12 MYTHS

"12 Great Myths of Improving Residential Efficiency in Hot Climates" by Danny Parker, Florida Solar Energy Center researcher (abridged by Ken Sheinkopf, communications specialist, American Solar Energy Society):
- 1: ...Monitoring studies have shown that attic vent fans use more electricity than they save.

- 2: ...Fans should not be operated constantly, especially when no one is home.
- 3: ...Concentrate on lowering attic temperatures more than adding wall insulation.
- 4: ...use the lightest color roof you find aesthetically pleasing and you'll help keep your home much cooler.
- 5: Setting the thermostat lower cools the home quicker. Absolutely not...
- 6: Solar hot water systems...save 1,570 kWh annually -- that's about $188 per year at today's typical rates, meaning the system will pay back its full cost during its lifetime of use...As rates go up, these payback times will be even shorter.

- 7: Storing groceries in a second refrigerator in the garage [does not] save money...
- 8: ...make sure you have and use an exhausting range hood that vents outdoors. Every kilowatt-hour of cooking heat that is not vented away will cause the air conditioner to use another 300-watt hours...
- 9: ...The average homeowner spends about $130 per year for lighting -- an amount that can be reduced by 70 percent or more by using compact fluorescent lamps in fixtures...
- 10: Pool pumps...running far less than eight hours can still effectively maintain a pool properly...
- 11: ...You can easily spend a couple of hundred dollars a year heating a spa with electricity, or more than $100 using a clothes dryer...
- 12: Side-by-side tests of efficient homes vs. conventional ones have shown savings of as much as 80 percent in air-conditioning use just from energy-efficiency, and more than 90 percent when solar electric systems are used...addition of a solar hot water system, attic radiant barrier, high-efficiency air conditioner, smaller pool pump and efficient lighting cost $9,000 but saved more than $1,000 annually...