Home Energy Solutions

[NameDate]

Agenda

•Who Are You and Who Am I?•Problem•Solutions•Tallying Up•Government and Utility Incentives•Going Beyond Your Home and

Neighborhood

What is Cool Cities?

• Local communities making a commitment to solve global warming

• Putting proven Clean Energy Solutions to work

• Building local coalitions• Changing the National consciousness

Coal Impacts Our Health

“Coal-fired power plants are among the largest contributors to particulate pollution, ozone, mercury, and global warming.” 

-- The American Lung Association

How Much Coal Do We Use?• Coal accounts for 83% of CO2 emissions for

electricity production• It takes one pound of coal to power your TV

for 4.5 hours• One pound of coal to power your lamp for

two evenings• The average US household uses 9.5 tons of

coal per year

Electricity Fuel Mix

NY NJ CT USCoal 14.7% 16.3% 11.3

%48.5

%

Petroleum 5.6% 0.7% 4.0% 1.1%

Natural Gas 31.3% 29.9% 29.9%

21.3%

Nuclear 29.1% 51.1% 49.4%

19.6%

Hydroelectric 17.3% N/A 1.1% 5.9%

Other, including Renewables

1.9% 1.3% 2.2% 3.5%

What is the Challenge and the Opportunity?

•Stop climate change with local solutions

•Decrease our dependence on fossil fuels

•Support a more affordable and safer way to power our country

•Strengthen local economies

Wind Power

[Fill in local programs that allow consumers to purchase wind power]

Here Comes the Sun…

Free Solar Energy…Well Almost

• Setting up a PV system on your home could cover your electric bill eliminating your home’s demand on coal and electricity bill

• A system costing $15,000 could pay for itself in about 8 years

• Federal Personal Tax Credit – 30% of the cost of the system

• [Fill in local tax credits for solar]

Solar Savings – Tax Credits

• [Fill in local programs that provide loans or financial incentives for solar installations]

Solar Savings – Loans and Rebates

• Extremely cost-effective• A secure, low-cost investment• Boosts your local economy

by:– Using your dollars to support

local contractors, not on excessive utility bills

– Keeping your dollars local, spending energy savings on other things

• Reduces environmental impact

Energy Efficiency Makes $ense

1. Programmable thermostats 2. Install CFL Light bulbs3. Perform a home energy audit

4. Seal up leaks 5. Lose/manage your Vampire Appliances

Do-It Yourself!Top 5 ways to save money on energy

bills & lower CO2 footprint:

Program Your Thermostat– Make the thermostat follow your schedule.– When you leave the house for work every morning

or when you’re sleeping you spend money heating your house more than you need to.

– Set your thermostat to be cooler in the winter and warmer in summer.

Raising your thermostat one degree in the summer can reduce your bills by 3-5%.

Compact Florescent Lightbulbs

– Replace your old light bulbs with CFL light bulbs before they burn out. A regular light bulb uses over 300% more energy than a CFL.

– Following its first year, a 100 watt CFL light bulb will save you about eight dollars a year.

A CFL pays for itself in the first four months and lasts several years.

Energy Audit Basics

Home Energy Audit - Find The Leaks!

– In the construction business, the roof, walls, windows and doors in your home are part of the envelope.

– Keeping the envelope of your home sealed will be the key to saving money and energy.

Home Energy Audit - Find The Leaks!

– Start with checking your house for energy leaks or windy drafts. i.e. windows, doors, light sockets, fireplaces…

– Have you spent enough quality time with your attic?

Home Energy Audit cont.

– Check your water heater to see if it is warm to the touch...cut your water heating bill in half by turning it down to around 120 degrees.

– Make sure hot water pipes are well insulated, especially if they are located outside the house. Uninsulated pipes may burst!

Seal Up The Leaks

– Use caulking on cracks

– Purchase a window kit

– Rubber weather stripping

– Foil tape or a glue called mastic fills leaks on your heating and air conditioning ducts.

• The “Kill A Watt” power meter– finds “phantom” loads and

“vampire” appliances– shuts off appliances with one

switch on a power strip or switched outlets

Predicts your power usage and bill!

Vanquish Phantom Energy Loads

Energy Star Upgrades• Should I buy a new appliance?

– The easiest thing to do is check the age of your appliances – 1992 or older?

– Refrigerators – 10-14% of your electricity!

– Make sure when you are buying a new appliance that it is Energy Star rated

The Dollar Breakdown

Inefficient HouseholdHeat loss

•Standard thermostat•Energy Leaks•Poor insulation

Electricity wasted•Incandescent light bulbs•Phantom loads•“Bachelor Fridge”•Inefficient, old appliances

Efficient HouseholdHeat efficient

•Programmable thermostat•Leaks are plugged up•Proper insulation

Electricity saved•CFL light bulbs•Power strips•Energy Star appliances

Profitability of Low-Cost Energy Efficiency Upgrades

Energy Efficiency Upgrade

Cost Annual Bill Savings

Simple Payback (yrs)

ROI

Increasing Thermostat One Degree in

Summer

FREE $6 Instant! 600%

Lowering Thermostat One Degree in Winter

FREE $3 Instant! 300%

Sealing Leaks $40 $150 0.26 375%

Power Strip $30 $120 0.25 400%

Replacing One Light with CFL

$4 $9 0.45 225%

Turning Off One Light to Use Daylight

FREE $11 Instant! 1100%

TOTAL $74 $311 0.24 420%

Source: Calculations based on Energy Star savings estimates.

Profitability of Energy Efficiency UpgradesEnergy Efficiency

Upgrade

Purchase Price

Annual Bill Savings

Simple Payback (yrs)

ROI

Duct Sealing $250 $95 2.6 41%

ENERGY STAR Clothes Washer

$194 $66 2.9 37%

ENERGY STAR Programmable

Thermostat

$107 $29 3.7 30%

Water Heater Tank Wrap (R-12)

$85 $23 3.7 28%

ENERGY STAR Refrigerator

$97 $23 4.2 27%

ENERGY STAR Heat Pump

$692 $126 5.5 19%

ENERGY STAR Dishwasher

$29 $5 5.5 18%

Increase wall and attic insulation

$1,784 $111 16.1 8%

TOTAL $3,960 $597 6.6 16%

Source: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Home Energy Savers. “The Profitability of Energy Efficiency Upgrades.” http://hes.lbl.gov/hes/profitable.html

$$ Rebates & Financing $$

• Rebates and financing can make being more energy efficient even more cost efficient

• Finding all the rebates can be difficult, getting the right contractor can make it easy

• [Include information about city or utility programs that allow you to take out low-interest loans for energy efficiency financing]

[Local Financing Options]

Weatherization• [Include information on the low-

income weatherization options for your community]

Rebates[Include information on city, state, or utility rebates for energy efficiency upgrades]

Brought to you by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act…

-Federal Tax Credit - 30% of the cost up to $1500- Windows, Insulation, Sealing- Central Air, Heat Pump, Furnace/Boiler

-Geothermal Pump/Solar Water Heater-30% of the cost up to $2000

-Biomass Fuel Stoves- $300 Credit

-Small Wind- 30% of the cost up to $4000

Going Beyond Your Home…

•Host a house party•Arrange a competition among your neighbors•Pool your energy savings for a party•Infiltrate your PTA, kids’ sports teams

Going Beyond Your Neighborhood…

•Advocate – For programs that will make it an easy choice for any building

owner or tenant to make energy efficiency investments•What’s needed:

– Financing– Billing/Financing Repayment– Funding– Quality Assurance Standards– Transparency of energy performance

•How to get involved– Hmmm . . . maybe through the Sierra Club?

Resources to Get Started

Sierra Club Green Home

www.sierraclubgreenhome.com

Thank You![Contact information]