ENERGY CONSERVATION

 

ENERGY CONSERVATION

Homeowners can work for the larger social goals of energy conservation and environmental protection while they save substantially on their energy bills. Conservation measures can cut home energy costs by 50% with a modest investment. Residential energy use accounts for about 22% of total national energy use. Commercial and industrial buildings, which account for another 25%, can use many of the same measures to save energy. Many other countries are considerably ahead of the U.S. in promoting home energy conservation; they have demonstrated what is possible for us. Future increases in fuel prices will make conservation investment even more cost-effective.

Using less fossil fuel energy will help with air pollution, acid rain, climate change, oil spills, habitat loss, dependence on foreign imports, and national security. Retrofitting existing homes is important since 60% of our 214 million dwellings are projected to be still in use in 2050. The US Energy Information Agency calculated average residential energy use as: heating 32%, AC 11%, water heating 13%, lights 12%, refrigeration 8%, electronics 5%, and other appliances, etc. 19%. The average home now has 40 products that use electricity. Seemingly small energy uses have significant costs; e.g., a 75 watt bulb left on continuously would cost $66 per year at 10 cents per KWH.

You can analyze your gas and electric bills to find out how energy uses breakdown. Heating and air conditioning costs can be estimated by comparing energy bills between seasons. Energy audits can be useful in identifying energy losses and the most cost effective conservation measures. Simple online audits are available and some utility companies offer free audits; professional auditors charge $200 - $400. The free resources may make a professional audit unnecessary (see Website list). Audits save money by identifying which measures will or will not be cost effective. The age and condition of furnaces, AC units, and appliances determine the cost effectiveness of replacing them. An inexpensive device called “Kill a Watt[1]” allows you to measure the electrical usage of appliances for comparison with Energy Star levels. This will help you decide which appliances should be replaced.

A list of 158 measures to lower energy costs follows. Not all of these measures will be appropriate for your home. Some measures will not apply or will not be needed for a particular home. Some items will have already been accomplished for your home. Some will cost more than you are prepared to spend. Consider first the free or low cost measure which apply; they will produce significant savings. Most of these measures are also easy to do. Based on your budget and whatever replacements or remodeling you plan, select the most appropriate higher cost measures. Research the passive solar and landscaping measures to see which are possible and most cost effective for your home. Some may be best done by professionals, but most can be do-it-yourself projects. Most people can save 20-30% with very little expense and at least 50% of their energy costs with less than $2000 investment. Make note of the probable time and inconvenience associated with each measure when planning.

Many energy efficient upgrades are most cost effective if they are done when replacing the particular item anyway or during a general remodeling. The cost difference vs. products that are not energy efficient is usually small enough to make the upgrade very cost-effective. Those projects below are so designated.

A whole house systems approach is best. Choose a combination of measures that fit your budget and available time, and work well together.  In many cases, measures overlap or would be duplicative; e.g., if you have an electronic igniter on your furnace, there would be no pilot light to shut off, or if you have Energy Star windows, storm windows are probably not cost effective. Substantial energy savings will also mean that smaller and less expensive furnaces and air conditioners will suffice, making for additional savings. An Energy Star washer removes more water from clothes thus saving energy use by a dryer. If two measures each reduce energy use for heating 30%, the net savings is 51% not 60%. (The second measure will save 30% of 70% or 21%, leaving 49% of the original total (70% - 21%) of the original cost.)

The basic idea of passive solar heating is to have ample windows on the south to let in the winter sun with overhangs to keep out the summer sun and sufficient thermal mass to hold the daytime heat and release it at night. Solar collectors can also be used on solid walls or roofs.  Probably 99% of American homes fail to use solar energy effectively. (Only 3% of new homes met Energy Star standards in 2002.) However, passive solar energy could supply substantial heat in many homes without great expense. The Passive Solar section below lists possible measures. Usually, some combination of these measures will produce the best results. Costs and savings will depend on climate, available sunlight, orientation of home, existing windows, and room arrangement. In some cases, passive solar can supply 100% of a home’s heat. Homes which face south and have open floor plans have the best potential; modest investment can produce an average of 25% savings on heat in these homes. Energy conservation measures, by decreasing the need for heat, mean that solar will provide a larger percentage of that heat. Energy Efficient Landscaping, the strategic planting of trees and shrubs can block winter winds or provide shade and cooling or funnel winds toward the home in the summer. Where feasible, this can reduce the need for heating and/or cooling by as much as 30% while producing aesthetic benefits as well.

My cost and savings estimates are based on an average household in an average 2000 sq ft. home with $2500 in annual energy costs. Calculations used relevant KWHs or BTUs, average hours per day of use, average number of days of use, and estimated savings factors. Actual costs and benefits for these measures will vary, e.g., due to climate, building characteristics and differences in utilization.

The energy saving measures are categorized by cost and savings estimates. Many of these measures make sense in terms of air quality, health, humidity, comfort, safety, maintenance of equipment, or aesthetics as well as saving energy. For example sealing air leaks helps prevent backdrafting and possible carbon monoxide spillage from combustion appliances. A number of Financing Resources for energy conservation are available and are listed below. Lists of useful websites and recommended books are also attached.