many of the most economical and high impact retrofits are virtually invisible (caulking, insulation tucked behind walls and ceilings) and dazzlingly effective. In fact, the Thousand Home Challenge initiated by Affordable Comfort Inc suggests that it is imminently possible for old homes to increase their energy efficiency by 70-90%.

There's one misconception in the piece: while energy audits are offered by some utilities, it would be fallacy to suggest that they are widely available at a low cost. And also a fallacy to group whole house audits by certified auditors with walk-throughs that typify some utility run programs. In fact, our research to determine how best to find a certified home energy auditor in each of the 50 states revealed wide variability across and within regions. Having said that, we agree whole-heartedly that having an audit conducted is the best first step the owner of any home or building should take when considering energy efficiency retrofits.  At a time when all of us are doubting the validity of our investments, investing in deep energy retrofits that will preserve our heritage as well as our environmental legacy feels peculiarly solid. And the reality is, the return on investment is impressive. Recycling, as Mr. Moe calls it, never looked so good.