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Saving Home Energy

Saving Home Energy. Easy Ways to Help Yourself Part 1. Direct Energy Use- Household. How We Use Energy in Our Homes in the Northeast Heating accounts for the biggest chunk of a typical utility bill.

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Saving Home Energy

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  1. Saving Home Energy Easy Ways to Help Yourself Part 1

  2. Direct Energy Use- Household How We Use Energy in Our Homes in the Northeast Heating accounts for the biggest chunk of a typical utility bill. Source: Building Energy Data Book, Table 2.3.10: 2001 Energy End-Use for an Average Household by region

  3. How America Stays Warm Household Heating SystemsAlthough several different types of fuels are available to heat our homes, more than half of Americans use natural gas. http://www1.eere.energy.gov/consumer/tips/heating_cooling.html

  4. How Maine Stays Warm How the Rest of the Country Stays Warm A recent Maine Lung Association survey indicated the 48% or Maine households intend to use wood stoves or pellet stoves as the main source or supplemental source of heat this winter. Source: Historical Census of Housing – House Heating Fuel – 2000: www.census.gov/hhes/www/housing/census/historic/fuels.html accessed 8/20/08

  5. Home Heat Loss Averages • Infiltration/Air Leakage: 35% • Windows and Doors: 18%-20% • Floors and Below Grade Space: 15%-18% • Walls: 12%-14% • Ceilings: 10% Heat loss from a house

  6. Do You Need a Certified Audit? • Certified auditor list http://www.mainehousing.org/ ENERGYAuditServices.aspx • Online self audit http://hes.lbl.gov/ • Home Energy Evaluation check list http://www.extension.umaine.edu/energy/checklist.htm

  7. EVALUATION CHECKLIST FOR HOME ENERGY USE Name:_________________ Housing: House_____ Apartment_____ Condo______ Mobile home______ Approximate square feet ________ Energy Source: Energy usage: units used per year Energy cost perunit

  8. Step One Assess what you have • Measure or estimate the size of the house • Measure or estimate the size of the windows • Use one year’s worth of utility bills to estimate total energy use for the year

  9. Do-It-Yourself Assessment Things to check: • Joints and Penetrations (infiltration) • Insulation (heat loss and gain) • Ventilation (crawl space and attics) • Ductwork • Doors and Windows • Heating & Cooling Systems • Appliances • Water Heating • Lighting

  10. window air leakage and caulking video

  11. R-value: thermal resistance which indicates the resistance to heat flow. The higher the R-value, the greater the insulating effectiveness. The R-value depends on the type of material, its thickness, and its density. U-value or coefficient of heat transmission: Measurement of ability to pass heat through materials or combination of materials U = 1/R R = 1/U R-value and U-value are inverse of each other Insulation

  12. Measure the insulation in the attic To check walls: Turn off power to an outlet Remove cover Pull out small amount of insulation Check several outlets Ceilings & Attics: R-38 to R-49 Walls: R-13 to R-21 Floor over unheated crawl space: R-25 to R-30 Crawl space wall: R-19 Slab edge: R-8 Basement Wall: R-10 to R-11 R-Values

  13. Building Material R-value Comparison(see handout)

  14. R- Value of a Wall Section 0.2 12.0 0.6 0.4 13.2

  15. Joints and Penetrations – caulk Insulation – enough? Ventilation – to let excess moisture out Ductwork – wrap pipes with insulation Doors and Windows – seal, pull curtains, indoor shutters Heating & Cooling Systems – clean upgrade? Appliances – upgrade Water Heating – insulate tank Lighting – fluorescent DIY Evaluation Things to check:

  16. Step Two • Calculate the heating costs Btu per Standard Heating Unit • Use the mBtu to calculate savings • mBtu = million Btu = 1,000,000 Btu

  17. Definition: BTU A British Thermal Unit (BTU) is the amount of heat energy needed to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree F. This is the standard measurement used to state the amount of energy that a fuel has as well as the amount of output of any heat generating device.

  18. Heat content of fuel

  19. Efficiency of Fuel Burning Systems

  20. Heat Cost Comparisons Formula for cost per million BTU (Cost per unit of fuel ($) x 1,000,000) divided by (Energy content per unit of fuel (BTU) and the product of this divided by the Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency of your heating appliance

  21. Calculating How Many MBtu Used in a Year Example #2 Oil: (# gallons oil X 138,500 Btu/gal) /1,000,000 = # MBtu /Y (500 gal X 138,500 MBtu/gal)/1,000,000 = 69 MBtu/Y Cost of oil $2.34 / gallon = $1,170 / Y Furnace efficiency of 65% = 45 MBtu / Y

  22. Should I Use Hardwood? . Example: MBtu * 1,000,000 used for heat divided by # BTU/cord divided by the efficiency of the stove= equivalent cords needed to provide heat 80% efficient furnace: 45 MBtu * (1,000,000/24,000,000)/.8 = 2.3 cords Cost of firewood @ $190/cord = $437/Y Compared to oil at $1,170/Y

  23. Example Calculations • Fuel Oil today = $2.34/gallon • 2.34 x 1,000,000 = 2,340,000 • Fuel Oil has 138,500 BTUs/Gallon • 2,340,000 / 138,500 =16.90 • 16.90/.65% efficiency = 25.99/mBtu Formula for cost per million BTU (Cost per unit of fuel ($) x 1,000,000) divided by (Energy content per unit of fuel (BTU) and the product of this divided by the Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency of your heating appliance

  24. Example Calculations • Frank’s Firewood = $190/cord • 190 x 1,000,000 = 190,000,000 • Hardwood has 24,000,000 BTUs/cord • 190,000,000/24,000,000 = 7.92 • 7.92/.80% efficiency = $9.89 mBTU

  25. Example: Annual Energy CostsIncrease Attic Insulation

  26. Home Energy Loan Program (HELP) Low income home owners Improve efficiencies &/or replacements 3.95% loan up to $30,000 www.mainehousing.org Compact Fluorescent Bulbs Instant rebate at store $2 to $12 www.efficiencymaine.com Residential Energy Efficiency Tax Credit Improve efficiencies and/or replacements including stoves that use biomass. Amount of credit is 30% of cost for all technologies placed in service in 2009 and 2010 combined up to $1,500 www.irs.gov Financial Incentives

  27. Energy Resources • http://www.extension.umaine.edu/energy/default.htm • http://www1.eere.energy.gov/consumer/tips/

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