Comparing Different Home Heating Fuels and Alterative Energy Systems

1. Comparing Different Home Heating Fuels and Alterative Energy Systems Saving Home EnergyPart 3

2. Current System Servicing, cleaning and tuning up your current heating system before you consider a supplemental heating system Supplemental Heating Electric space heater to use when you are in one room Wood stove or pellet stove used when you are home to heat one or more rooms Passive solar collector attached to a window to provide supplemental heat to a south facing room. Suppliment Current Heating System – Short Term Options

3. Easy to use Inexpensive to use No additional equipment required Minimal mechanical knowledge required to operate Low risk of fire, smoke or carbon monoxide Reduce carbon footprint Things to Consider Before You Change

4. Solar, wind and hydro Restricted to certain sites due to sun, wind or water resources Growing infrastructure to service equipment for alternative energy Complicated operating understanding “How Much Heat Per Dollar” - #7218 Wood Logs or pellets need to be able to store, carry and stoke regularly Decreased indoor air quality Things to Consider Before You Change

5. Fuels Oil Natural gas Propane Electricity Wood Biofuel Sun Heat Distribution Systems Hot air Hot water Radiant heat Radiators Radiant floor or ceiling Space heating Compare Heating Fuels and Heat Distribution Systems

6. Fossil Fuels • 80% of Maine homes use oil heat • Existing infrastructure to support installation and maintenance service • Low fire potential in home • Emissions are low especially with new 90% to 95% efficient systems

7. Fossil Fuels • Not a renewable source of fuel • Air Pollutants & Carbon Dioxide emitted to atmosphere • Negative impact on carbon footprint • Huge fluctuations in costs from $2.50 per gallon to $5.00 per gallon in one year. • These fuels must be imported into Maine

8. Renewable Fuels • Firewood logs • Wood pellets • Other formed wood products • Corn • Hay pellets, Etc.

9. Firewood and wood pellets are available throughout Maine Wood can regrow if sustainable harvesting is practiced Firewood stoves can provide heat in a power outage Pallets of wood pellets Renewable Fuels - Wood

10. Impaired indoor and outdoor air quality www.tinyurl.com/woodsmoke www.epa.gov/woodheaters Maine OWB Regulations: Certified Stoves and Set back required 250’ to 270’ www.tinyurl.com/outdoorwood Manual loading of firebox Cutting, moving, drying, storing of logs or bags of pellets adds extra work Disposal of pellet bags Cleaning ash bin and chimney regularly Renewable Fuels - Wood

11. Limits dependency on out of state/country fuel sources Log burning stoves the old reliable alternative but require extra work New technologies are making wood pellet burning more convenient & far less polluting Outdoor wood boilers an option where air quality is less of a concern Renewable Fuels - Wood

12. Install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to protect your family Check chimney to be sure it can support your wood stove. A separate flue may be required Install with proper clearance from combustible materials. Use dry seasoned hardwood in small hot fires to burn completely Use care when closing off the damper or air supply to the fire. It can cause excess creosote production. Confirm your insurance company covers use of wood stoves to prevent voiding your policy Wood Heat Safety

13. Corn – Heat Value and cost is similar to that of wood pellets Requires a special corn burning stove Most corn is grown in the mid-west and needs to be transported into Maine causing additional air pollution emissions Hay Pellets Research is currently being done on hay pellets for heat Not readily available Other Renewable Fuels

14. Electricity • Most sources of public power in Maine are from Renewable sources such as biomass, municipal waste, hydro or wind • Non-renewable mix of power comes from natural gas, nuclear, oil and coal • Consumers can opt to purchase “green” power that positively affects our carbon foot print • Efficiency Maine Web Site

15. Most Maine homes are connected to the power grid to power their electrical appliances Electric heating for homes is very expensive, suggest use another type of fuel to heat the home Electricity

16. Electric HeatBetter used for supplemental space heating needsCost Per KwhPublic Utility - $0.16Photovoltaic - $0.30Wind Power - $0.30 to $0.50Source: Efficiency Maine Solar & Wind Program

17. Heat Pump • Ground source systems • Air source systems may not work as well in our cold climate but new technology is being developed to make it more practical for Maine. • Need electricity to run the compressor and circulate fluid

18. Condensing From a gas to a liquid Collects heat Evaporation From a liquid to a gas Releases heat How Heat Pumps Work

19. Heating/ thermal Passive Systems Active Systems Electricity Collectors Inverters Battery storage Solar Energy

20. New homes Built-in passive solar design Unobstructed southern exposure Thermal mass Insulation Courtsey of DOE/NREL credit – Steven Sargent Passive Thermal Solar

21. Building faces south Unobstructed view of sun Consider with new construction Thermal storage & ventilation needed to moderate wide temperature variations Supplemental source of heat for nights or cloudy days Passive Thermal Solar

22. www.builditsolar.com for more do-it-youself ideas Maine Solar Association for the do-it-youselfer Small window units can provide supplemental heat during sunny days Can be closed at night or on cloudy days Larger Trombe or solar walls can be retrofitted to older homes Window Passive Thermal Solar Collector

23. Circulate air or a fluid Storage system Domestic hot water Small 4-1/2’x 8’ panel Whole house heating Courtsey of DOE/NREL credit – Warren Gretz Active Solar Thermal Heating

24. Active Solar Thermal System • Need electricity to circulate air or fluid • Can be used for space heating or domestic hot water • Need storage system • Works well with radiant floor heating system Photos courtsey of DOE/NREL – Robb Williamson, Amy Glickson and Chris Gunn

25. Solar electric systems convert sunlight into electricity. Solar cells—the basic building blocks of a PV system Sunlight is absorbed Solar energy knocks electrons loose "photoelectric effect“ These free electrons form electrical current. Solar ElectricPhotovoltaic (PV)

26. More cost effective to bring house up to today’s energy insulation code R-49+ in attic R-21 walls R-10 floors, windows etc. ENERGY STAR efficient appliances Assess household electricity consumption after improvements Calculate electricity needs and determine size of system to install Solar Photovoltaic Habitate for Humanity Zero Energy House Courtsey of DOE/NREL credit – Pete Beverly

27. Storage Batteries or Grid Connection (Net Metering) North American Board of Certified Energy Practicioners Certified Electrician Department of Energy site on solar electric energy http://tinyurl.com/solarelectric Solar Photovoltaic Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) image

28. Moving air Propeller blades Electric generator Converter 60 watt AC Tower Over 50’ Depends on site Courtsey of DOE/NREL – credit Southwest Power Small Wind Systems How Do They Work?

29. You determine how much electricity you need/want Current electric bill more than $150 /mo. Costs range from $15,000 to $50,000 Electricity needs to be generated Average wind velocity Power storage A good reference for developing a home wind sysem: http://www.windpoweringamerica.gov/ Courtsey of DOE/NREL credit – Trudy Forsyth Small Wind System for ME?

30. Aneometer measurements for a year at hub height Wind Powering America wind map Pick the site carefully – installation is half the cost Minimum average wind of 9 mph www.windpoweringamerica.gov Courtsey of DOE/NREL Wind Speed?

31. Tall towers allowed in your area? Do you have enough space for your tower? Able to service turbine regularly? Certified Electrician necessary if you plan to connect your system to power grid Only commercial systems qualify for tax incentives Small Wind Systems

32. Micro Hydro Power • Must have reliable running water with drop in height to generate energy • Need to obey laws regarding dam development, water utilization, etc. • Installation technicians are very rare. Need to be a self starter willing to learn how to manage this energy source. Layman’s Guide to Developing Small Hydro Sites http://www.microhydropower.net/download/books.php

33. How much are you spending now? Oil Electricity Wood What quantity are you using (mBTUs or Kwhs)? How much are you paying per mBTU? “How Much Heat Per Dollar?” - #7216 Reduction in annual cost for heat or Kwhs for electricity Cost of the system Estimated life for the system Annual maintenance costs Additional costs or value of time Cost Analysis of Changing Energy Source / System in the Home

36. How Do I Pay For Energy Improvements? • Own savings • Low income assistance • Call 211 or www.211maine.org • Loans • Rebates / tax incentives • Rent a room or part of the house

37. 2009 Tax Incentives(Department of Energy Summary) * Must be applied for before purchase

38. Energy Resources • University of Maine Cooperative Extension Energy Site • http://www.extension.umaine.edu/energy • Efficiency Maine Site • http://www.efficiencymaine.com/ • Efficiency Maine Solar Site • http://tinyurl.com/mainesolarwind • U.S. Department of Energy – energy efficiency and renewable energy site • http://www.eere.energy.gov/

39. Acknowledgement • Developed by University of Maine Cooperative Extension Associate Extension Professors Donna Coffin and Kathy Hopkins • Reviewed by Joy Adamson, Efficiency Maine Program Manager, Maine Public Utilities Commission and Richard Fortier, Solar / Wind Program Manager, Maine Public Utilities Commission