January 2024 EnergyWiseSM Tip: Icicles

January 18, 2024

By: NPPD Energy Efficiency Program Manager Cory Fuehrer


Can you think back to your childhood and remember the "magic" of icicles? While growing up in a century-old farm house, I remember wintry "No School" days when my mom would bundle me up in so many layers of sweatshirts, coats and overalls that I could barely move. Then, I'd waddle outside and start my polar expedition around the farm to discover the winter wonderland and search for the perfect icicle.

Inevitably, I would find the most beautiful ones hanging from the gutters on the south side of the house. Over the next couple of hours, I would keep checking to see how much they had grown. Then, before they became too long, I would break them off and carefully put them in the deep freezer thinking how refreshing they would taste in July when it's 95°F. Sadly, I never experienced that summertime sensation because mom always threw them out when she defrosted the freezer during spring cleaning.

Unfortunately, not all stories involving icicles are as innocent or benign. It seems every winter, we hear a news of someone injured by falling icicles. More likely, we hear very little about the gutters pulled off homes when the icicles become too heavy or the ice that builds up on the roof behind them, melts and rots wood in attics. Their beauty disguises the warning of other potential damage including loosened or broken shingles, cracked chimney stacks, ruined insulation, damaged drywall or even a roof collapsing.

Icicles form on days when the outdoor air temperature is subfreezing but heat escaping through the attic melts snow or ice on top. As it drips off the roof, a water droplet freezes as it loses heat to the cold air. Over time, ice gets thicker and thicker to create an ice dam. Eventually, the water behind the ice dam builds up enough to push under the shingles and into the house.

Roof rakes, heat cables and ice dam removal companies only address the symptoms of ice damming. While you may never completely eliminate icicles, there are two parts to a long-term solution: reducing the heat escaping into the attic and removing the heat that does.

Attic insulation and air sealing

Since most of this misplaced heat comes from below the attic, ensure proper insulation and air sealing. According to the Department of Energy, Nebraska homes should have enough insulation to equate to at least an R49 value in attics. This value is equal to about 15 inches of fiberglass batt material assuming an average of R3.25 per inch of thickness. Note that if you have loose-fill insulation in your attic, the R-value of does not change proportionately with thickness. Rather, manufacturers provide coverage charts that specify the amount needed to achieve a particular R-value.

Air leaks transmit a lot of heat into the attic quickly. When trying to seal up sources of these leaks, pay particular attention to the following items that often penetrate into the attic:

• Chimneys

• Plumbing stacks

• Recessed lighting from the ceiling below

• Bathroom and clothes dryer ventilation

Of the four, bathroom and clothes dryer exhausts can be the worst. Not only do they bring heat into the attic area, some are not completely ducted outside and dump warm, moisture-laden air right into the attic. This often leads to problems similar to ice damming such as rotting rafters, ruined insulation, moisture inside walls, mold, and peeling paint.

More attic ventilation

Though secondary to insulation and sealing, ventilation is also important. No matter how much you insulate, some heat will still come through. Proper attic ventilation promptly moves the undesired heat outdoors before it causes melting on your roof.

Many homes built before 1980 have inadequate attic ventilation. When checking your attic's insulation levels, look for these signs of moisture problems:

• Damp insulation

• Unnaturally dark or discolored decking

• Dark streaks on roof boards around nails

• Orange resin beads on rafters signaling sweating wood

• Moisture on roof boards and rafters

• Crumbling, curled roof shingles

Southwest Public Power District, in partnership with Nebraska Public Power District, are happy to help you make the most of the energy needed to keep you warm, safe and sound this winter. For additional ideas, as well as information on EnergyWiseSM incentives to help with the cost of efficiency improvements, contact Southwest Public Power District or visit www.energywisenebraska.com for more information.

Inspect outdoor outlets, cords

September 18, 2025
It’s almost leaf-blowing season. Before you power up your leaf-blower and other electrical outdoor tools, check your outlets and cords for safety. Here’s how: Inspect outlets: Look for cracked or broken covers and replace any that are damaged to prevent water from getting inside and behind them. Test GFCI outlets: Outdoor outlets should be ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs). Press the “test” and “reset” buttons monthly to ensure they’re working. If your home is older, contact a licensed electrician to find out if yours are GFCIs. Examine extension cords: Check cords for frays, cracks or exposed wires. Damaged cords should be replaced immediately. Use outdoor-rated cords: Only use cords labeled for outdoor use. They are designed to withstand weather conditions. Keep connections dry: Avoid plugging cords into outlets when raining or the ground is wet. Use outlet covers and keep cords elevated off wet ground. Regularly inspecting your outdoor outlets helps prevent hazards like shocks or fires. A little maintenance now can keep your fall projects safe and trouble-free.

Close Blinds on Hot Summer Days

September 12, 2025
If you want to keep the hot summer heat out of your air-conditioned home, keep the sunlight out. Close your blinds and shades, and your home will feel cooler and more comfortable. Any heat that comes in with the sunshine will compete with the cool air your central air conditioning system is pumping out, making your rooms feel hotter and tempting you to lower the thermostat. Closing curtains and other window coverings during daylight hours will save your a/c from having to work so hard, which could make it operate more efficiently and even extend its life.

Keep Cool with Outdoor Ceiling Fans

August 28, 2025
Your family might use your covered outdoor porch or patio more often this summer if you keep the temperature out there cooler by installing a ceiling fan. Outdoor ceiling fans come with ratings like “damp” or “wet” that indicate what kind of climate—like humid or rainy—they can operate in safely. Never install an indoor fan on your outdoor porch; it’s not safe. Instead, choose one specifically made for outdoor use with all-weather blades, corrosion- and rust-resistant paint finishes, and a motor casing featuring a waterproof seal. Overhead fans are a great addition to a porch, sunroom or even a garage. Even in outdoor rooms with extra sunlight, a fan can circulate the air, making anyone sitting or standing nearby feels cool and comfortable.

Beware when water and electricity mix

August 20, 2025
The bathroom is one of the few places in the home where electrical appliances and water have a great chance to meet—and a great chance to cause electrical shock or death. If you have kids, the bathroom can be a room of hazards—electrical or otherwise— waiting to happen. But it doesn’t have to be. Try these tips to dampen the danger: Use a bathmat with a non-skid bottom on the floor and use a non-slip mat or decals on the floor of the tub. Keep medications and vitamins in their original containers to avoid confusion and always choose child-resistant caps. Keep medications and cleaning supplies locked away if small children are around. Make a storage space under the counter and out of the way for hair dryers, curling irons and other electrical appliances that could be hazardous with water contact. Educate children on the dangers of mixing water and electricity. Use nightlights in the hallway and bathroom for easy bathroom access at night. Don’t leave children unattended during bath time. If you have toddlers, use toilet seat locks to prevent drowning. Check the temperature of bath water and fully fill the tub before putting children in. Tap water can instantly scald if you let it run too hot. Lower the temperature on your water heater to 120 degrees Fahrenheit to guard against burns but keep bathwater at 100 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. Use only electrical appliances or cords that bear the label of an independent testing laboratory like Underwriters Laboratories.

August 2025 EnergyWiseSM Tip: Automated Grain Aeration

August 13, 2025
By: NPPD Energy Efficiency Program Manager Cory Fuehrer Any long-time grain producer in Nebraska will tell you the key to a successful season depends on their crops getting the correct amount of moisture, in the correct manner and at the correct time without any other major devastations. During some wet years, yields from dryland acres will rival those from irrigated ground. However, during most years, irrigation provides a significant advantage. It comes down to water. Farming both dryland and irrigated acres, my grandfather appreciated a wet summer since both types of fields produced well. While unloading grain trucks at harvesttime many years ago, he would say with a grin on his face, “You can’t count it until it’s in the bin!” Today, successful grain marketers would likely say, “Hold on. We don’t count it until it’s sold!” Their concern? It comes down to water. For those unfamiliar with the process, nearly all grain is stored for some period of time before it is sold or fed to livestock. When it is sold, a variety of factors determine the price, the largest being test weight and moisture content. Whether it’s corn, soybeans, wheat or sorghum, each type of grain has an ideal level of moisture content to optimize the test weight at the time of sale. To achieve that level, many choose on-farm storage in grain bins and silos. The length of time grain can be stored and maintain quality is also highly dependent on moisture content. In general, the lower the moisture content, the longer it can be stored. While drying grain with heat is often done immediately following harvest, when the grain is moved to storage, it requires aeration. The storage facilities have large fans that force air through the grain to remove excess heat and moisture. Here’s where optimizing quantity and quality can become challenging. If the moisture level isn’t low enough at the time of sale, the price received is penalized. Worse yet, the grain could spoil or become infested with insects in storage and become worthless before the producer can even get it to market. However, overaerating reduces the weight by which grain is measured for selling, which reduces the overall amount of money the producer receives. In the past, some producers took the traditional, time-intensive steps to monitor conditions inside the bin, as well as outdoor weather conditions, and only ran fans when needed and appropriate. But, the majority of producers erred on the side of caution and operated the fans excessively, thinking a reduced total payment was better than possibly no payment at all. Today, the process of monitoring and aerating only when appropriate has been automated by several companies that offer the necessary hardware and computer applications. Temperature and moisture sensors and/or off-gassing analyzers identify the grain’s condition inside the storage. Onsite or local weather stations identify temperature and relative humidity outside the facility. This information is fed into software that continuously determines if and when aeration is appropriate. When it is, a signal is sent to an aeration controller that activates the fans. Once conditions inside the bin or outside weather change, the controller automatically turns the fans off. While automated aeration control systems can be expensive, optimized grain quality and reduced losses help recover the investment quickly. To further defray the cost, your local public power provider may have an EnergyWiseSM incentive available once installation is complete. Contact your local utility or visit www.energywisenebraska.com. for additional details. Your local utility, in partnership with Nebraska Public Power District, wants to help you get the most value from the energy needed to raise and store your crops

‘Summer’ school: Lessons on keeping cool

July 31, 2025
School may be out for the summer, but here’s a test: On a hot day, will setting the thermostat at a very low temperature cool your house faster? If you answered yes, you’re in need of summer school. Lowering the thermostat beyond the temperature you desire only makes your air conditioner run longer, not faster. You could end up paying more money for an uncomfortably chilly house. Here are a few more lessons to add to your air conditioning know-how: Want to pay to be cool only when you’re at home? Install a programmable thermostat, which lets you set the thermostat higher for hours when the house is empty, but lower during your at-home hours. It takes less energy to re-cool your home when you return than it does to keep it cool while you’re gone. Set the thermostat at 78 degrees. You’ll save about 15 percent on your cooling bill over a 72-degree setting, while remaining comfortable. Keep lamps and other heat-emitting devices—like TVs and large electronics—away from the thermostat. Such appliances can trick the thermostat into “thinking” the air is warmer than it really is so it should keep running when the house is already cool. The morning sun might help you wake up, but don’t forget to close your curtains and window shades before you leave the house for the day to keep the sun’s heat out. If you use room air conditioners, make sure they fit snugly into window frames, and close all heating ducts.

Lineman Position Opening

By Frank Bonini • July 23, 2025
Journeyman or Apprentice Lineman Position

In summer heat, keep an eye on neighbors

July 23, 2025
Hot summer days put people at risk for heat-related illnesses and can exacerbate existing medical conditions. Doctors recommend you spend the hottest part of the day indoors enjoying the air conditioning. But for those whose homes don’t have air conditioning or who can’t afford to turn it on, the risk is acute. That’s especially true for the elderly or ill, who could be at risk for heat stroke or even death. If you know someone whose house might get too hot to handle this summer, call them or stop by to check on them every day. Use a neighborhood association directory or your own personal contacts to arrange phone calls during the summer months to elderly neighbors or those who live alone. Encourage neighbors or family members to use air conditioners during the hottest part of the day or spend it in an air conditioned public place, like a mall or library. If you find someone in medical distress because of the heat, call 911. Some states and counties encourage residents to help keep their neighbors safe through organized campaigns. Your local Salvation Army or hospital can tell you about programs already in your area. Or you can start one in your own neighborhood. Enlist the support of your local politicians or non-profit organizations to arrange a countywide system. One phone call could save a life.

July 2025 EnergyWiseSM Tip: Battery Energy Storage Systems

July 16, 2025
By: Energy Efficiency Program Manager Cory Fuehrer These days, instead of hearing a local dairy farmer hollering “Bessie,” you’re more likely to hear one of Nebraska’s public power utilities refer to “BESS” when discussing reliability. Rather than a seasoned Holstein cow, however, they are talking about a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS). This is one of the recent technologies Nebraska’s public power utilities consider for efficiently meeting the ever-growing electricity demand in our state. The Nebraska Power Association forecasts that our state’s average annual peak demand for electricity will continue to compound by 1.5% each year through 2042. This will be driven by both, new businesses drawn to our affordable, reliable power, and existing businesses expanding due to Nebraska’s favorable economic conditions. New loads will include ag and food processing, ethanol and ammonia production, data centers, irrigation conversions and other manufacturing to name a few. A number of electric utilities are adding new energy resources and some are considering the efficiencies a BESS could provide. In simple terms, a BESS is a BIG rechargeable battery. Though they may use different technologies such as sodium-sulfur and nickel-cadmium, the most common is lithium-ion. Storage systems are typically housed in engineered shipping containers, outdoor-rated cabinets, or purpose-built buildings placed on top of ground mounting structures using large cranes. They can be placed directly inside city centers or manufacturing areas, which reduces transmission costs and line losses without adding to urban air pollution. Without energy storage, electricity must be produced at the exact same time it is used. When demand for electricity spikes, most traditional generation resources require considerable time to bring online. The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates only 25% of U.S. power plants can go from being fully shut down to fully operational in less than one hour. However, BESSs can supply their stored electricity in a matter of seconds. Having excess energy readily available can reduce or eliminate brownouts and blackouts during times of peak demand or extreme weather events. BESSs are also ideally paired with renewable generation resources like wind and solar. These resources are often not able to operate when power is needed most. Other times, they are available for output, but the immediate demand for electricity doesn’t exist. BESSs capture generation when it’s available, storing it and discharging it into the grid when and where it’s needed. Finally, BESSs help utilities manage the impact of price fluctuations for electricity in the wholesale market. During critical peak periods, the cost for electricity can increase more than one hundred-fold. BESSs allow utilities to provide energy during those brief periods and avoid purchasing energy at those extreme levels. Your local utility, in partnership with Nebraska Public Power District, wants to keep their costs low so that your own costs are as affordable as possible. By efficiently using their generation resources, utilities ensure you are able to purchase low-cost, sustainable electricity for years to come. If you would like ideas on how you can maximize use of that electricity, contact your local utility or visit www.energywisenebraska.com. EnergyWiseSM incentives are available to reduce the cost of many efficiency improvements.

Be Smart with Lighting on Long Summer Days

July 9, 2025
Summer brings longer days and more natural light, but that doesn’t mean your lighting habits can’t affect your energy use. Efficient lighting choices and smarter habits can help you take full advantage of daylight while minimizing electricity costs. Make the most of your summer lighting. Here’s how: • Use daylight whenever possible. Open curtains or blinds during the morning and early evening. • If you’re still using old incandescent light bulbs, replace them with LEDs, which use up to 80% less energy and last longer. • Install dimmer switches or motion sensors to reduce wasted light in unused spaces. • Encourage kids to turn off lights when leaving a room. • Use outdoor solar lights or energy-efficient landscape lighting for evening illumination. • Keep light fixtures and bulbs clean to ensure maximum brightness and efficiency. Small changes in lighting can lead to noticeable reductions in energy use, especially when lights stay on longer during family-filled summer days. Smart lighting doesn’t just save energy—it creates a more comfortable, better-lit home environment.
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