Weatherization of Historic Buildings: Modify User Behavior

User behavior and climate have a great effect on energy use and should be considered before developing a weatherization and energy efficiency plan. For example, reducing air infiltration around a door will not be effective if a tenant has a habit of propping the door open. Similarly, in a hot and humid climate, reducing heat loss is less important than adequate ventilation and air circulation. Some easy ways to modify user behavior are to:

• Install a timer or motion detector to ensure that lights are off when rooms are not in use.
• Attach a self-closing mechanism to doors likely to be left open.
• Install fans to increase comfort instead of lowering the thermostat during warm months.
• Lower the thermostat during cold months and raise it during hot months.
• Program the thermostat to modify temperatures based on occupancy patterns.
• Replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs.
• Use operable window shades or shutters to reduce heat gain during the summer.
• Use drapes and curtains to reduce drafts around windows in the winter.
• Turn off or remove ‘vampire’ devices such as phone chargers and DVD players that use electricity in standby mode or whenever they are plugged into an outlet.

Next article: Develop a weatherization plan