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Home Energy Solutions

Home Energy Solutions. [Name Date]. 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

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Home Energy Solutions

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  1. Home Energy Solutions [NameDate]

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

  3. 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

  4. 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

  5. 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

  6. Electricity Fuel Mix

  7. 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

  8. Wind Power [Fill in local programs that allow consumers to purchase wind power]

  9. Here Comes the Sun…

  10. 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

  11. Solar Savings – Tax Credits • Federal Personal Tax Credit – 30% of the cost of the system • [Fill in local tax credits for solar]

  12. Solar Savings – Loans and Rebates • [Fill in local programs that provide loans or financial incentives for solar installations]

  13. Energy Efficiency Makes $ense • 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

  14. Do-It Yourself! Top 5 ways to save money on energy bills & lower CO2 footprint: 1. Programmable thermostats 2. Install CFL Light bulbs 3. Perform a home energy audit 4. Seal up leaks 5. Lose/manage your Vampire Appliances

  15. 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%.

  16. 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.

  17. Energy Audit Basics

  18. 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.

  19. 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?

  20. Home Energy Audit cont. • Check your water heater to see if it is warm to the touch...cut your water heating bill in halfby 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!

  21. 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.

  22. Vanquish Phantom Energy Loads • 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!

  23. 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

  24. Inefficient Household • Heat loss • Standard thermostat • Energy Leaks • Poor insulation • Electricity wasted • Incandescent light bulbs • Phantom loads • “Bachelor Fridge” • Inefficient, old appliances • Efficient Household • Heat efficient • Programmable thermostat • Leaks are plugged up • Proper insulation • Electricity saved • CFL light bulbs • Power strips • Energy Star appliances The Dollar Breakdown

  25. Profitability of Low-Cost Energy Efficiency Upgrades Source: Calculations based on Energy Star savings estimates.

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

  27. $$ Rebates & Financing $$ • 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

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

  29. Weatherization • [Include information on the low-income weatherization options for your community]

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

  31. 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

  32. 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

  33. 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?

  34. Resources to Get Started Sierra Club Green Home www.sierraclubgreenhome.com

  35. Thank You! [Contact information]

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