Energy Efficiency Videolica

In light of the current economic conditions that the country is facing right now, several programs have been placed in the priority list that will address some of the most critical issues faced by Americans right now. One such issue is on the use and consumption of electricity, wherein a national program was set into motion to generate interest among consumers in various states to participate in energy efficiency programs starting with their own homes.

Texas has been at the forefront of the nationwide energy efficiency drive with residents given the power to select their energy options in a bid to reduce consumption of Texas electricity. Such programs include rebates from their property taxes that eventually pay for the energy efficiency improvements done in their individual homes. Such improvements can include the installation of solar panels or improving a homes insulation system and optimize use of electricity.

These incentive programs are aimed at reducing the up-front costs that homeowners will incur as they set out and initiate energy efficiency improvements in their homes and improve their use of Texas electricity. Not only that, energy efficiency improvements will enable homeowners to gain considerable savings from their electricity bills as well as a focus on alternative energy resources that will eventually pave the way for the availability of really cheap electricity for all consumers to enjoy.

Legislation
Energy efficiency programs were officially initiated when the 75th Texas Legislature promulgated into law the requirement for meeting specific energy efficiency goals that the electric TDUs or Texas Transmission and Distribution Utilities would have to meet. The procedures required to meet these goals were outlined in the Energy Efficiency Rule provided by the Public Utility Commission of Texas.

The rule specifies that TDUs should offer energy efficiency programs to consumers within their respective electricity distribution territories. Such programs include installation or home improvements designed to increase a homes overall energy efficiency such proper insulation, use of high efficiency lighting fixtures and the installation of solar energy systems among other. These programs are extended not only to residential communities but also to schools, local governments and businesses in order to reduce their operating costs and save Texas electricity.

These home improvements however, will be installed or performed not by the TDUs themselves but will be coursed through third-party providers or what is more commonly called now as project sponsors. These providers include contractors and installers for insulation, lighting, and air conditioning. Project sponsors also include the retail electric providers and other energy efficiency companies.

What the Texas Consumer Can Apply Now

There are various energy efficiency incentive programs initiated by the local distribution utilities in the various towns and cities in Texas, each of whom were mandated to meet energy efficiency goals. These incentive programs come in the form of Standard Offer Programs (SOP), with payments based on the energy efficiency performance achieved. Participation in these SOPs varies depending on the type of program initiated. These programs include:

Residential and Small Commercial Programs these are geared towards providing incentives for energy efficiency improvements that are installed to reduce electricity consumption and peak demand
Commercial Programs Has a specific minimum demand requirement for eligibility and provides incentives for energy efficiency installations and measures that will reduce peak demand and increase Texas electricity savings
Low Income Programs Energy efficiency programs that are targeted towards households having annual incomes that are below or at 200% of the federal poverty guideline.
Load Management Programs These are designed to encourage efficient control of electrical loads such as shifting of electric loads from peak-demand hours to off-peak periods.

There is a new breed of professionals who you will get to know about now when you start out to sell your home. They are called Domestic Energy Assessors and are out now in England and Wales performing a brand new service.

The role of the Domestic Energy Assessor is to produce Energy Performance Certificates for inclusion in Home Information Packs. If this is complete news to you then just think of these as being certificates, like those you see on new fridges, which will provide A-G ratings on the energy efficiency of a home, plus advice on how to make further energy savings.

Energy Assessors will use their in-depth knowledge and practical understanding of the thermal performance of your home to judge on the thermal energy efficiency of properties.

This requirement has been introduced by the UK government working on the theory that these assessments of the the capability of all buildings about to be sold will encourage us all to be energy efficient. This will be good for the nation as it will be thoroughly green. It will the idea is, help avoid the need for the energy whether renewable or not.

This type of certificate is required whenever the building is constructed, sold or rented.

In the short term home owners directly, and home buyers indirectly, will need to pay for these Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) and in order to possibly carry out work to improve poorly insulated properties, they will need to pay for general advice to clients on energy efficiency measures.

This is all very good in principle, but the UK government has chosen exactly the wrong time to do this. The credit crunch is hitting the house sales market hard, it is already very difficult to sell properties, and the value of most of them is falling.

The staff that produce Energy Performance Certificates are very experienced in construction technology, building condition surveying and domestic energy assessment and are Degree qualified professionals. They do not come cheap!

Now we do accept that most assessors will not simply stop at inspecting your property, they should also take the time to explain exactly what they are inspecting, how they are going to go about it and gladly answer any questions that you may have. But, most sellers are going to deeply object to being forced by the state to take on this additional burden of cost.

The energy assessor takes measurements to analyse the cost of heating, water and lighting for a house and makes recommendations to improve the energy performance of the house. To me it looks like you the government may think that an assessment is a quick hour in the property and thats it. I doubt they have fully considered the travel time to and from the houses to be assessed, time taken to assess, time to prepare and check the report, input the data, produce the certificate and then charge a fee which includes the professionals insurance, accountant fees, advertising and many other costs – the list goes on and on, after all they will have to make a living like everyone else.

For anyone that is interested in understanding how to control their utility costs I think it’s important to know the facts when it comes to a high efficiency furnace vs heat pump technology. In fact at the end of this article I’ve included a real life financial comparison of a Southern Ontario homeowner showing the total costs for a high efficiency furnace vs heat pump system and the numbers are very interesting.
Over the last couple of years there has been a huge movement towards high efficiency heating equipment. Both the federal and provincial governments have sought to encourage energy efficiency by offering rebates to those replacing low or mid efficiency equipment with “high efficiency” (usually characterized by > 95%).
Predictably, there has been much discussion about what this actually does, and more importantly, how valuable it is. I will not be the one to stand here and say that reducing your gas consumption by >5% to heat your home is not a worthwhile pursuit. Unfortunately, there is some dissention about what kind of cost premium this should command. Equally unfortunate is the fact that few people in the HVAC industry have bothered to make the case for higher efficiency. I see this as part of a greater discussion. Consumers are faced with these kinds of decisions constantly – does the premium you have to pay for a product end up being a long term savings?
I am here to emphatically say “YES”. The very fact that most heating systems now last in excess of 15 years tips the scales heavily in favour of efficiency. This is even more important as input costs rise (Natural Gas, Propane, Electricity and Oil). In fact, the justification is so strong that it makes conversion to new ultra efficient heat pumps a huge cost savings (with or without government incentives).
Cost Comparison of High Efficiency Furnace vs Heat Pump
The actual numbers can vary widely, but for starters, let’s consider a 2000 sq ft house built around 1970. With heating loads of ~ 45,000 b.t.u.s this house generated heating costs of around $2500 per year using a 90% efficient furnace. This furnace was nearing the end of its life and the customer was faced with replacing his heating system; either a high efficiency furnace with a 15 SEER A/C, or a 17 SEER Heat Pump with an electric back up system.
The costs for both systems were as follows:
Furnace and A/C: $8,600.
Heat Pump and Electric Back up: $12,400.
Both vendors accurately told the customer that their heating bills would be reduced. So the choice is easy, right? How could a system that costs almost one half more be better value? The answer lies in magnitude of the savings.
The furnace savings are easy to calculate – by improving the efficiency by 5%, the gas consumption should go down by 5% ($125 per year). The heat pump system, however, generated savings in the 30 – 35% range (very common with heat pumps). This represents annual savings of $750. The net improvement for the heat pump system then is $750 – $125 = $625. To calculate the payback divide the difference in savings ($625) into the cost differential ($12400 – $8600 = $3800). In this case the payback would be just over 6 years – giving you another 9 years to pocket the savings for a total 15 year savings of $5,625! Not to mention that heat pumps typically have warranties longer than furnaces!
Before you dismiss this because your situation is different consider that if you are paying more than $2500 a year for heating, the savings get even better! The difference is in how inexpensive the system converts inputs into heat (see our blog on Heat Pump Efficiency).
What does become relevant then, is how long you plan on staying in the home that you are buying the system for. For most people the system you will be buying might last longer than you will be in the home. For that reason, upgrading the heating system makes sense as well. The buyer of your house will be less likely to adjust your purchase price for an antiquated, inefficient heating system. In the end, it’s clear that when you compare high efficiency furnace vs heat pump technology the long term winner is in most cases aheat pump by a long shot.

For those who enjoy the convenience and comfort of a Baxi boiler, they will want to make sure their system is kept safe and secure. As with any boiler system, carbon monoxide can pose a serious risk to families if the boiler is not properly maintained. Carbon monoxide can cause serious injury and even death, so it is vital to make sure that a homeowners boiler is as safe as possible. After all, while keeping the water warm is always a priority, it should not come at the expense of safety. This article will look at what carbon monoxide poisoning is, how it can happen in a home, and what homeowners can do to protect themselves against it.

Carbon Monoxide

Carbon monoxide is a gas that is toxic to human beings. This gas is a by-product of fossil fuel combustion, such as with gas ovens, car exhaust, and improperly maintained boilers. In most cases, carbon monoxide does not pose a danger to homeowners as a well-ventilated house will remove the carbon monoxide into the open air. However, if the ventilation system is blocked or damaged, then carbon monoxide may leak into the home. Because it is odourless and tasteless, it is often impossible to detect without a proper detection system.

Risk of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

As stated above, carbon monoxide poisoning usually occurs because a ventilation system, such as a chimney or flue, is blocked or damaged. Poisoning can also occur, however, if a gas appliance, such as a boiler, has been improperly installed or maintained. Because carbon monoxide is so difficult to detect, it often goes unnoticed before it is too late. The symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, including nausea, fatigue, and headaches, are often confused with the flu. However, if the occupant finds that the symptoms are worse at home and that other members of the household are also suffering similar symptoms, then he should vacate the premises immediately as these are signs of a carbon monoxide leak.

Protection against Carbon Monoxide

To make sure a boiler is at a reduced risk of a carbon monoxide leak homeowners should take steps to ensure household safety before installation even begins. New boilers are much safer than older models and when choosing an installer consumers should never contract a professional who is uncertified. Doing so is not only illegal, but it could be exposing the members of the household to a great degree of risk. All installers and service engineers must be Gas Safe registered, and if they are not they must be reported to the police as they are putting peoples lives at risk. The boiler should also be inspected annually by a certified engineer.

Installing carbon monoxide detectors should also be considered a necessity for every household. A smoke alarm cannot detect carbon monoxide, so it should not be relied upon to do so. Be sure that the carbon monoxide detectors are tested weekly and that they are loud enough to wake the occupants as most carbon monoxide deaths occur during sleep. Keep in mind, however, that a carbon monoxide detection system is just one component of protecting against carbon monoxide and the presence of such a system does not mean that inspections and maintenance of a homes boiler system can be allowed to slide.

ModernaHus, the new generation of energy efficient green homes for the UK, will have 9500sm of its underfloor heating screeded with FlexiDry F1/7 day dry floor screed.

ModernaHus is being introduced in the UK after long trials by Scandinavian builders, Skanska. This innovative green home solution has already been adapted by several countries across Europe, and has been in the test phase in the UK for several years.

After two years of trials and considerable adaptation to suit the UK market and environment, the ModernaHus UK project is now underway and is scheduled for completion by October 2011.

The first phase of the ModernaHus UK project will comprise of 108 one to four bedroom residential units, in a rejuvenated site in Coldharbor Lane, Brixton. A good majority of the construction elements will be manufactured offsite and delivered to the site, ready for installation. This prefabricated building system has been found to be successful in bringing down the effective construction time while ensuring site safety as well as quality and finish of the products.

For energy efficiency, ModernaHus combines a well insulated building envelope, under floor heating, ground source heat pumps, solar panels and a central biomass boiler. The ModernaHus homes which will be 30% more efficient than normal homes, has obtained the Code for Sustainable Homes, Level 4.

With energy efficiency figuring as the priority for modern buildings, FlexiDry fast drying floor screeds is one of the screeds that is very much in demand by most major builders. When underfloor heating system can enhance energy efficiency, the use of the right screed is found to compound its effectiveness by acting as a thermal mass to dissipate the heat. FlexiDry floor screeds act as very good thermal conductors of heat and cut down the thermal losses and reduce the amount of heat required at the source. With an efficiency of 20-30% more than the normal anhydrite screeds, and drying times as less as 3 days to 21 days, FlexiDry is currently the chosen name for most of the major projects like ModernaHus.