Friday, December 19, 2008

New Book

The Green Book: the everyday guide to saving the planet one simple step at a time: is a great little reference guide that provides green information and consumer tips in your workplace and home and suggestions for green shopping alternatives. 333.72 R63--check it out!!

Friday, December 5, 2008

3rd Installment of the Home Energy Savings Program

These notes are courtesy of Mary Beth Thakar. We hope to have a future program on the federal programs available for energy savings upgrades to make our homes more energy efficient. Watch this space for more details.

Michael Merck’s presentation on Nov. 15th :

Windows: The best are wood or vinyl windows insulated with fiberglass. Look for U-value of .35 and check solar heat value. Make sure your contractor seals the windows properly.

Most of the time, replacing windows is not cost-effective. But if your old ones are steel-framed and single pane, it would be cost-effective to replace them.

Cost considerations: Try to go for modifications that will pay back in 10 years or less. Compare the difference between investing your money in a money market – to investing in your house: the savings and investment ratio. If the ratio is 1, then the two investments are equivalent. If more, then the modification is worth considering.

Replacing your incandescents with CFL’s generally pays back in one year.

Solar: Financially, it is a good time to think of solar. The federal incentives by January, 2009 will allow for a tax credit of 30 percent of your costs. (Photovoltaic and solar hot water installations are about $10 per satt). The state is supposed to match the federal incentives – but how you’d be paid back is uncertain: we’ll know by Jan. 2009. Solar is worth considering in Pittsburgh because we do get about four hours of “peak sun.” Solar hot water is not cost-effective, but worth considering because of the federal and state incentives. Furthermore, as energy costs go up, the payback for solar will be quicker.

Solar installations have to be tilted at 30 to 40 degrees in our region and face south. Michael uses a Solar Pathfinder to determine whether your site would be adequate for a solar installation. He says if you have any shade on the south-facing roof, it is unlikely that solar would work for you.

Roofing considerations: Consider if the roof is in good condition. If it will need to be replaced in 10 years or less, replace before adding solar. If you have a slate roof, you will need to replace the solar part of the roof with asphalt prior to applying solar panels. On flat roofs, panels will be angled at 30 to 40 degrees by raising them on angled supports. Solar installations can also be placed on the ground: these cost more money, but they can be moved and oriented to the sun.

Passive Solar: This entails using the sun without any mechanical means – such as adding windows on the south side of your house – or adding thermal mass to soak up heat – or opening blinds in order to get sun. (Tip: don’t put thermostat in sun warmed room or you will get false readings concerning the remainder of the house.)

Thermal (Hot Water) Solar: A solar hot water system will cost about $8000, including an additional hot water heater to kill “bugs”. (The stagnant water may get germs that are killed in the first hot water tank.)

Photovoltaic Solar: Ideally the homeowner should aim to get his electrical use down to 3000 kw annually before considering photovoltaic. The electricity from solar panels comes out in direct current, and must be converted by an inverter box to AC. Michael suggests buying a larger inverter box – in case you expand your photovoltaic system.

The photovoltaic system can be hooked up to the grid. This arrangements will cost about $10 per watt. The law says that the company must buy back any extra electricity that you make, at the same rate that you are charged by the electric company: this is known as net metering. By January, 2009, interconnection agreements may cost $500 to file: now they are free.

If your photovoltaic system is not hooked up to the grid, you will need to have a “battery room” in which to store your excess electricity. This arrangement will cost you about $40 per watt to install. Batteries are inefficient and require lots of maintenance and lots of money. The battery room must be kept at a controlled temperature.

Instantaneous and tankless Hot water systems: The payback for these systems is 8 to 9 years. It will accommodate both washing and showers at the same time. However, there is a 40 to 60 second delay before the water is heated up. Michael feels that gas tankless is more efficient than electric tankless. (He cited the fact that gas has little transportation losses, while electricity loses 30 % of its energy in transmission. However, electricity, once at your house is 70 % efficient, while gas is 70 percent efficient.)

He also mentioned that hot water heaters will finally get energy star labels – not just energy guide labels.

Geothermal: These can be installed vertically or horizontally in the ground – or can be placed in water (pond, for example). Horizontally, a ditch must be dug below the frostline – and a spiralling “Slinky”-like pipe is buried. For each 12,000 BTUs, you’ll need 100 feet of pipe. It’ll cost you $3000 to $5000 for 100 feet.

Wind Turbines: The tower for these has to be 30 feet high – and you can’t have this tower if your neighbors are within 20 to 30 feet. There are horizontal helix fans that won’t shake: they’re quieter and stable. (Michael thought that Soda Construction might install these fans.)

Radon: We have high radon in this mining area. Michael suggests you get a radon test kit – four sampling bottles altogether – and test your house with three of them, leaving the last one to test the lab. (If results come back for all four, then the tests are questionable, in other words.) If the basement has negative pressure, then it is doubtless pulling in radon: the solution it to airseal the basement.

Michael also suggested that borax be mixed with the cellulose to prevent termites.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Home Energy Savings program reminder

Don't forget to attend our 3rd and last program in our series on Home Energy Savings this Saturday. Check our Be Green Series Calendar for full details.

Monday, November 3, 2008

Program Highlights: Saving on Home Energy

Here are notes provided by Mary Beth Thakar on part two of the program series - Saving on Home Energy on October 25 was entitled: Practical and affordable solutions, presented by Michael Merck

Introduction: Pennsylvania ranks 5th among the states for the largest energy consumption. Most of our electricity comes from coal, but one-third is from nuclear energy.

Gas costs range from $13 to $21 per MCF, while electricity costs between 10 and 18 cents per kilowatt.

Rates are predicted to go up. Natural gas is traded daily, but the price is locked in for consumers for three to six month intervals. Electricity is expected to go up dramatically – on a par with Maryland – which went up 70 percent recently.

Incentives are available to encourage homeowners to improve their home’s energy efficiency. There are 23 counties in the Allegheny Power territory, including part of Westmoreland and Washington counties, as well as the southern tip of Allegheny County. Allegheny Power offers incentives of $200 to $1000 for reducing your energy usage (in BTU’s) from 20 to 50 percent. Note however that you must use a certified energy auditor to prove your savings. The auditor must provide computer modeling to demonstrate your savings. Look at the site for PA Home Energy to get more details.

Additionally, certain low-income persons can get help from certain utilities to cover the cost of energy-saving modifications.

Recently the state approved the expenditure of $150 million to assist homeowners. It is to be distributed over the next 4 to 5 years. Information about how the money is to be disbursed will be available by Jan. 1st. See these sites for info:

http://www.dsireusa.org/

http://www.gggc.state.pa.us/gggc/site/default.asp

With the federal bailout passage came extension of certain incentives. We were told that you can get up to $9000 for installing solar – or up to 30% of the cost incurred.

House Science Basics

The house is a system.

The system is interconnected with nature – with wind and the “stack effect”

We CAN control the system.

But it is also important to check and control health and safety concerns – particularly carbon monoxide. If you “airseal” your house, you may also keep in the carbon monoxide.

(Stack effect: This effect is stronger as the house gets taller. Air comes up from the basement, and goes out through the attic.)

How to audit your home yourself:

An auditor could come and do a blower test to check the “envelope” of your home and see how tight it is. Or you can look at the west wall of your house – where the wind comes from – and make sure that that side is particularly tight.

See www.energystar.gov for more information about doing an audit yourself.

Begin by comparing your house with others in your area. You calculate the number of BTU’s you use to heat your home, divided by the “conditioned” square footage of your home, divided by the number of heating degree days in your area. If you have an all-electric home, you will have to extract the kilowatts you use to heat your home from your total bill. And for square footage, be sure to subtract any square footage that is not heated or conditioned, such as basements, attics, or garages. And to convert MCF’s to BTU’s, multiply by 1 million – and to convert CCF’s to BTU’s, multiply by 100,000.

The formula looks like this:

(BTU’s used to heat home/conditioned square footage)/5910

5910 is the number of heating degree days in Pittsburgh, believe it or not.

Your answer will tell you how your house is doing on a scale of 0-22. If your house is 8 or under, your house is efficient. If it is between 8 to 22, then there are opportunities to improve your home. See the energystar site above for more information.

Or comparing your home in another way, an average sized home in February should have a heating bill of $200 or less.

In conducting an audit, Michael said one must compare how a homeowner actually uses energy (“trueing up”) with the expected use of energy. Sometimes these differ widely between persons.

Basic kinds of issues in homes:

Diffusion: this is the movement of moisture. The adage is, “Build it tight, but ventilate it right.” A house can be too tight: for example, when you see moisture on an outside wall – that is, an inside wall that touches the outside. In this case, you will need to have a fan to remove the moisture, pushing air out at 50 cubic feet per minute (CFM’s). These days there are exceptionally quiet fans available, using low energy, that work 24 hours per day. You can also use a dehumidifier.

Convection: This is the movement of heat through fluid – air or liquid. The “convective loop” occurs when air is pushed in low, but pushed out high.

Radiation: Heat moves from high to low pressure rather than rising. And it is hot air that will move itself to the coldest part of the house.

An example is when you are standing close to a window on a cold day. You sense that cold air is getting in through the window. But actually what is happening is that the heat from your body is radiating and “convecting” off of your body, making you feel cold.

Another myth about windows is that it is a very good idea to replace windows. There is not that much benefit from going from single pane to triple pane windows. What is more important is making sure that the windows are well sealed. Michael suggests that instead you install storm windows

Improvements that you make towards energy efficiency also lend themselves to improving your comfort.

Do-It-Yourself modifications

You can caulk and weatherstrip. Do these from the outside (both??)

Consider installing interior or exterior storm windows. Even the plastic cellophane products are helpful. Replacing windows is 99 percent not cost effective, unless they don’t close or lock or latch. (This is more of a safety issues.) However, if you have the worst windows – i.e., single pane aluminum metal windows – the payback for these will be 10 years or less.

Install compact fluorescent lightbulbs. (See these websites for more info: http://www.efi.org/ and http://www.maxlite.com/

Be sure to try to “air-seal” before insulating. That is, find the holes and fill them. (When air comes in contact with insulation, it degrades it. Example, if fiberglass is not pink or yellow, then it’s dirty and it is not insulating any more. ) Polyurethane foams no longer contain formaldehyde gases – so these are safe to use.

As regards insulation, the home improvement stores do offer classes on these subjects. Blown in cellulose is simply recycled newspaper – and is not harmful.

Consider acquiring a Kill-a-watt to measure the usage of electricity by your appliances. Here’s a review of this product: http://greenertrends.com/2008/08/13/gt-product-review-kill-a-watt/

Michael’s recommendations – and debunking energy myths:

Switching lights on and off does not use more energy than leaving them on. (Michael wasn’t so sure about fluorescent tubes.)

Bigger HVAC units are not better. If not properly sized for your needs, the unit may short-cycle, going on and off every 5 to 10 minutes. Undersizing is better. If you have a bigger unit – and then you “air-seal” and insulate, you will be better off, cost-wise, to replace a larger unit with a unit that is sized to your new needs.

The furnace is working optimally when on the coldest day of the year, it never turns off.

Michael recommends getting an EnergyStar programmable thermostat that can be programmed for five to seven days. Many people might be able to install this thermostat without aid of an electrician – using the instructions with the device. But he advises to be sure to wrap the wires around a pencil to avoid them falling down inside the wall.

Is a zero energy home possible? Michael says, no, though you can have a “net zero energy home.”

Does a house need to breathe? Yes, it does, but it must be controlled. As an example, air for the furnace should not be brought in from outside – unless it is for combustion. Sometimes hot water heaters use outside air for combustion.

There is an ASHRAE formula for figuring the ventilation required.

7.5 (number of people in the house) = .01 (conditioned square feet) = the required ventilation for tight envelopes.

6. Should I replace a single-pane window in my basement with glass block? Yes, but mostly for security compared to energy savings.

Questions:

Should I vent my attic? That depends. For instance, if there is a heating system in the attic, then, no. Michael recommends gable end ventilation rather than soffit and fascia. A path is needed for humidity.

Why do hot water heaters last such a short time? Another audience member said it was because of all the minerals in our water that accumulate on our electrodes, causing them to erode. Hot water heaters last about 10 years. Michael does recommend gas instantaneous hot water heaters. These can be vented outside of the home. Their life expectancy is better than tanks. These systems can provide water to the whole house or at different locations (bathroom, kitchen sink). If “whole house”, there is some water wasted, but on the whole, you use less energy.

Michael added that you cannot have solar and instantaneous hot water together. Solar hot water requires the use of two tanks, one to kill germs, and the other to heat the water. Solar hot water systems cost $8000 to 10,000.

Michael further added that 30 to 40 square feet of solar hot water would give you enough hot water, while an equal amount of electricity-producing solar photovoltaics would only give you about 500 watts (per day??).

What is the worst furnace?? Michael said in this area, the 80+ atmospheric boiler is popular – but not efficient. Oftentimes, the burners on this boiler get dirty and there is incomplete combustion, causing carbon monoxide to be formed. You can have this boiler tested for CO, but be sure that the test is done inside the tubing between the boiler and the bell. If you cannot afford to replace this unit, then have an HVAC guy come and check the fuel pressure and fuel-to-air ratio.

How can you zone your house, so that hot air goes where it is most wanted? Michael said that it was best to install “slider dampers” on the ducts in the basement, rather than simply closing the vents in the room that doesn’t need heat.

How do you know if your gas oven is burning properly? The flame should be blue rather than yellow. These are notorious for “exhaling” carbon monoxide. Michael recommends having UL-rated (Underwriters Laboratory) CO monitors on every floor. There should be no more than 9 ppm of CO. Side effects of “mild” CO poisoning are grumpiness, edginess, unable to concentrate, and lethargic.

When should I have an audit done? Energy audits can be done at any time of year. Michael’s audits takes two hours.

Which insulation material should I use to insulate a hole above my basement window? Fiberglass does not provide an air barrier – so it would be better to use rigid board or polyurethane foam. Warning: if you have “knob-and-tube” wiring, you cannot use cellulose for insulation in your walls.

Question on insulating ducts: Michael said it was more important to insulate “return” ducts.

Is there a way to insulate brick walls? You can make small holes in the mortar and use a slow-rise foam called “air-crete”.

Where do you find the material to put behind hot water radiators – to radiate the heat back into the house instead of into an outside wall? There is something called “super-tough” at most home improvement . It appears to be blue on the shelf, but it is reflective on the back. Also there is a product called, thermo-ply, but it is not at home improvement stores.

How do you deal with a chimney and fireplace that is no longer used? Michael recommends sealing it at the top. If still using the fireplace occasionally, fit the chimney below with a friction-fitted board. EFI.org has appropriate gizmos.



Tuesday, October 28, 2008

New Book of Interest

The library has just received The Green Collar Economy: How One Solution Can Fix Our Two Biggest Problems by Van Jones. I saw Van Jones speak at the First Annual Green Jobs conference in Pittsburgh last March. (The conference was excellent, but unfortunately had very little press coverage in Pittsburgh.) Jones is a powerful and inspirational speaker and is the founder and president of Green for All. Learn more about the book on our Green Reads!

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Program: Global Oil Issues and Strategies

The Regional Environmental Education Center in Upper St. Clair hosts:

Global Oil Issues and Strategies
Dates: Wednesday, October 29 ("America's Love Affair with Oil and the Current US Situation")&
Thursday, October 30 (
"Drill More/Use Less - What Do the Presidential Candidates' Energy Plans Reveal?")
Time: 7 - 9 pm
Fee: FREE
Audience: General public

Gather at the REEC offices before you make your decision in November, for a timely and informative discussion on global oil issues and strategies during this two night symposium. Worried about gasoline prices, the oil supply and how we got into this mess? Are the oil companies to blame? Are Americans addicted to oil? Answers to these questions will be presented by Rick Jacobs, Manager of Environmental Projects at PPG Industries Inc., and his discussion on the 29th. Then join us again on the 30th for "Drill More/Use Less - What Do the Presidential Candidates' Energy Plans Reveal?" presented by Vanessa Schweizer, PhD candidate in Engineering and Public Policy, CMU. Admission to both events is free.

REEC is in Upper St. Clair in Boyce-Mayview Park. Parking for this event will be in the paved parking areas by the picnic pavilion off of Mayview Road (behind the construction of the new USC Community Rec. Center). Signs are posted, guiding you to the REEC: keep alert, as the new construction has made traversing the park challenging. For directions and information contact JessicaS @ regionalecc . org (If you are on the way, call Jessica on her cellphone at 814/937-7365. Or go to this website for a map and directions.

Pre-registration is helpful, but not required. Leave a message at the REEC's office at 412/838-0064.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Women's Health and Environment Conference

Installment III

This will be my last installment in the topic of the Women's Health and Environment Conference that I attended September 25. I have mentioned that chemicals are taking a toll on our health. The challenge is understanding the enormity of the problem and then discovering the means to avoid these chemicals.

As for the enormity of the chemical problem:
“More than 82,000 synthetic chemicals are registered for use in manufacturing and industry. Only ten percent of those chemicals have been tested for their effects on human health. Approximately 2,800 of these are considered “high-production volume” chemicals, or those produced in amounts of 1 million pounds or more per year in the United States.”*

The Collaborative on Health and the Environment has developed toolkits to assist you in learning how to avoid many toxic chemicals. Check out their website and download their toolkits. The publications provide recipes for non-toxic cleaners and hints on what foods to avoid as well as links to other resources. Click here for more information.

*Excert from toolkit: What We Know: New Science Linking Our Health and the Environment, authored by Heather Sarantis.

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Women's Health and the Environment Conference

Installment II

Alot of the conference September 25 was about chemicals in our every day life: cosmetic products, food, air, water, food containers, etc. We are exposed to hundreds of chemicals for which there is no FDA or USDA oversight and for which we do not yet know the long term consequences of this exposure. One of problems researchers are discovering is that many of these chemicals are endocrine disruptors which are thought to mimic hormones such as estrogen. A very concise description of endocrine disruptors can be found on the Extoxnet and cooperative effort of 5 Universities http://extoxnet.orst.edu/faqs/pesticide/endocrine.htm.
For more information, check out the film The Estrogen Effect: Assault on the Male a BBC documentary produced in 1998 (DVD616.65071 E87).

Today I came across a book that should interest everyone: Anti-Cancer: A New Way of Life, by David Servan-Schreiber, MD, PhD. The author provides a "shopping list" for anti-cancer foods, which have the least risk in pesticides, and which household products to avoid. One of the chemicals he suggests we avoid is one of those endocrine disruptors - phthalates, which can be found in perfumes and soft plastics.

Monday, September 29, 2008

Women's Health and the Environment 2nd Annual Conference

Installment 1:

I attended the Women's Health Conference last Thursday at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. As you may know this conference is sponsored by Teresa Heinz, the Heinz Endowments and Magee-Womens Hospital. Subtitle for this year's conference was: New Science; New Solutions. Moderated by Bev Smith of American Urban Radio Networks, the conference was lively and informative. There were 2,000 attendees who came to hear such speakers such as Devra Davis of The Center for Environmental Oncology at the University of Pittsburgh's Graduate School of Public Health, and Diane MacEachern author of the book Big Green Purse: Use Your Spending Power to Create a Cleaner, Greener World. (A copy has been ordered for the library). I have my own copy and I think it will turn out to be an essential home reference.

Devra Davis has written two books that many Pittsburghers should know about: When smoke Ran Like Water: Tales of Environmental Deception and and the Battle Against Pollution and The Secret History of the WarAgainst Cancer (for more information see our Green Reads link) . Most of us are aware that we are exposed to toxic pollutants every day due to the burning of fossil fuels, but did you know that we are also exposed to countless chemicals in the household products, furniture and cosmetics that we buy? Since, the FDA, does not require companies to perform product safety tests, it is critical we adopt a "buyer beware" attitude when doing our shopping. To help with this, I have provided a few links to websites I learned about at the conference that will aid you in finding green products, as well as learning what chemicals are in the products you buy, check these web sites: www.womenforahealthyenvironment.org,
www.biggreenpurse.com
http://www.cosmeticdatabase.com/

I will be adding more sites to the delicious link roles as I find them.






Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Peak Moment

http://www.youtube.com/user/peakmoment
Peak Moment is a weekly series showcasing perspectives and initiatives for local self-reliant living.

Be Green Programming

The Mt. Lebanon Public Library is having the following programs this fall for practical solutions of energy savings, both in the home and the garden. On Saturday, September 6th the program- Saving on Home Energy – Practical and Affordable Solutions was very informative. Jerry Huelsenbeck's introduction to the terminology used in the industry as well as an overview of the science of heating and cooling were useful and interesting. He also gave very helpful data concerning real savings one can achieve when doing upgrades in your house. Most important, however, is closing the holes in your house and making sure you are not losing heat in ways you may not realize. In order to see how your house measures in energy usage, with your utility bills in hand, go to this web site: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=home_energy_yardstick.showStep2.
Follow the directions on the yardstick to determine how efficient your home is. Jerry's Bio further down on this page.


Contact: Caroline Tibbetts 412-531`1912 tibbettsc@einetwork.net

Presenter Michael Merck is the President and Founder of West Penn Energy Audits, a full service Home Performance Solutions Company specializing in Home Energy Audits, Air Sealing, Insulation and Solar Site Assessment. He is a national certified Home Energy Rater with the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) and a nationally certified Building Analyst with the Building Performance Institute. (BPI)