Tuesday, October 7, 2008

"Yeah, there are things you can do"

GHS
Posted Oct 07, 2008 @ 12:02 AM

FRANKLIN —

Saving cash on energy can be as simple as choosing a conventional television over its plasma counterpart, which is three to four times pricier, said Fred Schlicher.

Residential energy use, which accounts for about 20 percent of all energy consumption in the United States, is "a near and dear subject to us, " Schlicher said, particularly this winter, when "we may be facing energy prices twice as high as last year."

Schlicher, a program manager for Massachusetts Climate Action Network, offered tips on cutting home energy bills and suggested resources for improving energy efficiency in the first of a four-part climate series at the public library, attended by about 40 people last night.

Some of the top energy-suckers at home: appliances and lighting (20 percent), water heating (16 percent), space heating (60 percent), and refrigerators, particularly those more than 10 years old (no statistic given), Schlicher said.

He recommended using a "Kill-A-Watt" meter, which costs about $30, to identify "very quickly" which appliances use the most electricity at home.

"You plug it into the wall and see what the big users of electricity are; it's a great monitor," Schlicher said.

read the full article in the Milford Daily News here

read my live reporting summaries here


Museum construction progress

Since the last picture: the columns have been replaced, a fresh coat of paint applied, new entrance steps/landing almost complete.


Museum construction progress

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Have you been observing the changes? Did I miss something?

Monday, October 6, 2008

Energy $ense - meeting summary

Live reporting - Energy $ense - clean power

buy clean power

  • support renewable energy in MA
  • sign up for NationalGrid's GreenUp Program

cleanernergychoice.org

Look for the post card in your next bill! Should be in the October bill.

Live reporting - Energy $ense - NationalGrid

Windows
  • longer payback
  • standard double-glaze only R-3
  • triple glaze R-5
consider using window quilts


Gerry Hanna, from NationalGrid

Masssave, a collaboration funded with the conservation charge on each of our utility bills

You can call for an energy audit. The auditor will take about 2 hours to go through the house with you. The printout will prioritize the opportunities according to the energy savings projected by the audit.

Will do less audits but more implementation work. Will pay 75% up to $2000 if qualified for thermal work

"You need to want to do something but now is the time to do so."

"Audits are already scheduled through January, call now and they will honor the request after March 2009 when the offer expires."

The education is available on the Massave website. They'll need your zipcode and primary heating method (oil, gas).

Live reporting - Energy $ense - heating, cooling tips

Electric reductions
  • phantom load reduction with power strips
  • determine power eaters with "Kill a watt" meter and economize use
  • energy appliance purchases
buy Energy Star appliances (www.energystar.gov)

Appliance tips
  • don't buy a plasma TV (uses 3-4 times as much than conventional)
  • gas-fired clothes dryer
  • front loading washing
heating & cooling purchases
  • programmable thermostat (rebate available from local utility)
  • new furnace or heat pump
heating & cooling tips
  • boiler, efficient, tuned and cleaned
  • insulation, windows, don't let heat escape
Weatherization
  • sealing of air leaks (attic, basements)
  • insulation installation
air leakage paths
  • air comes into the basement through the windows, cracks in the walls
  • warm air rises and will go out where it can
homeowners who have insulated and did not see an improvement in energy usage, usually had air leaks that were not properly addressed

Blower door Air Leakage analysis
helps to find big leaks, assess ventilation, requires training, measure leakage before and after work, can cost $4-600 for a single household

get the neighborhood together to have the contractor come in to do several at the same time and reduce the cost

Infra-red Camera
assess current level of insulation in walls and spot gaps
check results of contractor work

windows are very expensive to replace but the energy saving payback is hard to get; about 8-13% on savings

Live reporting - Energy $ense - behavioral, hot water, etc.

Behavioral
  • hot water use
  • heating & cooling
  • lighting
  • electric use reductions
kilowatt meter, approx $30 to measure usage by device within the home

Hot water use
  • adjusting hot water heater (recommended setting the temp at no higher than 120 degrees F)
  • insulate heater (if an older heater, consider a blanket wrap)
  • shorter showers (try)
  • hand dish washing (do a full load whenever using the dishwasher)
  • wear clothes longer (a personal decision)
  • washing with cold water
Fred followed a low carbon diet and was able to reduce his carbon footprint by 22% by following some of these tips

Hot water tips
buy the most efficient, don't buy more capacity than you need

put a cut off switch on your shower head, and reduce flow when water is not needed

Heating & cooling
  • turn down the thermostat
  • change the A/C filter frequently
  • regular tune up of furnace or heat pump
  • seal doors and windows
decide for yourself what temperature you can live with, Fred used to use 74 as the standard setting during the day, he has now dropped it to 68,

Air sealing
  • rope caulk
  • clear plastic on windows
  • weather stripping along door edges
  • plug holes in ceilings, floors, walls, etc.
lighting
  • use CFL bulbs, last longer, uses less electricity
  • turn off lights when not in room