A REAL EXAMPLE OF CONSERVATION
Last time we discussed the various PG&E and City sponsored conservation programs. The City of Ukiah has a very generous rebate program and PG&E has several different programs, most of them also rebates, to inspire people to use less energy. And using less needs to be a top priority for governments and citizens alike. The numbers are staggering. Almost unbelievable. The world combined uses 3,476,313,540 gallons of oil per day. Of that amount, the U.S. uses 784,980,000 gallons per day. We are the biggest user by far, with the European Union and China next, each using about half of what we use. Some of that oil goes into gasoline but a very large amount is used for power generation. 66% of our electrical power is generated by burning oil, natural gas and other fossil fuels, and because of our poor generation and transmission system we must produce twice as much power as we use because half is lost in getting the power to the end user. Something must be done to decrease these numbers. It has been established that the best way to increase the available energy is to apply energy conservation measures to the buildings and equipment that were built in an era when energy was cheap. Bringing our residential and commercial buildings up to current energy standards can save enough energy to avoid building a number of new power generating plants, and is cheaper and less controversial.
AN EXAMPLE OF HOW IT CAN BE DONE
One of the newest and farthest reaching conservation programs is a State-wide program called “Energy Upgrade California” and is sponsored by different utility companies through-out the State. It is a rebate program and is results driven, meaning the money is paid only after it is shown energy savings will result from specific items installed on a specific house. Sometimes this is easier to understand if we use a real example instead of just discussing the rules and guidelines. So we’ll talk about a home that used this program recently. It’s in Ukiah in an area we call “wine country” because most of the streets are named after various wines. The home belongs to a young professional couple and their 4 month old son. These homes were built in several phases, some as long as 40 years ago and some more recent. Most were built in a time when not much thought was given to energy conservation or efficiency. Most have little or no insulation, have inefficient heating and cooling equipment, have poorly sized uninsulated ducts, have single pane windows and are drafty.
ESTABLISHING ELIGIBILITY
To establish the homes eligibility an assessment is first done, including a blower door and duct pressure test. In addition to these tests another five pages of information is gathered about the house and its equipment. The date is used to compile a custom report specific to that particular home which recommends potential energy saving measures to be installed and details the percentage each will save. This homes recommended measures included upgrading the wall & attic insulation, installing new dual pane windows, removing the old furnace and installing a new high efficiency unit with a two stage burner and variable speed fan, high SEER A/C, remove the old HVAC ducts under the house and put new ducts (R-8 insulation and less than 6% leakage) in the attic where the new furnace was to be located. By installing the furnace in the central part of the attic, short duct runs are possible, meaning a more effective duct system with less loss. Putting the ducts in the attic also allows more insulation to be blown over them, which increases the R-value even further. A two stage gas furnace has two burner intensities. Both burners come on to bring the home up to temperature when the owners have been gone, and then half of the burners shut off while the temperature is maintained. Same idea for the variable speed fan. It comes on hard when needed and then slows down to keep the home’s temperature maintained. This is a very energy efficient system and with a set-back thermostat (and the added insulation and windows, of course) keeps the home at the desired temperature at a fraction of the cost of the 40 year old furnace that was replaced. The whole project (also including air sealing in the attic, a plastic vapor barrier under the house, a new water heater and new range hood) cost just over $22,000 and by using a combination of the new EUC and an older PG&E rebate program the owners will receive almost $5,000 in rebates, and a $500 tax credit. The best part is the huge 70% potential reduction in heating and cooling costs. That means for every $100 in costs before the upgrade they will now pay only $30.
This can be a very worthwhile program and the money invested will have a very short payback period, and it also increases the resale value of the home. If this is of interest to you there is a website at “energyupgradeca.org” and a list of participating contractors. Just make sure you ask about any charges for the assessment if you are getting one. It takes the better part of a day to do and some contractors charge for it, but it is an investment well worth the money.
Last time we discussed the various PG&E and City sponsored conservation programs. The City of Ukiah has a very generous rebate program and PG&E has several different programs, most of them also rebates, to inspire people to use less energy. And using less needs to be a top priority for governments and citizens alike. The numbers are staggering. Almost unbelievable. The world combined uses 3,476,313,540 gallons of oil per day. Of that amount, the U.S. uses 784,980,000 gallons per day. We are the biggest user by far, with the European Union and China next, each using about half of what we use. Some of that oil goes into gasoline but a very large amount is used for power generation. 66% of our electrical power is generated by burning oil, natural gas and other fossil fuels, and because of our poor generation and transmission system we must produce twice as much power as we use because half is lost in getting the power to the end user. Something must be done to decrease these numbers. It has been established that the best way to increase the available energy is to apply energy conservation measures to the buildings and equipment that were built in an era when energy was cheap. Bringing our residential and commercial buildings up to current energy standards can save enough energy to avoid building a number of new power generating plants, and is cheaper and less controversial.
AN EXAMPLE OF HOW IT CAN BE DONE
One of the newest and farthest reaching conservation programs is a State-wide program called “Energy Upgrade California” and is sponsored by different utility companies through-out the State. It is a rebate program and is results driven, meaning the money is paid only after it is shown energy savings will result from specific items installed on a specific house. Sometimes this is easier to understand if we use a real example instead of just discussing the rules and guidelines. So we’ll talk about a home that used this program recently. It’s in Ukiah in an area we call “wine country” because most of the streets are named after various wines. The home belongs to a young professional couple and their 4 month old son. These homes were built in several phases, some as long as 40 years ago and some more recent. Most were built in a time when not much thought was given to energy conservation or efficiency. Most have little or no insulation, have inefficient heating and cooling equipment, have poorly sized uninsulated ducts, have single pane windows and are drafty.
ESTABLISHING ELIGIBILITY
To establish the homes eligibility an assessment is first done, including a blower door and duct pressure test. In addition to these tests another five pages of information is gathered about the house and its equipment. The date is used to compile a custom report specific to that particular home which recommends potential energy saving measures to be installed and details the percentage each will save. This homes recommended measures included upgrading the wall & attic insulation, installing new dual pane windows, removing the old furnace and installing a new high efficiency unit with a two stage burner and variable speed fan, high SEER A/C, remove the old HVAC ducts under the house and put new ducts (R-8 insulation and less than 6% leakage) in the attic where the new furnace was to be located. By installing the furnace in the central part of the attic, short duct runs are possible, meaning a more effective duct system with less loss. Putting the ducts in the attic also allows more insulation to be blown over them, which increases the R-value even further. A two stage gas furnace has two burner intensities. Both burners come on to bring the home up to temperature when the owners have been gone, and then half of the burners shut off while the temperature is maintained. Same idea for the variable speed fan. It comes on hard when needed and then slows down to keep the home’s temperature maintained. This is a very energy efficient system and with a set-back thermostat (and the added insulation and windows, of course) keeps the home at the desired temperature at a fraction of the cost of the 40 year old furnace that was replaced. The whole project (also including air sealing in the attic, a plastic vapor barrier under the house, a new water heater and new range hood) cost just over $22,000 and by using a combination of the new EUC and an older PG&E rebate program the owners will receive almost $5,000 in rebates, and a $500 tax credit. The best part is the huge 70% potential reduction in heating and cooling costs. That means for every $100 in costs before the upgrade they will now pay only $30.
This can be a very worthwhile program and the money invested will have a very short payback period, and it also increases the resale value of the home. If this is of interest to you there is a website at “energyupgradeca.org” and a list of participating contractors. Just make sure you ask about any charges for the assessment if you are getting one. It takes the better part of a day to do and some contractors charge for it, but it is an investment well worth the money.
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