Conservation Pros

Survey Probes Americans’ Incorrect Opinions on Energy Efficiency

Administrator — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 15:16:50 +0000

Quick - what’s the most effective for you to save energy? If you’re like many Americans, you’d say turn out the lights or turn up the AC’s thermostat. And, like many Americans, you’d miss the mark.

Turns out, when figuring what we can do to go green, most of us overstate.

We think about curtailment—unplugging appliances, driving less, turning off lights—when improving the efficiency of our cars, appliances and home would take the biggest chunk out of our energy footprint.

That’s not a surprise to scientists who surveyed 505 Americans on their perceptions of energy consumption and savings. After all, curtailment is pretty easy: Flip a switch. Improving efficiency, on the other hand, requires research, effort, out-of-pocket expense: Does anybody want to buy a new washing machine when what’s downstairs works just fine?

The researchers started their survey with a simple open-ended question: What’s the single most-effective thing you can do to conserve energy? More than 40 percent of the respondents said one of three things: Turn off lights, drive less or change the thermostat.

Less than 10 percent identified what experts generally agree are the most effective measures - insulate the house or use more efficient appliances or cars.

"When you think about your life, what’s really easy to do is turn off the lights when you leave the room," said Shahzeen Attari, the study’s lead author and a researcher at Columbia University’s Earth Institute and Center for Research on Environmental Decisions.

Researchers note that for many of us, concerns about energy simply are not strong enough, compared to other daily worries, to warrant learning about energy conservation. But raise fuel prices or impose a tax on carbon that reflects its role in climate change and other environmental harm, and the public would have ample incentive to get educated in a hurry.

After all, it was the spike in gas prices in 2008 that brought the auto industry to its knees and triggered some of the nation’s sharpest declines in vehicle-miles traveled since recordkeeping began in the 1940s. "With a carbon tax we would see changes," Attari noted. "People are pretty elastic when it comes to the consumption of energy."

What you can do

Let’s face it: nobody’s going to go out and replace a working hot-water heater or washing machine. And few of us have a few grand lying around to replace our drafty old windows. But there are some easy steps you can take that can effectively cut energy consumption.

Buy your beverages in aluminum cans, not glass bottles: Making a glass bottle requires 1.4 times the energy of an aluminum can when virgin materials are used. Toss recycled materials into the equation and the difference jumps to 20 times as much. In part that’s because glass is so heavy.

Change your washer’s settings: Most people assume line-drying clothes—a time-consuming process to be sure—saves more energy than using colder water and optimizing loads. In fact the reverse is true.

Cool the room, not the house: Many of us think, incorrectly, that central air uses marginally more energy than a room air conditioner. The reality is it uses 3.5 times as much.

This article originally appeared at The Daily Climate, the climate change news source published by Environmental Health Sciences, a nonprofit media company.

Massachusetts man decides efficiency is better investment than solar

Administrator — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 14:37:03 +0000

By Patrick Cassidy

pcassidy@capecodonline.com

August 18, 2010

SOUTH DENNIS — Michael Slattery’s home looks perfect for solar panels.

"I’ve got this huge roof," he said during a recent interview at his Cape-style home on Asack Drive. "South is right there."

An engineer by trade, he decided to bypass an expensive photovoltaic system and attacked the many small ways his family could reduce its energy use. Three years later they are saving more than $900 annually on electricity and natural gas bills.The home’s south-facing shingles get plenty of sun, but after Slattery took a renewable energy class his perspective changed on whether solar was the right move.

Slattery is among a growing number of homeowners and businesspeople who are taking advantage of incentives, courses and other opportunities in energy efficiency.

Cape Cod Community College has seen enrollment quadruple in its renewable energy and energy conservation classes in the past six years, said college spokesman Michael Gross.

Seventeen students participated in one such class offered by the college in 2004. This year 71 students took six different classes and in many cases are taking more than one class in the field.

Slattery learned to start with an energy audit to learn the best ways to save on energy bills at his house. After the audit, offered by the Cape Light Compact, the family first replaced traditional light bulbs with more energy efficient compact fluorescent light or CLF bulbs.

The audits, bulbs and other incentives are paid for through a charge on all ratepayer bills.

Slattery analyzed how much he would save by using a CFL bulb. By replacing three bulbs in an exterior candelabra-style light fixture with one CFL he is saving $26 a year. With the $42 cost of the new lamp and bulb his return on his investment was a little over a year and a half, he said.

He also discovered that heat was escaping his home through a poorly insulated crawl space. By sealing up the area, having an extra 10 inches of insulation blown into the attic and sealing small areas around electrical wiring in the home’s walls, Slattery cut off the flow of heat, and his money, going through the roof.

The cost: $2,000. But after rebates from the Compact and Mass Save, an organization sponsored by utilities and the state that provides incentives, training and other information on ways to reduce energy use, the total out—of—pocket expense was $500, he said.

By installing programmable thermostats and upgrading to Energy Star air conditioners, dehumidifiers and dishwasher, Slattery reduced his bills even further, he said.

Other measures cost even less. Slattery used plastic and insulation in a sun room to cover large skylights and other windows. He hid the plastic on the sky lights with colorful tapestries. He also bought smart power strips that automatically turn off plugs when a primary device is powered down.

Nothing has really changed for the family, said his daughter, Jaci, who wore a tie-dyed T-shirt a bit more colorful than her father’s tapestries.

"Honestly my dad just does all the work," she said.

And, while his wife — a math teacher — questioned Slattery’s actions at times, when she saw charts tracking their savings she was impressed, he said.

"It sunk in really quickly," he said.

Now he is sharing his experience with family members and friends. Several have already had energy audits done, he said.

His advice: Make a plan and take it one step at a time. "I think a lot of people are intimidated to get started," he said.

Through the host of rebates and the resulting reduction in demand, careful utility customers are becoming a small but growing part of the energy supply, Compact energy efficiency program manager Kevin Galligan said. By reducing demand for electricity the amount of total energy available can serve more customers.

It also means that investments in new transmission infrastructure can be deferred, Galligan said.

The Compact plans to issue a request for proposals soon for the second phase of a successful pilot program that will give homeowners even more control over their energy use by monitoring it via computer, he said.

A slew of other grants are available for energy retrofits and upgrades, including for agricultural projects, he said.

There is also a large queue of commercial and industrial projects seeking advice on energy improvements, he said.

"We may be an early indicator of economic recovery," Galligan said of the interest in energy efficiency projects.

Is Minnesota Power shooting itself in the foot?

Administrator — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 15:10:09 +0000

Historically, advances in household energy efficiency have come from colder climates. No surprise, since homeowners in snowy, frigid places spend way more on heating than their more southerly counterparts. I mean, what we call affectionately the "blower door", is more appropriately called the "Minneapolis Blower Door" (Retrotec fans, don’t come after me, we still say Kleenex, too!)

Consider this… Minnesota Power has put together a website that does nothing more than educate their own customers about how to buy less of what they’re selling!

This ain’t no Greenwashing, folks. This is where residential energy efficiency comes from. (In the US, that is. In North America, we owe much of what we know to Canada. Those Loons!)

What on Earth would possess a utility to encourage people to reduce their own bottom line? How about good stewardship of the resources we’ve been "loaned"?

Man, I tell ya, that’s just crazy talk.

Even if you’re not in Minnesota, you can still benefit from this site. Pay particular attention to the "Pyramid of Conservation". Very cool. http://www.mnpower.com/powerofone/one_home/index.htm

Is Home Star DEAD? Quite possibly.

Administrator — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 14:58:24 +0000

In what’s being described as a "punt" in the national press, the Spill Bill has been pulled from the floor of the Senate. And, with it, Home Star.

From Politico.com:

Senate Democrats on Tuesday punted their oil spill response bill to next month, but the extra time doesn’t guarantee the measure will pass — far from it.

The delay virtually ensures that strategists from both parties will use the congressional recess to hone their plans, talking points and poison-pill amendments for any floor debate, all with an eye toward the midterm elections.

Majority Leader Harry Reid’s decision to pull the plug on offshore drilling is the latest blow to Democratic efforts to move energy legislation, beginning with the deaths of a sweeping climate change bill and then a scaled-down renewable energy bill.

It initially appeared that the slender offshore drilling package was a must-pass bill with political momentum, but it became evident over the past week that the Nevada Democrat lacked the votes within his own caucus to force the issue as the Republicans held firm against it…

Read the full story here…

Huff PO gets in on the Home Star act!

Administrator — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 13:29:10 +0000

Laura Hutchings, Huffington Post

July 20, 2010

Like many small business owners in the energy efficiency and construction industries, I have spent months writing letters to my senators in support of the home energy retrofit legislation called Home Star. Tomorrow, Congress will determine whether the Home Star Retrofit Act of 2010 will make its way to the Senate floor as part of the Small Business Jobs bill. As the Co-Chair of Efficiency First Colorado, I am writing with an urgent call to action from Efficiency First Chairman Greg Thomas and Policy Chair Matt Golden:

The American construction industry, fueled not so long ago by new housing developments and urban renewal, has come to a crashing halt. Unemployment in the construction sector has climbed to nearly 25 percent, greatly impacting the nation’s rate of unemployment at 9.3%.

Fortunately, a viable solution to this ongoing employment crisis is now moving through the United States Senate. The Home Star Retrofit Act of 2010 would make direct consumer incentives available to American homeowners for residential energy efficiency upgrades, reducing household energy waste by 20-50 percent. By boosting demand for skilled home improvement work that cannot be outsourced overseas, Home Star would create good, living-wage jobs for tens of thousands of construction workers who have been sidelined by the recession–and get domestic assembly lines rolling again to provide the insulation, sheet metal, heating and cooling equipment and other manufactured goods that are used in energy upgrades.

This bipartisan legislation, which passed the House of Representatives in May and now resides in the Senate, has the potential to create an estimated 168,000 new jobs in construction and related industries over the next two years. Much of the hiring would be done by small business owners in all 50 states who are already engaged in saving American homeowners money on their energy bills. The program has strong support from a broad spectrum of business leaders, trade associations, environmental groups and nonprofit organizations, ranging from local contractors and HVAC services to the Sierra Club and the United States Chamber of Commerce.

America’s Home Performance industry is poised to take on the task of retrofitting America’s existing housing stock with cost-effective energy efficiency upgrades, but now that word has gotten out about Home Star, we’ve seen a 15-20 percent drop in business over the past two months as consumers wait for the Home Star incentives to become available. The sooner we get this law enacted, the sooner we’ll be able to get hardworking Americans off the unemployment rolls and back in productive jobs that are good for the nation and the environment.

To ensure rapid near-term job creation in the construction industry, we call on Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to bring Home Star to the Senate floor this week as part of the Small Business Jobs bill.

Don’t miss out on your $1,500 in stimulus money!

Administrator — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 18:11:49 +0000

You could be walking away from $1,500 from the federal government if you don’t make energy efficiency improvements to your home by the end of this year. The available money, part of the ARRA stimulus package, is payable as a credit against your 2010 tax bill.

Known as the Residential Energy Tax Credit, the program pays for improvements to the “building envelope” of your home as well as heating, cooling and water heating equipment. However, in order to get the credit, the equipment has to be “put into service” by December 31^st, 2010.

As of 2011, the program will expire and likely will not be renewed, says Carl Donovan of Conservation Pros, an Asheville, NC based building performance contracting firm.

“There’s a bill pending in Congress right now, know as Home Star.”, says Mr. Donovan, “If it passes, it will certainly replace any sort of tax credits or other federal incentives.” The pending bill is dubbed “Cash for Caulkers” due to its resemblance to the very popular Cash for Clunkers program of earlier this year.

One of the most important similarities is that Home Star will be an immediate, “point of sale” rebate for residential efficiency improvements, rather than a tax credit, which could take months to claim.

There are differences between the two programs, however, that bear consideration. “Perhaps most importantly”, says Mr. Donovan, “Home Star won’t offer any rebates for do-it-yourself improvements, while the existing tax credits do.”

He goes on to suggest that it’s possible for homeowner’s to take advantage of strengths and weaknesses in both programs, maximize efficiency gains and get substantial rebates and credits in the process. “However,” cautions Mr. Donovan, “let’s not forget that Home Star is still just a bill before Congress and that the tax credits are very real. And that they’re expiring very soon.”

For instance, Mr. Donovan points to an example of a homeowner who recently contracted with his company to do work in his moist and moldy crawlspace. “Not only did he get a better insulated home and a completely dry, mold-free crawlspace, he will qualify for the entire $1,500 credit on his taxes this year.”

To clearly define the pros and cons of each program, and explain how to get the most from each, Conservation Pros has put together a presentation entitled “5 Things You Can Do To Claim The Home Energy Tax Credits In 2010”, which they will be offering for free at area libraries.

The program will cover air sealing, insulation techniques, door and window replacement and solar and geothermal options. Some of these things can be undertaken by homeowners and some require contractors but they all qualify for the expiring tax credits.

Dates and times for the presentations are as follows:

Wed, July 28, 5:30 – 7:00pm

North Asheville Library, 1030 Merrimon Ave., Asheville, NC 28804

Wed, August 4, 5:30pm – 7:00pm

Black Mountain Library, 105 N. Dougherty St., Blk Mtn, NC 28711

Thu, August 12, 5:30pm – 7:00pm

South Buncombe Library, 260 Overlook Road, Asheville, NC 28803

Allergy Season is a major pain in the Aspiration!

Administrator — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 14:03:26 +0000

Couple a vicious winter and a hot summer and what do you get? Allergens! And lots of them!

The pollen count this past Spring was at near record levels throughout the country and the summer is shaping up to be equally bad.

If you’re susceptible to allergens, all hope is not lost. There are a few measures you can take to beat back the allergens and mold spores and still have a fairly pleasant summer.

1. Clean, clean, clean! Aside from just cleaning your house, you need to clean everything else, too. Be sure to take a shower before bedtime, as pollen and mold spores will stick to your hair and skin.

2. If you like to air your house, do it in the afternoon when the spore counts are reduced. On that same note, if you’re gardening or maintaining your lawn, do it in the evening, rather than in the morning.

3. Move house plants outside, to reduce indoor humidity.

4. Always use a bath fan for a minimum of 20 minutes after a bath or shower.

5. If you have carpets (and you refuse to get rid of them), vacuum everyday with a high quality HEPA vacuum.

These measures can go a long way toward making your summer more bearable.

Of course, you also need to look into things like getting your ductwork sealed and using high quality filters on your HVAC equipment and Conservation Pros would love to help you do that.

Housing down. Recovery? What recovery?

Administrator — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 14:35:12 +0000

While the news may be all sunshine and roses about economic recovery, the truth is somewhat short of that. Housing starts and permits, one of the leading indicators of recovery and market health, are dropping as you read this post.

Home construction sinks, building permits down

By ALAN ZIBEL, AP Real Estate Writer Alan Zibel, Ap Real Estate Writer

WASHINGTON – Home construction plunged last month to the lowest level since December and building permits also fell, the latest signs that the construction industry won’t fuel the economic recovery.

Builders are scaling back now that government incentives have expired.

The Commerce Department said Wednesday that construction of new homes and apartments fell 10 percent in May to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 593,000. April’s figure was revised downward to 659,000.

The results were driven by a 17 percent decline in the single-family market, which had benefited earlier in the year from federal tax credits of up to $8,000. It was the largest monthly drop in single-family construction since January 1991.

Applications for new building permits, a sign of future activity, also fell. They sank 5.9 percent to an annual rate of 574,000, the lowest level in a year.

In a separate report, the Labor Department said wholesale prices fell for a second straight month in May, reflecting big declines in energy costs. The 0.3 percent drop in May was pulled down by a 7 percent drop in gasoline prices and a 7.4 percent decline in home heating oil prices. Core inflation, which excludes energy and food, rose 0.2 percent in May and is up just 1.3 percent over the past 12 months.

The continued absence of inflationary pressures means that the Federal Reserve, which meets next week, can keep interest rates low to provide support for the economic recovery.

The housing report missed Wall Street expectations by a wide margin. Economists surveyed by Thomson Reuters had predicted that housing construction would only fall to seasonally adjusted annual rate of 650,000 and had forecast that building permit applications would increase to an annual rate of 630,000.

In a typical economic recovery, the construction sector provides much of the fuel. But that hasn’t happened this time. Developers are trying to sell a glut of homes built during the boom years. And they must compete against foreclosed homes selling at deep discounts.

Homebuilders are feeling less confident in the recovery now that government incentives for buyers have expired. The National Association of Home Builders said Tuesday its housing market index fell in June after two straight months of increases.

Builders had been more optimistic earlier in the year when buyers could take advantage of tax creditsof up to $8,000. Those incentives expired on April 30, although buyers with signed contracts have until June 30 to complete their purchases.

Experts anticipate home sales will slow in the second half of this year. In addition, high unemployment and tight mortgage lending standards have kept buyers away.

Carl Donovan develops curriculum for NC-SBC and DOE

Administrator — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 16:32:04 +0000

Carl Donovan, Conservation Pros’ founder, recently travelled to Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina to present programs on "How To Start a Weatherization Company" and "How To Position Your Weatherization Company".

The program was a project sponsored by the North Carolina Small Business Network and Paid for by the Department of Energy, facilitated by Jill Sparks, of Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College.

Of the many weatherization and Building Performance companies in North Carolina, only Carl Donovan of Conservation Pros was chosen to create these programs.

Our thanks go out to Jill Sparks and the rest of the supporting professionals who recognized that Carl and Conservation Pros have the right mix of experience, passion and personality to create a program that was not only informative but also entertaining.

Carl Donovan with Matt Mittan and Agnes Cheek

Administrator — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 15:32:12 +0000

Carl Donovan, founder and managing member of Conservation Pros, had an opportunity to be on the radio with the one and only Matt Mittan and the lovely Agnes Cheek, from their hit radio show, Take A Stand with Matt Mittan. They were there to do a show about the success of the Small Business Incubator and the entrepreneurs that have run their businesses through it.

The show is three hours long and the entire thing is here but, if you’re just here to hear Carl, he’s in hour three.

April 21, 2010 Hour 1
Wed, 21 Apr 2010 14:34:32 -0400
Matt and Agnes are live at AB tech for the third leg of their 2010 Spring tour.
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April 21, 2010 Hr 2
Wed, 21 Apr 2010 14:33:51 -0400
Live from AB tech talking with students about the Early College curriculum and their graduation projects.
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April 21, 2010 Hr 3
Wed, 21 Apr 2010 14:32:44 -0400

Matt Mittan and Agnes Cheek talk with Carl Donovan of Conservation Pros.

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