Residential Home Efficiency Upgrades
Residents can help cities achieve carbon-footprint reduction goals by
increasing the energy efficiency of their homes. New and replacement
electrical appliances are prime targets for efficiency upgrades. A
number of community-owned public utilities and some investor owned
utilities offer appliance rebates to help residents choose energy
efficiency. The easy targets for rebates are lighting, refrigerators
and water heaters. Other electrical and water-conservation targets
include clothes washers and dishwashers. In some cases, special
utilities create special opportunities for rebates and incentives.
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CASE STUDY:
Anita,
IA |
Anita Municipal
Utilities (AMU) is the non-profit redistribution utility in
Anita, IA (pop. about 1,200). Wholesale power is purchased from
a combination of sources and provided to the town. Power is
purchased at an “interruptible” rate meaning that AMU must stop
taking power if loads go high enough to cause problems to their
supplier. There is a built-in practical incentive for energy
efficiency. The city offers rebates to install or retrofit
efficient space-heating equipment (when replacing gas or
propane) at $10/kW saved (up to $250).
There is a $50 rebate for efficient electric water heaters.
They also offer rebates up to $450 on air-to-air, ground-loop
and water source systems. Grants are available for geothermal
heat pump systems of $500.
AMU encourages
customers to voluntarily contribute to a "Green Energy" program
that enables the utility to burn B2 soy diesel (a mix of 2% soy
diesel made in Iowa
with 98% diesel). Customer contributions offset the $0.02/gal
difference in
cost compared to normal diesel.
Each $1.50 contributed to the program would convert about 1,000
KwH to "Green Energy" which is blended in to the electrical
energy provided by AMU. Customers are encouraged to commit to
$1.50, $3, or $5 per month added to their bills for a 12-month
minimum.
CONTACT
Anita Municipal Utilities
(712) 762-3845
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CASE STUDY:
Osage, IA
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Osage Municipal
Utilities (Osage, IA pop. 3,600) operates an efficiency
incentive program that has saved residents about $1.2 million
per year in their utility bills (for a total cost to the utility
of about $250,000). The program uses a range of giveaway
programs, rebates and energy audits to promote energy efficiency
among its customers.
Services
offered include, among other things, free compact fluorescent
bulb giveaways and rebates, energy audits, electrical system
scans to identify line-loss, free use of electrical tester
meters to
locate inefficient appliances, complete energy audits and
interest buy-downs for efficiency projects. When it began in
1974, the voluntary program was saving residents over $1 million
each year. The program cut energy prices to half that of the
state average, and unemployment to half that of the national
average, as the lower bills enticed more factories to come to
town. The extensive efficiency measures taken in this small
town have reduced its natural gas consumption by 45% and its
annual growth in electricity demand by half, from 6% to 3%. The
950 compact fluorescent bulbs in use will prevent the burning of
nearly 200 tons of coal, and every year the compact fluorescent
bulbs will reduce annual pollution by nearly 1,000 tons of
carbon dioxide (CO2) and 13 tons of sulfur dioxide (SO2).
CONTACT
Dennis M. Fannin
Osage Municipal Utilities
P.O. Box 207
720 Chestnut Street
Osage, IA 50461
(515) 732-3731
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CASE STUDY:
Wakefield, MA
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The Wakefield
Municipal Gas and Light Department (Wakefield,
Massachusetts, pop. 25,000), in cooperation with the
Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale
Electric Company
offers rebates on ENERGY STAR® labeled
appliances. Rebates are available on programmable thermostats
($20), clothes washers ($50), dishwashers ($50) and water
heaters ($100).
CONTACT
(888) 333-7525 or
(888) 335-7203
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CASE STUDY:
Palo Alto, CA
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The mid-sized city of Palo Alto, California (pop. about 60,000) offers an extensive rebate program on many appliances including dishwashers, refrigerators,
gas furnaces, central air conditioning, boilers, attic/roof and
wall insulation, pool pumps and water heaters. Rebate examples
range from $50 for a dishwasher, $200 for pool pumps and up to
$300 for thorough insulation, $250 for tank-less or very
efficient standard tank water heaters. They have also partnered
with the Santa Clara Valley Water District (SCVWD) to offer up
to $150 rebates on
clothes washers and currently developing an appliance recycling
rebate.
CONTACT
Utility Marketing
Services
(650) 329-2241
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CASE STUDY:
Seattle,
WA
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Seattle City
Light, Seattle, Washington’s
municipal electric utility offers numerous rebates to encourage
efficiency. For example, residents can get a $20 instant rebate
on more efficient light fixtures (purchased from certain stores)
and up to $100 on a clothes washer.
The utility
also offers a free Home Resource Profile, which is a detailed,
customized report that shows you how your household uses energy,
water and solid waste.
CONTACT
Residential &
Small Business
(206)
684-3800
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There are a range of
challenges for residents seeking to use renewable energy in their homes,
including siting restrictions, lack of understanding of the technology,
and long payback periods. Municipalities can shape regulation and
provide incentives to assist residents in overcoming these hurdles.
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CASE STUDY:
Sacramento, CA
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The
Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD)
offers rebates and loan financing for solar hot water system
installation (city pop. about 400,000). Rebates of $1,500 per
solar water heating system are available for SMUD residential
customers who replace their electric water heating system. In
addition, SMUD offers 100% loan financing to cover the remaining
costs, with a ten-year repayment period. SMUD provides all the
funding for these incentives, and free
maintenance inspections after five years and again after 10
years.
SMUD also
currently offers an incentive of $2.80 per watt-AC up to $14,000
to residential customers who contract directly with SMUD
approved contractors for the purchase and installation of
grid-connected solar electric (PV) systems. The incentive will
be paid to the approved PV contractor and is intended be
reflected in the contractor’s bid to the customer.
Both traditional PV modules and building-integrated PV "roof
shingles" are available under the program.
CONTACT
Mike Zannakis
Sacramento Municipal Utility District
(916)
732-6994
(888)
742-7683
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CASE STUDY:
Mahonoy Township, PA
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Working with
Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund (CELDF) the community
of Mahoney Township, Pennsylvania, has been the first city in
the state to introduce an ordinance to prohibit unsustainable
energy production within the township, mandate a transition to
sustainable energy systems within
the township, provide for the "enforcement of the ordinance and
the rights of residents and nature" and provide for financial
assistance for the conversion to sustainable energy systems.
The township plans to finance the plan with a general revenue
bond. As of October 2006, the Bill is awaiting
passage.
CONTACT
Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund
675 Mower Road
Chambersburg, PA 17201
(717) 709-0457
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CASE STUDY:
Boulder, CO
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The city of
Boulder, CO (pop. about 90,000) enacted an ordinance in 1991 to
protect the use of solar energy.
The ordinance guarantees access to sunlight for homeowners and
renters in the
city. This is done by setting limits on the amount of permitted
shading by new construction and requiring that new buildings be
sited to provide good solar access.
CONTACT
City of
Boulder Building
Services Center
(303) 441-1880
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CASE STUDY:
Palo Alto, CA
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The city of
Palo Alto Utilities
offers cash rebates to residents and businesses on the
installation of new photovoltaic (PV) systems. Residents are
eligible for a rebate of $3 per watt-AC up to a $9,000 maximum
for a 3 kilowatt system. Commercial customers are eligible for
a rebate of $2 per Watt-AC up to $50,000 maximum for a 25
kilowatt system. Nonprofit and institutional customers who are
not eligible for federal tax
credits are eligible for a $3 per watt rebate up to a $30,000
maximum for a 10 kilowatt system.
The Southern
California Gas Company offers a similar rebate program for
solar, but also extends rebates to other renewable and
non-renewable alternative energies. The PV rebate is $2.80/ W
(30kW minimum). They also offer rebates on wind turbines ($1.50/W),
renewable and non-renewable fuel cells ($2.50-$4.50/W), and
waste gas generators and turbines ($0.60-$0.80/W).
CONTACT
City
of Palo Alto
Customer Service Center
(650)
329-2161
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CASE STUDY:
El Centro, CA
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Through the PV
Solutions Rebate Program, Imperial Irrigation District
(El Centro, CA) provides rebates to residential and commercial
customers who install grid-tied PV systems.
The rebate is $2.80 per Watt-AC, up to a maximum of $28,000 for
residential systems and a maximum of $84,000 for commercial
systems.
CONTACT
IID Public Programs Office—Imperial Valley
Imperial
Irrigation District
(760) 339-9032
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CASE STUDY:
Aspen,
CO
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The Community
Office for Resource Efficiency (CORE) in Aspen and the Roaring
Fork Valley area of Colorado offers a similar set of
incentives—grid-tied PV power buyback, and zero-interest loan
financing.
Residents who purchase a solar
PV system receive a cash rebate from CORE based on the number of watts they install. CORE will give $2.00 per
watt installed by a certified installer and tied into the
electric grid. This rebate is up to $6,000. Residents may also
finance that PV system with a Zero-Interest Loan. (The Loan OR
the Rebate program are available but not both for the same
project).
Purchases of a solar hot water system are
eligible for cash rebates also— $1,000, $1,500, and $2,000 for a
2-3 panel, 4-5 panel, or 6 or more panel system, respectively.
CONTACT
Gary Goodson
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CASE STUDY:
State of Minnesota
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Along with a
30% federal tax credit and a state sales tax exemption for solar
energy systems, Minnesota excludes from (real estate) property
taxation the value added by solar-electric PV systems. However,
the land on which a PV or wind system is located is taxable. In
addition, all real and personal
property of wind-energy systems is exempt from the state's
property tax.
The state also has a retail tax emption when purchasing PV
systems. An analysis has not been conducted to determine the
money saved or number of PV systems installed.
CONTACT
Lise Trudeau
Energy Information Center
Minnesota Department of Commerce, Energy Division
(651) 296-5175
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Programs to help
homeowners weatherize their homes can help a city reduce its carbon
footprint. This is particularly true of low to middle income
homeowners, who are otherwise unlikely to participate. Numerous public
utilities, and non-profit organizations, offer services that come into
the home to help residents assess energy inefficiencies and remedy
them. Also, in many cases there is state and federal funding
administered by municipalities to cover the costs of adding insulation
and increasing efficiency when repairing or remodeling a home.
A 2002 report on
weatherization programs,
Meeting the Challenge: The Prospect of Achieving 30% Energy Savings
Through The Weatherization Assistance Program,
by the DOE, surveyed four cities, one
from the Northeast (Schenectedy, NY), Midwest (Moline, IL), South
(Birmingham, AL), and West (Eureka, CA).
The report states that
“high-energy use” homes in colder climates can achieve savings over 30%,
and in warmer climates savings of about 25%. Annual savings of
approximately $370 to $410 are estimated for high-energy-use houses in
the warmer climate regions.
The report’s extensive data and assessments are a valuable resource for
communities seeking to design successful programs. The level of energy
savings achieved obviously depends on the extent of the weatherization
undertaken, both in terms of cost, and which measures will be effective
in each climate. Thus regional considerations are important when
deciding on which steps to take.
For example, the report shows that a
$2,400 weatherization package can enable a “typical” home in the Midwest
to achieve energy savings of about 20% and CO2 reductions of about 20%.
A “high-energy use” house can achieve greater savings (about 22%) and
CO2 reductions (22%). An “expanded” package achieves even greater
gains. Weatherization measures
resulting in relatively high savings for most of the houses studied are
air sealing, installing attic and wall insulation, replacing an old
refrigerator with a high-efficiency unit, resetting the temperature on
an existing water heater, and installing a programmable thermostat on
the central heating system.
Refrigerator replacement is particularly
effective at reducing electricity consumption, and delivering
fuel bill savings, and CO2 reductions).
Data reported by DOE in 1997
shows positive results for surveys from 1989 and 1996 and increased
benefits over the years. The “installation benefit/cost ratio,”
reported at 2.39 (up from 1.58 in 1989), verifies the effectiveness of
the programs. These increased benefits will be amplified given current
energy costs. In fact, by 1996 a savings of 33% was demonstrated for
gas space heat consumption. At that time, the household savings were
almost $200/year, and compared with the data reported in 2002 above,
savings are still on the rise.
Another report, from
the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy written in 1997,
discusses city, state and utility policy instruments for achieving
energy efficiency in existing homes and rentals, and outlines case
studies on Residential Energy Conservation Ordinances (RECO's) and Home
Energy Ratings Systems (HERS).
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CASE STUDY:
Moose Jaw, Canada
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In late 2005,
volunteers in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, organized Share the
Warmth Home Energy Efficiency Program to help low-income
families get ready for winter. Community volunteers and
students from the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and
Technology helped 100 low-income families. Students applied
techniques and concepts learned in the classroom. The free
improvements—valued at more than $200 plus
installation for each home—include preparing windows and doors
for winter, replacing furnace filters, installing a working
smoke detector, putting in low-flow shower heads and faucets,
installing compact florescent lights and installing an ENERGY
STAR ® programmable thermostat.
The program is set to happen again in 2006, with 500 homes to be
chosen. Anyone can apply, but preference is
to be given to homes with annual incomes of $45,000CN or less.
The average savings for each home is reported at about $150 a
year on energy and water bills.
CONTACT
Manager,
Communications
Dave Burdeniuk
SaskEnergy
(306) 777-9842
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CASE STUDY:
Seattle,
WA
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The city of
Seattle offers a free weatherization assessment and remedy program
to qualifying homeowners as part of their HomeWise loan
program. The program can weatherize low-income single family
homes and in some cases apartment buildings. A "property
rehabilitation specialist" comes to the home and recommends a
conservation package that fits the needs of
that home. Services provided include: attic and crawlspace
insulation, pipe wrapping, weatherstripping doors, caulking
windows and using high-efficiency lighting in common areas.
The cities of Berkeley, California, and Boulder, Colorado, have
similar programs.
In Boulder, volunteers go door to door to offer residents
a free efficient light bulb, and information on how to get their
houses audited.
CONTACT Seattle
(206) 684-0721
CONTACT Berkeley
(510)
981-5434
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CASE STUDY:
Dearborn,
MI
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In Dearborn,
Michigan
low-income home owners and renters are eligible to apply for
Weatherization Program (WX) assistance through the
Wayne-Metropolitan Community Action Agency (WMCAA). Examples of
eligible work include sidewall insulation, weather-stripping
doors and windows, broken glass repair, furnace
inspection and tune-up, caulking doors and windows, attic
insulation and ventilation, crawl space insulation and box sill
insulation.
A pre-inspection and blower door test will determine the
specific measures to be installed by private contractors.
CONTACT
Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency
(734) 246-2280
City Of Dearborn
Economic and Community Development Department
(313) 943-2180
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CASE STUDY:
Portland,
OR
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The city of
Portland offers a
loan program through the Portland Development Commission (PDC)
for home improvements including energy efficiency upgrades. The
loans are up to $20,000 with low-interest and deferred-payment
and are available for income-qualified homeowners. The
Community Action Program (CAP)
is a county-level program for lower-income weatherization
assistance. Each county administers a CAP to offer free
weatherization services to low-income households. Both
single-family homes and multi-unit complexes may be eligible.
Priority is given to households with young children, senior
citizens and people with disabilities.
The Portland
Office of Sustainable Development also provides free assistance
to property owners (of multifamily units) to achieve energy
efficiency and financial savings through weatherization. Their
customer service specialists educate the multifamily community
about energy efficiency and help
property owners and managers apply for valuable incentives from
the Energy Trust of Oregon, Inc. and the Oregon Department of
Energy. Through innovative public-private
collaboration, the Office of Sustainable Development Multifamily
Energy Assistance Program promotes and administers the
Multifamily Home Energy Savings program for Energy
Trust of Oregon.
The Multifamily Home Energy Savings program provides property
owners with cash
incentives for purchasing and installing energy
efficient weatherization measures, such as new energy efficient
windows; ceiling, floor and wall insulation, low-flow
showerheads and more. They also assist property owners in
applying for Business Energy Tax Credits from the Oregon
Department of Energy.
CONTACT
Neil Fitzgerald
PDC
222 NW Fifth
Ave.
Portland, OR
97209-3859
(503) 823-3200
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Energy efficiency in
rental homes is neglected by many parties on both sides of the
owner/renter relationship since neither party has an economic incentives
to make energy-efficient improvements. In most cases, rental home
owners are not the ones who pay for utilities, this falls to the
renters. However, the renters generally get no payback for capital
improvements to the home they are renting for relatively short periods.
Owners of rental property get federal tax write-offs for repairs
made to a rental property, but not for improvements (the opposite
is true of an owner-occupied home). Businesses and commercial real
estate may benefit from local tax incentives, but local (city) taxes
usually do not affect the rental homeowner significantly, making city
tax incentives less attractive to that group. Thus both groups are
lacking in incentives to make improvements to the home that increase
energy efficiency.
Several interesting
projects are attempting to address this problem. They range from
business tax incentives, to performance contracting, time-of-sale
efficiency standards ordinances, rebate programs and rental efficiency
ratings. Also, in many larger cities a public housing authority may be
the largest landlord in town. This offers an opportunity for the
central municipal government to make changes to a large number of rental
properties directly.
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CASE STUDY:
State of Maine
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A Maine program
requires landlords to fill out an “Energy
Efficiency Disclosure Form”
that lists components, such as insulation or heating fuel types,
in rental properties relevant to the amount of energy that the
property is likely to use.
Landlords must submit such a form for each of their rental
properties. They are not required to meet any standards.
However, the energy efficiency standards provide guidance to
improve the efficiency of rental properties.
CONTACT
Efficiency Maine
(866) 376-2463
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CASE STUDY:
State of Vermont
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Performance
contracting is one approach to the problem of split incentives
in rental homes. Financial risk for the energy efficiency
improvements is assumed by an energy services company, whose
payback comes from the recipient of the improvements, out of his
or her energy savings. The Vermont Energy Investment
Corporation (VEIC)
provides financing, technical expertise, reliable information
and direct installation of energy efficiency measures. They
have a partnership with Vermont Housing Finance Agency.
VEIC operates
an energy services company (ESCO) that has long-term
relationships with building owners to implement energy
efficiency measures. This works as an energy services
company, through performance contracting. VEIC
assumes the financial risk for projects and is paid out of the
energy cost savings. Basically, the ESCO sells efficiency and
clients pay for the ESCO's improvements out of the lowered
energy bills. The client's payments to ESCO are based on a
percentage of the measured energy cost savings.
This program
uses creative financing through the Vermont Housing Finance
Agency. In the 80s and 90s, this agency launched programs to
help owners of subsidized multi-family housing boost the energy
efficiency of their buildings. This worked by setting aside
"project cost escrow funds" at the time of the original
financing that were held for 7-10 years to be used for necessary
repairs and improvements. The catch is that at the time of
spending the money, an energy audit is required; and if energy
efficiency improvements are identified, the owners are
encouraged to make those repairs using the money out of the
energy savings.
The
split-incentive created in a rental unit is further addressed in
Burlington through a time-of-sale ordinance requiring minimum
energy efficiency standard be met at each sale of the property
(RECOs, or residential energy conservation ordinances). At the
time of sale an energy audit must be performed and the buyer or
seller may bring the property into compliance. If it is the
buyer, he or she has one year to bring the property into
compliance. The Burlington
Electric Utility administers the ordinance and also consults on
financing, technical assistance and how to go beyond the minimum
requirements. This is being phased in over time (only covering
a portion of the city of Burlington in 2006) and will be phased
in to all of Burlington in 2 years following a report to the city council.
Most tenants in
the region move after one year in each residence, with over half
citing high energy costs as a reason for the move. With
increased efficiency (mandated by the ordinance) tenants may
stay longer. Improvement costs may be passed on through higher
rents, but these should be offset by lower utility bills (which
in a way takes advantage of the split-incentive). This leads
nicely to the next incentive, making energy efficiency
transparent to the renter.
CONTACT
Vermont Energy
Investment Corporation
255 South
Champlain Street
Burlington, VT
05401-4717
(802) 658-6060
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CASE STUDY:
Allegheny, PA
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The idea behind
the Allegheny College project
is to make energy efficiency visible to the renter/consumer.
Beginning in 1998, The Commonwealth Community Energy Project,
formerly The Meadville Community Energy Project,
developed a local Home Energy Ratings System. One of the first
goals of the program was to evaluate the energy usage of Meadville’s many rental properties. Data on houses’
insulation
levels, air leakage,heating system efficiency and other property
features was collected and then used to determine a rating.
Energy audits leading to an efficiency rating allow the
prospectiverenter to shop for a rental with the best total
cost—rent and utilities. The landlords were given
suggestions on how they increase efficiency in their properties
and their costs, as well as a low-interest loan program for making the
improvements. An education system was designed for renters to
explain what the ratings mean and simple things they can do to
save energy. The program estimated that changes in the 50
properties rated over the past four years have resulted in a
savings of $30,000 annually.
CONTACT
Mike Maniates
(814) 332-2986
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CASE STUDY:
Lake Champlain, VT
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If renters in
the Lake Champlain
Valley region of Vermont qualify (low-income), the Champlain
Valley Weatherization Service (CVWS) will pay for weatherization
to the rental home. It ends up at little or no
cost to the
owner. It is part of the Champlain Valley Office of Economic
Opportunity, which is "funded through a variety of grants,
service contracts and donations."
CONTACT
Production
Coordinator
Doug Williams
Champlain Valley Weatherization Service
802-524-6804
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CASE STUDY:
State of New York
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The Assisted
Multifamily Program (AMP) provides a range of incentives to
owners of publicly assisted, multifamily buildings in New York
State to pay for energy efficiency improvements. Services
include energy
assessments, financing to complete the improvements,
coordination with housing authorities, contractor oversight, and
3 years of energy monitoring afterward.
CONTACT
Cary Hirschstein
Hamilton,
Rabinovitz & Alschuler, Inc
(212) 977-5597 Ext.237
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CASE STUDY:
San Diego, CA
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San Diego Gas
and Electric Multi-family rebate is a program designed to
mitigate the split incentive by going directly to the
owner/manager. Incentives are offered to the
owner/manager directly to upgrade equipment; it offsets the
incremental cost of purchasing this equipment.
CONTACT
Ila Homsher
Pacific Gas and
Electric Energy Efficiency Program
Statewide
Multi-family Rebates
(415) 973-3288
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Some communities
face issues with residents building large square-footage homes. In
resorts especially, these trophy homes see little use, and yet remain
heated and cooled
year-round. Add such amenities as heated driveways (which can double a
home's energy use), outdoor pools and hot tubs, and the community’s
carbon footprint can soar. Even good enforcement of energy efficiency
codes may lose out to the sheer size of the energy needs of such large
spaces, and luxurious amenities. Large houses, defined as being in excess
of 5,000square feet, create environmental and social impacts. They
require more resources to build and more energy to operate. They impact
view sheds and wildlife habitats. Large, widely dispersed houses
increase costs to existing taxpayers in services as well. Ordinance
tactics in use include energy mitigation programs and size caps on home
construction.
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CASE STUDY:
Aspen, CO (Pitkin County)
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In 2000, Aspen
and Pitkin County established the Renewable Energy Mitigation
Program (REMP)
as a way of promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency.
Pitkin County
and the city of Aspen building codes require new homes to meet a
strict energy "budget."
The code regulates the amount of grid-tied energy used for big
energy consumption in the community: melting snow, spas,
swimming pools and houses over 5,000 and 10,000 square feet.
The energy for these uses must fit within a prescribed energy
budget, or 50% of this energy can be supplied by on-site
renewable energy systems. Under the Energy Code, the REMP
allows for the payment of a mitigation fee instead of installing on-site renewable energy systems. In addition,
houses over 5,000 square feet are required to install a
renewable energy system on site or pay a fee of $5,000. The fee
for houses over 10,000 square feet is $10,000.
The Community Office for Resource Efficiency (CORE) manages
the REMP funds with oversight from others.
REMP Fees support an incentive program that leverages
private investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency.
Portions of the fees also provide funds for renewable energy and
energy efficiency technologies in public buildings and
affordable housing. All projects are subject to approval by the city of Aspen and
Pitkin County. In its first 2 years, the fund accumulated
approximately $1.5 million, ten times the expectation, and by
March 2006 had collected about $5.1 million.
In 2006 Pitkin County
passed a further code restricting the size of homes built
there. A 15,000 sq. ft cap on homes is now in effect, with a
limit on urban homes to 5,750 sq. ft. Several loopholes in the
previous code were also removed.
CONTACT
Environmental
Health Department
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CASE STUDY:
Marin County, CA
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Marin County,
California passed a similar ordinance in October 2002. The
goals of Ordinance 3356
are to reduce the annual and peak energy consumption of large
homes, and to ensure that a new single family home larger than
3,500 square feet does not
exceed the
energy use of the Title 24 standard of the equivalent home
designed at 3,500 sq. ft. This can be achieved with readily
available energy efficiency measures and/or by supplementing
energy use with renewable energy.
CONTACT
Alec Hoffmann
BEST program
Coordinator
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Energy use
fluctuates throughout the day by hour, and by day of the week.
Wholesale energy prices usually vary according to peak demand cycles.
Allowing consumers to easily see how much energy they are using, and
what the real-time prices are enables residents to vary their energy use
according to demand cycles and fluctuations in price. Doing this lowers
energy use, cuts consumer bills and dampens price fluctuations.
So-called
"smart-meters" provide a feedback loop between customers and suppliers
to regulate usage according to price signals. The aim of smart-metering
is to change consumers' behavior as they become aware of how they use
energy and what this is costing them.
Currently, consumers purchase energy for their homes unaware of the unit
costs at the time of use. Most consumers can only find out the cost (on
their bill), long after they could have changed their consumption
patterns. Smart metering would alert consumers to peak and off-peak
prices at the time they are happening, allowing them to help the utility
reduce peak
demand. In some cases, appliances are also programmed by the consumer
to shut off according to utility system load and price signals. Many
states are leading the way by recommending the development and dispersal
of smart meters and removing any barriers that have previously existed.
In early 2006,
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory began testing the Pacific
Northwest GridWiseTM Demonstration project, a regional
initiative to test and speed adoption of new smart grid technologies to
make the power grid more resilient and efficient. About 300 volunteers
in Washington's Olympic Peninsula, in Yakima and Gresham, Oregon are
testing the system for a year. Approximately 200 homes will receive
real-time price information through a broadband Internet connection.
Automated equipment will adjust energy use based on price. In addition,
some customers will have computer chips embedded in their dryers and
water heaters that can sense when the power transmission system is under
stress and automatically turn off certain functions briefly until the
grid can be stabilized by power operators. The year-long study is
part of the Pacific
Northwest GridWise Demonstration, a project funded primarily by DOE.
Northwest utilities, appliance manufacturers and technology companies
are supporting this effort to demonstrate the devices and assess the
resulting consumer response. In the pricing study, automated controls
will adjust appliances and thermostats based on predetermined
instructions from homeowners. The volunteers can choose to curtail or
reduce energy use when prices are higher. At any point, homeowners have
the ability to override even their preprogrammed preferences to achieve
maximum comfort and convenience. If homeowners choose to reduce
electric consumption at times of higher prices, the banked money they
save becomes real as they are issued a check from the GridWise program
each quarter. Price conscious participants are expected to earn about
$150 during the year. Nobody will lose money during the experiment, but
higher prices for peak usage could become a feature in the future.
A PNNL study shows that creating a
smarter grid through information technology could save $80 billion over
20 years nationally by offsetting costs of building new electric
infrastructure – the generators, transmission lines and substations that
will be required to meet estimated load growth.
It would also save significant carbon emissions.
Habitat for
Humanity partners with the
Department of Energy to build energy efficient homes and improve
existing homes.
www.nrel.gov/docs/fy05osti/38116.pdf
Habitat for
Humanity also has a program
called “Better Built Program”, which provides contacts, materials
and resources for local Habitat affiliates who seek help in building
more sustainable houses
www.habitat.org/env/better_built.aspx
Energy Efficient
Home Article Resource Directory
Database of articles on energy efficient homes. Provides practical and
clear information for the homeowner.
www.energyefficienthomearticles.com/
“Creating a High Performance Workspace”
G/Rated Tenant Improvement Plan,
2004. This guide has been created by the City of Portland and the City
of Beaverton Solid Waste & Recycling Program to support and promote
healthy, productive, durable, resource- and energy efficient
workspaces. This is a good resource for commercial building owners,
because it details the action strategies for the project manager, design
and construction team to build an efficient and healthy workspace.
www.portlandonline.com/osd/index.cfm?c=41816&a=111233
ENERGY STARÒ
Change a Light Change a World Campaign
The ENERGY STARÒ
Change a Light, Change the World Campaign is a national call-to-action
to encourage individuals to help change the world, one light—one
energy-saving step—at a time. Individuals who already pledged in 2005
will help save more than $2 million in energy costs and prevent more
than 33 million pounds of greenhouse gas emissions. The Environmental
Protection Agency, Department of Energy, and Department of Housing and
Urban Development are pleased to partner to sponsor the Campaign this
year
www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=change_light.changealight_about
Smart Energy
Living is an informational resource provided by Colorado Energy Science Center. Smart
Energy Living brings together the information, resources and tools to
help you understand how to reduce your energy use and save money. We
publish a semi-annual magazine, offer workshops, provide online
information, and links to contractors.
smartenergyliving.org/cm/Home.html
The Home Resource
Profile is a detailed,
customized report that shows you how your household uses energy, water
and solid waste. It is available to any Seattle City Light or Seattle
Public Utilities residential customer. Whether you live in a house,
condomonium or apartment, this free service will give you useful
information about your utility bills and how to save money
www.cityofseattle.net/conserve/homeprofile/
City of
Seattle Energy Savings Tips Directory.
These energy savings tips are from 30 Simple Energy Things
You Can Do to Save the Earth authored by Seattle City Light
and The EarthWorks Group.
www.cityofseattle.net/light/conserve/tips/
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