Perceptions, Experiences And Trends In Making Homes More Energy Efficient
By Scott Kriner, Green Metal Consulting
In August the U.S. Department of Energy and National Science Teachers Association announced the kick-off of registration for a nationwide student contest to help families reduce their energy consumption at home and save money. America’s Home Energy Education Challenge (AHEEC) will engage students in elementary and middle schools to help them learn the science of energy and make wise energy choices. The initiative hopes to educate America's youth about the benefits of energy efficiency, motivate students to play a more active role in how their families use energy, and help families across the country reduce their energy bills.
The Home Energy Education Challenge involves students and their teachers in the third through eighth grades in an energy use comparison activity in which data from the three-month competition period is compared to the previous year's energy use for the same three months. The goal is to teach students ways to reduce home energy use and measure their energy savings. Schools and classes will compete within 11 regions for more than $200,000 in prizes that will be distributed at the regional and national levels of the competition. The first place regional award winners will qualify for the national competition, in which a panel of educators, scientists, and energy experts will evaluate them for national awards.
I wanted to assess the level of education on energy saving measures here in my school district. The simplest way to do this was to ask my niece who is in elementary school, my nephew who is in middle school and my younger son who is a Junior in college. When asked what they know about lowering the energy consumption in their homes I heard many suggestions that are common sense - turning out lights when leaving a room, turning off appliances that are not necessary, replacing incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs, using fans in the summer, adjusting the thermostat on the house air conditioner, and closing doors to unoccupied rooms. What was surprising to me was when my niece and nephew mentioned that they had been learning about energy and the ecosystem since third grade in their science classes. They went on to describe the benefit of using solar power and “windmills” to help lower electricity bills.
Beyond the basic common sense do-it-yourself approach, I found out that there are many other ways to lower the energy consumption in a home. Over the past three years I had made several energy efficiency improvements to our home. This included installing CFL lighting wherever possible, radiant barrier in the attic, more attic insulation, new windows and exterior doors, insulating the water heater and hot water pipes, and installing a programmable thermostat. But I was curious to know if this was enough to significantly lower our utility bill. So I had a Home Energy Audit done on my property, which was subsidized in part by the local utility. The findings from that audit pointed to many other recommendations for reducing the loss of energy. During the 3-hour audit I accompanied the HERS rater to see and learn about how they conduct these audits. To my surprise, the main emphasis was placed on reducing unwanted airflow by sealing cracks, penetrations in floors from wire, pipe and ducts, sealing seams around trim and recessed lights, and sealing changes in ceiling heights. Basically, the recommendation was to tighten up the house against unwanted air infiltration so that the heat pump could run more efficiently and less often. Beyond that, the ducts were found to be leaking, and since one of the main duct trunks is in my unconditioned attic, addressing this was a significant potential energy saver. The thermostats controlling the air conditioning, heating and water heater could be set back in temperature a bit as well. Since our original exterior doors and windows had been recently replaced with more thermally efficient Energy Star labeled products, the only thing to consider there was improved weather-stripping and caulking around them. I was also instructed to install an air barrier to walls exposed to unconditioned areas, such as the wall between the house and garage. The Auditor also noted that we had many appliances and electronics plugged in while not in use. So attention to plug loads became important during the audit. An interesting point he made was to cover the wall receptacles with child-proof plastic plugs when the outlet was not being used, in order to reduce air leakage in those areas.
The audit was a good investment to identify steps that I could take that were not considered during my own energy improvement exercise. It was part of my own education as to how homes can become more energy efficient while lowering the utility bills.
That kind of education is reportedly starting in the elementary school level, and continuing through higher grades. The DOE initiative will no doubt inject more emphasis on energy saving education which will help future generations to revamp existing homes and to build new energy efficient homes. Many believe that by the time today’s elementary school children are adults, the choice of home construction will have shifted to net-zero energy homes. This will be a big jump from the basic weather-stripping and over-insulated approaches to lowering energy consumption.
The age of mandatory zero-net energy buildings in the US is approaching slowly but nevertheless is approaching. Whether it comes through regulation, legislation or incentives, the practice of building and/or retrofitting buildings to be energy neutral will happen here as it is happening in other parts of the world. Many building product manufacturers are already modifying their products, facilities and their corporate philosophy related to zero energy homes and buildings.
Taking this one step further, there are already home builders who have adopted the net-zero energy home concepts in their basic designs. One example is Meritage Homes, the nation’s 10th largest builder. Meritage operates in Western and Southern markets from Florida to California. They now offer the first production net-zero energy home. These homes offer a standard energy package including novel construction techniques, and energy efficient products, appliances and systems. Solar heating, solar domestic hot water heating and photovoltaics are standard on these types of homes. This is one builder who is committed to creating maximum energy efficiency in what they build. More large builders are expected to do the same, which will bring us closer to zero energy homes being part of the mainstream rather than the exception.
Again, it will take education of the marketplace to bring this to fruition. Tomorrow’s home owners will need to know more about what is possible with construction practices, products and integrated systems designed to significantly lower energy consumption. In addition, and maybe even more importantly, home owners will need to be educated on the incentives and financing programs that are available to help them afford the additional installations required to achieve net zero energy.
That type of education needs to start early, and the initiative by the DOE and National Science Teachers Association is a great shot in the arm to this level of education. The construction industry needs to do its part to continue with that education and introduce building owners and home owners to new technologies that can help them lower their utility bills, reduce energy consumption, and improve the interior comfort of these structures.
Scott Kriner is the president and founder of Green Metal Consulting Inc. He is a LEED Accredited Professional who began his career in the metal construction industry in 1981. His company is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council, the California Association of Building Energy Consultants and the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET). Scott can be reached by email at skriner1@verizon.net or by phone at (610) 966-2430. You can also visit him on the web at www.greenmetalconsulting.com.
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