February 2024 EnergyWiseSM Tip: Why Energy Efficiency?
February 13, 2024
By: NPPD Energy Efficiency Program Manager Cory Fuehrer
Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) is committed to working in partnership with local utility customers to maximize the value of their energy purchases in a cost-effective manner. To understand its importance in our future, we need to examine where energy efficiency began.
As intelligence evolved, energy efficiency included finding easier ways to get work done. For example, the invention of the wheel was an early advance in energy efficiency. Fire is the oldest major source of energy controlled by humans. Its earliest uses began with and grew from cooking to heating of dwellings, clearing land, baking pottery and casting metal. Controlled fires required a considerable amount of effort for gathering fuel, so efficiency arose in the use of fuel.
Around the start of the 18th century, fire powered the first steam engine. Its development was revolutionary since, for the first time, fire could produce mechanical work. It also gave rise to searching for ways to achieve higher efficiency. This scientific discipline eventually evolved into what we now call mechanical engineering.
Only a few decades later, practical use of electrical power emerged, and by the end of the 19th century, humans began to produce more and more electricity to power incandescent lights and motors. Shortly thereafter, the invention of innumerable small machines and labor-saving devices made electricity a ubiquitous commodity. By the beginning of the 20th century, energy consumption per capita was accelerating.
The 1973 "energy crisis" brought the realization that energy sources might not keep pace with mankind's ability to use energy. Energy efficiency as we know it today began and was called “conservation” with the concept of “Just Use Less.” Congress established the Department of Energy in 1977 to diversify energy resources and promote conservation. The electric industry began to see efficiency as an energy resource whose avoided cost is less than building another power plant or procuring in the wholesale market to meet customer demand.
Efficiency programs began to yield market impacts beyond cost-effective energy savings. On March 15, 1992, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency launched the ENERGY STAR® brand to help customers recognize high efficiency options. Around the same time, performance contracting began to provide access to needed capital and services for building energy performance improvements.
Recognizing that efficiency provided benefits beyond just saving energy, utilities began ramping up programs shortly after the start of the current millennium. Non-energy benefits such as managing electrical demand, increasing electric grid resilience and reliability, creating jobs, advancing technology and reducing greenhouse gas emissions became apparent.
Electrification is also a form of energy efficiency. As cited in Forbes, on Nov. 9, 2023, “Transitioning from a fossil energy system to a fully electrified one could cut up to 40% of final energy consumption. In buildings, for example, Artificial intelligence-driven technologies can save up to 20% in a building’s energy costs by combining building, weather, and user data to predict heating and ventilation demand. Load-shifting can also be automated to cool supermarket freezers down to a much lower temperature than required outside the peak demand hours. When peak demand periods occur, refrigeration is switched off and the freezers effectively operate like a battery storing energy.” In homes, air-conditioning systems can be operated in a similar way to provide energy demand reductions during peak periods while still maintaining indoor comfort.
Going forward, efficiency will be increasingly recognized for its financial and strategic value. There is a renewed focus on getting the most economic value from each unit of energy. Renewable generation will continue to grow, as well as energy storage, demand management and re-using waste heat.
For years, Southwest Public Power District, in partnership with Nebraska Public Power District, has been dedicated to safely generating and delivering reliable, low-cost, sustainable energy and related services, while providing outstanding customer service. For additional ideas on ways you can make cost-effective efficiency improvements to your home or business, contact Southwest Public Power District or visit www.energywisenebraska.com for more information.
Winter air is dry, and dry air affects how warm a home feels. Low indoor humidity makes people feel colder, even when the thermostat setting is the same as it always has been. When you feel cold, you’ll crank up the heat. And that can lead to higher energy bills. Suggestion: Adding a modest amount of humidity to the air. This can make rooms feel warmer without raising the thermostat. Use a single-room humidifier for sleeping areas or a whole-house humidifier attached to your HVAC if you already have one. Aim for relative humidity between 30 and 40 percent in winter to avoid condensation on windows and minimize mold risk. Adjusting the humidity won’t stop heat loss on its own, though. As you deal with the humidity, seal windows and doors that can let warm air escape from the house. Add insulation to your attic. Caulk gaps around windows and doors, weatherstrip drafty attic-hatch covers and insulate exposed pipes and attic access points. These measures reduce the load on humidifiers and heaters. And simple habits help: Close shades at night to reduce radiant heat loss, keep interior doors open to let warm air circulate and use ceiling fans on low after reversing the direction the blades spin. They should push warm air down.
Staking Technician
Holiday cooking, decorating and hosting mean using more electricity in November and December than usual. Still, a few easy habits can help keep energy use in check while you enjoy the season. Cook smart. Use lids and match pot size to the burner. Use residual oven heat by turning it off a few minutes before a dish is done. Cook multiple dishes together when possible. A slow cooker or pressure cooker is great for sides and keeps the oven free for the turkey. Manage refrigeration. Do not leave the door open while you hunt for items. Chill drinks in a cooler so guests do not crowd the fridge. If you will have a lot of extra food, organize a staging area so people can find what they need quickly. Decorate efficiently. Replace old string lights with LEDs and put them on timers or smart plugs. Use indoor timers so lights turn off at bedtime. Consider battery-operated candles for mantel displays. Control heat. When cooking fills the kitchen with warmth, lower the thermostat a few degrees. Close off unused rooms and focus heat where guests gather. Encourage layering and cozy throws rather than higher thermostat settings. Unplug. Unused chargers and appliances still draw power when plugged in. If you stream music or video, pause or stop devices when not in use. Fill up. Run the dishwasher and washing machine only with full loads and use eco or air-dry cycles if your appliances have them.
Winter storms can cut power quickly. A ready kit reduces stress and keeps your household safe until power returns. Include these essentials in a weather-resistant bin: • Flashlights or headlamps for each person, plus extra batteries. • Portable phone chargers, a car charger and at least one fully charged power bank. • Extra blankets, warm clothing, hats and gloves stored together for quick access. • Three days of nonperishable food and bottled water. Add a manual can opener and some ready-to-eat meals. • A first aid kit, essential prescription medicines and copies of critical medical information. • A battery-powered radio, whistle and a small fire extinguisher. Also, if the power goes out in your home, keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed to protect your food. Turn off or unplug electronics to avoid damage from surges when power returns. If you run a generator, keep it outdoors and well away from windows and vents. Next, think about heat and pipes. Open cabinet doors under sinks to let warm air circulate to exposed plumbing. If a pipe freezes, use a hair dryer or warm towels—never an open flame—to thaw it. Finally, plan for your family’s medical needs. If someone relies on a powered medical device, call your utility in advance to learn about backup power options and restoration priority. Share your plan with a neighbor or family member who can check in during a storm. Review and refresh your kit twice a year. Replace expired food and medicine, recharge power banks and check batteries. Label containers and store them where everyone can reach them in the dark.
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Heating your home does not have to mean burning fuel. Electric systems are efficient, clean and increasingly practical. Heat pumps are the leading electric choice. They extract heat from outdoor air or from the ground and move it indoors. Because they transfer heat rather than generate it, they use far less energy than many older systems. Modern air-source models and ground-source or geothermal systems work well in a range of climates. Ductless mini-split systems heat individual rooms and avoid the energy loss that comes with ductwork. Radiant floor systems use thin mats under flooring to deliver gentle, even warmth. High-efficiency electric heaters are useful for zone heating in small spaces. Why consider electric heat? It removes indoor combustion and the risk of carbon monoxide. Maintenance is often simpler. When paired with clean electricity from your electric cooperative or with rooftop solar, electric heat can sharply lower your home’s carbon footprint. Before you switch, tighten insulation and seal air leaks so you do not heat the outdoors. Get an energy audit and a professional load calculation to size equipment correctly. Ask about incentives and rebates from your cooperative or state that can ease upfront costs. Check out hybrid systems, too. In some homes, a heat pump covers most of the year while a small backup system handles rare cold snaps. Electric heating is worth exploring if you want cleaner air, reliable comfort and long-term savings.
Winter weather can push your energy bills higher than you expect. Push back with a few smart devices that help you stay warm and cut electricity use. Many of them are easy to install and simple to use. Start with a programmable thermostat. These devices have all kinds of settings, but their most basic advantage is that they allow you to set your home’s temperature lower when you’re ready for bed or when you leave for work. Then you can schedule it to warm the house a bit before you wake up or get home from work. Some models can learn your routine and make adjustments automatically. Smart plugs are low cost and versatile. Plug lamps, humidifiers, space heaters and other electric devices into them. Then use an app on your phone to switch devices off when you do not need them. Timers and schedules stop devices from running unnecessarily and wasting electricity. An energy monitor shows which appliances draw the most power. Seeing those numbers helps you spot problems like an old freezer running in the basement or an inefficient water heater. Once you see the evidence of wasted electricity, you can unplug the appliance or replace it with one that’s energy efficient. Smart lighting paired with LED bulbs saves energy. You can sync your lights with an app on your phone to dim them or set schedules so lights turn off when you go to bed. You can also group lights by room so they all turn on when you use them and turn off when you leave the space. Even small changes can add up to energy savings, so start with one device and see if you notice a difference on your monthly bill.
By: NPPD Energy Efficiency Program Manager Cory Fuehrer In 2001, the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory published the results of the National Human Activity Pattern Survey. It revealed that, on average, Americans spend 87% of their time indoors and an additional 6% in enclosed vehicles. In 1800, 90% of Americans worked outside. 200 years later, less than 20% did. As more of our daily lives have been spent inside, the number of people with respiratory diseases, heart disease, certain types of cancer and/or other health problems has dramatically increased. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) as the air quality within and around buildings and structures, especially as it relates to the health and comfort of building occupants. Understanding and controlling common pollutants indoors can help reduce the risk of indoor health concerns. While a great deal of energy can be used to purify indoor air, the EPA suggests three basic strategies to mitigate the problems while minimizing the impact on energy costs. Source Control Quite often, the most effective way to improve IAQ is to eliminate individual sources of pollution or to reduce their emissions. Some sources, like those that contain asbestos, can be sealed or enclosed. Others, like toxic and other byproducts from gas stoves or furnaces, can be adjusted or replaced to decrease the amount of emissions. Many activities such as cooking, painting, paint stripping, welding, soldering, or sanding can be taken outside or performed in a mechanically ventilated area. Smoking should never be done inside. Pets can be bathed to reduce their dander. Excess moisture in basements and other high humidity rooms can be managed with a dehumidifier, if necessary, to lower relative humidity to 50% or lower. In many cases, source control is also a more energy and cost-efficient approach to improving IAQ than increasing ventilation. Ventilation As long as the outside air is fairly pollutant-free, bringing fresh air into the home is an effective approach to lowering the concentrations of indoor air pollutants. However, ventilation often requires filtering, heating, cooling, dehumidifying or humidifying. Some homes, especially much older ones, are “leaky” and exchange plenty of indoor and outdoor air through gaps and cracks around foundations, windows siding and attics. But others, especially newer ones, tend to be sealed tightly and require additional ventilation. While opening a window and operating a ventilation fan is a simple way to bring in outside air, considerable energy use is necessary to make the air comfortable. For these homes, installing an energy recovery ventilator that replaces indoor stale air with fresh outdoor air while transferring heat into or out of the incoming air depending on the season is the most efficient and practical solution. Air cleaning Research shows that filtration can be an effective supplement to source control and ventilation. It turns out that 67% of U.S. homes already have a central heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) system. If the system’s blower fan is powerful enough, a filter can be installed to create a highly effective whole house air purifier. Filters are rated on a Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) scale that ranges from 1 to 20. The higher the number, the smaller the particles it can effectively filter. A MERV rating of at least 13 is necessary to capture 95% of dust, pollen and smoke particles, which can be as small as 0.3 microns in size. High-Efficiency Particulate Air or HEPA filters have a MERV rating of at least 17. However, not all HVAC blowers are powerful enough to overcome the increasing air resistance of the filter as the MERV rating increases. Always check with a certified HVAC professional before installing a filter with a higher MERV rating than your system currently uses. Another way to filter air in a single room or area is to use portable air cleaners, also known as air purifiers or air sanitizers. A standard room air cleaner, operating continuously, can use 250 to 500 kilowatt-hours a year in electricity. This is more than the energy used by some new refrigerators! Note that the energy efficiency of an air purifier is determined by its Clean Air Delivery Rate-to-Watt (CADR/Watt) ratio, where a higher number means more efficiency. Look for a rating above 1.9 for smaller units and a rating above 2.9 for units designed to provide 150 cubic feet or more of filtered air per minute. For more detailed and extensive information about IAQ, The EPA provides “The Inside Story: A Guide to Indoor Air Quality.” In addition to expanding on the importance of IAQ in your home, it offers additional ways to mitigate poor quality air and where to go for professional help. In partnership with Nebraska Public Power District, your local public power provider is happy to help you explore the most efficient way to keep the air in your home or business healthy and clean. Contact them or visit www.energywisenebraska.com for more details.
Looking to save energy and still stay comfortable at home this fall? A few small tech upgrades could make a big difference. · Smart plugs can help you control when appliances and lamps are on — even when you’re not home. Set schedules or turn devices off from your phone. · Smart thermostats learn your habits and adjust the temperature automatically, saving energy without sacrificing comfort. Some models also give you detailed reports on your energy use. · LED strip lights are a trendy way to light up kitchens, bathrooms and even outdoor areas. They use little electricity and last a long time. · Smart power strips stop electronics like TVs, computers and game consoles from drawing power when they’re turned off. · Motion-sensor lights work indoors and out. Try them in hallways and entryways to prevent leaving lights on by accident. With daylight hours getting shorter and temperatures dropping, now’s a great time to explore smart tech that helps save money while keeping your home cozy.
As cold weather begins to set in, many people retreat to their garage to escape the chill. As do vehicles, so drivers hope to avoid scraping off ice and snow in the morning. If there’s any space remaining, ongoing projects are moved in with hopes of finishing them soon or carrying them over until spring. Closing up the doors and windows, many start using supplemental heat to make their garage, shop or shed even more hospitable. Propane tanks are filled. Pilot lights are ignited. Space heaters are plugged in. Then, without much thought, thermostats are turned up to drive away the chill. Unless folks remember how to manage this extra use of energy, they may be shocked when their first winter utility bills arrive or the fuel tank out back is empty before expected. Usually the garage, shop or shed is the least energy efficient space at a residence. A typical two-car garage measures 480 square feet, or about 20 percent of the size of the average U.S. home. It is often the least insulated and uses the least efficient heating systems. Yet, some are taken back in the middle of winter when keeping these areas at 50°F or higher increases their heating costs by 50% or more. Before taking up refuge in your garage this winter and cranking up the heat, consider a few of the following opportunities to keep your energy use from literally going through the roof. Insulate the walls While most people insulate their garage attics before heating them, many older homes (and even some newer ones) were not built with insulation in the walls of the garage. While most have outside siding, sheathing and a layer of particle board to keep elements out, these materials do little to retain heat. Insulating can be as easy as tacking fiberglass insulation between exposed joists. If your garage walls are finished, insulation can be blown in through a small hole in the drywall or paneling. Caulk between the walls and the concrete floor Most garages were not built using compressible foam between the lower framing and concrete floor. Over time, the framing can swell, shrink and move, leaving gaps which will allow air from the outside to leak in. You can either use a foam sealant or a latex/silicone-based caulk to seal this often-overlooked area. Seal the door between the house and garage If your garage is attached to the house, the door leading into the home is often a major source of cold air leaking into the conditioned area. If your garage is detached, the passenger door may be letting much of your garage heat escape. Check to ensure weather-stripping is installed around the entire door frame, and that it’s intact, pliable and provides a snug seal. Also, ensure your threshold and door sweep are sealing at the bottom. Insulate the garage door Even if your garage has properly-insulated walls, you may have uninsulated garage door(s). This negates much of the benefit from insulated walls. A new, insulated door will cost several hundreds of dollars or more, but will provide a clean appearance. A lower cost solution is to purchase foam board insulation and install it on the inside panels of your existing doors. Remember, you must cut the foam board to a size a little smaller than your garage door’s panels so the insulation doesn’t smash together as the door rolls up and down. Switch to LED lighting Compared to traditional, incandescent lights, LEDs use only 10 percent of the electricity to produce identical illumination levels. Compared to fluorescent lighting, LEDs use 40 to 60 percent less energy for the same amount of light. More importantly, fluorescent lights produce less and less light as the temperature drops. Many fluorescent lights will not even operate below 10°F. In contrast, LEDs slightly increase their light output the colder it becomes. Replace older appliances If you have an older model refrigerator or freezer in your garage, it may cost more money for you to operate it over time than it would to invest into a new unit. Although the energy savings are smaller in the winter, consider how hot your garage becomes in the summer. If there is very little in the garage refrigerator or freezer, try moving items to an indoor refrigerator or freezer. Then, unplug the garage unit to save electricity. For additional ideas on how you can reduce the cost of heating your garage this winter, contact your local electric utility or visit www.energywisenebraska.com. You may even find you are eligible for EnergyWiseSM incentives for helping with the cost of other energy-saving home improvements.
