Environmentalist gives virtual tour of Fayetteville home

VILLAGE OF FAYETTEVILLE – Putting the spotlight on his energy usage, a local environmentalist recently gave a virtual tour of his eco-friendly home.
The tour was co-sponsored by HeatSmart CNY and Sustainable Manlius.
Fayetteville resident Peter Wirth had a camera brought through the interior and out to the immediate exterior of his four-bedroom, 2,050-square-foot house on Cammot Lane.
Wirth, the vice president of Climate Change Awareness and Action, has lived at that address for about 18 years, while Jane, his wife, has lived there for 28 altogether.
Backing him up with the more technical details when it came to certain household installations mentioned on the tour was Mike Grabowski, a comfort advisor for heating, air conditioning and air duct cleaning service Breathe Easy of CNY.
Two years ago, that company was responsible for installing a 3.5-ton Bosch air source heat pump at the back of the Wirths’ split-level home.
Matched with an energy recovery ventilator system and a new gas-fired furnace, the Wirths’ cold climate electric heat pump extending down to the furnace room works to absorb fresh air as it both heats and cools the whole house.
Before that purchase, the Fayetteville homeowners had solar panels of different configurations placed on the roof and the wattage for some indoor appliances lowered. Additionally, the single-pane windows have been replaced with double-pane ones and then air sealed to prevent drafts, the lighting fixtures have been converted to LED and DC, and the walls are now made of sheetrock with natural oak trim molding.
Originally constructed in the early 1960s, the house is also dense-packed with cellulose along with some fiberglass in the walls.
Though Grabowski recommends setting a “comfortable” one-time temperature for the sake of the heat pump’s efficiency, Wirth said he doesn’t mind allowing lag time for the house to heat back up in the morning after turning down the thermostat overnight.
Either way, Wirth said his monthly electric bills year-round average out to less than $20 as a result of the heat pump.
Driven by concerns about climate change and his wish for the United States to become less energy-dependent on other countries, Wirth’s motivation for making these changes mainly comes down to his goal to offset the burning of natural gas and eventually reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions on the property.
He’s also positive that the work done will increase the resale value, though he said he has no intention of selling the house in this lifetime.
For more information on heat pumps and available options, those interested can visit HeatSmartCNY.org.