by Adam Winter on August 17, 2010
Cold water that goes down the drain while your customers are waiting for hot water to reach sinks and showerheads is like money flowing through their fingers. Here’s a relatively simple and affordable fix that can help most American homeowners save thousands of gallons of water every year – and take a slice off their energy bills to boot:
The Metlund Hot Water D’MAND System
http://www.gothotwater.com
- A fast on-demand recirculation pump diverts ambient-temperature water in hot water pipes back to the water heater until hot water reaches the tap.
- Water moves more rapidly from the hot water heater to the point of use, so your customers won’t have to wait long for a hot shower.
- D’MAND pumps may be activated by wired-in buttons, motion sensors or wireless remotes.
- Can use the existing cold water line as a return line, so special plumbing is not required for retrofits.
- Less heat radiates from water pipes than with timed or continuous recirculation systems, potentially saving homeowners $50 to $300 a year in energy costs alone.
- Can extend water heater life by enabling lower thermostat settings and reducing sedimentation in the bottom of the hot water tank.
- Unlike timed or continuous recirculation systems, D’MAND does not void most tankless water heater warranties (check with the heater manufacturer to confirm)
- D’MAND pumps are available in retrofit and new construction models.
- Multiple pumps may be required in homes with complicated plumbing loops or additions.
According to Metlund’s own calculations, a typical household that saves 20 gallons of water a day by installing a D’MAND system would save anywhere from $151 to $242 a year in water, sewer and energy costs (depending on the type of hot water heater). For every year of its 15-year lifespan, the system would take a 7,300-gallon load off of local water and wastewater treatment systems, and prevent about a ton of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere.
Our take: On-demand recirculation pumps can be somewhat less convenient for homeowners than timed or continuous pumps, but Metlund’s system provides a highly effective and economical solution to water waste for homeowners who use it properly. Just be sure to educate your customers and set appropriate expectations before installing.
Note: Recurve does not endorse this or any other product. We encourage qualified Home Performance contractors to gain hands-on experience with products profiled in this newsletter before making their own assessments.
by Shana Fong on
PG&E has just announced an exciting new rebate program for energy efficiency.
Here’s how it works:
- The rebate amount is based on the software-modeled energy use reduction in your home as a result of a home energy upgrade
- A 20% reduction earns $2000 in rebates. Each 5% reduction beyond that earns another $375, up to $3500
- This is a limited pilot program
Here’s how you get the money:
- Hire a home performance contractor (that’s us!) to perform an energy audit of your home
- Work with your specialist to choose and implement cost-effective improvements to achieve the desired energy use reduction
- Receive your rebate money as you enjoy your newly efficient, comfortable home!
Why Recurve?
- We provide all necessary steps in one place (audit, remodel, retest) and we manage the application process for you
- Our team is the most experienced in the Bay Area in comprehensive energy audits and home energy remodels
- We’re Building Performance Institute (BPI) Accredited
Learn more here. Call (415) 728-9726 or click here to get started!
by Shana Fong on August 4, 2010
In the average American home, the water heater is the second or third largest energy user.
As long as you can get a hot shower in the morning, you probably don’t think too much about your water heater. But this mysterious appliance has a huge impact on the environment. Based on the California Energy Commission’s estimate of energy use in a typical household, water heating consumes about 31% of the energy used.
Energy Facts
- Between 15%-30% of the energy your water heater uses goes to keeping a tank of water hot, just in case you need it.
- Hot water heaters have adjustable thermostats. For every 10° you lower the water temperature, you can save 3%-5% of your water heating energy.
- The heat that escapes through the sides of the tank is especially important if it’s in an unheated spot like a basement or back porch. A water heater blanket can save 5%-10% of the energy you’ve been using.
Simple Ways to Save Energy
- Adjust the temperature setting on the water heater to 120°F. If you have a dishwasher that cannot heat water with a built-in booster heater, set the water heater to 140°F. Electric water heaters have two thermostats that should be set the same. Use a thermometer at the faucet to gauge water temperature. Don’t rely on the dial on the heater; they’re generally inaccurate. With electric water heaters, turn off power to the tank before adjusting the themostat.
- Put your hand on your water heater. If it feels warm, install an insulating blanket around it. The colder the area the heater is in, the greater the heat loss. So if it’s in the garage in the winter, you’re going to lose a lot of heat.
- Insulate the hot and cold water pipes leaving the tank, wherever they are accessible. Cover at least the first five feet (preferably ten) and keep the insulation three inches away from gas flues. Foam sleeves or adhesive-backed foam tape are available at hardware stores.
- When replacing an old tank, make sure the new one is the correct size for your family and is energy efficient.
- Electric water heaters should be turned off if you leave home for more than a few nights. It takes about four hours to reheat the water when you turn it back on.
Excerpted from 30 Simple Energy Things You Can Do To Save The Earth, by The EarthWorks Group.
by Shana Fong on July 21, 2010
Here are some easy and effective home energy fixes you can do around the house for $2 to $90:
- Light switch and outlet sealers: under $5
Two of the most frequently overlooked sources of air leakage in a home are light switches and outlets. Dodge those drafts by sealing up any switches and outlets where you can feel a draft on your hand.
- Hot water heater pipe insulation: $2 per foot
Use this cost-efficient fix as a quick way to reduce wasted energy on water heating. Insulating just the first 6 feet of pipe from your water heater will cost $12 and will save you over $5 a year on water heating while reducing CO2 emissions by more than 55 pounds. We typically recommend insulating the first 10 feet of pipe.
- Monitor your meter: $20
Purchase a Kill A Watt electricity monitor and plug in your appliances and electronics to find out which ones are the biggest energy culprits. Use this to inform your future upgrade decisions or see how much energy you can save with easy adjustments like turning down your refrigerator’s temperature.
- Smart powerstrips: $20-90
Cut back on phantom power by plugging electronics into smart powerstrips, such as the one by Wattstopper which turns devices on and off based on occupancy and uses a motion detector to manage energy use. Our recommended smart strip is Belkin’s Conserve.
- Faucet aerator: $2
These handy products are one of the least expensive ways to increase your water efficiency by mixing air into the water stream. When installed, each aerator will save 500-2,000 gallons of water a year.
- Chimney balloon damper: $35-50
The fireplace is a common area for heat loss in your home, as most dampers don’t work well and many older homes don’t have them. Inflatable balloon dampers fit in most chimneys to keep heated air in, and you can remove them whenever you want.
by Shana Fong on July 19, 2010
The gaps you can find around the windows and doors of the average American house add up to the equivalent of a hole in the wall that measures 10 inches by 10 inches.
Your house has more leaks than the CIA. There are cracks all over the place. Your doors and windows don’t quite meet their frames; there are tiny spaces where the walls almost join the floor; there are open areas around your electrical and plumbing outlets. And these little gaps eat energy. In fact, an amazing amount of heat in the winter – or cool air in the summer – escapes through them. But you have two simple weapons to fight with: caulking and weatherstripping.
Energy Facts
- Caulking and weatherstripping an electrically heated home can keep some 1,000 pounds of CO2 out of the air. So if 1,000 of these homes were weatherized, over a million pounds of CO2 would be saved.
- Believe it or not, stopping air infiltration can reduce your home’s heating and cooling bills by up to 40%.
- People are concerned that although weatherstripping may save energy, it will keep fresh air out of their homes. While it’s true that some ventilation is necessary, it’s really not much of a problem – a typical house may get twice as much fresh air as it needs. In other words, the air is probably flying out of your house as quickly as you’re heating or cooling it.
Caulking vs. Weatherstripping
- Cracks without any moving parts – like the places where a wall in your house meets the outside edge of a window frame, or two other dissimilar materials come together – can be sealed with caulk.
- The places where doors and windows close into their frames can be sealed with weatherstripping – cleverly designed strips of felt, rubber, metal, or plastic that fill the spaces around doors and windows, and compress when you shut them.
- Weatherstripping materials come in many styles. Some are self-sticking, so you don’t even need a hammer to install them. Others must be nailed on. Still others are crafted so pieces on the frame and the door lock together when the door closes.
- One of the trickiest places to weatherstrip is where the door meets the threshold. Special “shoes” and “sweeps” are available to stop these air leaks.
- Besides saving energy, weatherstripping and caulking have an additional benefit: By stopping drafts, they’ll make your home more comfortable.
Leak Patrol
- Some evening, when your house is at least 20°F warmer than the outdoors, hold your hand up to various places around windows and door frames. If you feel any drafts, the windows and door frames need weatherstripping.
- You can also use a smoking incense stick to look for drafts. Hold the stick near places you think might have cracks; if the smoke dances or gets sucked in, you’ve found a place to seal.
- Many of the biggest air sealing opportunities are up in the attic and below your floors. For these harder-to-reach leaks, it’s a good idea to call in a trained professional such as Recurve to quickly identify and remedy your home’s major leakage areas.
Excerpted from 30 Simple Energy Things You Can Do To Save The Earth, by The EarthWorks Group.
by Shana Fong on July 16, 2010
Is your thermostat accurate? If not, chances are that the temperature sensor is being affected by cold air coming through the opening where the thermostat is mounted.
Keeping control of your thermostat is one of the simplest ways you can save a great deal of energy – and money – all year round.
Energy Facts
- During the winter, you can save as much as 2%-3% of the energy your furnace uses simply by lowering your thermostat 1°F (if it’s set between 65°F and 72°F).
- In the summer, the process is reversed. You save 3%-5% of the energy used by your air conditioner for every degree you raise the thermostat setting (if it’s set between 70°F and 82°F).
- Do you chronically forget to turn down the heat? There are low-priced, easy-to-install thermostats that adjust the temperature automatically. The simplest have built-in clocks; the more advanced models are computerized. An advanced model will, for example, turn your furnace on 30 minutes before you wake up, turn it off when you leave for work, turn it on just before you return home, and then set it for 55°F when you go to bed. Some also have a “minimum energy use” setting that monitors temperatures when you go on vacation.
Simple Ways to Save Energy
- Keep the thermostat under control. Recommended winter settings for heaters: 68°F in the daytime, 55°F at night. In the summer, turn the air conditioner’s thermostat to 78°F.
- Check the temperature. Using an accurate thermometer, make sure that the temperature near your thermostat is representative of the rest of the house. If it’s located in a drafty or sunny spot, you may be getting false readings and wasting energy.
- Plug the hole in the wall behind the thermostat with a piece of fiberglass insulation.
Excerpted from 30 Simple Energy Things You Can Do To Save The Earth, by The EarthWorks Group.
by Shana Fong on June 30, 2010
Berkeley’s ME2 Program (Money for Energy Efficiency) program provides up to $5,000 in rebates to qualifying homeowners in single-family residences and duplexes. Rebates go up to $8,500 in conjunction with a PG&E program (PG&E’s Comprehensive Residential Retrofit Pilot Program).
How Does the ME2 Program Work?
- You must get a home energy audit to qualify for the rebates
- Since the program is sponsored by the city of Berkeley, you must own a single-family home or duplex in the city and meet certain income guidelines. You must be up-to-date on your taxes and liens.
- Recurve will help you apply for the ME2 rebate program which is available based on a lottery system based on applications received during a 2 week period (July 6- 20). People who will get the rebates will be selected at random from the pool of applicants after July 20th at midnight
- Special financing is available through Recurve – if you want to finance the net (after rebate) cost of your home improvements
When is the ME2 Program Available?
Sign up for a home energy audit now. The ME2 Program is taking applications for the lottery July 6 – 20, 2010. It’s likely the money will run out during these 2 weeks, but if it doesn’t, they’ll accept applications on a first come, first serve basis after the 20th. The PG&E Pilot Program will have money available for a longer timeframe.
Full details here: http://www.recurve.com/what-we-do/financing/berkeley1/
by Shana Fong on June 24, 2010
Eight percent of American homes now have pools, which waste more energy than all the nation’s ENERGY STAR homes are saving!
Swimming pools are typically the first- or second-largest single energy user in homes that have them. California’s 1.35 million residential pools use the entire electrical output of a medium-sized power plant.
Energy Facts
- Evaporation is the biggest source of heat loss from hot tubs and pools. When only 5 gallons of water evaporate from a hot tub, the remaining 500 gallons chill by 1°F., then must be re-heated.
- American swimming pools contain enough water to cover the city of San Francisco with a layer of water about seven feet deep. About 30% of that water is heated, requiring as much natural gas as a city of 6 million normally uses.
- For every hour it’s in use, an average pool heater consumes three times as much energy as a home furnace.
- Pool blankets (insulating sheets that float on the water surface) reduce the energy consumption of pool heaters by 40%-70%.
- Pool pumps use about the same amount of energy in an hour as window unit air conditioners.
Simple Ways to Save Energy
- Cover your spa or hot tub. Use a well-insulated cover with an R-value rating of 12 and foam insulation that is at least 2 inches thick. It’ll prevent heat loss and evaporation.
- Cover your pool with a floating pool blanket whenever you’re not swimming.
- Install a highly efficient two-speed or variable speed pool pump and use the low speed as much as possible. This can cut your pool-pumping energy consumption, and the related costs, in half.
- Resist buying a pool pump bigger than you need; it will cost more to buy and operate than a properly sized one.
- Put a timer on your pool pump – most run longer than needed to keep pools clean.
Excerpted from 30 Simple Energy Things You Can Do To Save The Earth, by The EarthWorks Group.