Home Energy Efficiency

Home Energy Efficiency

The typical American household uses about 10,000 kwh of electricity per year (approximately 34 Million BTU's, or 6 barrels of crude oil, or 36 thousand cubic ft of natural gas, or 1.7 tons of coal.) for all its appliances and heating. While many Americans have a pretty good feel for how much electricity their typical appliances consume and cost they may be unaware of the environmental costs associated with that usage. Electricity is not necessarily clean, as much of it is produced in power plants fueled by coal, oil or natural gas, which throw off CO2. For each kwh of electricity generated from a coal burning power plant approximately 2 lbs of CO2 is emitted into the atmosphere.


Energy Star is a program developed by the EPA in conjunction with the major appliance manufacturers to provide an easy way for consumers to find and purchase appliances that use less energy, and thus cost less on an annual basis, but also importantly cause less harm to the environment.

Below is a graph with some typical household items and the energy savings that can be gained from using Energy Star products. From just these appliances, switching to energy star products could reduce CO2 emissions by 3,600 lbs annually (depending on the fuel source for the electricity.)
Symptom:

High Energy Bills

Diagnosis:

The average U.S. household spends about $1,300 each year on utility bills. There are a number of factors that affect your energy bill, such as the size of your home, the efficiency of major appliances (e.g. refrigerator, hot water heater, air conditioner), and whether your home is sealed and insulated properly. Other factors include weather, energy rates, the number and kinds of lights, thermostat settings for heating and cooling, the number of loads of laundry, and if you have a pool or hot tub.

Prescription Checklist:

By choosing ENERGY STAR and making energy saving improvements to your home you could save 30% on your energy bills. The Home Energy Advisor is a quick and easy to use audit tool that will help you get a handle on your energy use.

· Make sure the envelope is properly insulated and air sealed.
· Have your HVAC System maintained by a professional.
· Have the ducts tested for air leakage.
· If you are purchasing a new HVAC System, look for the ENERGY STAR label to get the highest efficiency available in the market.
· Install an ENERGY STAR labeled programmable thermostat to keep your house at a comfortable
temperature when you are home.
· Turn your water heater down to 120 degrees Fahrenheit to save money. If you have children in the house, this is also a safety measure to prevent scalding.
· Change all of the lights in high-use areas to ENERGY STAR labeled CFL bulbs and fixtures to save up to 75 percent on your lighting bills.
· If you are purchasing new appliances, look for the ENERGY STAR label to save money and energy.

Over one-third of the electricity consumed in the United States is used by the residential sector. Space and water heating account for most of the electricity used. However, major appliances may use more electricity than we realize. There are many small steps that can be taken to save energy. The following is a list of some of these energy saving steps that are either no cost or inexpensive to implement.

Space Heating Tips

· Reduce the setting of your thermostat. For every degree above 68 degrees you add approximately 3 percent to your heating cost. Wearing a sweater can help maintain your comfort.
· Reduce the setting of your thermostat at night by 5 degrees can save approximately 8 percent, or 10 will save approximately 11 percent of your heating cost. Automatic setback thermostats are available at your local heating supply stores and usually pay for themselves within one year.
· Heat only those rooms you use. Close doors to unused rooms. Zonal electrical heat allows room by room control, which can reduce heating costs up to 25 percent.
· During the winter months, open shades, drapes, or curtains on the south side of your house to gain the sun's free solar heat. Windows on the north side should remain covered at all times. During summer, close your shades, drapes, or curtains to keep the heat out until the sun goes down.
· Do not block heaters or vents with furniture, drapes, curtains, or appliances. Keep them free of dust to improve efficiency.
· Use space heaters for their designed usage; small areas for short periods of time. Trying to heat large areas with a space heater is not efficient.
· Do not let valuable heat escape up unused fireplace chimneys. Block flues when not in use.
· Installing electric thermal storage heating units can save you money on heating costs.

Water Heating Tips (Top)

· Installing a water heater blanket around your tank can save up to $20.00 per year on water heating costs. This figure can be greater if the tank is in an unheated area.
· Insulate hot water pipes the first five feet leading from the water heater and if possible all hot water pipes in unheated areas.
· Unless you are on a treated water system, drain your water tank every six months to keep sediment and deposits from building up in the bottom of the tank. These deposits cut down the efficiency of your unit.
· Periodically check your heating elements for build-up. The build-up acts as insulation, restricting the heat from getting to the water. Start with inspections every six months, then develop a schedule based upon your particular water content and situation.
· Reducing the thermostat from 140 to 120 degrees can save you approximately 18 percent on you water heating costs. Reducing the setting by 10 degrees you can save approximately 7 percent. Water temperatures of 122 degrees and detergent will remove oil or grease stains and clean heavily soiled laundry. Tests have proven that clothes are just as clean, in terms of bacteria count, after being washed in 70 degree water as using 120 degree water. If sanitation is a concern, (i.e. sick person in the house) authorities recommended using a chlorine bleach.
· WattWatcher® customers may want to set the thermostat at 130 degrees to help stretch their hot water during on-peak hours.
· Repairing leaky faucets can save thousands of gallons of water. Those drips represent money down the drain.
· Consider taking a shower instead of a bath. It takes approximately 30 gallons of water to fill the average bath tub to bathing level. Try this experiment, plug the bath tub, then take a shower. See how full the tub is when you are through compared to your normal bath level.
· Installing restricted flow shower heads can save 40 percent or more per month on water heating costs. New models are preferred over old style shower heads by many users.
· Install restricted flow heads on bathroom and kitchen sinks to reduce consumption by up to one-half.

Major Appliances

Refrigerator/Freezer Range/Oven Washer/Dryer Dishwasher

Refrigerator/Freezer · Refrigerators and freezers operate more efficiently when they are full. It takes more energy to keep air cold than food. Leave enough space to allow air circulation, however, avoid overcrowding. · Check the temperature control. The refrigerator should be set at 36 to 38 degrees. While the freezer should be set a 0 to 5 degrees. · Locate your refrigerator/freezer away from heat sources such as the range, a heating register, or direct sunshine. Allow for air circulation at the sides and top. · Make sure door gaskets on your refrigerator/freezer seal properly. To check, take a dollar bill and closed the door on it, if it pulls through easily, the gasket should be adjusted or replaced.

· Clean the condenser coils (found at the back or bottom of the refrigerator/freezer) two to four times a year. A build-up of dust reduces the efficiency of the unit. Be sure to unplug the appliance before starting to clean.

· Allow hot foods to cool slightly before putting then into the refrigerator. However, do not leave them out more than two hours.

· If you have a manual defrost freezer, defrost it regularly. Frost should not be allowed to build up more than 1/4 inch.

· If you have a frost-free refrigerator/freezer. Keep all liquids tightly covered. Uncovered liquids evaporate causing a frost-free system to work harder.

· Only open the doors of your refrigerator when necessary.

· Keep in mind that frost-free models of refrigerators/freezers use more energy than standard models. Also, side-by-side refrigerator/freezers usually use more energy than a refrigerator/freezer with a top or bottom freezer unit. Upright freezers will use more energy than a chest type freezer.

· Foods that need thawing before being cooked can be thawed in the refrigerator. The food helps keep the refrigerator cool while growth of bacteria on foods thawed at room temperature can be averted.
Range/Oven (Back to Major Appliances)

· Use a flat bottom pan and match the size of the pan to the burner size. Keeping pans covered will help to hold in the heat.

· Reflector drip pans allow the heat to be absorbed back into the pan, but if they are not kept clean, they cannot reflect the heat back into the pan effectively. Do not line reflector drip pans with foil because the elements work more efficiently without it.

· When foods begin to bubble or boil, turn down the temperature. Turn the burner off two to three minutes before you are through cooking. The elements will retain enough heat to finish cooking.

· During the summer, use the exhaust fan to vent the heat outside. This will help keep the house cooler. For the winter months, take advantage of the heat by keeping the exhaust fan off.

· Do not use the range or oven to heat the house. Your heating system will heat your home much more efficiently.

· Preheat you oven only when necessary for the minimum amount of time called for.

· Determine if food can be cooked more efficiently in the oven or on the range top. In general, use the range for one or two skillet meals and the oven if the whole meal can be cooked in the oven at the same time.

· Learn minimum cooking times and do not overcook. Food retains more vitamins, and energy is saved if your foods are not overcooked.

· Avoid peeking! Cook by the time stated in recipes. Each time the door to your oven is opened, up to 20 percent of the heat is lost.

· Baking with glass or ceramic will allow you to reduce oven temperature by 25 degrees.

· Thaw food thoroughly before cooking.

· Do not line ovens with aluminum foil. Foil blocks air circulation and can change oven temperature by 50 degrees.
Also foods wrapped in aluminum foil take longer to cook.

· Use the self-clean feature only when necessary. The best time is right after you have finished baking, while the oven is still hot.

Washer/Dryer (Back to Major Appliances)

· Wash only full loads, being careful not to overload the washer; or for smaller loads, use the appropriate water level setting.

· Use a cold-water rinse.

· Keep the lint filter on the washer/dryer clean.

· Do not overload the dryer. Clothes need room to tumble.

· Dry clothes in consecutive loads so the drum does not have time to cool down.

· Use the clothes line as much as possible, taking advantage of the sun's free drying power.

· Do not over dry clothes. Take them out while still damp if they are to be ironed. Natural fibers, such as cotton need to retain some moisture to prevent wrinkling.

· Match cycle with laundry type. (i.e. soiled, light knits, towels, etc.)
Dishwasher (Back to Major Appliances)

· Run dishwasher only when you have a full load.

· If dishwasher is run once a day, you do not need to pre-rinse your dishes. Scrape them off before putting them into the dishwasher. If a rinse is necessary, use cold water.

· Do not use the drying cycle. Instead, use the energy-saving selector or open the door after the final rinse and allow dishes to air dry.

· Match cycle to load. Shorter cycles for less dirty dishes.


Small Appliances

· Smaller kitchen appliances are more economical to use than larger appliances.
· Microwave ovens are more efficient than conventional ovens.
· Use a toaster or counter top broiler/toaster to toast food instead of the oven broiler.
· Use a fryer pan, crock-pot, fryer cooker, etc. when possible, but avoid using several small appliances instead of one oven.
· Keep waterbeds made. Blankets help to keep the heat in the mattress from escaping.
· Insulation underneath and on the sides of waterbeds help keep them warm.
· Use timers on engine block heaters. Two hours of heating is enough to have your vehicle warmed up.
· Use timers on well-housed heat lamps. Have them come on when you go to bed and back off when you get up in the mornings.
· Timers on heat tapes can save energy. Thermostats on heat tapes can be faulty, causing them to run continuously.

Lighting

· Use fluorescent lamps when possible. New advances in lighting with compact fluorescents can give you considerable savings. While the up-front cost is high, over the life of a compact fluorescent lamp (10,000 hours) it will pay for itself over two times. · Turn off lights when not being used. Even fluorescents should be turned off if they will not be used for approximately eight minutes or more.
· Use one large bulb in place of several smaller ones.
· Keep light fixtures clean.
· Light colored ceilings and walls reflect light allowing you to use fewer or lower wattage lamps.
· Take advantage of the sun. Open curtains to allow natural light to brighten your home.

Weather Stripping and Caulking

Weather Stripping Caulking

The time and money you invest in weather stripping and caulking can pay off faster than most any other home improvement you can make. This holds true even for well insulated houses. Up to 60 percent of the heat your house needs is due to air infiltration. Cold air leaks in and has to be heated. Weather stripping and caulking can help stop air infiltration. Both weather stripping and caulking are easy, economical, do-it-yourself jobs.

Weather Stripping

All doors and windows should be weather stripped on all sides, tops, and bottoms. Do not forget the point where the top and bottom sash of double hung windows and sliding windows come together. When you are doing the doors, do not forget doors to the basement, attic, and to unheated garages. If your house already has weather stripping, check to make sure it is in good condition. If you feel a draft or can see light coming in, you need to replace it. Weather stripping is sold by the foot or in handy kits for a single door or window. There are several different types of weather stripping, be sure to get the one that best suits your needs.

To check for air leaks try one of the following:

· Wet the back of your hand then feel for drafts.
· Build a simple "draft detector" by draping a piece of tissue over a clothes hanger and holding near suspected areas.

Look for drafts in these locations:

Windows, doors, light fixtures, wall outlets, light switches, pipes, television, or phone cable and anywhere the house has been penetrated. After identifying the locations, you will have a better idea of where you need to start caulking or weather stripping.

Caulking

Caulking should be applied to the following places:
· Between window drip caps (top or window) and siding.
· Between door drip caps and siding.
· At joints between door frames and siding.
· Between window sills and siding.
· At corners formed by siding.
· At sills where wood structure meets the foundation.
· Outside water faucets or other special breaks in the outside house surface.
· Where pipes and wiring penetrate the ceiling below an unheated attic.
· Between porches and main body of the house.
· Where chimney or masonry meet siding.

If there is a heated attic, where the wall meets the eaves at the gable ends.
Caulking comes in a wide variety of compounds with each one designed for particular applications. Manufacturers usually print on each cartridge a description of the material, its recommended use, performance quality, and directions for application.

Some tips for caulking are:

· Apply caulking when temperatures are between 45 degrees and 55 degrees F. At these temperatures, expansion and contraction at joints are at midway point.
· Surfaces should be clean. Remove any old caulk. Surface should be grease and dust free, and dry.
· Deposit caulk at the bottom of the seam or crack so it fills without bubbling.
· Never skimp. Use enough caulk to fill the crack or seam. Refer to manufacturer's recommendations for filling large cracks.
· If caulk shrinks during drying, reapply.

Insulation

Insulation is needed for three reasons: 1. To conserve energy and save money 2. To increase comfort; and 3. To increase efficiency Upgrading your home's insulation is a project that requires an investment substantially larger than weather stripping and caulking. The payback period will vary depending on your particular case. The amount of energy you will save is governed by the following things: · The amount of insulation you already have · The quality of installation of your current insulation · The quality of installation of any additional insulation · The size and type of your home · The number, size, and type of windows you have, and whether you have storm windows · The efficiency of your heating system · The orientation of your home to the sun · Your lifestyle · The weather conditions
Remember, any energy savings you gain with insulation will continue for the life of your home. Those savings can also enhance your home's resale value.

Suggested insulation levels are as follows:

Minimum Optimum
Ceiling R-38 R-38
Walls R-19 R-28
Band Joist R-10 R-19
Foundation R-10 R-10
Floors R-13 R-19
Windows R-02 R-03
Doors R-06 R-10

These suggested levels can be used for new construction or for remodel jobs. Retrofitting these levels in your house may not be cost-efficient or practical. While there are many variables affecting energy savings when additional insulation is installed, you will save money. As with other weatherization materials, insulation comes in many forms. Each type is designed for installation in various locations. The Colorado Office of Energy Conservation, 1-800-632-6662, has brochures on insulation that can help you make decisions regarding insulation.



Use Clean Energy in Your Home!

Solar
Wind
Efficiency
Great Books and Magazines
Miscellaneous
Fuel Cells: Fuel Cells generate electricity through an electro-chemical reaction, similar to batteries, rather than through combustion like most engines.

Because fuel cells are combustion-free, they also have great potential for low emissions. Future fuel cells may be useful for automobiles as well as household power. Click here for more information on fuel cells.

Day-lighting: "Cool Day-lighting" is the process of capturing useful daylight to reduce your electric lighting needs without accepting accidental heat gain in the summer. Day-lighting can be extraordinarily cost effective, with daylight buildings sometimes having a lower first-cost than traditional building design. Day-lighting is especially effective for larger commercial buildings such as office buildings and schools. More information on day-lighting is available online.

Geothermal: Go down five feet below ground level in most of the mid-west and you'll find a year-round temperature of about 55 degrees. Fifty-five degrees is a terrific temperature to provide cooling during the Summer and pre-heating during the Winter. "Ground Source Heat Pumps", or Geo-Exchange systems, are systems that lay coils of tubes beneath the earth to capture this useful year-round temperature for heating and cooling. The website of the Geothermal Heat Pump Consortium says it all: "Your yard can help offset higher heating oil prices!" Visit Geo-exchange for more information, or call 888-255-4436.
Recycling: Don't forget to recycle! Looking at just one example, it takes 95% less electricity to make an aluminum can from recycled materials than from raw materials.