Energy City Focus Group

1
Energy City Focus Group

• Meeting March 11, 2008
• Uppertown Conference Room

2
Energy City Commission Goals

• How to
• Reduce Electrical Use in 5 years by
  20
• Reduce Gas Use in 5 years by
  10
• Reduce Water Use in 5 years by
  25
• Reduce Solid Waste Stream in 5 years by 25

3
Center Point Energy

• Scope of Project To model the conservation
  efforts of 30 Elk River citizens with regards to
  natural gas, electric and water consumption, and
  waste stream management.
• Goal / Objective To obtain realistic
  expectations for all Elk River citizens by
  conducting this pilot study concentrating on
  reducing energy consumption and waste stream.
• Natural Gas Measurement Verification Each
  pilot study members natural gas consumption will
  be tracked on a monthly basis. Usage will be
  weather normalized against the monthly degree
  days to gain a true representation of
  conservation efforts. (Each member must submit a
  release form to CenterPoint Energy authorizing
  access to their confidential customer account
  information).

4
Natural Gas Conservation Strategies

• Weatherization
• Weatherstrip and/or caulk around windows and door
  frames seal bypasses.
• Insulate attic floor.
• Provide adequate ventilation for air circulation
  in your attic.
• Plant trees for a windbreak and sun protection.
• Furnace Maintenance
• Check filters monthly replace or clean as
  needed.
• Clean humidifier at beginning of heating season.
• Check ducts and repair leaks or separations
  insulate if in unheated area.
• Boiler Maintenance
• Check for steam or water leaks.
• Check water level and pressure.
• Dust radiators regularly.

5
Natural Gas Conservation Strategies

• Other Heating Tips
• Keep thermostat set at 65-68 Deg. F during the
  day and 58 Deg. F at night and when away for more
  than 4 hours. (55 Deg. F when away from home for
  extended periods of time).
• Keep furniture away from vents and radiators.
• Keep doors to unheated areas closed.
• Use bathroom and kitchen exhaust fans sparingly.
• Install insulated window kits on windows if
  needed.
• Put reflective or foil covered fire retardant
  boards behind radiators and free-standing stoves
  to reflect heat into the room.

6
Natural Gas Conservation Strategies

• Water Heating
• Insulate hot water pipes that run through cold
  areas.
• Set water heater to 120 Deg. F.
• Fix leaky faucets or toilet tanks. A small leak
  can waste as much as 3,280 gallons of water per
  year!
• Avoid long showers and full bathtubs.
• Install controlled-flow showerheads.
• Run garbage disposal with cold water.
• Washer Dryer
• Wash and dry full loads.
• Use cold water rinse when possible.
• Clean dryer lint screen after every load.
• Vent dryer to outside.
• Use automatic cycle on dryer if possible.

7
Connexus Energy

• Hypothesis
• Residents of Elk River will be able reduce their
  electrical consumption X via energy
  education/awareness and conservation
  technologies.
• Energy Conservation Tools
• Each participant will be given 6 - Compact
  Fluorescent Lamps (CFL) to be installed in areas
  of their home with the highest hours of lighting
  use.
• Energy Education
• Energy Audit
• Each participant will be asked a series of
  questions from the Electric Usage Audit
  Appendix I. The audit will estimate the
  electrical consumption of household appliances
  and HVAC equipment.

8
Monthly Usage Trending

• Each participant will receive a monthly graphic
  similar to the graph below that compares their
  current year monthly usage to the prior 3 years.
  They will also receive a monthly benchmark
  quantifying the percentage of usage in comparison
  to the baseline.
• See next slide

9
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10
Kill A Watt Meter

• Each Participant will be loaned a Kill A Watt EZ
  meter for month to quantify the usage of 120V
  plug-in devices.
• Home gt Products gt Home Electronics gt P4460 Kill A
  Watt EZ  Empowers you to save 100's on electric
  bills!  Now you can cut your energy costs and
  find out what appliances are actually worth
  keeping plugged in. Simply connect these
  appliances to the Kill A WattEZ, and it will
  assess how efficient they really are. Large LCD
  display will count consumption by the
  Killowatt-hour, same as your local utility. Shows
  the operating costs of your household
  appliancesAccurate within 98Large LCD
  DisplayCalculates cost and forecasts by week,
  month and yearBuilt-in battery backupDisplays
  eight critical units of measureSpecificationsMode
  lP4460Operating Voltage115 VACMax Voltage125
  VACMax Current15AMax Power1875 VAWeight5
  oz.Dimensions5 1/8"H x 2 1/2"W x 1
  1/2"DSpecifications subject to change without
  notice.  

11
Kill A Watt Meter
12
Conclusion

• Monthly metered data will be compared to the
  monthly baseline data to quantify the reduction
  in electrical usage. Baseline usage will be
  based on the prior 3-years of usage.

13
Elk River Municipal Utilities

• Main concern for ERMU is water conservation in
  addition to energy conservation

14
Average Elk River resident uses 73 gallons of
water/ day
These graphs are similar To other communities
15
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16
Water Appliance Home Audit

• ______ Well or _________ Municipal Water
  Supply
• Water Softener _______ High Efficiency?
• Water Heater Electric ________, Gas
  _________, In Line ______
• Humidifier in Furnace _______
  Portable humidifier ___________
• ______ Number of outside faucets.
• Underground sprinkler system ________?, Number of
  Zones _______?
• Verify location and type of backflow preventer if
  U.G. sprinkler system is present.
• _____ Number of dishwashers? High effiency
• Water dispenser in refrigerator __________ Ice
  dispenser in refrigerator _____________
• _______ Number of kitchen sinks
• _______ Number of bar sinks
• _______ Number of bathroom sinks
• ________ Number of laundry tubs
• _______ Number of showers. Do they have low
  flow shower heads? (1.5 GPM)
• _______ Number of bathtubs _______
  Number of Jacuzzis
• _ ______ Number of toilets Low flow
  low capacity.
• Wash machine ________ High efficiency
• Hot Tub. ________ How many gallons?
• Water garden or lawn fountain ___________

17
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18
Water Conservation Strategies

• 1. Public Education
• 2. Wellhead Protection Conservation Emergency
• Plans Approved by the DNR
• 3. Water Restrictions or Watering Bans
• 4. Low Flow Plumbing Fixtures
• 5. Rain Sensors for Irrigation Systems
• 6. Black Dirt Policy Better Landscaping
• 7. Inclining Block Water Rate Design
• 1.35/ 1000 gal to 3.25/ 1000 gal
• 8. Use eco-grass, a more drought tolerant grass
  cover

19
Solid Waste Reduction

• Lifestyle trends heavily influence the type and
  amount of waste a person/family generates.
• To reduce the solid waste stream of a household,
  an audit of waste produced must occur first.
• Once the waste stream is identified, options for
  reduction will be addressed with the residents.

20
Solid Waste Information

• The average person in the United States generates
  4.5 pounds of garbage per day
• An average of 1,400 lbs. of waste 1 cubic yard
  of landfill space
• 4.5 lbs/day x 365 days 1,642.5 lbs/person/year
• (1.17 cubic yards of waste/ year/person)

21
Transportation

• Energy/Resource Saving Tips
• What we can do now, the big 3
• Drive Less
• Drive Easier
• Drive Maintained
• Vehicle maintenance tips for efficiency.
• What can we do tomorrow?
• Mass Transit
• Personal Transit
• Hyper-miles
• Hybrids
• Plug-in Hybrids
• Electric Vehicles
• Fuel Cells
• Resources