Saving Energy this Winter

Tips for Builders and Homeowners
By Laura Jean Whitcomb

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita damaged, set adrift or sunk 192 oil and natural gas drilling rigs and producing platforms, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. As a result it would appear that, at least in the short term, high oil, propane, natural gas and electricity costs are here to stay.

Homeowners and businesses should prepare for an increase in heating expenditures this winter. The Energy Information Administration provides these estimates:

* On average, households heating primarily with natural gas will spend $306 (41 percent) more for fuel this winter than last winter.
* Households heating primarily with heating oil can expect to pay, on average, $325 (27 percent) more.
* Households heating primarily with propane can expect to pay, on average, $230 (21 percent) more.
* Households heating primarily with electricity can expect to pay, on average, $33 (5 percent) more.

Is it any wonder that builders and homeowners are turning to renewable energy sources?

Builder Suggestions

There are many resources for builders who are interested in learning more about renewable energy and green building.

The New Hampshire Sustainable Energy Asso-ciation (NHSEA) educates NH citizens and organizations about sustainable energy and advocates in NH for favorable sustainable energy policies. NHSEA hold quarterly workshops for homeowners and builders who want to incorporate sustainable energy sources into building projects. A spring workshop on biomass fuels talked about using biodiesel in existing oil furnaces, woodstoves, indoor and outdoor furnaces, wood gasifiers and boilers and masonry stoves. A summer workshop, “Photovoltaics and Installation for Electricians,” was tailored to New Hampshire electricians interested in solar-electric panels.

“As I understand it, builders prefer a heating system — often oversized — that is easy for installation and use,” says Laura Richardson, president of NHSEA (www.nhsea.org). “However, the fuel to run that system may be less available or very costly in the coming years. Heating fuel, natural gas and propane costs are going to continue to skyrocket, and I recommend looking into other fuels.”

According to the U.S. Department of Energy. At least in the short term, high oil, propane, natural gas and electricity costs are here to stay.

Before breaking ground on a building project, there are many things builders can do with energy efficiency in mind. “Orient the home to take advantage of the natural heating and cooling from the sun and prevailing breezes,” says Richardson. “Design the home to be smaller, so that you have less space to heat. Or design it so that some unused space is not heated, but can buffer the heated space from extreme temperatures.”

The New Hampshire Minimum Impact Develop-ment (MID) Partnership works with architects, businesses, developers and planners across the state on construction projects. Their goal is to ensure high-quality choices in the traditional character of New Hampshire’s communities, municipalities and unincorporated places.

Their Web site offers detailed MID practices by project stage from site selection and design to building construction and maintenance/operation. Some recommendations include: Designing the roof for future solar panels for electricity or water heating; optimizing the thermal performance of the envelope (floor, walls, ceilings, roof, windows) with insulation, air sealing and moisture protection; and integrating system design for heating, ventilation, air conditioning, lighting, water supply and waste water, and solid waste.

Ames Byrd — Norwich, Vt., resident, member of the town’s Norwich Energy Committee and member of the Sustainable Energy Resource Group (SERG) — suggests that “builders in Vermont become a certified Vermont Energy Star Homes builder. Their number is (800) 893-1997 or check the www.efficiencyvermont.org Web site for links.”

Homeowner Suggestions

Byrd heats his home with biodiesel, a fuel made from renewable resources such as vegetable oils or animal fats. “Two winters ago I heated with a B20 blend (80 percent home heating fuel, 20 percent biodiesel,” he says. “I did absolutely nothing to the furnace and I had no problems whatsoever. Last winter I switched to B100. I had to do a couple of things to the furnace and then I ran from October 2004 to present without a problem.”

Byrd notes that biodiesel doesn’t conserve fuel — it replaces diesel fuel and home heating fuel. “It is biodegradable, nontoxic and produces essentially no global warming emissions,” he says. “It is made in America so it reduces our dependence on foreign oil, and it doesn’t use a great deal of resources to produce.”

Homeowners interested in checking the energy efficiency of their home should try a simple formula. “Find out the square footage of your home, then call your oil dealer and see how much home heating fuel you used last winter. If you use wood, a cord equals 170 gallons. If you use propane, a gallon equals 0.7 gallons of oil. Divide the oil figure by the square footage figure,” Byrd describes. “If your ratio comes out at 1/3, you are doing quite well. Up to 1/3, you are doing OK. If you come out above 1/2 you might consider a professional home energy audit.”

“The easiest and most cost effective thing to do is to install a programmable thermostat. Each degree you reduce the temperature in your house saves 2 percent on your fuel bills.”

SERG, with committees in six Upper Valley towns, promotes energy conservation, efficiency and renewables through the formation of town energy committees to help residents, businesses and the municipalities reduce energy consumption, save money, increase the sustainable use of renewables, strengthen the local economy and improve the environment. SERG in Lyme, N.H., successfully advocated for Tarm wood pellet boiler in the new town garage.

“Wood pellet stoves, wood pellet and wood gasifiers, like the TARM product may be appropriate options. This will be homeowner specific, but they are very efficient and use a renewable resource,” says Laura Richardson. “TARM boilers, made in Denmark, can heat a house for three to five cords a year.”

Richards offers these suggestions to homeowners:

▪ Insulate, insulate, insulate.
▪ Seal up cracks and air spaces around windows, doors and sill plates.
▪ Turn the thermostat down and put on a sweater. No one should be wearing a T-shirt in New Hampshire in the winter.
▪ Light-colored walls and less clutter allows for light to bounce more, meaning fewer lights are needed to illuminate a room.
▪ Get an energy audit, so that you know where your priorities should be in making your home more efficient.
▪ Add thick window coverings to keep your heat inside the building; don’t let it radiate out.
▪  Look into the EnergyStar Homes Program. “There are many reasons to do this, from resale value to lower energy costs to the rebates offered for those that make it through the program to the nifty plaque to prove to your neighbors that your home is indeed better than theirs,” she says.

Byrd offers one more idea: “The easiest and most cost effective thing to do is to install a programmable thermostat. Each degree you reduce the temperature in your house saves 2 percent on your fuel bills. If you reduce the temp 10 degrees at night you will save 7 percent for the year. And don’t forget to change the batteries every heating season.”