2011 Residential Environmental
Program Series
Feb. 16
March 2
March 16
March 23
March 30
April 13
April 27
May 11
Creating a collaborative community
The complete home energy angler
Xeriscape: beyond the basics
Energy and water efficient tree choices
Landscape design for water-wise beauty
The lowdown on low water plants.
Smart Meter Fort Collins
Adventures in composting
Streamed video and powerpoints
available at
www.fcgov.com/reps
The Complete Home
Energy Angler
Learn how the Community
Energy Challenge can help you
hook energy savings in your
home. Experts explore myths
around home electricity use and
help you catch energy savings.
When Published, What Author?
??
A classic since 1653 !
Tonight’s Agenda …
• How do homes use energy
• What are some tools to identify
opportunities
• What are some local programs to help you
• How to avoid in-effective measures
• How to participate in the community
challenge
Tonight’s Agenda …
• 7pm- 8pm Homes, Energy, and Opportunities
• 10 Minute Break
• 8:10-8:15 Door Prizes
• 8:15 – 8:45 The Community Energy Challenge
• Questions
The Angling Theme …
• How to Catch Some Savings?
– Patterns of use – what we chose to do
– Choosing efficient alternatives for what we do.
The Angling Theme …
• Are there “lunkers” out
there? Maybe, Maybe
not!
• What are Realistic
Savings estimates?
• Effective steps to take
(as opposed to ineffective steps)
• Many small things can
add up.
To Good to be True …
• Are there “stinkers” out there?
A few…
• Beware ( some examples)
– DIY solar modules
– Miracle Power Factor correctors
– Miracle Power Generators
– “Heat Surge”, “Cool Surge”
… More Later
The Angling Theme …
Energy Angling Basics
Energy Units
Natural Gas
•British Thermal Units (Btu)
• a “Therm” = 100,000 Btu
• 1 Million Btu (MMBtu) = 10 Therms
Electricity
• Kilo-Watt Hour (kWh)
• 1 kWh = 3413 Btu
Power vs. Energy
kiloWatt-hour = quantity of
electric energy
kiloWatt = rate of energy use
“ODOMETER” – Quantity – Miles
“SPEEDOMETER” – Rate - MPH
1 kWh = Ten 100Watt light bulbs burning for one hour
Cost of Energy (from the Utility)
Gas:
$0.75 per Therm
Equiv. to $7.50 per million Btu
Electricity: $0.08 per kWh
Equiv. to $23.44 per million Btu
Cost of Energy (at the end use)
Example – Home Heating
Gas Furnace:
80 to 90% efficient
Electric Resistance Heat:
100%
Heat Pump:
200%
(Heat Pump draws heat from air or ground, “MOSTLY”)
Cost of Energy (at the end use)
Home Heating – cost per “Usable” Btu
Gas Furnace:
$9.38 per MMBtu
Electric Heat:
$23.44 per MMBtu
Heat Pump:
$11.72 per MMBtu
What’s Typical?
How does a typical
household use energy?
“Typical Home Energy Budget”
• First, “Typical” doesn’t help much - all
homes are different
Energy Use Patterns …
Part Depends on the House
Impact on “Comfort”
Energy Use Patterns …
Part Depends on You
Potentially a big piece of
the pie
You have control
Increasing Home Size …
Housing Trends …
Peak Winter Envelope Loads
Peak Roof Heat
Load
(kBtu/hr)
80.0
Heating Load ( kBtu/hr )
70.0
62.2
60.0
50.0
40.0
30.0
Peak Infil Heat
Load
(kBtu/hr)
Peak Floor Heat
Load
(kBtu/hr)
34.0
28.4
Peak Window Con
Heat Load
(kBtu/hr)
24.2
20.0
Peak Wall Heat
Load
(kBtu/hr)
10.0
0.0
NC-Base
FC-Post2000
FC-Mid70s
FC-Pre1973
Peak Summer Envelope Loads
50.0
Cooling Peak ( kBtu/hr )
40.6
40.0
28.2
30.0
22.9
20.0
19.7
10.0
0.0
NC-Base
FC-Post2000
FC-Mid70s
FC-Pre1973
Peak Roof Cool Load
(kBtu/hr)
Peak Process Cool Load
(kBtu/hr)
Peak Infil Cool Load
(kBtu/hr)
Peak Eqp Cool Load
(kBtu/hr)
Peak Ltg Cool Load
(kBtu/hr)
Peak Occ Cool Load
(kBtu/hr)
Peak Window Sol Load
(kBtu/hr)
Peak Window Con Cool Load
(kBtu/hr)
Peak Wall Cool Load
(kBtu/hr)
National Trends …
Similar Local Trend – Using More
• Using 50 to 70% more energy per person
compared to 15 years ago …
80%
rgy
e
En
70%
Percent increase
60%
le
Peop
50%
40%
30%
Fort Collins, 1992 to 2008
* 44% more people
* 74% more energy
20%
10%
0%
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
More stuff, on more of the time . . .
Action?
So you want to at least understand what’s
using energy
And maybe be able to find some savings.
Your Tools
• Month to month bill patterns – Gas and
Electric
• The Electric Use Estimator
• Measurement – Appliance meter and
whole-house monitors
Check Your Bill
2009 Program “Your Electric Bill- Take
Control” at www.fcgov.com\reps
Your Home’s Budget?
Doug Swartz presentation "Your Electric Bill: Take Control" http://www.fcgov.com/reps
Electric
billing
history
Seasonal Patterns
Electric Usage History
1750
1500
Cooling
season
1250
1000
Heating
season
750
500
Minimum baseload (spring, fall)
250
Sep-08
Aug-08
Jul-08
Jun-08
May-08
Apr-08
Mar-08
Feb-08
Jan-08
Dec-07
Nov-07
0
Oct-07
Energy use (kWh/month)
2000
Where to Look First?
House 1
House 2
House 3
Family 1
Family 2
Family 3
Electric Usage Inventory
Electric Usage Inventory
Your Tally –
typical wattage
and use hours of
use based on
national statistics
A quick way to get a sense of
the breakdown of use before
going to more involve
appliance or whole-house
measurements
Electric Usage Estimater
Four Sheets
• Intro / Rate Choice
• Tally Sheet
• Summary
• Next Steps
The Inventory Sheet
All the action
is in the
Quantity
Column
The Summary – Part 1
The Summary – Part 2
The Summary – Part 3
Where your household falls relative to other
Ft. Collins households
Key Points
• Highlights uses to look at
more closely.
• Good at alerting you to
something way out of line
– example –baseboard space heater left
on
• “What-if” on impact of
various appliances
After Estimating - Measure
Total Geek
Motivated
Energy Sleuth
Regular
Jane/Joe
Data logging,
individual circuit
measurements
Whole-house
monitor
Appliance meters
Measure and Act …
• Lights
• Appliances
• PCs
Whole-House monitoring
Countertop Displays
Panel-box Transmitters
Rebates and Incentives
• Home Efficiency Audit and Rebates
• Consumer Product Rebates
Home Efficiency Program
See http://www.fcgov.com/homeefficiency
Home Efficiency Program Overview
Audits
Improvement
Projects
Evaluation
Qualified
Contractors
Home Efficiency Program Incentives
• $60 comprehensive energy audits
• Insulation & Air Sealing (typical $200 to $750
depending on …)
• Windows Upgrades (as much as $500 to $1000)
• HVAC (motors, system upgrades, water heaters,
etc. $150 to $500 … )
• Additional rebates from Xcel Energy and
Governor’s Energy Office (“GEO”), federal tax
breaks
… Reel ‘em in!
Whole House Mindset
• Many categories of incentives, But…
• Independent audit guides you to
prioritize the steps to take and make
informed choices avoiding high cost or
low-value measures.
• Installation by qualified participating
contractors that understand and agree to
high standards of installation.
• Quality Control follow-up
Eligible Improvements
Thermal Shell
Crawl space
Basement
walls
Exterior
walls
Windows
Window Film
Floors
Attics
Cathedral
ceilings
Mechanical Systems
Whole
house
fan
Furnace,
boiler
Evap cooler
AC
Heat pump
Air handler
fan motor
Ductwork
Water heater
Mechanical
ventilation
Consumer Product Incentives
Shrink Your Usage and
Save
Lighting, Appliances, Water …
http://www.fcgov.com/utilities/residential/conserve/rebates-programs
Realistic Savings?
• A test case or two …
Our Reference Budget
2000 sq. ft home
• Recent Vintage Home: $1000 /year total
$500/year Elec.
• Older Homes: $2000/year Total
$600/year Elec.
Annual Energy Cost
Breakdown of Total Household Energy Cost
$2,500
Roughly $160/month
$2,000
$1,500
HW
Cost
Htg
Fan
Roughly $80/month
AC
Ltg/Appl
$1,000
$500
$0
Recent Homes
Older Homes
Household Electric Costs
Breakdown of Electric Costs
$600
Approx. 600 kWh/month, $50/month
Approx. 500 kWh/month, $40/month
$500
Cost ($/year)
$400
Fan
$300
AC
Ltg/Appl
$200
66%
55%
$100
$0
Recent Homes
Older Homes
Household Electric Costs
Breakdown of Electric Costs
$600
Approx. 600 kWh/month, $50/month
Approx. 500 kWh/month, $40/month
$500
Cost ($/year)
$400
Fan & AC
Fan
$300
AC
Ltg/Appl
$200
$100
$0
Recent Homes
Older Homes
Household Electric Costs
Breakdown of Electric Costs
$600
Approx. 600 kWh/month, $50/month
Approx. 500 kWh/month, $40/month
$500
Cost ($/year)
$400
Fan
$300
AC
Ltg/Appl
$200
Lighting/Appl.
$100
$0
Recent Homes
Older Homes
AARP simple tips?
•
•
•
•
•
•
Plug Wall Openings
Weatherize windows and doors
Programmable Thermostat
Water Heater blanket
Seal and wrap ductwork
Fireplace doors and draft block
Spend roughly $320, Save $1000 per year!
?
Modeling Results
sc02 - ANNUAL ENERGY USE
AARP base case
AARP Tips case
140
134.8
120
111.4
107.2
100
kBtu / ft²
85.5
80
60
40
20
15.8
4.0
3.8
3.6
14.2
3.6
0
Heating
Cooling
Lights
Other
Total
• Models estimate 21% energy use reduction
• 17% energy cost reduction
• $430 savings per year
Beware!
• Are there “stinkers” out there?
A few…
• Beware ( some examples)
– DIY Solar and Windmills – “Earth4Energy”
– Dolphin Smart Elec. Saver
– Eco Power Generator
– “Heat Surge”, “Cool Surge”
“… stop throwing money out the window and start
generating our own electricity.”
http://open4energy.com/forum/home/scam/energy_saving_scams
http://www.ehow.com/how_4737537_spot-energy-efficiency-scam.html
Window model results
sc02 - ANNUAL ENERGY USE
AARP base case
140
134.8
122.2
120
111.4
100
kBtu / ft²
Modeling a home
with single pane
windows replaced
with double low-e
all around.
Windows Test
101.1
80
60
40
20
15.8
4.0
1.8
3.6
15.6
3.6
0
Heating
Cooling
Lights
Other
Total
10% Energy Reduction, likely some noise
and comfort improvement but other heat
loss paths remain unaddressed.
Summary
• A short-cut to energy savings is often the long
road. The value of a good diagnostic energy
audit is to identify simple and sometimes hidden
problems easily solved and realistically assess
more costly measures.
• Ft. Collins Home Eff. Program exists to help
offset some of the cost to take action.
• Check out an appliance meter and become an
energy sleuth.
Online Links
www.fcgov.com/reps
Your Electric Bill: Take Control" http://www.fcgov.com/reps
http://www.fcgov.com/utilities/residential/conserve/rebates-programs
http://www.fcgov.com/homeefficiency
http://open4energy.com/forum/home/scam/energy_saving_scams
http://www.ehow.com/how_4737537_spot-energy-efficiency-scam.html
Catch some Savings…
Fini