Home Energy Efficiency Part 2 Donald Fournier Managing Director SEDAC University of Illinois
Residential Energy American homes use almost 25% of the energy consumed in the United States. About 80% of that energy is used in single-family homes, 15% in multi-family homes (such as apartments and condos), and 5% in mobile homes. Residential energy use has steadily increased over the past 25 years, but has increased at a slower rate than the rate of population increase. Many efficiency gains are being offset by increases in the number of electronics and appliances in the average home. There are still many opportunities to reduce energy consumption in the home at low or no costs.
Winter Temperature Settings In winter turn down your thermostat to 68 degrees: Every 1% setback = 1-3% savings on heating bill depending on how long. Wear warm clothing to stay comfortable. Set the thermostat back to 55 degrees when away or sleeping (save 5-22%). Install a programable unit.
Winter Season Savings Let the sunshine in. Open drapes and let the sun heat your home for free (get them closed again at sundown so they help insulate). Rearrange your rooms. Move your furniture around so you are sitting near interior walls - exterior walls and older windows are likely to be drafty. Don't sit in the draft. Keep it shut. Traditional fireplaces are an energy loser - it's best not to use them because they pull heated air out of the house and up the chimney. When not in use, make absolutely sure the damper is closed. Before closing the damper, make sure that you don't have any smoldering embers. If you decide not to use a fireplace, then block off the chimney with a piece of rigid insulation from the hardware store that fits snugly into the space (dampers don't shut fully without some leaking).
Winter Season Savings Shorten showers. Simply reducing that lingering time by a few minutes can save hundreds of gallons of hot water per month for a family of four. Showers account for 2/3 of your water heating costs. Cutting your showers in half will reduce your water heating costs by 33 percent. Install low-flow shower head. Flows vary from 2.5 gpm to 1.5 gpm.
Winter Season Savings Eliminate wasted energy. Turn off lights in unoccupied rooms. Unplug that spare refrigerator in the garage if you don't truly need it - this seemingly convenient way to keep extra drinks cold adds 10-25 percent to your electric bill. Turn off kitchen and bath-ventilating fans after they've done their job - these fans can blow out a house-full of heated air if inadvertently left on. Put your computer and monitor to sleep. Most computers come with the power management features turned off. With computers using Windows, open your power management software and set it so your computer goes to sleep if you're away from your machine for 5 to 15 minutes. When you're done using your computer, turn it off.
No Cost Ways to Save Remove window air conditioning units for the winter. Remove to prevent heat from escaping through and around the unit. If it cannot be removed, buy a cover to prevent drafts (or wrap and tape with a large piece of plastic).
Savings in the Summer In summer with central cooling, turn up your thermostat to 78 degrees. Dress appropriately. Set up during the day if no one home. Turn off window units when not in the room.
Summer Season Savings Keep The Curtains Closed. Natural light can help reduce your lighting costs, however when no one is in a room it is best to keep the curtains closed during the day. This is especially true for houses with windows on the eastern and western sides. Keeping the sun's direct rays from entering the house helps reduce the amount of effort your air conditioner puts forth to keep the house cool. To maximize this, open the drapes. blinds, or curtains in the evening to allow heat to escape through the windows of your house. Turn On a Fan. In some climates, you can turn the air conditioner off at night and just let ceiling or floor fans provide cool air for your comfort. The energy used by a fan is far less than that of the air conditioner. If you live in a warmer climate, fans can still provide a comfortable breeze. Using the fans at night may allow you to set the air conditioner above 78 degrees saving a great deal of energy. Fans can also help move cool air around the house to ease the work load of the air conditioner.
Summer Season Savings Get Rid of Hot Air. Use an exhaust fan when cooking to help expel hot air from the house. If you don't have an exhaust fan, cool the room by setting up a floor fan in the kitchen while cooking. The fan not only cools the air, but can also help move it out of the kitchen. Use the Dehumidifier. When people say, "it's not the heat, it's the humidity," they are right. If you have a dehumidifier turn it on when the temperature rises. Ridding your house of the humidity will help make your family feel more comfortable. You may even be able to set your air conditioner above 78 degrees when using a dehumidifier combined with fans.
Summer Season Savings Keep Your Air Conditioner Out of the Sun. The ideal location for a central air conditioning unit is on the north side of a house. While this may not be practical in every case, the general idea of keeping the unit out of the sun can be achieved in other ways. Landscaping does more than make your yard look nice. By planting shrubs or trees around your air conditioning unit, you can help it cool your home more efficiently. The shade from this landscaping can also be used to keep the sun's direct rays off your home! Save Chores for the Right Time. While cooking can heat up the kitchen, so can using the dishwasher to dry the dishes. These tasks are better left for the evening time or, better yet, when no one is home. Taking on labor intensive tasks can also make you feel uncomfortable during the hottest times of the day. If possible, do them in the evening or the early morning when the heat isn't so bad.
Some Cautions Recycling old thermostats help reclaim and recycle mercury. Bring your old thermostat a recycling collector to ensure it is recycled appropriately: http://www.thermostat-recycle.org/ Special heating systems Heat pumps, electric heaters and boilers may require special thermostats. Check for compatibility first. Check with your doctor if you have a medical condition that requires different temperatures. If you have had problems with pipes freezing during extremely cold weather, correct the problem before setting back.
Thermostat Fact & Fiction Fiction: It costs as much or more to heat a home back up after a setback. (Or to cool the house after a summer setup.) Fact: The longer your house remains at the lower temperature, the more heat you save. Fiction: The house will warm up faster the higher the thermostat is raised. Fact: The thermostat isn't like the gas pedal on a car. It's either calling for heat or not, so setting the thermostat too high may cause you to overshoot the desired temperature. Fiction: The kids will kick off the covers and get cold. Fact: Children older than about two weeks can regulate their body temperature just like adults, so they don't need any different temperature than adults. If they kick off the covers, try dressing them in two sets of pajamas with feet or using a sleeping bag.
Low Cost Ways to Save Replace or clean furnace filters every one to three months. Dirty filters restrict airflow and increase energy use. Keeping your furnace clean, lubricated and properly adjusted will reduce energy use, saving up to 5 percent of heating costs. In summer, keep central A/C condenser clear of leaves, bushes, etc. Do not simply remove dirty filters. This will allow dirt to collect on the heat exchanger surfaces and reduce efficiency.
No Cost Ways to Save Reduce hot water temperature to 110-120º. Save 7-11 % of water heating costs. Insulate water supply line (first 5 feet). Use cold water when washing clothes. 13-16% of home energy cost is for water heating (today s detergents are designed for cold water). Clothes dryer: Keep dryer free of lint (clean filter every load). Keep dryer vent free of obstructions. Do not vent into the house or attic.
No Cost Ways to Save Use your ceiling fan. Run blades counter-clockwise in summer to push to create a breeze (moving air feels cooler). Set up thermostat a few degrees. Run clockwise in the winter to bring warm air down (only if there are high ceilings). When purchasing new ceiling fans, consider an ENERGY STAR model.
No Cost Ways to Save Flip the switch. Turn off appliances when not in use: lights, TVs, VCRs or DVDs, computers, other electronics. Unplug electronics with remotes when not being used regularly. Keep vent space clean & clear. Make sure draperies, furniture or rugs aren t blocking air. Clean grills regularly with a vacuum or a broom.
No Cost Ways to Save Clean Refrigerator Coils Condenser coils are located in the back of older refrigerators and at the bottom of most new ones. They should be periodically cleaned with a vacuum or brush. Be sure to unplug the refrigerator when cleaning the coils.
Low Cost Ways to Save Caulk is cheap. Seal around windows, doors, and exterior walls near the floor, electrical outlets and plumbing penetrations. (Save 18-30% on heating.)
Where to look for air leaks.
Home Sealing Caulk is cheap. On windy days, feel around windows, doors, and exterior walls near the floor, electrical outlets or plumbing penetrations. Seal up your windows and doors with caulking and weather stripping to ensure that you're not wasting energy on heat that escapes through leaks to the outdoors. Caulk works best on small gaps. Your hardware store should have products to close the larger gaps. Use low expansion foam product to seal larger openings. Source: EPA - A DO-IT-YOURSELF GUIDE TO ENERGY STAR HOME SEALING
Seal Small Gaps Use expanding foam and caulk to seal the openings around plumbing vent pipes and electrical wires. Be sure to wear gloves and be careful not to get expanding foam on your clothes, as the foam is very sticky and nearly impossible to remove once it sets. When the foam or caulk is dry, cover the area again with insulation.
Seal and Insulate Attic Hatches
Low Cost Ways to Save
Install Window Kits in Winter Use when there are single pane or lose fit windows. Cuts out infiltration and adds to thermal barrier. Shrinks tight for a transparent, wrinkle-free fit. Double-sided tape seals off cracks and crevices. Quick & easy installation. Kits available for a variety of window sizes.
Low Cost Ways to Save Check the yellow energy label on your water heater. A low efficiency water heater could use an insulation blanket.
Low Cost Ways to Save Insulate Water Heater & Pipes
Low Cost Ways to Save Seal and Insulate Ducts Insulation Tape seams Seal leaks with mastic or aluminum tape
Low Cost Ways to Save Go low flow. Install lowflow showerheads and sink aerators. Repair leaky faucets and toilets promptly save water, money, and energy.
Compact Fluorescent Lamps CFLs use far less energy. Have comparable brightness and color rendition compared to incandescent lamps. Can directly replace standard incandescent bulbs. Also consider LEDs. Incandescent CFL 25 Watt = 5 Watt 50 Watt = 9 Watt 60 Watt = 15 Watt 75 Watt = 20 Watt 100 Watt = 25 Watt 120 Watt = 28 Watt 150 Watt = 39 Watt
Comprehensive Ways to Save Check your insulation: Check attic, ceilings, exterior and basement walls, floors, and crawl spaces vs. insulation levels recommended for your area. R-values the higher the R-value, the better your house will resist the transfer of heat. DOE recommends ranges of R-values based on local energy costs and climate conditions. See Zip Code Insulation Calculator, for economic insulation levels: http://www.ornl.gov/~roofs/zip/ziphome.html
Comprehensive Ways to Save Increase your attic insulation. Easiest and most costeffective insulation option. If less than R-19 (6 inches of fiber glass or rock wool or 5 inches of cellulose), more could help. Consider insulating exterior walls. If attic insulated but home still drafty and cold in the winter, or too warm in the summer, add insulation to the exterior walls.
Adding Insulation
Recommended Insulation Levels Based on the 2012 IECC Recommended Area R-value Attic 49 Wall (existing) 13 Wall (new) 20 or 13+5 Floor over 30 unconditioned space Basement Wall 15/19 Crawl Space Wall 15/19
Comprehensive Ways to Save Keep your furnace operating efficiently: Seasonal Inspection. Heating and cooling = half of the energy costs for the average home. Ask for temperature-rise check to be sure your furnace is operating in the range set by the manufacturer.
Comprehensive Ways to Save Look for the ENERGY STAR: Consider replacing old gas appliances with ENERGY STAR models. If gas water heater > 12 years, consider replacement. Look for the Energy Factor (EF)- the higher, the more efficient. If furnace > 15 years, consider an ENERGY STAR rated model - about 15 % more efficient vs. standard.
Water Heaters High-efficiency gas storage water heaters employ the same technology as standard gas storage water heaters: a glass-lined steel tank is heated by a burner located at the bottom of the tank. But a few basic changes make them operate more efficiently. High efficiency models simply have better insulation, heat traps, and more efficient burners, improvements that have a modest impact on price but increase efficiency by about 7.5%. To increase efficiency further, manufacturers may add a power vent to accelerate the venting of combustion gases. This may increase the installed cost, but savings are also greater.
Should You Replace Your Furnace? If furnace >10 years and repair costs > $500, replace rather than repair. If your furnace is old but not broken, deciding when to replace it can be difficult: Average life of furnaces: 16-20 years. Boilers life: 30 years. Start shopping before life is over, so you won t make a hasty decision.
Replacing your furnace? Emergency shopping can be costly. If house is large with high heating bills, may be cost-effective to purchase a high efficiency model now. If repairing furnace, look for a heating professional who has experience with your type of heating system. Take advantage of tax credits and utility incentives.
95% AFUE 1 Furnace w/ Electrically Commutated Motor (ECM) High efficiency furnaces, but poor electrical efficiency. Air handlers can draw over 700 watts. Efficient air handlers draw between 200 and 400 watts. 40% to 70% more efficient than standard furnaces. 1 Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency
When Buying New Appliances Check the EnergyGuide label. Estimated yearly energy consumption and cost. Your actual energy consumption and cost will vary. Scale for comparison with other models. Shop around and find an Energy Star model for the same price as a standard model.
Tax Incentives Energy Policy Act of 2005 with many follow-on changes has energy efficiency incentives for existing homes. Average home loses 10-50 % of its energy through inadequate insulation and inefficient lights and appliances. Energy bill offers consumers tax credits for making energy efficiency improvements in homes. For 2011: cost-based credit to for energy improvements (limit $500): 10% up to $200 for Energy Star doors & windows. 10% up to $500 for insulation, duct sealing, and infiltration reduction. 30% up to $150 for furnace or hot water boiler. 30% up to $300 for any energy-efficient heat pumps, central air conditioners, and water heaters.