Transcript How to lower the energy use of your home David Parker Building Analyst/ Energy Auditor Parker Energy Solutions.

How to lower the energy
use of your home
David Parker
Building Analyst/ Energy Auditor
Parker Energy Solutions
Topics to be covered
Energy use statistics & standards
Home energy saving opportunities
Home Energy Auditing
Auditor Certification
Saving
energy
by
conservation,
efficiency, Renewable generation
Energy use statistics &
standards
What is energy?
What is power?
Units of energy & power.
Energy Basics
Energy is the ability to do work
There are different forms of energy:
Heat (thermal)
Light (radiant)
Motion (kinetic)
Electrical
Chemical
Nuclear energy
Gravitational
Energy Units
BTU stands for British Thermal Unit,
which is a unit of energy consumed by
or delivered to a building. A BTU is
defined as the amount of energy
required to raise the temperature of 1
pound of water by 1 degree Fahrenheit,
at normal atmospheric pressure.
1 wooden match = 1 BTU
Energy conversion factors
1
1
1
1
1
kilowatt-hour(KWH)= 3412 BTU
therm of natural gas=100000 BTU
gallon of propane= 91300 BTU
cu. ft of natural gas= 1027 BTU
gallon of #2 fuel oil= 138700 BTU
Power defined
Power is the time
done or energy is
Units of power:
1 horsepower=
1 kilowatt=
1 watt =
1 watt=
rate at which work is
transferred.
760 watts
1000 watts
1 joule/second
3.412 btu/hr
Power examples
A 100000 BTU/hr propane furnace
consumes a little more than 1 gallon of
propane/hr.
A 100000 BTU/hr natural gas furnace
consumes about 100 cubic ft of natural
gas/hr.
Total US Energy Use by sector
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Source: U.S. Energy Information
Administration Annual Energy Review 2009
What are the top three things one
can do to personally reduce his/her
carbon emissions?
1. Drive a more fuel-efficient car
2. Insulate/weatherize your home
3. Eat less beef
How much energy do we use in our homes?
(What is our Energy Use Intensity)?
Site Energy Use Intensity
 A measure of
the energy
efficiency of
a building
 Units of
kbtu/ft^2/yr
40
37
35
30
Western US(2005)
25
My Home
25
20
15
15
10
15
13.3
Architecture 2030
Challenge target(60% )
Denmark new home
standard
Germany Passivehaus
standard
5
0
1
Source: Energy Information Administration,
Residential Energy Consumption Survey 2005
How do we use energy in our homes?
Residential Energy End Use (2006)
Adjust*
6%
Other
10%
Cooking
5%
Space Heating
26%
Refrig
7%
Electronics
9%
Lighting
12%
Space Cooling
13%
Water Heating
12%
Source: DOE, 2009 Buildings Energy databook
Home energy saving
opportunities
1.
2.
3.
4.
Whole house air leakage/infiltration
Air duct leakage
Insulation
Other common opportunities
Whole house air leakage
• Measured with
a blower door
• Any leakage
reduces the
efficiency of
your
heating/cooling
system
Diagram courtesy of D.O.E. Energysavers booklet
Whole house air leakage (2)
Source: Retrotec Door Fan Manual 2009
Air duct leakage
Photo courtesy of DOE energysavers booklet
Air duct leakage(2)
The average forced
air distribution
system in California
leaks about 30%
Sealing a system to
5% leakage will
reduce system
energy consumption
by 19%
Source: PG&E (Proper procedures for charging A/C or heat pumps)
Insulation
Insulation Opportunities
1. Inadequate insulation in
ceiling,subfloor, and walls
2. Poor installation:gaps between batts
and floor/roof joists
3. Missing/not coincident with
pressure/air barrier (typical
troublespots are showers/tubs and
bay windows.
Quality insulation installation
Source:DOE Building America 10.D.2 Redding Prototype House
Progress Report 2006
Other common opportunities
Inadequate duct insulation
Low air handler airflow
Furnace/AC over-sized
Ducts not sized correctly for room loads
Home Energy Auditing
What is an energy audit?
An energy audit or assessment is a service
where the energy efficiency of a house is
evaluated by a person using professional
equipment (such as blower doors, duct
testers, and combustion analyzers), with the
aim to suggest the best ways to improve
energy efficiency in heating and cooling the
house. The audit also identifies any health,
safety, or comfort issues.
Home Energy Auditing (2)
 The product of an audit
is a report that gives
recommendations on
specific energy
efficiency
improvements. The
report may also
“benchmark” your home
or compare your home
to similar homes in your
region.
Home energy cost
comparison
$5,000
$4,347
$4,000
$3,421
$3,000
$2,000
$1,000
$0
Your Home's
energy cost
Typical Home
Home Energy Auditing (3)
Feature
Recommendation P rojected
Annual Savings
Estimated Cost
Duct Sealing
Seal ducts in
attic/crawlspace
Repair/ Replace
insulation
Insulate all areas
missing
insulation
Replace due to
age
Install exhaust
fans and ducts
for all three
bathrooms
$150
$300
Simple
P ayback
(Years)
2
$50
$150
3
$100
$200
2
$250
$2500
10
---
$700
---
$355 *
$3850
Floor insulation
Attic/ceiling
insulation
P ropane
furnace-attic
Indoor Air
Quality
Totals
*Total annual savings do not add directly since each savings estimate
assumes that all other features remain the same.
Auditor Certification
RESNET HERS raters certification
BPI Building Analyst certification
HERS Raters are trained to do both home
energy audits and home energy ratings. BPI
Building Analysts have more training (and
required tests) with combustion appliances
and measurements of the combustion
appliance zone.
Saving energy by
conservation, efficiency,
Renewable generation
The cheapest kwH is the one you don’t use.
Real time energy monitoring can help people
conserve energy use.
Energy efficiency improvements are the next
priority
On site renewable energy generation should
be examined after the above methods are
explored.
Summary
What we covered:
Energy use statistics & standards
Home energy saving opportunities
Home Energy Auditing
Auditor Certification
Saving energy by conservation,
efficiency, Renewable generation
Questions?