Win it in a minute:
Conserve resources
with home energy
management
Gina Peek, Ph.D.
R. Scott Frazier, Ph.D., P.E.
July 2, 2012
NEAFCS Webinar
OHCE and Win it in a Minute!
 RESOURCE MANAGEMENT STATE GOALS – 2012
 Focus Area I: “Kick It Up A Notch”
 Objective: Increase positive consumer practices and
actions.
 Win it in a minute – a program to teach consumers how
to take quick steps to reduce energy costs.
A few words on Issue Teams…
Issue Scan Results
Go green, be eco-friendly, recycle
Sustainable environment
Medium term (behavior adopted):
Increase number of Oklahomans who increase energy efficiency
Increase the number of Oklahomans who maintain, conserve and
protect natural resources (air, land, water)
Long term change:
Oklahomans will prevent/decrease the degradation of their
environments
There are environmental and fiscal benefits
associated with ‘going green.’ There are
many simple no and low-cost actions which
may be taken to reduce energy usage
without sacrificing comfort.
In fact, many of these things take
less than one minute!
Win it in a minute with
home energy management!
Did you know that the typical
U.S. family spends about
$1,900
a year on home utility bills?
Source: US Department of Energy
Did you know that the typical U.S. family
spends about
$1,900
a year on home utility bills?
Unfortunately, a large portion of
that energy is wasted…
Source: US Department of Energy
Some ways to save
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ENERGY
Set water heater temperature to 120 degrees
Use blinds in summer on south facing windows glass doors
Turn off lights not needed (including outside lights)
Weather strip doors and windows
Close doors to outside and ventilate when possible
Open windows in nice weather
Run full clothes wash/dry loads
Install and use a programmable thermostat
Turn off computers not needed (activate Energy Star options in Windows, idle mode etc.)
Replace incandescent light bulbs (compact fluorescent bulbs, LEDs, or newer models)
Unplug anything that draws current to power (ex. cell phone charger) when not in use
Unplug battery chargers not being used
Install air blocker in all light switch fixtures and power outlets in house
Make sun-tea
Use hot pasta water for soup
Put dog on treadmill hooked to small generator
Our focus today…
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15.
16.
ENERGY
Set water heater temperature to 120 degrees
Use blinds in summer on south facing windows glass doors
Turn off lights not needed (including outside lights)
Weather strip doors and windows
Close doors to outside and ventilate when possible
Open windows in nice weather
Run full clothes wash/dry loads
Install and use a programmable thermostat
Turn off computers not needed (activate Energy Star options in Windows, idle mode etc.)
Replace incandescent light bulbs (compact fluorescent bulbs, LEDs, or newer models)
Unplug anything that draws current to power (ex. cell phone charger) when not in use
Unplug battery chargers not being used
Install air blocker in all light switch fixtures and power outlets in house
Make sun-tea
Use hot pasta water for soup
Put dog on treadmill hooked to small generator
Unique
needs
Unique
needs
Unique
needs
Common denominators
Prioritizing
3
2
1
Let’s concentrate on the “important few”
for average consumers
How We Use Energy in Our Homes
Source: Energy Star.gov
Data: Typical House memo, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 2009 and Typical house_2009_Reference.xls spreadsheet.
Space heating
BIG IMPACT stuff to do in a minute (or a
few minutes) to control space heating
 Set the heat to 68
degrees when you
are at home; set it
lower when you are
away and at night
 Consider using a
programmable
thermostat
Source: http://www.energysavers.gov/your_home/space_heating_cooling/index.cfm/mytopic=12720
WAIT A MINUTE!
 Aren’t you just wasting
energy when you’re
adjusting the
thermostat so much?
 Isn’t lots of energy
being wasted bringing
the house back to
temperature? It takes
too long for the house
to warm up!
Thermostat Controls
 Setting the temperature a few degrees down (or up in
summer) for extended periods can save energy
 Easily done with programmable thermostats
MORE BIG IMPACT stuff to do in a minute
(or a few minutes) to control space heating
 Check insulation
levels in your attic
 If you can see rafters,
you need more
insulation
 Put on a sweater!
MORE BIG IMPACT stuff to do in a minute (or a
few minutes) to control space heating
• Check for hidden leaks
• Think about the
building envelope!
• Consider holes, cracks,
drafts, etc.
• Check for obvious air
leaks: Flashlight
method; feather;
incense stick
EVEN More Ways to Reduce Space
Heating Costs
 Change filters
 Close damper
 Schedule tune-ups
 Schedule duct work
inspection
One more thing!
 Check the operation of
your heating and
cooling system with a
fairly simple test…
Let’s take a moment…
Please name one
thing that you
would be willing to
do to save home
heating energy!
Please take a moment and write down your answer
Let’s take a moment…
Please name one thing that you
would be willing to do to save
home heating energy!
Please fill in evaluation
Space cooling
Space cooling
 Remember last
summer?
Photo: ENERGY STAR
BIG IMPACT stuff to do in a minute (or a
few minutes) to control space cooling
 Set the air to 78
degrees when you are
at home; set it higher
when you are away
and at night
http://www.energysavers.gov/tips/thermostats.cfm
MORE IMPACT stuff to do in a minute (or a
few minutes) to control space cooling
 Basically … The same principles from space heating
applies to space cooling!
 Check for hidden leaks
 Change filters
 Close damper
 Schedule tune-ups
 Schedule duct work inspection
Let’s take a moment…
Please name one
thing that you
would be willing to
do to save home
cooling energy!
Please take a moment and write down your answer
Cadwalader Grant
 Petrova and Peek
 4 focus groups
(NE, SE, NW, SW)
 N = 28
 Student involvement
 11 patterns developed
 Watch for a new, fun,
hands-on leader lesson!
Lighting
Original art by Sydney Brown
BIG IMPACT stuff to do in a minute (or a
few minutes) to control lighting
 Use more efficient
bulbs
Photo: National Archives
Making a sustainable choice:
Incandescents
 Only about 8% of the
energy they use
creates visible light.
 The rest of the energy
is wasted as heat!
Making a sustainable choice:
Compact fluorescents (CFLs)
 About 21% of the energy they
use creates visible light.
 Most of our energy comes
from coal-fired power
plants that put mercury into
the environment.
 Even though CFLs contain
a tiny bit of mercury, they
reduce the overall amount
of mercury that goes into
the environment by using
less energy.
Making a sustainable choice:
Light emitting diodes (LEDs)
 About 20-30% of the
energy they use
creates visible light.
 LED technology is
changing rapidly.
 Check the stores often
for new products as
they hit the shelves!
When shopping for bulbs …
Consider three things: (1) Initial cost; (2) Lifespan; (3) Energy use
Light Source Comparison
Incandescents
CFLs
LEDs
Initial cost
low
medium
high
Lifespan
About 1,000 hours
About 10,000 hours
About 20,000 hours!
Energy use
high
low
Very low
When shopping for bulbs …
 To make certain that
you are choosing a
quality product
 Choose bulbs with the
ENERGY STAR logo
 Choose bulbs from a
reputable manufacturer
When shopping for bulbs… what the
package can tell you
 How much power does the bulb
use? Power usage is measured in
watts. The greater the wattage, the
more power used.
 How bright is the light? Brightness is
measured in lumens. The larger the
number, the more lumens, the
brighter the light. Think in
lumens… This tells you how
much light you are actually
getting
 How long does the bulb last?
Average lifespan is measured in
hours.
All of these things
can tell you
how much the
lighting really costs!
MORE IMPACT stuff to do in a minute (or a
few minutes) to control lighting
 Keep the fixtures and
the light bulbs clean…
Dirty bulbs reduce
illumination!
 Use daylighting
Let’s take a moment…
Please name one
thing that you
would be willing to
do to save home
lighting energy!
Please take a moment and write down your answer
Don’t be overwhelmed…
Make a written energy
savings plan
Thank you!