Home Envelope Challenge

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Keep warm air in, cold air out, and carbon emissions down

Space heating makes up 63.6% of household energy use, and the air tightness of your home plays a vital role in its energy efficiency. In this challenge our families will explore options to improve their home’s seal to increase energy efficiency and reduce related emissions.

The challenge

In the Home Envelope challenge, our families need to explore easy, low-cost ways to improve their home’s envelope to help keep it warm in the winter and allow cooling and airflow in the summer. Easy, low-cost solutions include:

  • Sealing gaps with weatherstripping or foam
  • Installing plastic film insulation kits to windows
  • Insulating outlets and switch plates

Even these small actions can help maximize a home’s energy efficiency and play an important role in creating an airtight home envelope and decreasing household emissions.

Learn more about household emissions related to your home envelope and how to decrease them.

Download the Live Net Zero Home Envelope Challenge overview for additional information on how an improperly sealed house affects related carbon emissions, as well as tips for improving the air tightness and energy efficiency of your own home.

Download the challenge overview

Follow along

See what the households did to reduce their carbon footprints by improving their home envelope.

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Keep your cool while ensuring your home is warm and water’s hot with the fewest carbon emissions possible.

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