Take the ENERGY STAR new homes program, for example, the one I’m most familiar with. Version 1 required only one inspection, a home energy rating (for the performance path), and no checklists. Version 3, which becomes mandatory for builders wanting the ENERGY STAR label on their homes starting next January, requires 2 inspections, a home energy rating, and 4 checklists.

I understand the need for it from the perspective of the program administrators. Building and energy codes are catching up with voluntary program requirements, so they have to keep moving forward. Program leaders also have attempted to clarify the ambiguity of early versions of program requirements. And they have to make sure that the program is meaningful and that when the program label appears on a home, that home is significantly better than homes without the label. I get all that.

It just seems like we’ve lost our way, that we’ve all gotten blinded by a confusion of checklists, worksheets, prescriptive measures, and certification levels. Not to mention the confusion that comes from having so many different programs out there. If you’re a builder, you have to decide if you’re going for ENERGY STAR, LEED for Homes, EarthCraft House, NAHB Green Building Standard, Environments for Living… It’s not an easy task.

One of the first points of confusion that participants in the ENERGY STAR program face is whether to certify via the prescriptive or the performance path. That sounds pretty clear-cut, right? When you take a closer look, however, you find that the prescriptive path has performance requirements (e.g., testing for duct leakage and infiltration rates), and the performance path is chock full of prescriptive requirements. Just look at the 4 checklists required in ENERGY STAR Version 3.

As constructed, the performance path is differentiated from the prescriptive path by its requirement for a HERS rating. It’s based on how the home is constructed, how it tests out, and how the software does the energy modeling. It doesn’t depend on how the house actually performs, though, and that could differ significantly from the modeled performance. One reason we do it this way is so that the homes certified will carry the program label while they’re for sale, thus helping the builder to market their homes.

But what if we included the performance of a home over its first year of occupancy? Then we could include the actual energy use and calculate the energy intensity, even separating out baseload from the energy used for heating and cooling. It seems to me that this would be one of the best ways to handle quality assurance, too. If HERS raters, builders, and trade contractors know that their work has to pass not only the initial inspections but also a full year’s worth of performance assessments, don’t you think they’ll pay a bit more attention to getting the details right?

We could simplify the requirements for the initial certification and make sure everyone knows that the initial label means only that the home has gone through a process. Even though the energy modeling may say the home will use only $900 of energy per year, for example, everyone will know that that will be compared to the actual energy consumption for the ‘real’ label.

Anyway, those are my thoughts on this Monday morning. I’m interested to hear what you think.

Top photo by acearchie from flickr.com, used under a Creative Commons license. Lower photo by Ian Sane from flickr.com, used under a Creative Commons license.

GIMBBYs aren’t worried about seeing wind turbines or transmission lines from their backyards as are the NIMBYs. It’s the guy next store that they don’t want to see. And GIMBBYs number many among us. A recent study conducted for the National Association of Realtors found privacy to be very important in selecting a home for nearly half of the Americans surveyed.

What’s this got to with energy efficiency? To gain privacy we move to homes that are further from work, schools and stores, suburban and rural outposts that offer us bigger backyards. By way of disclosure, before I go any further let me confess that I am a GIMBBY. I’d probably give up my lights, heat and air conditioning before my five acres of trees shielding me from others.

The Environmental Protection Agency calls big-backyard neighborhoods like mine “automobile dependent locations” and contrasts them with “transit-oriented” neighborhoods, places where you can hop a bus or easily walk to regular destinations. The agency recently looked at which kind of neighborhood uses the most British Thermal Units (BTUs), taking into account size and type of house, its energy efficiency, and vehicle use of its occupants. This is known asLocation Efficiency.

The EPA’s findings indicate that location really is everything. Transit-oriented neighborhoods offered up more energy savings whether the houses were single family detached, single family attached or multi-family. This is significant because homes that share walls typically require less energy for heating and cooling. But that advantage was not significant enough to overcome driving distance for the big-backyard neighborhoods. Travel requirements pretty much trumped all, indicating that a home’s location is “a major variable for household energy consumption,” the EPA said.

But lately, partly because I’m dieting, I’ve been thinking what energy efficiency really needs is something akin to a Weight Watchers dessert.

Let me explain myself.

Saving energy and saving calories share three precepts. They are most palatable to the consumer if they are devoid of self-sacrifice, appear invisible, and offer some element of delight. Weight Watchers has got these down cold. The energy efficiency industry is doing well with the first and second, but not the third.

No self-sacrifice

Weight Watchers is ingenious because it does not describe itself as a diet; it’s a lifestyle, a way of eating. It’s not about self-sacrifice. Sound familiar? The energy efficiency industry over the last decade shook off the ‘conservation’ moniker, much the way Weight Watcher abandoned the term ‘diet.’

The Alliance to Save Energy describes the difference between energy efficiency and conservation beautifully on its website:

But energy efficiency is a far cry from the energy conservation images and practices of old – of doing with less or doing without, of being uncomfortable or less comfortable. Not unlike the tremendous technological strides on the computer, electronics, and other fronts, energy efficiency takes advantage of advances in technology to provide significantly better, smarter services.

Invisible

On Weight Watchers you still can eat the macaroni and cheese. But it’s made with low fat milk. The calorie savings become invisible to me. Likewise, consumers can be energy efficient and still use their air conditioners and televisions as much as before. Appliance standards are the low fat milk of the energy industry. If you wonder about the significance of these standards read the efficiency section of the US Energy Information Administration’s recently released Annual Energy Outlook 2011. The report forecasts a 17% drop in residential per capita energy use through 2035 and says appliance standards often are “the primary reason for efficiency gains.” The currently controversial lighting standards create the biggest energy savings (See EIA chart below.)

Delight

This one is easy for Weight Watchers. It offers wonderful little chocolate cakes that bring delight to the sweet tooth. But what is energy efficiency’s chocolate cake? Herein rests the problem for the industry.  The cell phone, the IPod, the home computer – these technologies were readily adapted because of the delight and convenience they add to our lives. As far as I can tell, neither the smart meter nor any of the other energy savings technologies being offered for the home offer any of this kind of allure. Some folks in the energy industry say they never will because information technology and energy technology part ways here. They may be right. But I remain hopeful. Those who had the first home computers (mine was a DEC Rainbow 100) may remember that they offered far more in the way of frustration than fun or inconvenience. These early computers left critics of the industry doubtful that widespread penetration of home computers would ever occur….and we all know how that all ended.

Elisa Wood is the co-author of the recent white paper, “Exporting US Energy Efficiency.”

In 1997, I was helping my parents design and build their home. Early on in the process, I had suggested that the house be built 25 feet back from where we originally had it planned,and that the fireplace be moved to the back side of the living room. We had already put the stakes in the ground and were ready to start digging for the foundation, butnow we had to take the time to move them. Sarcastically, my mother said, “damn architects!”

The house was at one end of a mountain valley in the foothills of Northern Colroado, and at the other end of the valley was Horsetooth Mountain. During the Summer, they could watch the afternoon storms roll across the valley, and would often see heards of elk and deer roaming. The wildlife would practically dine with us, they were so close.

My Mother knew that I had heard that exclamation a lot. Unfortunately, it was (and still is) common to want to point a finger at another trade because a decision they made caused a major change in the overall design and construction. Typically, the root cause of this is a break in communication or lack of an integrated design approach. In the case of my parents, we had been working together on design from when the thought of building a new home entered their minds. In fact, we worked together all through construction (my step-father was the builder), and the suggestion to move the house and fireplace came out of a group discussion about how to best take advantage of the view toward Horsetooth Mountain.

Starting the design process with the entire project team working together to make all the decisions can save a project, as well as the sanity and

reputation of all those involved. The unfortunate thing is, many buildings are not created this way, and fingerpointing is the least of the problems. It’s the homeowner or building owner that pays the price by not getting a building that performs the way they expected.

Our blog is full of posts about how project teams miss opportunities to make a building perform well. Some great examples of this explain where it’s not a good idea to put certain light fixtures andduct work. These could have (and should have) been avoided if the project team had integrated their individual roles on the project to come up with a way to prevent failures or holes in the design. Serious home performance issues (e.g. like infiltration and heat loss/gain), offensive aesthetic and functional problems (e.g. ductwork through an otherwise perfectly good closet), and major conflicts during the process are usually the result of a project that doesn’t use an integrated approach.

Having every member of the project team on the same page and contributing to the design and construction process results in well thought out, comprehensive solutions that avoid compromising the design or performance integrity of the building. Not only that, we can avoid having to work with all these “damn tradespeople!”

The White House issued a report July 14 that credits federal stimulus money for the rapid drop in costs for electric cars. Once written off as a technological mishap, the electric car now appears nearly road ready for American consumers. The price tag is dropping rapidly, in part because of the $12 billion the federal government has pumped into alternative vehicles, according to the report. Of that $5 billion went to electrifying the US transportation fleet.

Electric cars will cost between $25,000 and $35,000, after tax credits, by the end of this year, says the White House. That’s down from $100,000 before passage of the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Electric cars are dropping in price because stimulus-funded manufacturers are producing batteries more cheaply.

Not long ago, it cost $33,000 for the battery of an electric vehicle with a 100-mile range. The Department of Energy expects the cost to drop by half between 2009 and 2013. By the end of 2015 some batteries should cost $10,000. The price of batteries for plug-in hybrid vehicles, or PHEVs, is falling quickly too. PHEVs can travel 40 miles on electricity and then automatically shift to gasoline. Priced at about $13,000 in 2009, the PHEV batteries are expected to cost only $6,700 in 2013 and $4,000 in 2015, according to the DOE.

The new electric car is seen as a way to reduce reliance on oil, which now supplies 95% of our transportation fuel. But the electric car has several interesting side stories as well.

Electricity is cheaper than gasoline. So, consumers should find themselves paying the equivalent of only $1/gallon to fuel electric cars, according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. In coming up with that figure, NREL assumed it will take 9-10 kWh per gallon to operate a typical mid-size car, with vehicle efficiency of 2.9 mile/kWh. Researchers also assumed an electricity cost of 9.4 cents/kWh as the cost of electricity. While that is a fair average, the truth is that the price of electricity varies significantly nationally, and the cost of driving an electric car will vary accordingly. For example, in North Dakota electric rates run about 7 cents/kWh, while in Connecticut they are 19 cents/kWh.

1. How Blue Are You? PRICE: Free

This app from American Standard was released in April and is part of their larger campaign to raise awareness of water usage. It helps you calculate your water usage, the cost, and compares it to national averages. It also recommends more efficient products and offers quizzes, prizes and rebates.

2. Waterprint PRICE: Free

Waterprint helps you calculate an estimate of your personal “water footprint.” The idea is to break down your water use by food, beverages, products, and overall household, then calculate your usage. The app will also compare the water footprints of different items.

3. Water Buddy 1.0 PRICE: $1.99

This app was released in late March and is focused on making it easy for you to become aware of how much water you use.  You set a usage target for a period of time and then you keep track of your water meter readings. Don’t have a clue what kind of target you would set? They’ll help. And that’s a pretty good reason to try it out in the first place. Save water and money.

4. myUse PRICE: $1.99

This app, just released in April, tracks water, electricity and gas usage. It estimates your upcoming usage, so that you can walk by the meters and make simple adjustments, rather than taking more time to transcribe the data and transfer it to a spreadsheet. It also creates charts and graphs for a variety of measurements, allowing you to compare your usage to averages and keep track over time. Readings, charts and graphs are all exportable to email.

5. Toobz PRICE: Free

This one is for fun, but carries a lesson. The challenge is to arrange a system of “toobz,” or pipes, to allow the water to flow safely through the network you’ve built. As the levels advance, you have less time to build. Spill any water and you lose. Hmmm… increasing pressure to build efficient piping networks to fulfill water needs? This may be a game, but it sounds awfully familiar.

source: www.greenlivingideas.com

No doubt smart meters are a good thing, but even their most ardent fans must admit that a degree of hoopla surrounds these little digital boxes. We hear that if consumers can just see how much power they use in real time, and what it costs, our energy woes will be no more.

Smart meters will even cure the blind. The energy blind that is.

“It can be difficult to separate the hype from legitimate claims,” said the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy in a new report that evaluates what works – and what doesn’t – when it comes to smart meters.

ACEEE points out that we no longer load the stove with coal and wood for our primary energy. Instead, gas and electricity flow unseen to take care of our needs. Since we see only a monthly bill, we have no idea what energy costs in real time, how much we use, or even the acceptable social norm for energy consumption.

Thus, most people in the US are “among the energy blind,” says the report. Asking us to save energy based on our monthly bills alone is like asking a dieter to lose weight without a scale. “Perhaps it can be done, but the task is a lot more difficult,” the report says.

But seeing how much energy we use is one thing; acting on it another. Smart meters will not do their job if we rely on the technology alone. The consumer needs good reason to act, according to ACEEE.

These findings are important because the US and other nations are making a huge investment in smart grid technology. Smart meters represented only about 4.7% of US household meters in 2008. But their market share is expected to grow to 40% over the next five to seven years, according to the report.

The report looked at 57 studies, three decades of research in Europe, North America, Australia and Japan, and found that smart meters can be effective. In fact, households using them have reduced electricity use 4% to 12%.

But much depends on how the meters present information and feedback and how we respond. Ultimately, the smartness of smart meters relies on utilities understanding human psychology.

Home Star is a legislative proposal designed to create jobs by providing incentives for residential energy efficiency improvements. The program will drive new private investment into the hard hit construction and manufacturing sectors, while saving consumers money on their energy bills. By building on state programs and existing industry capacity for the retrofits themselves as well as quality assurance, the program will be fast‐acting, in addition to increasing consumer awareness of residential energy efficiency.

The bill provides approximately $6 billion dollars of incentives to the American people, coupled with private investment, to generate an estimated three million home retrofits and tens of thousands of jobs, and to strengthen American industry.

INCENTIVE PROGRAMS

$250‐1500 Silver Star rebates. For the first year of the program, consumers can receive between $250 and $1500 in “point‐of‐sale” rebates for each retrofit involving individual measures, with a benefit not exceeding $3,000 or at least 50% of total project costs (whichever is less). Eligible measures include insulation, duct sealing, water heaters, HVAC systems, windows, doors, and cool roofs. Rebates will be targeted to the most energy efficient categories of upgrades, focusing on products primarily made in the United States. All retrofits must be installed by a certified contractor.

$3000 Gold Star rebates. For the first two years of the program, consumers interested in whole home retrofits would be eligible for up to $3000 “point‐of‐sale” rebate for a comprehensive energy audit and retrofits tailored to achieve a 20% energy savings in the home. Consumers can receive additional incentives for energy savings higher than 20%. The Gold Star rebate program would build on existing whole home retrofit programs, such as EPA’s Home Performance with Energy Star program and DOE’s building programs.

Rebate process. Consumers are eligible for discounted prices of the installation of Silver Star measures at the point of sale. Upon job completion, contractors submit rebate requests to rebate aggregators, such as small independent building material dealers, large national home improvement chains, merchants across the country, energy efficiency installation professionals and utility energy efficiency programs (including rural utilities) and then are reimbursed by the federal government.

$3000 performance tax credit. After the first year, consumers can receive tax credits for whole home retrofits that meet 100 HERS for buildings constructed prior to 2000, and 85 HERS for building constructed after 2000. Homeowners can receive up to $8000 in rebates or 50% of the total retrofit cost. These tax credits will be available until the end of 2013.

QUALITY ASSURANCE AND SUPPORT

Contractor qualifications. Contractors need to be licensed and insured to install the retrofits.

Independent quality assurance providers are responsible for field audits after job completion in order to ensure proper installation and measurable energy savings for consumers. States oversee the quality assurance implementation.

Financing support. Funding is included in the proposal to support State and local financing programs.
The Home Star proposal has garnered widespread support from over 500 supporters in all 50 states from the construction, manufacturing, retail sales, environmental, labor, and energy efficiency communities, and is expected to save program participants $200‐500 per year in energy costs. For more information, please see our website http://energy.senate.gov.

Join the HOME STAR Coalition

Your ability to communicate effectively with the unique personalities of your customers affects your project’s success. There are several personality typing systems to explore. Check out the CAP Model at Speechmastery to learn about the 4 types: The Controller, The Analyst, The Supporter and The Promoter. Identifying your client’s personality type will help you better understand what motivates their interest. For instance, engineers are typically ‘analyst types’ who will ask infinite questions. They love gathering information before acting. So with an analyst type you want to be as prepared as possible to provide answers, or know where to find them. For instance, if you are designing or building an energy efficient home, you want to be well-versed on the latest information and ready for their questions.

Read the Article

Economic activity and energy use are directly linked. But lately, several reports have noted that the economic slowdown is not the only reason energy consumption is falling. Aggressive energy efficiency efforts also have impact.

That impact will be “major” in the years to come, according to the Energy Information Administration, the chief energy data collector for the US government. The agency this week released its “Annual Energy Outlook 2010” with projections to 2035.

The federal report shows us decreasing energy use significantly if we employ best available efficiency technologies over the next 25 years – that is if we buy the most energy efficient appliances and build homes to the highest efficiency standards. Under this scenario, energy consumption could drop by as much as 27%. But if we stick to the status quo, homeowners will increase energy use by about 0.2%.

This drop in energy use will not happen immediately. In fact, EIA sees energy consumption rising slightly as the economy rebounds. It then begins fall in 2013 as higher efficiency standards take effect for vehicles and lighting.

Lighting standards will have the most profound impact on electric consumption. Federal requirements will reduce electricity used for lights by 30% in 2014. When the standards tighten further in 2020, power use for lighting drops 60%.  Overall, by 2035 our lights should eat up 44% less electricity than in 2008.

This drop in energy consumption does not signal austerity. On the contrary, our use of electric devices is growing. The EIA sees us increasing our use of computers, household appliances, water heaters, stoves, heat, air conditioning and microwaves. And for the first time this year we’ll direct more of our electricity into television watching than food refrigeration.

So it appears the predictions of today’s energy efficiency advocates may be correct: the economy can reduce energy consumption without sacrificing creature comforts.

A recent souring of public opinion about global warming science has some industry insiders bracing for impact. Will American enthusiasm for clean energy come to a halt? Only if it was global warming that spurred the enthusiasm in the first place – and I suspect it was not.

Americans tend to make energy decisions first based on economics, second on environment. While climate change has been the mantra within the energy and the environmental community, it is dollars – coupled with energy independence concerns – that have largely driven public support.

Consider the trajectory of today’s clean energy boom. It took off in a big way following the rapid price spikes in natural gas and oil after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

True, the boom sustained itself even when prices dropped again. Why? While some industry analysts credit climate change concerns, others point to turmoil in the Middle East and our desire to reduce dependence on foreign oil.

I tend to favor the theory that we continued to see the post–hurricane price spikes in the rear-view mirror. For once our memories served us when it comes to energy policy.

But it’s not just hindsight that will prod us to incorporate more efficiency and free-fuel renewables into the power portfolio. The road ahead indicates price increases to come for electric power, and consumers are not likely to take kindly to them. So says the 2010 annual utility industry outlook by Moody’s Investor Services:

“The desire to refurbish, enhance and rebuild a relatively antiquated electric infrastructure is driving the need for steadily increasing rates…In our July 2009 Industry Outlook Update report, we estimated that consumers might stop tolerating rate increases at a 50%-or-so rise above the current average U.S. rate of $0.10 per kwh. At the time we wrote that, this “inflection point” would not be reached until about 2018 or 2019. Whether or not this inflection point remains the base case is unclear, but recessionary pressures on residential household budgets, and a lack of clear evidence of wage inflation, lead us to wonder whether the inflection point might arrive sooner.”

Energy efficiency appears to have married rich in partnering with smart grid. Yet another report shows that together they have formed what has become today’s most appealing clean tech sector for venture capital.

Ernst & Young, using data from Dow Jones VentureSource, recently reported that financing rounds grew 11% in 2009 for energy efficiency, this as deals for the clean tech sector as a whole dropped by 16%.

The findings echo recent conclusions by Peachtree Green Advisors that found money pouring into the efficiency sector last year, pumping up total deal values by 664.7%. (See Elisa Wood’s January 21 blog, “Investors and public back energy efficiency.”)

What’s attracting investors? Ernst & Young – which incorporates smart grid into the efficiency category — points out that these technologies require little capital and can be commercialized quickly — characteristics of special appeal in an economy still nervous about high risk. While not exactly the stuff of dorm room startups, they are more akin to dotcom inventions than capital-intensive power plants. Smart grid revolves around digitalizing the electric grid to achieve greater efficiency in energy use.

“Energy efficiency is in the sweet spot of many venture capital investors in terms of skill sets and funding parameters, particularly given its basis in information technology.  Consequently, we may see investor participation in clean tech broaden,” said John de Yonge, Ernst & Young, associate director, Americas Cleantech Network.

Energy efficiency’s share of total financing activity in 2009 rose from 24% to 32%, Ernst & Young said. The category raised $593.3 million for 2009; of that $252.8 million came from fourth quarter 2009.

The report cites the $105 million investment in Silver Spring Networks as the largest deal of the fourth quarter. The Redwood City, California company provides smart grid networking and services for Florida Power & Light, Pacific Gas & Electric and Pepco Holdings, among others. Institutional investors led the financing round, including several repeats: Google Ventures, Foundation Capital, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Northgate Capital.

Government policy is clearly playing a big role in energy efficiency’s appeal.  The areas of the country with the most clean tech investment have strong clean energy policies: California and New England.

What’s in store for 2010?  The picture, so far, is good for efficiency companies looking for customers.  Ernst & Young found that half of the major global corporations with more than $1 billion in revenue plan to spend $10 million on clean tech products and services in 2010, with 22% spending at least $100 million.

More details here: http://www.ey.com/US/en/Newsroom/News-releases/Venture-capital-2009-investments-in-cleantech-fall-50-percent-to-2-billion-dollars-as-investors-shift-focus-to-energy-efficiency.

Visit Elisa Wood at http://www.realenergywriters.com/ and pick up her free Energy Efficiency Markets podcast and newsletter.

Two new reports by Colorado-based Pike Research shed some light.

After years of focusing on bringing efficiency to manufacturing, policymakers are turning attention to deep retrofits for the home. Tax credits, low-cost financing, and other incentives make it easier for homeowners to install efficient heating systems, replace windows and insulate attics.

Thus, if you are a home energy auditor – or thinking of becoming one – you are in luck. The report forecasts that the energy auditing market will triple from $8.1 billion in 2009 to $23.4 billion by 2014. And from those audits will come recommendations that spur home improvements. Pike Research predicts a $50.2 billion market in the installation of new electrical systems, appliances and major equipment, HVAC systems, roofing, windows and doors and other efficiency improvements by 2014, up from $39.3 billion.

The more efficient homes need more efficient appliances, so the Energy Star appliance market also may see revenue growth. Under a business-as-usual scenario the industry is expected to generate $21.9 billion by 2014. But the market could see the addition of another $11.3 billion under a high-penetration efficiency scenario, says the study.

“Energy efficiency is stepping into the light after a long period of obscurity,” says Clint Wheelock, Pike Research managing director.  “A number of factors are converging to make energy efficient residential products and services a hot sector over the next several years.  These drivers include increased environmental awareness among consumers, government incentives, utility energy efficiency programs, and new offerings and rebates from product manufacturers.”

Meanwhile, the US also is realizing that a smart grid must be a safe grid. Increased attention is being placed on cyber security, measures to protect the electrical grid from attacks by terrorists and hackers, natural disasters, equipment failures and human error.

Companies that offer services and equipment to secure the grid are seeing a rapid increase in demand for their wares. Pike Research forecasts that from 2010 to 2015 about $21 billion will be invested globally in cyber security for the smart grid.

“No utility wants to be the weak link in the chain,” Wheelock says “The concern over grid vulnerability is driving utility technologists to work closely with systems integrators, infrastructure suppliers, and standards bodies to develop a robust framework for smart grid cyber security across multiple domains.”

The report finds that equipment protection and configuration management will experience greatest demand. Among smart grid applications, the firm expects that the greatest investments will go into cyber security for distribution automation (DA) and transmission upgrades, followed by security measures for advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) smart meters.

See www.pikeresearch.com for more details.

Visit Elisa Wood at http://www.realenergywriters.com/ and pick up her free Energy Efficiency Markets podcast and newsletter.

Jon Stewart said it best: Obama is a lousy poker payer. Lucky thing, too, for the energy efficiency industry as it heads into 2010.

Stewart’s December 8 “The Daily Show” aired a clip of Obama recently telling business leaders:  “I don’t want to tip our hand too much, but one of the things I would be surprised if we don’t end up moving forward on is an aggressive agenda for energy efficiency and weatherization.”

Tip his hand? In fact, as Stewart pointed out, Obama has shown that hand broadly to the world for the last year. Starting with his January 2009 inaugural speech, Obama buoyed the clean energy industry by advancing renewable energy, a first for a US president in that forum.  But that turned out to be just the start. In talk after talk this year, he pushed efficiency. If US voters didn’t know the term ‘weatherization’ before, they know it now. What could be better publicity for a product than having it endorsed by the leader of the free world?

To say 2009 was a banner year for the energy efficiency industry is an understatement. Under Obama’s watch, the federal government has channeled $20 billion in stimulus dollars to energy efficiency and now promises more from bailout funds returned by banks.

While the money – and Obama’s support – was the big story for 2009 and continues to be going into 2010, it is important to remember that electric energy is ultimately a local industry in the United States. What happens before state public utility commissions and regional regulatory bodies often has greatest influence.

To that end here a few local trends of 2009 that may grow in 2010.

*Efficiency as a first fuel. Environment Northeast has been successful in convincing several New England states to consider efficiency to be the first fuel in portfolio planning. That means when utilities plan resources, they must secure all cost effective energy efficiency before pursuing power plant development or power purchases. http://www.env-ne.org/

*Decoupling. Utilities have little incentive to encourage energy savings if they earn their profits from selling power. Decoupling changes utility accounting and cost recovery by delinking profits from sales. California and Massachusetts are examples of states with full decoupling and their utilities have among the most aggressive efficiency programs in the country.  Several other states partially use the approach; others are considering adopting it.

*Energy efficiency portfolio standards. Similar to renewable portfolio standards, EEPS require that utilities, and in some cases competitive retail suppliers, achieve certain energy savings goals. Federal proposals are under consideration for a national EEPS. That may or may not happen. But 19 states now have the standards; look for more to pursue the approach.

What else does the EE industry have to look forward to in 2010?  Please post what you see in your crystal ball.

Sunday the Extreme Makeover‘s army of volunteers will begin construction on the 3,300 sq ft monster in Hattiesburg, MS. This will be the 167th home built by the ABC Makeover crews. My part? As the home’s green building verifier I’ll be traveling to the “Hub City” at 3:30 or 4:00 a.m. (I should have my head examined) on Monday the 7^th for the faming inspection and thermal bypass checklist…(now that should be the news story…that someone was able to get my butt out-a-bed that early for work…)    ..    then midday Monday I’ll be back here in Jackson to work with the judges in the Growing a Greener Mississippi green building contest. They’ll look at 3 homes…Scott Shoemaker’s place and Randy Berg’s two houses.  Silver Level – all three of’um.

Remember the first place builder in the contest gets 50,000 green backs. Second and third ain’t chump-change…30,000 and 20,000 respectively.

Tuesday we’re off to Oxford and Starkville. One Silver and one Gold. Wednesday we cruse down south Mississippi to Biloxi and Gulfport, again one Silver and one Gold Level to judge. Before the day’s end I’ll visit Hattiesburg again for a final inspection at the Makeover home. I’m sure I’ll be “extremely” tired by then…

Did you know that by going green in the kitchen (using EnergyStar appliances) folks in America saved over $12 billion in utility bills and cut emissions equivalent to 23 million cars? The kitchen is one of the places that people use the most energy, yes even more than that monstrous sixty-two inch plasma screen TV. In fact, in Western Australia people on average used 12% of their household energy in the kitchen, and in undeveloped countries such as Ghana that number skyrockets to 67%. Obviously then, the best place to start if you want to make your house more eco-friendly, is the kitchen. To help you along, we have provided a top ten list of ways to go green in your kitchen. Some are big, some are small, but every little bit counts!

1.   Unplug Those Appliances

Of course, the reason why we consume so much energy in the kitchen in because we have all of these fancy appliances at our disposal. In truth, most of the time these machines are plugged in, but we aren’t even using them. Even so, they continue to draw power, just waiting for the moment when you might want to come by and microwave something. In fact, Americans spend $4 billion a year feeding our phantom electricity load, which is the name given to electricity drawn when it is not needed. All you need to do is unplug your appliances when you are finished using them. The obvious exception is the refrigerator, which we will tackle later.

2.   Invite Natural Light Into Your Home

Going green in your kitchen doesn’t just involve appliances, it also involves the light we so desperately need to make sure we are putting paprika, and not nutmeg, on our chicken. One of the best ways to light up your kitchen is to invite natural light into your home. It’s clean, free, and has a quality that just can’t be matched by indoor lighting. Sometimes this is a project best saved for remodeling, but if that is something you are thinking of doing in your kitchen, remember to add windows and skylights to the list of new additions.

3.  Use Natural Cleaners

These days we have many options in cleaners, so there is no reason why we should be buying chemical cocktails to clean our kitchens with. The natural cleaners on the market are plant-based and biodegradable, and usually don’t cost too much more than traditional cleaners. Of course, if your want to take an extra step with going green in your kitchen you can make your cleaners at home. There is no stain that vinegar cannot get rid of, and when combined with baking soda, it is a fizzy and fearsome cleaner.

4.  Utilize CFL Light Bulbs

In the past fluorescent lighting has been associated with bad glare and unattractive light. But the new compact fluorescent bulbs have much better quality light, and are four to five times more efficient that a regular incandescent bulb. They may cost a little more at the store, but the price is more than offset by the money you’ll save on your energy bill.

5. Replace Your Old Fridge

If your fridge is ten years old or more then it is very likely the biggest energy hog in your entire house. In fact, in a worst case scenario a really old clunker fridge could be eating up 15% of your household energy! Current EnergyStar model refrigerators require about half as much energy as models made in 1993 or earlier. Don’t throw your old fridge away though. Many communities have recycling programs that will prevent your old clunker from ending up in a landfill.

6.  Remodel with Renewable Flooring

When the time comes to remodel, go green in your kitchen! Besides inviting more natural light into your home another great tip for green remodeling is to utilize renewable flooring. Many laminates are now made with natural products like linseed oil. Bamboo flooring is also very popular because it has the beautiful look of hardwoods, but grows many times faster than trees traditionally used for flooring.

7.  Fill Up Your Dishwasher

Many folks come from the school of washing dishes after every meal to keep a clean and tidy kitchen. Well, it may be tidy, but it’s definitely not green. Wait to run the dishwasher until it is full in order to save both water and electricity. Find yourself unable to fill up the dishwasher? When the time comes to replace your appliances, consider getting a smaller model.

8.  Waste Not Want Not

Not only do we waste energy and water in our kitchens, but we also waste food. Tossing out leftovers may not have a huge impact on your carbon footprint, but it is really a missed opportunity. Part of a truly green kitchen involves storing food properly, and creating compost piles. Invest in good storage containers for food, and get a compost bin, the results of which can be used on your garden to grow huge and healthy plants.

9.  Buy Food Locally

Part of the ecological impact of our kitchens also comes from the food we buy. If it has been flown thousands of miles just to get to your fridge, it is food that has guzzled up a whole bunch of gas. Buying food locally supports farmers and the community, and cuts down on the high carbon cost of foods grown in other countries.

10.  Make it Last!

Perhaps the most important thing to remember when going green in your kitchen is to make what you have last. The best way to cut down on waste is to make what you have work. It is far greener to work with what you have than to buy the latest eco-gadget. So stick with that fridge for a year or two before buying a new model, and when you do buy new appliances, make sure you buy quality products that will stand the test of time. Ultimately it is this last tip that will have the biggest effect on going green in your kitchen.

There is a direct connection between heat loss and heat gain as it relates to your home’s protective skin, also known as the building envelope. Ideally your home should maximize heat retention during the winter and minimize heat gain during the summer. The best energy efficient design should incorporate a well sealed and insulated wall structure that helps protect you from temperature change and block unwanted moisture and air from entering your home. These mechanisms are known as transmission and air leakage.

Thermal resistance (your home’s wall insulation) and surface area are two factors that govern the rate of heat transmission. Air leakage is measured in CFM (cubic feet per minute) and depends on the surface area of the holes in your home and the pressure differences between the outside and inside. A large difference in temperature, known as ∆T (Delta “T”), creates a greater pressure. Maintaining a balanced interior pressure will improve indoor air quality. Sealing or reducing the number of air leaks in your home not only stops unwanted air infiltration (both cold or warm air) but also lowers the amount of moisture that rides along the air flow path and helps maintain pressure balance.

A second source of pressure change occurs when air leaks in through the building skin as a result of your home’s air conditioner. Air leakage into your home is often 2-3 times greater when the air handler (your air conditioners’ fan motor) is operating. The unit “de-pressurizes” your home and increases the opportunity for air infiltration. Stopping the holes will lower the pressure difference.

A third, and often overlooked, pressure change can occur as a result of leaky ducts in either the supply or the return air chamber of your heating system. This type of unbalanced system can also create a depressurized “combustion appliance zone” (CAZ). An example would be a back drafting chimney (and its accompanying odor) or a flame roll-out of the water heater. Both have been known to cause house fires. Also, if you’ve noticed that as you shut a bedroom door the last few inches the door is “sucked shut”, you should have a balance test performed on your heating system. These “out of balance” pressure zones can create unhealthy conditions by pulling unwanted air from a water heater exhaust (can create dangerous level of carbon monoxide) or an increased level of soil gases (radon).

Maintain your home by regularly checking for and repairing air leaks to your heating system and your home’s skin. Doing so will help keep your family healthy and lower your energy bills at the same time.

Listen to How Air Affects a House

This podcast series is excerpted from a two-day class called “Building Science Fundamentals” taught by Dr. Joe Lstiburek and Dr. John Straube, of Building Science Corporation.

Universal cell phone charger push

By Green Living Tips | Published  06/30/2009

If you’ve been using cell phones for some years, you’ve probably amassed quite a pile of chargers as well. When the phone dies or you upgrade, the chargers are useless. It’s more junk laying around and not only that, a ton of resources have gone into making those items.

According to the European Commission, old chargers currently generate several thousands of tons of waste a year in Europe alone.

The European Commission recently requested industry to make a voluntary commitment to deal with the problem in order avoid legislation. No industry is fond of more legislation, so major producers of cell phones have committed to provide chargers using a Micro-USB connector in the European Union starting from next year.

The companies that have made the commitment are Apple, LG, Motorola, NEC, Nokia, Qualcomm, Research in Motion (RIM), Samsung, Sony Ericsson and Texas Instruments.

It’s great to see this happen. My current phone utilises a Micro-USB connector and it’s so much more convenient – I just plug it into my computer’s USB port to recharge. With USB ports popping up on all sorts of devices, I’m never far away from a charging point. Not having to lug around the charger is a bonus.

Aside from the waste issue, manufacturers can also reduce production and packaging costs by moving over to the standard on future phones.

Let’s hope what’s happening in Europe goes global – it’s a common sense move that also helps reduce the environmental impact of mobile communications.

Say you had $1,000 to invest in green home improvement — how would you spend it?

Would you buy new energy efficient windows? Or  low VOC flooring for the living room? What about more insulation for the attic to help lower your heating and cooling bills? Or maybe an on demand water heater?  Would you want new, energy-efficient appliances? In general, would you want to focus on energy-efficiency improvements to help you save money over time? Or aesthetic improvements you can feel good about?

Obviously $1,000 may not cover all expenses for some of these projects, especially at a large scale. But take a second to daydream: If you were handed a grand of green to make your home more green, what would you most want to do? Share your daydreams by posting a comment…

One of the easiest things you can do is to change your light bulbs. It’s best to switch out incandescent bulbs with CFLs in areas that are lit for extended periods of time, typically two hours or longer. Switching a CFL on and off too frequently will shorten its life.

CFLs are four times more efficient (using 50 to 80 percent less energy) and last up to 10 times longer than typical incandescents, which have an average lifetime of 750 to 2500 hours, while CFLs last from 6,000 to 10,000 hours.

CFL bulbs can range from $4 to $15 depending on their type. This is much more than typical incandescent bulbs, but energy bill savings will more than pay for the extra cost of the lamps over their lifetime, and you will have to replace fewer bulbs. Installing motion sensors or timers on outdoor lights, instead of leaving the lights on during nighttime hours, can also help to reduce the electricity bill.

Programmable Thermostats

Install a programmable thermostat to set your heating and cooling equipment to automatically turn on or off to match your schedule and create a comfortable and energy-efficient living environment. These units typically offer savings of 10 to 15 percent and cost $40 – $100.  Remember set your thermostat to a higher temperature in the summer and a cooler temperature in the winter – especially when you’re on vacation.

Fans

Fans and dehumidifiers use less energy than air conditioners and can help to make the home comfortable during the warm months.

Winterizing

Look for cracks and openings in the house that are letting cold air in during the winter and hot air in during the summer. Many leaks can be sealed with caulking and weather-stripping, which can greatly improve the energy efficiency of your home. Once you have sealed the cracks, the air tightness of your home can be tested by an energy professional performing a blower door test. Check with your local utility to see if they offer free or discounted testing. If they don’t, they may be able to recommend a professional, or you can go to www.energystar.gov for related links.

Tree Conservation

Properly placed trees and shrubs help to reduce your utility bills. Tree preservation reduces landscaping and future energy costs and helps provide winter wind breaks or summer shade. Deciduous trees planted on the west and south sides of your home help to keep your house shaded during the day’s peak heating times. Plus, as an added benefit, one tree can filter 60 pounds of pollutants from the air each year.

ENERGY STAR® appliances

When buying or replacing appliances, choose energy-efficient models. Federal ENERGY STAR-rated appliances are designed to use 10%-50% less energy and water than standard appliances and save an average of 30% over standard models. The up front cost is usually higher, but the payback over time should be well worth it. Look for dishwashers, induction cooktops, refrigerators, and front-loading clothes washers.

Induction Cooktops. Rather than heating the cooking surfaces, the magnetic induction process turns the pot into the heating element. Food is heated more quickly and to precise temperatures. Cooking with magnetic induction is 90 percent efficient, as compared to resistance electric at approximately 65-percent efficiency, and open-flamed gas which measures in the 55-percent efficiency range.A magnetic induction cooktop costs three to four times more than an electric cook top. A magnetic induction cooktop with four elements ranges in price from $1800 to $4000, depending upon the manufacturer and features.

High-Efficiency Refrigerators. Because a refrigerator is one of the most energy-consuming household appliances, federal regulations have mandated energy ratings and efficiency improvements for all refrigerators. New high-efficiency refrigerators exceed the federal energy requirements and can save consumers a substantial amount of money. Today’s generation includes more insulation, high-efficiency compressors, better door seals, and more accurate control of temperature than older models. They use between 450 kWh per year (for a 15-cubic foot top-freezer model) and 850 kWh per year (for a 26.7 cubic foot side-by-side model). This compares with the past typical new home refrigerators (with top-freezer) that used about 700-kWh per year and the typical 1973 model that used nearly three times the electrical energy. Furthermore, refrigerators certified by the EPA/DOE ENERGY STAR® program must yield at least a 10% improvement over the federal standard. Replacing a ten-year-old refrigerator with a new, high-efficiency refrigerator can save a homeowner $100 in average annual energy costs. (Dollar values assume a national average energy cost of $0.084 per kWh.)

Front-loading clothes washers. Front-loading washers use less water, energy, and detergent. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, front-loading washing machines can use about 40 percent less water and 50 percent less energy than conventional washers, cause less wear and tear on clothes, and can accommodate large items that won’t fit in a top-loader. A typical top-loading washer uses about 40 gallons of water per full load. In contrast, a full-size front-loading clothes washer uses between 20 and 25 gallons. Front-loading washers cost between $600 and $1,500, which is more expensive than top-loading machines. The estimated annual utility bill savings for a family of four is about $75 to $100 plus any additional savings associated with shorter drying time and reduced detergent use.

Insulation

You may consider adding insulation to your basement or attic, particularly if these areas are used as a bedroom or family room. The great thing about insulation is that it works in both hot and cold weather. When it is cold outside, insulation helps to prevent heat from flowing out of your house, and when it’s warm outside, it helps to prevent heat transfer into your house.  These days, you have a choice of insulation materials. You may be interested in environmentally-friendly materials such as blown-in cellulose insulation, or an energy-efficient spray foam insulation.

Energy-Efficient or Tankless Water Heater

Water heating typically accounts for 10 to 25 percent of the energy used in the home. If your water heater is over 20 years old, it is generally a good idea to get it replaced because today’s models are much more efficient. Tankless water heaters provide hot water on demand at a preset temperature rather than storing it, which reduces or eliminates standby losses – with 10%-20% water heating savings for electric models. Gas savings may be about 20% -40% ($50-$100/yr). Equipment life may be longer than tank-type heaters because they are less subject to corrosion. Expected life of tankless water heaters is 20 years, compared with between 10 and 15 years for tank-type water heaters. Tankless water heaters range in price from $200 for a small under-sink unit up to $1200 for a gas-fired unit that delivers 5 gallons per minute. Typically, the more hot water the unit produces, the more it will cost.

There are numerous other ways home owners can reduce the amount of energy they use to heat water: turn down the water heater’s thermostat setting to 115 to 120 degrees F; buy an energy-efficient water heater; install non-aerating, low-flow faucets and showerheads; use the “warm” water setting on your clothes washer instead of the “hot” water setting; and set your dishwasher to “energy saver” or “water saver.”

Right-Sized Equipment

When you decide to remodel, it’s a great time to evaluate your home’s heating, cooling equipment. Selecting more efficient, correctly sized heating and cooling equipment saves money. Remember that bigger does not always mean better. For the most efficient system, you really want your HVAC system to meet your needs – not surpass them. An oversized unit will cost more up front, plus your monthly bills can be higher. Oversized cooling equipment tends to cycle more frequently, which costs more to operate and can shorten the life of the unit. In the event you need to replace your central air conditioning unit, check for the ENERGY STAR label. If you find that your equipment doesn’t need to be replaced, give it a tune-up and take care of any minor repairs or leaks to improve efficiency, and make sure your pipes and ducts are insulated.

High Performance Windows

Consider replacing single-pane windows. Double-pane windows with high performance glass (e.g., low emissivity or “low-e” glass) that are gas-filled perform much better and help reduce heat loss in the winter and heat gain in summer. Low-E coatings used to add about $1 per square foot of glazing, however, in most climates this has become the standard. Low-E coatings save energy in most U.S. climates. In a simulation of a home located in Boston, low-E coating saved $103 per year. Interior storm windows provide a compromise by increasing energy efficiency while maintaining exterior aesthetics at a significant cost savings over window replacement.

Source: NAHB HouseKeys