I’m willing to bet that every driver has had the embarrassing experience of driving while s/he has inadvertently left on the parking brake. The driver most likely came to this realization because of the decreased performance of the car. In our own households there are a plethora of energy wasting devices and conditions that similarly decrease our wise use of energy. Most homeowners are unaware that they are operating their households with the parking brake on. In my blog I will chronicle some of the steps that I have taken towards the wise use of energy and describe my latest effort to conserve – insulating my basement walls. By way of introduction I will mention that I am a recently retired physics teacher with a lifelong fascination for energy and its efficient use. In the classroom I engaged my students in studying energy which is the core topic of physics. Family vacations usually include a side trip to a hydroelectric dam, photovoltaic array, or government energy lab (my supportive wife and four kids tolerated and/or enjoyed most of these). My ethic of saving energy led me to start an insulation business to supplement my income. DIY jobs and remodeling have been opportunities to include some energy saving features. I ride my bike for errands and exercise, walk when I play golf, and carpool when possible. Energy saving home improvement efforts have resulted in an average monthly electric usage of 323 kW hr and 67 therms of natural gas for our 2-story, 4 bedroom home ($85/mo budget billing). If you want a descriptive list of household energy conserving measures that I have taken, click on this link . After insulating, installing new windows, converting to CFLs, …, the major area that has not been addressed are two basement sidewalls. I bought foam insulation and drywall two years ago for this “retirement” project, but have managed to put it off so far. My Lenten resolutions have varied greatly through the years, but now I am willing to replace “giving up gum” for the more demanding “stop procrastinating – do something worthwhile.”
As with most projects, the goal is frequently complicated by diversionary sub-projects. Some of these sub-projects are -- a) clean the area, b) declutter by removing some unused stored items, c) reshuffle and temporarily store items, d) unbolt the 24’ long storage unit. I’m predicting that Goodwill or DAV will also benefit from our project.
I am now initiating the first step a) of the project. This is relatively benign, but my head is beginning to spin as I contemplate what stored items will remain and where will they go? Simultaneously, I am devising a strategy that is based on the down-sizing process that many of our empty-nest friends have recently undergone. When steps b), c), and d) are accomplished, I will finally be able to start the actual installation of the insulating foam board and drywall. Complicating factors that I foresee are transporting the heavy drywall down the steep basement steps and using an adhesive to stick the foam board to cold walls. Since we still have so much snow and cold weather, I am sure that Lent will end and we will be celebrating Easter before the walls warm up.
Blessings to everyone throughout this Lenten season. May we all practice becoming good stewards of God’s many gifts.
Next week's blog will be by Liz Johnson, our Treasurer, about her efforts to avoid "conspicuous consumption" during Lent.
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