Energy Efficiency

"Air will leak in through electrical outlets and switches, joints between two finish materials such as siding and brick, through the cracks around vents, pipes and wires that pass through your walls, around the edges of doors, and the biggest culprit of all are the joints in and around your windows. Windows that are not properly weatherized with weather stripping and seals, that have cracked glass, or cracked glazing putty can cost you hundreds of dollars a year. If all of these cracks and holes around you house are added up they can cause the same air infiltration as a 6" square hole in your wall." --eHow.com

Call me green. I do care about recycling & the use of our natural resources efficiently. I try not to be to crazed about it, but I have done self energy audits on my dwellings to find out how to save energy and money by not wasting. I try to turn off lights/electronics when not in use, shutting doors when going in and out of the house, and turning off running water during brushing teeth. I guess Qatar doesn't really have the same ideas of energy efficiency as the US. Here are only a few examples.

Under the front doors

Around A/C units & exhaust fans (they are stuck into holes cut in outside walls)

Around windows (Yes, that is about one inch along the bottom of the glass that is completely open with no seal. And, we wondered why it sounded like the window was open. We have two windows like this.)

I think our villa has the equivalent of a 3-foot diameter hole in the wall. Thankfully, the government heavily subsidizes the utilities for everyone. (Nationals don't pay any at all.) Still, I think we need to do some work on decreasing energy loss in our villa. Besides, it freaks me out when it is windy outside but blowing Leoni's toys across the floor.