SRP Energy Rebates 12/07/2010
Salt River Project is now offering Home Energy Assessments through Home Performance with Energy Star which means that homeowners are now ensured a quality home energy audit and analysis by a BPI certified contractor; access to unbelievable rebates to make homes more efficient; and a built-in quality assurance program to verify the work was done right. The SRP Energy Audit program was designed to build on their existing rebate program for duct testing and sealing and shade screens and adds additional rebates for air sealing and insulation. This rebate package gives homeowners a powerful first step to significantly reduce energy bills, even out temperatures in rooms and improve the indoor air quality. The City of Mesa has summarized the tax credits and rebates available to SRP customers in a table below. Tax Credits and Rebates Overview *  * Federal rebates have changed since Jan 1, 2011 References: http://www.mesaaz.gov/sustainability/energytaxcredit.aspx http://www.srpnet.com/energy/powerwise/savewithsrp/ducttest.aspx http://www.srpnet.com/energy/powerwise/energyupgrades.aspx Add Comment How To Winterize Your Home In Phoenix 11/13/2010
 Coming from Chicago 10 years ago my blood was a little thicker than it is now. Well ok, I feel like a wimp in the cold every time I visit my family for the holidays. Now it may never reach below freezing like it does in Chicago but I will sure have the heat on during our more temperate weather. Since it can get chilly enough to wear a sweater in the evening, here are some things you can do around home to save energy, improve your indoor air quality and be comfortable enough to walk around barefoot, even in the dead of the winter. 1. Seal up your leaks Warm air raises and can escape out the chimney of a fireplace. A chimney pillow can be installed in the flue to stop heated air from escaping during the winter. Just be sure to leave the tag on and remove the pillow come summer. Also check around potential leakage “hot spots” such as old windows, doors, plumbing penetrations under sinks and electrical outlets. By replacing old weatherstripping around the doors or caulking around the windows or plumbing penetrations you can effectively keep your conditioned air where it belongs, inside. Check the local hardware store to find outlet sealers to add a little insulation behind light switches too. 2. Get up to snuff with your insulation For Phoenix and central Arizona, the DOE recommends at least 12-inches of blown-in cellulose or an R-38 value to slow the transfer of cold air into the home. If your attic has fiberglass batt insulation, it should be in contact with the attic floor at all times to work properly. 3. Have your furnace or heat pump inspected A seasonal tune-up may be in order if not done annually. If the temperatures will never reach the temperature set-point the HVAC system may be low on refrigerant or something else may be awry. It's best to have it checked by a professional. 4. Remove shade screens During the Phoenix winters, solar gain through windows can help significantly warm the home, lowering energy bills from decreased heat use. Shade screens can be unclipped and stored until it comes time for summer. 5. Stay safe Install CO detectors if you have a fireplace or gas appliances 3-6 feet from the ground. Use a bubble solution to check for gas leaks around fireplaces, water heaters, furnaces and feeder lines. Be sure that the furnace or water heater has a good clearance to allow for fresh air intake and that they are not located in the same room as a dryer. Follow these tips for a safe and comfortable winter in the Valley of the Sun. Appliance Energy Usage 08/29/2010
Ever wondered “just how much energy is my heat pump using a day?” Curious if you should replace that old dishwasher or clothes dryer first? Now you can get a general idea of all your large and small energy users with APS’s Appliance Energy Usage Chart. Whether you live in Phoenix or Prescott, this chart gives Arizona-climate specific energy usage breakdowns. Got creative ideas on how to use this chart? Leave a comment on how you use this information and help others save money at home. (Source: http://www.aps.com/aps_services/residential/waystosave/ResWaystoSave_24.html) Kitchen appliances can account for up to 15% of your home energy usage and how you choose to cook will impact your energy bill. By following some energy savings tips, you can reduce your bills and here's how. There is more than one way to skin a cat: If you took an inventory of all the appliances you use to cook with the list might look something like this: oven, stovetop, slow cooker or crockpot, microwave and toaster oven. As you can already guess, each of these appliances uses a different amount of energy but what is not so obvious is how much energy each one uses. When you can choose between making a baked potato in the oven or in the microwave, which one uses less energy? How about cooking a soup or stew over the stovetop, or using the slowcooker? Meatloaf in the oven or toaster oven? Just like if you lived in a smaller house, it would take less time to cool the inside of the home with the same sized AC unit than if you lived in a larger house; it takes less energy to heat a smaller space than a larger one. So what would use less energy if you could put that meatloaf in a toaster oven compared to the conventional oven? How much less? You would be cutting your energy use by more than half! (and reducing the temperature in the kitchen as well). Of course, each appliance is “specialized” to cook certain foods but when you can choose, I encourage you to do so. Below is a table showing the energy costs of various cooking methods.  Other energy saving tips in the kitchen include: - When using the electric stovetops it is important to match the pan size to the element size, otherwise you will be wasting almost half the heat produced from the element. - The ideal pan also has a concave bottom to maximize the conduction in the pan. - A pressure cooker will also cook stovetop items faster and with less energy because the built-up pressure drops the boiling point of water thus cooking the food faster. - Cleaning your appliances increases their efficiency. - Avoid peeking into the oven while baking. - Double portions when using the oven to save energy on cooking. - Remove foil on the bottom of ovens to improve air circulation. For more ideas on how to save energy and money while you cook visit APS and SRP’s websites and videos.   The $99 in-home energy audit (Arizona Home Performance with Energy Star), funded by APS is well underway in the valley. This guide will shed some light on aspects of the program that homeowners should be aware of if they are even thinking about having an APS energy audit done on their. Rebates: Rebates include 75% off the cost of air sealing, duct sealing, insulation and shade screens up to $250. An important issue to be aware of is that the duct sealing rebate is per unit, so you can receive the sealing rebate multiple times if you have more than one furnace or AC unit. Air sealing on the other hand, is only a one-time rebate regardless of the size of the home. The rebates are submitted after the post test is complete and take about 6 weeks to come back to you in the mail. Quality Assurance: The APS energy audit is a very well-put-together program. APS has built-in a quality assurance for all homeowners participating in the program. That quality assurance comes in several forms. To qualify for the rebates an APS Home Performance with Energy Star Certified Contractor must perform the work. This ensures that the contractor has been trained and certified in building performance and uses the house-as-a-system approach. Quality assurance also comes in the form of a free post-audit test after air sealing or duct sealing is performed. The APS post audit will verify that the work was performed to APS Home Performance with Energy Star standards and that real results were achieved i.e. post air leakage numbers are lower than initial results. There is also a post-post audit performed on a random selection of houses by the agency that oversees the APS Home Performance program itself, the Foundation for Senior Living. These energy efficiency experts will perform a modified APS energy audit on your home again to verify the contractors’ results. Whew! And then if you have a refrigerator in the garage there may be another post-post-post audit done on your home… just kidding on that one. The Program Itself: The Arizona Home Performance with Energy Star program has a prescribed set of test that the energy auditor will perform. A blower door will be set up to measure air leakage and duct leakage. An attic inspection is done to check your insulation levels and see how it was installed. Building measurements, HVAC information and water heater specifications are taken and entered into the building model done for each home. Your home is also tested for combustion safety and check for potential back-drafting of gas appliances. Those test listed above are required by the program. What is not required but may be performed depending on your reasons for the audit and on the energy auditor you use is a utility bills analysis, renewable energy consultation (from a third party), an in-home discussion, a customized report, or additional energy modeling. Some homeowners are looking for reasons why their utility bills have increased and a utility bill analysis is essential. Other clients find valuable a general discussion on how to reduce their bills immediately after the audit is complete. A customized report may also be created for the homeowner and can vary on levels of quality. Duct sealing is always the first upgrade to perform because the driving force of heat gain through conduction is pressure differences. The greater the pressure differences, the greater the heat gain and vice-versa. Where are the greatest pressure differences in your home? That’s right, the air handler. In fact that fan that blows cool air through the ductwork operates a pressure of around 350 pascals, much greater than the pressure a blower door runs at. When contractors perform duct sealing their priority is to seal around the air handler first, then work their way out all the way to the supply registers.Air sealing is next on the list and is critical if additional insulation is also on your punch list. Once insulation is added it is very difficult to air seal simply because it is difficult to locate electrical penetrations and even recessed lights if they are buried under the insulation. Air sealing should occur around all plumbing penetrations in bathrooms and in the attic, electrical penetrations and open wall chases, around leaky windows and doors should be weatherstipped.Fixing insulation misalignments should be next. Just a 5% gap in insulation will cause the R-value (it’s effectiveness at blocking heat gain) to decrease by 50%. If your home is like mine and has fiberglass batts across the ceiling floor, chances are that it was installed incorrectly. There are two ways to correct that issue. The hard way and frankly very difficult way to try to realign the batts correctly to fit in-between the 2"x6" studs. The more effective method is to remove all batts, use blown-in cellulose insulation to reach crevices and under walking studs, and then place the batts on top of the newly installed insulation.Other Big Hitters Pool pump: Replacing a single –speed pool pump with a variable speed motor is very highly recommended and has a payback of less than two years. Refrigerator: Energy efficiency standards have come a long way in the last 15 years and replacing that old model with a new unit will start saving you money immediately. Windows: Upgrading your windows can also have a big impact on your comfort and utility bills. Whether to replace, add sunscreens, install storm windows or add window film should be discussed with your energy auditor. Hybrid Water Heater: Hot water usage is one of the top three energy users at home. Using a heat pump to heat the water is much more efficient than traditional heating elements, in-fact the estimated energy usage is around $200 per year compared to the $500 with a standard water heater. The cost of hybrid water heaters is also attractive when compared to solar hot water heaters and the pa The hierarchy listed here is very general and is based on the $99 APS Home Performance with Energy Star, in-home energy audit. Each home is different so results may vary. |
