The Energy Efficient Home
by Bert Quibuyen
Making your
home energy efficient is not difficult. It’s just a matter of applying energy
saving measures and changes in lifestyle. And the result is money saved plus a
more comfortable living environment.
The biggest user of energy in your home is space heating. The bigger the space, the more energy is used. In Metro Vancouver, most homes are heated with either natural gas or electricity, and some older homes with oil or propane. In the past natural gas was 40% lower than electricity but now natural gas is slightly higher. Electricity is now the fuel of choice for heating.
Homes on natural gas have either forced warm air systems (gas furnace) or hydronic radiant systems. Both are controlled by a device called thermostat. Forced warm air systems have only one thermostat, which ideally should be in the center of the main floor. Central heating has a disadvantage: some areas of the home will be warm and cozy and some areas will be cold. In a hydronic system the home is divided into zones and each zone has its own thermostat. This allows for each zone to be separately controlled. Turning down thermostats in areas not occupied will reduce your heating bill. Instead of heating the whole house, you’re only heating specific areas that you’re using. Since thermostats are your heating controls, you can save on heating costs by installing electronic programmable thermostats. The normal comfortable setting is 20-21 C when a home is occupied. At night when sleeping, 18 C is OK, and when you’re off to work setting it back further to 14-16 C is recommended. Programmable thermostats will allow you to program your heating system at specific times of the day and therefore save you money because you don’t heat your home to 21 C the whole day.
Homes that are electrically heated can come in many types: forced warm air system (electric furnace), hydronic radiant system, radiant ceiling panels, radiant wall panels, infra-red heating units, heat pumps, portable box heaters, and simple baseboards. Among all these, the heat pump is the most energy efficient because it does not use electricity to generate heat. Heat is derived either from the ground (geothermal or ground source heat pump), water, or air. The electricity used is only for the pumps. An added benefit to the heat pump is air conditioning. In the reverse cycle, the heat pump becomes an air conditioner. A heat pump can also be added as a retrofit to existing forced air systems. It’s just a matter of removing the old furnace and replacing it with the heat pump, using the same ductwork - a very easy installation. If you are considering a heat pump, check with your contractor for government rebates. For supplementary heating, portable electric box heaters are popular. These are simple plug in units that can be placed anywhere there’s an electric outlet. They range in wattage from 500 watts to 1500 watts. Do not be deceived by marketing gimmicks like ceramic heaters, oil-filled heaters, etc. that add to the cost of the units. They’re all electric heaters. What’s important is the wattage, not the price. A 1500 watt unit costing $15 will give out the same heat as a 1500 watt unit costing $75. I saved you $60 already. Be careful where you plug the portable heater. A 15 amp circuit will have a maximum usable wattage of 1800 watts. If your heater is rated at 1500 watts, the circuit can only accomodate another 300 watts before tripping the circuit breakers or fuses. Do not overload your circuit.
Your home’s building envelop affects your heating bill significantly. The walls, windows, roof, and foundation make up the building envelop. To save energy you must keep the heat in and insulation is one way of doing that. Walls have to be properly insulated. Insulation is rated in R value - the higher the R value, the better in keeping heat in. Check your wall insulation and if it has settled or deteriorated, you should add more. You don’t need to tear down walls to check insulation - just unscrew a couple of electrical outlets on outside walls and look inside the hole. Warm air rises and therefore ceiling insulation is very important. R40 is ideal for ceiling insulation. Check the condition of your insulation by going up into the attic. For older homes it’s recommended to add more insulation. You cannot have too much.
The greatest heat loss in homes is through the windows. The more windows you have, the more heat loss and therefore more energy used. Replace your windows with energy-efficient double glazed windows if they are single glazed. One way to reduce heat loss through the windows is the use of thick drapes or curtains, specially at night. However, when the sun is out and shining through your windows, open the curtains to let sunshine in - this is solar gain and it helps heat your home. Skylights are notorious for heat loss because they’re up in the ceiling where warm air converges. One way to reduce heat loss where there are skylights is by installing a ceiling fan which directs warm air down.
Moisture is also a problem in some homes. This can be seen on windows in the form of condensation. When warm moisture-laden air reaches a cold surface, it becomes condensation.
Things that cause high moisture are people, plants, bathing and showering, washing, cooking, and inadequate ventilation. Any water usage will add to moisture inside the home. Indoor plants contribute to excessive moisture. The solution is to extract this moisture-laden air to the outside and there are several ways of doing that. The most energy efficient way is to install a heat recovery ventilation system (HRV). This system is controlled by a dehumidistat set to a desired humidity level, usually between 40- 60% relative humidity. When the humidity goes over the setting, the HRV system is activated, and the air being extracted warms the fresh cold air coming in. Another less expensive way is to install exhaust fans that are controlled by dehumidistats. If you have a kitchen exhaust fan vented to the outside, it can also be used to extract moisture by turning it on for several minutes. To check the effectiveness of your kitchen exhaust fan, place a tissue paper on the fan grill and then turn on the fan. The tissue paper should not fall off. The same can be done to bathroom fans. A quick fix solution to get rid of high moisture is simply crack windows (open a little bit) at opposite ends of the house. Condensation, if left uncontrolled, can cause serious damage to your home and promote the growth of molds.
The other side of high moisture is dryness or no moisture. This is common in electrically heated homes that have no air circulation. The solution to this is cracking a window, using a humidifier, or simply having a water-filled basin in the room. Water evaporation will add moisture to the room.
The second biggest user of energy in your home is water heating. Most water heaters in Metro Vancouver are either natural gas fired or electric. If your water heater tank is located in a cold unheated basement, wrap it with a water heater blanket to reduce stand by heat losses. The pipes coming in and out of the water heater should also be wrapped with pipe insulation. Lifestyle is a major factor in hot water usage. Take shorter showers, use cold water detergents for your laundry, install water saving low-flow shower heads and faucet aerators - all of these will reduce hot water usage. An energy efficient water heating system that is not so popular in Canada but widely used in Europe is the on demand tankless water heater. It is energy efficient because there is no 40 or 60 gallon tank to be heated. Water is heated only when needed, and therefore no standby heat losses.
Lighting accounts for 10% of your energy bill. On a $2,000 a year energy bill, this is significant. If you count all the lights in your home, you’ll be surprised at how many you have. In areas where you use lights for extended periods, compact flourescent lights are highly recommended. CFLs reduce energy consumption by 75%, and they lasts from 7,000 to 10,000 hours. And always remember to turn lights off when not needed. A new type of home lighting came out recently - LED lights (light-emitting diodes). LEDs are more energy efficient than CFLs and are also environmentally friendly because they do not contain mercury. However, since they’re still new on the market, they’re quite pricey and therefore not as cost effective as CFLs.
Modern appliances in Canada carry energuide stickers showing the average consumption of the appliance in kWh. A lower kWh rating means lower energy consumption. There are three types of refrigerators common in homes: top freezer type, which is the most energy efficient; bottom freezer type; and the side freezer type (two-door side by side), which is the least energy efficient.
Convection ovens are energy efficient because they speed up the cooking process as well as cook the food more evenly. Use the small toaster ovens when baking or roasting small items. You don’t need the big oven when you only have a fish or a small chicken to cook. A microwave oven isthe most energy efficient cooking appliance - use it whenever you could. And for your laundry, the front-loading washing machines are energy efficient and also gentler on your clothes as they have no agitators.
How to calculate your electricity consumption. BC Hydro’s residential rates are now based on a two-tiered system, i.e. the more power consumed, the higher the rate. However, for our purposes, we will use $0.06/kWh.
The formula: watts/1000 x hours x $0.06 = operating cost
If watts is not available on the unit, take the amps and multiply by the voltage to get watts
If calculating for a unit with an electric motor, like a lawnmower, take the horsepower rating.
1 hp = 746 watts, however, allowing for efficiency losses, we will use 1 hp = 1000 watts
Examples:
1 incandescent light bulb rated at 100 watts running for 12 hours:
100/1000 x 12 x 0.06 = $0.072 rounded off to $0.07
1 compact fluorescent lamp rated at 25 watts (equivalent to a 100 watt incandescent) running for 12 hours:
25/1000 x 12 x 0.06 = $0.018, rounded off to $0.02
1 electric heater rated at 1500 watts running for 12 hours:
1500/1000 x 12 x 0.06 = $1.08
1 electric lawnmower rated at 3/4 hp running for 2 hours:
3/4 hp = 750 watts, 750/1000 x 2 x 0.06 = $0.09 (a lot cheaper than a gas powered mower and no pollution too).
For home computers, get the watts or amps and voltage on the specifications plate, then use formula.
Protecting electric equipment: Whenever there is a power outage, UNPLUG all sensitive electric equipment like computers and related peripherals, TV sets, stereo equipment. Just leave one light bulb on. When power is restored, there is an initial power surge that could potentially damage your equipment. Wait for a few minutes to allow power to stabilize before plugging back your equipment. The light bulb left on is just to let you know that power is back.
Safety in the home: Install carbon monoxide detectors if your home is natural gas heated. Check periodically to ensure the detector is functioning properly. It is also wise to install smoke detectors. DO NOT overload electric circuits. Frequent resetting of circuit breakers could make them fail. A 15-amp circuit can accommodate 1800 watts. Exceeding that will trip the circuit breaker. To figure out the load, multiply amperage by the voltage. The utilization voltage for residential customers is 120/240 at 60 hertz. For your home outlets, apply 120 volts.
If you have any questions on Power Smart, energy efficiency, electricity, or BC Hydro, contact me by email at: bananaking69@yahoo.com
Be Power Smart. Save energy, save money.
Bert Quibuyen(retired)
Power Smart Program
Marketing & Sales
BC Hydro
The biggest user of energy in your home is space heating. The bigger the space, the more energy is used. In Metro Vancouver, most homes are heated with either natural gas or electricity, and some older homes with oil or propane. In the past natural gas was 40% lower than electricity but now natural gas is slightly higher. Electricity is now the fuel of choice for heating.
Homes on natural gas have either forced warm air systems (gas furnace) or hydronic radiant systems. Both are controlled by a device called thermostat. Forced warm air systems have only one thermostat, which ideally should be in the center of the main floor. Central heating has a disadvantage: some areas of the home will be warm and cozy and some areas will be cold. In a hydronic system the home is divided into zones and each zone has its own thermostat. This allows for each zone to be separately controlled. Turning down thermostats in areas not occupied will reduce your heating bill. Instead of heating the whole house, you’re only heating specific areas that you’re using. Since thermostats are your heating controls, you can save on heating costs by installing electronic programmable thermostats. The normal comfortable setting is 20-21 C when a home is occupied. At night when sleeping, 18 C is OK, and when you’re off to work setting it back further to 14-16 C is recommended. Programmable thermostats will allow you to program your heating system at specific times of the day and therefore save you money because you don’t heat your home to 21 C the whole day.
Homes that are electrically heated can come in many types: forced warm air system (electric furnace), hydronic radiant system, radiant ceiling panels, radiant wall panels, infra-red heating units, heat pumps, portable box heaters, and simple baseboards. Among all these, the heat pump is the most energy efficient because it does not use electricity to generate heat. Heat is derived either from the ground (geothermal or ground source heat pump), water, or air. The electricity used is only for the pumps. An added benefit to the heat pump is air conditioning. In the reverse cycle, the heat pump becomes an air conditioner. A heat pump can also be added as a retrofit to existing forced air systems. It’s just a matter of removing the old furnace and replacing it with the heat pump, using the same ductwork - a very easy installation. If you are considering a heat pump, check with your contractor for government rebates. For supplementary heating, portable electric box heaters are popular. These are simple plug in units that can be placed anywhere there’s an electric outlet. They range in wattage from 500 watts to 1500 watts. Do not be deceived by marketing gimmicks like ceramic heaters, oil-filled heaters, etc. that add to the cost of the units. They’re all electric heaters. What’s important is the wattage, not the price. A 1500 watt unit costing $15 will give out the same heat as a 1500 watt unit costing $75. I saved you $60 already. Be careful where you plug the portable heater. A 15 amp circuit will have a maximum usable wattage of 1800 watts. If your heater is rated at 1500 watts, the circuit can only accomodate another 300 watts before tripping the circuit breakers or fuses. Do not overload your circuit.
Your home’s building envelop affects your heating bill significantly. The walls, windows, roof, and foundation make up the building envelop. To save energy you must keep the heat in and insulation is one way of doing that. Walls have to be properly insulated. Insulation is rated in R value - the higher the R value, the better in keeping heat in. Check your wall insulation and if it has settled or deteriorated, you should add more. You don’t need to tear down walls to check insulation - just unscrew a couple of electrical outlets on outside walls and look inside the hole. Warm air rises and therefore ceiling insulation is very important. R40 is ideal for ceiling insulation. Check the condition of your insulation by going up into the attic. For older homes it’s recommended to add more insulation. You cannot have too much.
The greatest heat loss in homes is through the windows. The more windows you have, the more heat loss and therefore more energy used. Replace your windows with energy-efficient double glazed windows if they are single glazed. One way to reduce heat loss through the windows is the use of thick drapes or curtains, specially at night. However, when the sun is out and shining through your windows, open the curtains to let sunshine in - this is solar gain and it helps heat your home. Skylights are notorious for heat loss because they’re up in the ceiling where warm air converges. One way to reduce heat loss where there are skylights is by installing a ceiling fan which directs warm air down.
Moisture is also a problem in some homes. This can be seen on windows in the form of condensation. When warm moisture-laden air reaches a cold surface, it becomes condensation.
Things that cause high moisture are people, plants, bathing and showering, washing, cooking, and inadequate ventilation. Any water usage will add to moisture inside the home. Indoor plants contribute to excessive moisture. The solution is to extract this moisture-laden air to the outside and there are several ways of doing that. The most energy efficient way is to install a heat recovery ventilation system (HRV). This system is controlled by a dehumidistat set to a desired humidity level, usually between 40- 60% relative humidity. When the humidity goes over the setting, the HRV system is activated, and the air being extracted warms the fresh cold air coming in. Another less expensive way is to install exhaust fans that are controlled by dehumidistats. If you have a kitchen exhaust fan vented to the outside, it can also be used to extract moisture by turning it on for several minutes. To check the effectiveness of your kitchen exhaust fan, place a tissue paper on the fan grill and then turn on the fan. The tissue paper should not fall off. The same can be done to bathroom fans. A quick fix solution to get rid of high moisture is simply crack windows (open a little bit) at opposite ends of the house. Condensation, if left uncontrolled, can cause serious damage to your home and promote the growth of molds.
The other side of high moisture is dryness or no moisture. This is common in electrically heated homes that have no air circulation. The solution to this is cracking a window, using a humidifier, or simply having a water-filled basin in the room. Water evaporation will add moisture to the room.
The second biggest user of energy in your home is water heating. Most water heaters in Metro Vancouver are either natural gas fired or electric. If your water heater tank is located in a cold unheated basement, wrap it with a water heater blanket to reduce stand by heat losses. The pipes coming in and out of the water heater should also be wrapped with pipe insulation. Lifestyle is a major factor in hot water usage. Take shorter showers, use cold water detergents for your laundry, install water saving low-flow shower heads and faucet aerators - all of these will reduce hot water usage. An energy efficient water heating system that is not so popular in Canada but widely used in Europe is the on demand tankless water heater. It is energy efficient because there is no 40 or 60 gallon tank to be heated. Water is heated only when needed, and therefore no standby heat losses.
Lighting accounts for 10% of your energy bill. On a $2,000 a year energy bill, this is significant. If you count all the lights in your home, you’ll be surprised at how many you have. In areas where you use lights for extended periods, compact flourescent lights are highly recommended. CFLs reduce energy consumption by 75%, and they lasts from 7,000 to 10,000 hours. And always remember to turn lights off when not needed. A new type of home lighting came out recently - LED lights (light-emitting diodes). LEDs are more energy efficient than CFLs and are also environmentally friendly because they do not contain mercury. However, since they’re still new on the market, they’re quite pricey and therefore not as cost effective as CFLs.
Modern appliances in Canada carry energuide stickers showing the average consumption of the appliance in kWh. A lower kWh rating means lower energy consumption. There are three types of refrigerators common in homes: top freezer type, which is the most energy efficient; bottom freezer type; and the side freezer type (two-door side by side), which is the least energy efficient.
Convection ovens are energy efficient because they speed up the cooking process as well as cook the food more evenly. Use the small toaster ovens when baking or roasting small items. You don’t need the big oven when you only have a fish or a small chicken to cook. A microwave oven isthe most energy efficient cooking appliance - use it whenever you could. And for your laundry, the front-loading washing machines are energy efficient and also gentler on your clothes as they have no agitators.
How to calculate your electricity consumption. BC Hydro’s residential rates are now based on a two-tiered system, i.e. the more power consumed, the higher the rate. However, for our purposes, we will use $0.06/kWh.
The formula: watts/1000 x hours x $0.06 = operating cost
If watts is not available on the unit, take the amps and multiply by the voltage to get watts
If calculating for a unit with an electric motor, like a lawnmower, take the horsepower rating.
1 hp = 746 watts, however, allowing for efficiency losses, we will use 1 hp = 1000 watts
Examples:
1 incandescent light bulb rated at 100 watts running for 12 hours:
100/1000 x 12 x 0.06 = $0.072 rounded off to $0.07
1 compact fluorescent lamp rated at 25 watts (equivalent to a 100 watt incandescent) running for 12 hours:
25/1000 x 12 x 0.06 = $0.018, rounded off to $0.02
1 electric heater rated at 1500 watts running for 12 hours:
1500/1000 x 12 x 0.06 = $1.08
1 electric lawnmower rated at 3/4 hp running for 2 hours:
3/4 hp = 750 watts, 750/1000 x 2 x 0.06 = $0.09 (a lot cheaper than a gas powered mower and no pollution too).
For home computers, get the watts or amps and voltage on the specifications plate, then use formula.
Protecting electric equipment: Whenever there is a power outage, UNPLUG all sensitive electric equipment like computers and related peripherals, TV sets, stereo equipment. Just leave one light bulb on. When power is restored, there is an initial power surge that could potentially damage your equipment. Wait for a few minutes to allow power to stabilize before plugging back your equipment. The light bulb left on is just to let you know that power is back.
Safety in the home: Install carbon monoxide detectors if your home is natural gas heated. Check periodically to ensure the detector is functioning properly. It is also wise to install smoke detectors. DO NOT overload electric circuits. Frequent resetting of circuit breakers could make them fail. A 15-amp circuit can accommodate 1800 watts. Exceeding that will trip the circuit breaker. To figure out the load, multiply amperage by the voltage. The utilization voltage for residential customers is 120/240 at 60 hertz. For your home outlets, apply 120 volts.
If you have any questions on Power Smart, energy efficiency, electricity, or BC Hydro, contact me by email at: bananaking69@yahoo.com
Be Power Smart. Save energy, save money.
Bert Quibuyen(retired)
Power Smart Program
Marketing & Sales
BC Hydro
