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| sustainability |
| rules of thumb |
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Cambridge Studio
617.547.4477
Newton Studio
617.244.4477
Berkshire Studio
413.528.4452
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| Heating and Cooling |
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Select units with the Energy-Star label.
Shade outdoor units with trees, shrubs, and other landscaping while being careful not to block airflow to the unit.
Sizing of air conditioning and heating equipment is important. Oversizing of air conditioning units can cause humidity problems and oversized units are poor
energy performers.
In A Cold Climate, select heating equipment with an AFUE rating of 90% or greater.
Condensing Fossil-Fueled Furnaces Or Boilders cost more than non-condensing ones, but have an efficiency of 90-95% versus
80-87% for non-condensing units.
Geothermal Heat Pumps heat and cool the home by using the constant temperature of the earth as a source of heat in the winter and as a heat sink
during the summer. The performance is better than air-source heat pumps, they have a greater life expectancy and they deliver hot water at a
greater efficiency than standard electric water heaters. Drawbacks include higher costs and land requirements.
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