Rocky Mountain Farmers Union

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Rocky Mountain Farmers Union

• Energy Efficiency
• Green Construction
• Presented to the
• Ogallala Commons
• 19th Annual Southern Plains
• Conference
• February 19, 2008
• Tony Frank
• Director, Renewable Energy Development
• Rocky Mountain Farmers Union
• 303-283-3532
• tony.frank_at_co-ops.org
• www.rmfu.org

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• Did you know that a typical home can cause twice
  the greenhouse gas emissions of the typical car?
• -U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

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Todays Presentation

• Where are you today?
• Energy Assessment/Audit
• Making Improvements
• Energy Production Considerations
• Green Building Considerations
• Resources

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1. Where are you today?
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Two Types of Electric Tariffs

• Energy Tariff
• Typical for residential service
• Fixed monthly service charge, 5-15/mo, plusa
  kWh charge
• Demand Tariff
• Typical for commercial and service to larger
  farms
• Fixed monthly service charge, 5-15/mo, plus
• a kWh charge, plus
• a demand charge, per kW, based on peak demand
  during the billing period

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Estimated Energy Rates

• Electric
• Texas Average 0.095 per KWh
• Lubbock, TX 0.148 per KWh
• Heat
• Lubbock, TX, Natural Gas 1.423 per thermal

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Where are you today?www.energystar.gov
-Comparison to homes in your community on a scale
of 1 to 10. -Provides low-cost recommendations
to reduce energy consumption
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Where are you today?
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Where are you today?
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Where are you today?
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Where does the energy go?Source Lightly
Treading, www.lightlytreadingcom
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2. Energy Assessment/Audit
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Energy Audit/Assessment

• Bring in an Energy Professional
• Track and quantify air leaks
• Study structure of house
• Examine utility bills
• Systems approach for improvements
• Recommend future home investments that make sense
  (e.g. short pay back period).
• Estimated Cost 200-500

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How is Energy Wasted in Homes Buildings?

• Air Leakage
• Insulation
• Inefficient Heating and Cooling
• Water Heating
• Windows Doors
• Lighting Appliances

How can this waste be eliminated?
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Who to contact for an Audit?

• Local Utility Company
• Texas State Energy Conservation Office
• Lightly Treading, www.lightlytreading.com
• Smart Energy Living, www.smartenergyliving.org

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3. Making Improvements
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Sample BudgetsSource Smart Energy Living,
www.smartenergyliving.org

• If you have 1,000
• Energy Audit, 200-500
• Seal Air Leakages
• Efficient Light Bulbs, CFLs
• Insulate the Attic, 100-1,000
• Programmable Thermostat, 30-200

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Sample Budgets (continued)

• If you have 5,000
• Insulation to the walls, floors, and ductwork,
  1,000-5,000
• Energy-Efficient Window Treatments
• Install double- or triple-paned windows,
  400-600 per window
• Energy Efficient Furnace, 2,500-4,000

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Sample Budgets (Continued)

• If you have 10,000 or more
• Install Solar Panels (for heat or electric) or
  small wind turbine, 10,000
• Replace old appliances

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Easy Electric Improvement

• Replace conventional light bulbs with Compact
  Fluorescent Lamp (CFL) type.
• Wide variety of types
• e.g. 60 watt, 75 watt, 100 watt (actual wattage
  is a fraction)

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Air Leakage

• Heated and cooled air can leak out of a home
  /building in some obvious (and not-so-obvious)
  ways.
• Through attics
• Around windows doors
• Through ducts
• Inside walls
• Basements and crawlspaces
• Around pipes and wires

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The air barrier should be located along with the
insulation.
As warm air rises and exits the home at the top
of the building, cold air enters at the bottom
and replaces it. This is called STACK EFFECT.
RememberWarm Air Rises!
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Sealing Air LeaksSource Lightly Treading,
www.lightlytreading.com

• Air Leakage
• Air leaks need to be located. This is done by
  using a Blower Door.
• The Blower Door can also measure the amount of
  air leakage, and tell if the house is too tight.

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Sealing Air Leaks in the HomeSource Lightly
Treading, www.lightlytreading.com

• Air leaks can show up in some very unusual places

Air leaks in attics, around pipes, and inside
walls can be sealed with foams, wood, and caulk.
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InsulationSource Lightly Treading,
www.lightlytreading.com
The air barrier should be located along with the
insulation.

• Insulation is like a blanket that wraps around
  the home. The heavier and tighter the blanket is
  wrapped, the warmer the home stays in the winter.
  It also keeps the home cool in the summer.
• Insulation is found in several locations,
  including
• Attics
• Walls
• Basements
• Crawlspaces
• Other Ceilings

Insulation is placed along what is known as a
Thermal Barrier. This is also where the air
should stop.
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Attic InsulationSource Lightly Treading,
www.lightlytreading.com

• Attic insulation should be at least 12 to 16
  deep, depending on what type it is.
• Fiberglass
• Blown in or blankets
• Cellulose
• Blown in
• Rockwool
• Similar to fiberglass

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Wall InsulationSource Lightly Treading,
www.lightlytreading.com

• Wall insulation is often installed between the
  drywall on the inside of the home/building and
  the wood sheathing on the outside.
• The insulation is usually made of fiberglass or
  cellulose. Foam spray and sheets of foam can also
  be used.

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Basements Source Lightly Treading,
www.lightlytreading.com
Basements can be insulated with batts or vinyl
facing insulation
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Crawlspaces Source Lightly Treading,
www.lightlyreading.com
Crawlspaces should be insulated the same as
basement walls
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WindowsSource Lightly Treading,
www.lightlytreading.com

• Older single pane (single sheet of glass) windows
  leak air round them, and do a poor job of
  stopping the cold from passing through in the
  winter. Additionally, in the summer, they allow
  heat into the home, making the air conditioner
  work harder than necessary.

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Window Information

• New windows have a sticker from the National
  Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC), a consumers
  guide to buying windows.
• It tells you
• U-Value
• Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC)
• If its a low-e window
• The lower the U-Value, the better insulated the
  window. U-Value is the inverse of R-Value.
• www.efficientwindows.org

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Heating CoolingSource Lightly Treading,
www.lightlytreading.com

• Older furnaces and air conditioners may be very
  inefficient, providing inadequate heating or
  cooling, wasting valuable energy and costing the
  homeowner extra money to operate.
• New 90 units can cut heating costs by 30 or
  more

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Other ImprovementsSource Lightly Treading,
www.lightlytreading.com

• Replace your hot water tank with a tankless
  design.
• Tankless models heat water only when you need it,
  not 24/7.

(the tank on the top is about 56 efficient, the
heater on the bottom is over 80!)
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Trees

• Evergreen Trees on North and West Side of house
• Reduces wind velocity
• Reduces heat loss
• Large deciduous shade trees close to the South,
  East, and West side of house
• Shade in summer
• Lose leaves in fall to allow for solar gain
  during winter

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House Orientation

• Ideal Orientation
• Southern Exposure
• Protection from north and west from cold winter
  winds
• Slopes to the south build into a hillside
• Houses long axis running east and west to
  promote solar heating gains in winter and reduce
  in summer
• Garage on west, north, or northwest side of house

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Incentives for Energy Efficiency
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Energy Efficiency Incentives

• USDA Section 9006 Grants (Farms and Small
  Businesses)
• Grants up to 25 of cost
• Guaranteed Loans up to 25 of cost
• Contact USDA Rural Development Office
• Utility Rebate Programs
• Federal/State Tax Incentives
• Low interest loan funds
• Net Metering/Net Billing
• www.dsireusa.org - Database of State Incentives
  for Renewables and Efficiency

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USDA Farm Bill Section 9006 www.rurdev.usda.gov/r
bs/farmbill

• Renewable Energy Energy Efficiency energy
  efficiency solar biomass geothermal hydrogen
  wind
• For farms, ranches, small businesses (not for
  residential systems)
• Grants (up to 25 of project cost), or Loan
  Guarantees (up to 25 of project cost)
• In 2007, 23 million in funding available
  nationwide.
• Work with rural energy coordinators at your USDA
  State Rural Development Office

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Tax Credits Deductions

• Federal Tax Credits
• Up to 500 for improving insulation, air-sealing,
  windows, doors, space heating cooling, water
  heating and mechanical ventilation in an existing
  home (ended Dec. 31, 2007)
• A 2000 tax credit for building a new home that
  is 50 better than Code for its heating cooling
  requirements.

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Tax Credits Deductions

• Federal Tax Deductions
• Deductions for up to 1.80/sq.ft. for energy
  savings of 50 or more on new/existing commercial
  spaces
• Deductions for up to 0.60/sq.ft. for improving
  just one of 3 areas thermal envelope,
  heating/cooling or lighting
• A 7500 sq. ft. barn could garner a 13,500
  deduction for improvments!!

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Texas Memorial Day Weekend Sales Tax Holiday
for Energy Efficiency Products

• For list of project that meet Energy Star
  requirements
• 6.25 savings

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4. Energy Production Considerations
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Wind or Solar EnergyApplications and System Size

• Water Pump for Stock Tanks 1 kW to 3 kW
• Home 1 kW to 10 kW
• Small Business 10 kW 20 kW
• Irrigation Pivot 10 kW to 50 kW
• (1 horsepower 745.6 watts or 0.745 kW)
• Dairy 50 kW
• Feed Lot 50 kW
• School 50 kW

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Solar Energy

• Many new homes are installing solar panels that
  can produce electricity and hot water from the
  sun.
• For a home solar panels receive Federal tax
  credits up to 2000 and may receive rebates from
  local utility companies.
• Solar for businesses Tax credit of 30 of cost
  of project.

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On-Grid Wind System without Storage
Meter
AC
Inverter
Windturbine
Load
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Off-Grid or On-Grid Wind System with Storage
Meter
Regulationandconversion
AC
Inverter
Windturbine
This system has storagewhich provides backup
power.
Load
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Net Metering
Source www.dsireusa.org


August 2007
Net metering is available in 42 states D.C.
NH 100 MA 60 RI 1,000/1,650 CT 2,000
100
VT 15/150
100


100
50

40
10/400

25/2,000
20


25/100
30

25

no limit


500
PA 50/3,000/5,000 NJ 2,000 DE
25/500/2,000 MD 2,000 DC 100 VA 10/500


1,000



25
40
10


25

2,000
1,000
100
15

20/100


80,000
100
25/300
varies

10/100

50
25/100
50
varies
State-wide net metering for all utility types
State-wide net metering for certain utility
types (e.g., investor-owned utilities only)

Net metering offered by one or more individual
utilities
(Numbers indicate individual system size limit
in kilowatts. Some states limits vary by
customer type, as shown)
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Other Improvements

• SolarWall
• Using the Suns heat to warm ventilation air
  being brought into a space
• Excellent for barns, grain-storage areas, etc.

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www.ModernEnergyPlan.com/rmfu
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5. Green Building Considerations
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What is Green Building?

• Green building means improving the way that
  homes and homebuilding sites use energy, water,
  and material to reduce impacts on human health
  and the environment.

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Green Building Elements

• Energy-efficiency
• Air Quality enhanced indoor environment
• Water Efficiency
• Renewable Energy
• Waste Reduction/recycling during construcion
• Smart Growth, sustainable land development

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U.S. Market in Green Building

• 7 Billion in 2005
• 12 Billion in 2007
• Projected to be 60 billion by 2010
• Source U.S. Green Building Council

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U.S. Green Building Council (www.USGBC.org)

• Non-profit
• 13,500 organizations advancing green building
• LEED Green Building Rating System
• Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
  (LEED) for
• Homes
• Commercial
• Schools, Retail, Healthcare
• Core and Shell

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LEED for Home

• Some Categories Measured
• Sustainable Site (e.g. drought tolerant plants,
  surface water management, non-toxic pest control)
• Water Efficiency (e.g. water reuse, high
  efficiency irrigation system)
• Energy and Atmosphere (Energy Star)
• Materials and Resources
• Indoor Environmental Quality

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6. Resources
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Energy Efficiency Resources

• Texas State Energy Conservation Office
  www.seco.cpa.state.tx.us
• Deaf Smith Electric Cooperative www.dsec.org
• Colorado Governors Energy Office (GEO)
  www.colorado.gov/energy
• Southwest Energy Efficiency Project www.sweep.org
  
• Lightly Treading www.lightlytreading.com
• Smart Energy Living www.smartenergyliving.org
• Database of State Incentives for Renewables
  Efficiency www.dsireusa.org
• Energy Star www.energystar.gov
• The Efficient Windows Collaborative
  www.efficientwindows.org

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Its Now Time to STOP!
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Tony Frank Cooperative Economic Development
Center Rocky Mountain Farmers Union 303-283-3532 t
ony.frank_at_co-ops.org www.rmfu.org