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Hi, Alan!
The current energy efficiency rate is 0,9% according to the CEO of BASF, a large chemical producer. If we could double that, it would be a great success indeed.
The US should be able to achieve 1.8% more easily.
We have about 30 big old coal power plants that need to be decommissioned soon. Three years ago, the utilities planned to replace half of them with natural gas and steam combined plants, but now, it's going to be coal again. Not so smart by the Russians?
The government also plans to auction 10% of the CO2 certificates next time.
Retrofitting old buildings: There is a major incentive problem. You might know that about 50% of all Germans are renters rather than owners. Currently, the owners have to pay for the new windows and walls and so on, while the renters profit from such measures. Owners can only hope they can achieve higher rental payments if they improve insulation.
If the government solved that incentive problem, they would not have to subsidize, and in the end, both owners and renters would be happy...
I don't know if GW is a code word for PO. GW is real, at least the Alpine glaciers make that very obvious each year. While a single year means little, during the last 12 months, it was 3K warmer than usual in Germany.
Global Warming is certainly real, but so is Peak Oil and German concerns about Russian control.
Politicans can talk about GW, but not the other two. Better insulation helps all three, so talk up GW and work on that, and mention the other two only in private.
More insulation, so simple, so low technology and so effective !
Best Hopes for savings *SO* much NG that we can use it for transportation,
Alan
More insulation, so simple, so low technology and so effective !
You forgot passive solar! (not on your radar as heating isn't a issue typically in NO)
the problem with passive solar is that it is largly a building design problem, and with the "half life" of houses being more than time it will take to use 1/2 the remaining oil, it isn't that practical, as it will only have a minor effect of a few percent efficency on a few percent of houses a year.
(in Australia, with a passive solar house, livable in outside temperatures of min 5, max 40 with no air conditioning (basically just a good orientation, wide eaves, and insulation in the roof) )
The real problem with passive solar is that most houses are built by developers that insist on orienting houses to the winding roads in their new developments. Perhaps some of them make some adjustment to the sun, but usually you can find the same house plan facing N, E, S or W.
Hi Alan,
In the year prior to our purchase, the previous owners of our home (family of four) consumed 5,700 litres of heating oil and I believe something in the order of 16,000 kWh of electricity. Last year, our heating oil consumption came to a little less than 830 litres and our electricity use topped out at 11,321 kWh (we're a two person household).
Much of this improvement can be credited to generous insulation and careful air sealing (e.g., our attic had just 6 cm of fibreglass insulation - R7; it now stands at R60). We also installed a high efficiency oil-fired boiler and indirect hot water tank, as well as a Tekmar control system. Two years ago, in an effort to further trim our fuel oil consumption, we installed a small ductless heat pump. Even in our relatively cold Canadian climate, it provides an average of 2.5 kWh of heat for every one kWh of electricity consumed; to date, it has cut our fuel oil use by a little over 2,000 litres.
Our new goal is to bring our electricity consumption under the 10,000 kWh/year mark. Next to the heat pump, the basement dehumidifier is our most energy-hungry appliance and during the summer months it often runs non-stop. Although an Energy Star model, it accounts for about two-thirds of our daily demand. I now closely monitor indoor and outdoor RH and open windows and doors to take advantage of natural ventilation whenever possible. So far, the results are encouraging; last June, we used an average of 27.3 kWh/day and this June, with the reduction in run time, we're down to 16.2.
Best regards,
Paul
HereinHalifax,
I suspect most of the moisture in your basement is working it's way through the concrete slab and foundation walls, tape a piece of poly to a section of exposed wall or floor to confirm this. Cutting off this source of moisture may well help you cut dehumidifier use.
Hi btu,
You could be right, but I should add that we live in a maritime climate and so humidity levels run extremely high this time of year. For an overview of last month's weather, see:
http://www.wunderground.com/history/station/71395/2007/6/1/MonthlyHistor...
Note the humidity data listed in the daily observations table located at the bottom of this page. For the month of June, our daily average fell anywhere from 56 to 96 per cent. As you might imagine, if we don't run the dehumidifier, mould and mildew can quickly become a serious problem.
Thankfully, there were no visible or telltale signs of moisture migration when we finished the basement level (the walls and floor were in excellent condition). The outside walls are now insulated with two inches of Styrofoam (R10) and an additional 3.5 inches of fibreglass insulation (R13). I carefully applied a 6 mil vapour barrier on the warm side, as is recommended practice in our climate, prior to installing the drywall.
For peace of mind, just in case we did run into water issues down the road, I went with a DRIcore subfloor.
See: http://www.dricore.com/en/eIndex.aspx
Best regards,
Paul
HereinHalifax,
Thank you for the additional information, you have done well with your energy retrofit. Exterior grading, gutters and downspouts to get bulk water away from the building also play a very important role in building durability. I am also in the process of making my house in Minneapolis more energy efficient, have cut natural gas usage for heating in half from 1,040 therms per year to 520. June electrical usage was 398 kwh, have not used AC in 2007. It is 90F outside today but 79F indoors. My R-100 attic insulation is starting to pay off.
Hi btu,
You're most welcome and congratulation to you on your own accomplishments. Cutting your natural gas consumption in half is a remarkable achievement and your electrical usage at less than 400 kWh per month is probably just one-third that of your neighbours. Good job!
Just to compare notes, our home is a 2,500 sq. ft., 40-year old Cape Cod and in terms of heating demand, Halifax and Minneapolis are virtually the same (both come in at about 7,800 HDD). In addition to the above-mentioned upgrades, I replaced our windows and doors with Pella Architectural series low-e/argon units (there are a six large, fixed pane windows that were not replaced, but they're equipped with exterior wooden storms and two 3M window films). I also gutted the entire house and all exterior above grade walls are now insulated to R23.5.
To expand on this last point, I caulked and sealed the exterior sheathing, inserted a half-inch of Styrofoam (R3) inside the wall cavity and caulked the joints and edges to make the wall structure airtight. I then added three and half-inches of fibreglass insulation (R13), a six-mill polyethylene vapour barrier and an additional inch and a half of Styrofoam on top (R7.5). As a last step before dry walling, I carefully taped the seams, electrical boxes, heating pipe penetrations, etc. with tuck tape.
Here are a few pictures of work done on the dining room, from start to finish:
http://server3.pictiger.com/img/287581/other/dining-room---caulked%2C-ha...
http://server3.pictiger.com/img/287582/other/dining-room---fibreglass.ph...
http://server3.pictiger.com/img/287583/other/dining-room---one-%26-half-...
http://server3.pictiger.com/img/287584/other/dining-room---re-drywall.ph...
http://server3.pictiger.com/img/287585/other/dining-room---finished.php
This is one of the second floor side bedrooms:
http://server3.pictiger.com/img/287586/other/bedroom---bare-wall.php
http://server3.pictiger.com/img/287587/other/bedroom---caulked-%26-half-...
http://server3.pictiger.com/img/287588/other/bedroom---fibreglass-%26-on...
http://server3.pictiger.com/img/287589/other/bedroom---final-taping.php
In addition to making our home more energy efficient, I wanted to ensure we had access to multiple heat sources in case of a disruption in supplies or a dramatic shift in cost. Thus, we have an oil-fired boiler, a ductless heat pump, four propane fireplaces and in-floor electric radiant heat; this provides us with three (mostly) independent fuel types -- fuel oil, propane and electricity -- in addition to passive solar (unfortunately, the house is oriented east-west and our southern exposure is heavily shaded by a densely wooded rock face, so our passive solar gain is severely limited). To better cope with extended power outages (all too common in these parts), the boiler is wired to a backup generator and all of the major appliances, including the kitchen range, are propane.
I'll quickly add in closing that our small, 14,000 BTU/h ductless heat pump satisfies roughly 80 per cent of our annual heating requirements. A lot of folks will tell you air source heat pumps don't work well in colder climates; quite honestly, our own experience suggests otherwise.
This is a picture of the inside air handler:
http://server4.pictiger.com/img/264069/picture-hosting/heat-pump.php
Best regards,
Paul
HereinHalifax,
When you told of the previous energy bills of your home and current usage, I knew you did more than simple weatherization. For the record, our house is a 1,664 sf rambler with a full unfinished basement, 3,328 sf total, built by others in 1978. The good points about this house are a good southern exposure, the walls are 2x4 with R-11 fiberglass with an inch of Styrofoam sheathing (R-5), R-16 total. I measure energy usage in btu's per sq. ft. per heating degree day, btu/sf/hdd, I am currently at 2 btu/sf/hdd. The only real changes I have made to date are adding R-10 Thermax to the interior basement walls, insulated and air sealed the rim joist, did a comprehensive air sealing of the attic before adding an additional R-60+ to an existing R-38 batt insulation. Changed the original 65% furnace to a 95% Lennox with a variable speed blower (ECM motor). I too have some windows that could be upgraded, will go with a triple glazed, two low E coating window on the North, East, and West, South facing windows, I have not decided. My goal is to cut again in half the heating use which will put me in superinsulation territory, may consider PV and solar hot water along with a masonry heater for ambiance and when the natural gas runs out.
Best wishes to you,
Doug
Thanks, Doug, for providing us with this additional information as it helps all of us better understand the things we can do to make our homes more energy efficient and comfortable. So many of my friends complain about their high heating costs, and yet do nothing to bring them under control. And as you well know, improvements such as caulking and weather-stripping and adding loft insulation are simple and inexpensive for the average do-it-yourselfer and extremely cost effective.
My only regret so far is replacing the original boiler and oil-fired hot water tank with another oil boiler. In hindsight, I should have bumped my 100-amp service to 200 amps and installed a small electric boiler and an electric hot water tank. Our heating demands are now so modest and with the heat pump supplying 80 per cent of our needs, I only require backup heat during the coldest two to three weeks of the year -- the rest of the time the boiler sits idle. The one saving grace is that the Tekmar only turns on the boiler when the indirect hot water tank calls for heat. This vastly reduces the stack and standby losses (the old boiler use to fire up two or three times an hour to keep itself at temperature, whereas this new boiler fires up only once or twice a day). During the spring, summer and fall, our fuel oil consumption runs between 1 and 1.5 litres a day, all of which DHW related. Nonetheless, an electric hot water tank would be more energy efficient (no stack and only minimal standby losses) and here in Nova Scotia both fuels are similar in their cost per BTU (we currently pay $0.85 per litre/$3.20 per gallon for heating oil and $0.1067 per kWh for electricity). The only other consolation is that I can operate the boiler on the backup generator, so if we do lose power in the dead of winter, running the generator one or two hours a day would supply us with all the hot water we need and keep the house at a safe and comfortable temperature.
Best regards,
Paul
Question on insulation retrofits:
The previous owner poured in celluosic insulation between the attic rafters. I would like to increase my R value. I'd prefer not having to remove the existing celluose. Suggestions or recommendations, anyone?
Nothing wrong with cellulose insulation, I used fiberglass because I wanted a high R-value and cellulose can get heavy at this level and bow the ceiling drywall. Energy efficiency happens on two levels, increased insulation to cut conductive heat loss and just as important, air sealing to minimize heat loss from air infiltration. Depending on the amount of cellulose you currently have, I would consider removing it and doing a comprehensive air sealing to the attic. My house has a 4 mil poly vapor barrier in the ceiling but I still pulled all the insulation back and with urethane sealant sealed every attic bypass. If you can stop infiltration at the attic level and add insulation as well, the upgrade in efficiency to your home will be dramatic. Also air seal where you can in the lowest level to stop the "stack effect", the chimney like, continuous flow of air in buildings. If you have a decent air barrier at the ceiling level just add insulation and lengthen the air chutes from the eaves.
"nothing wrong with cellulosic insulation" except that it is heavy, settles to 1/2 the original thickness and is a fricken nightmare to work with if any additional work is needed. we should have other uses for recycled newspaper, maybe put it in a landfill and collect the methane.
elwoodelmore,
I am no fan of cellulose but there is a faction that swears by it for the low embodied energy. Have always used fiberglass in very high volumes with good results. If the cellulose insulation industry calls me looking for a spokesperson I will not send them your way.
thank you i appreciate that, and i am happy to see you have a sense of humor.
get a humidity monitor and find out where it all comes from!
or get some good old hydroscopic/hygroscopic NaOH (Lye) and put it in a bucket, attach a digital scale to it and repeat in a couple different locations!
Hi Gilgamesh,
Actually, I have an electronic monitor and I keep a pretty close eye on it. As btu suggests, some of this moisture may be wicking its way through the concrete floor, in which case there's probably little I can do. I did apply two coats of sealer prior to installing the subfloor, but I have no idea if that made any real difference. Again, there are no visible signs that water is making its way into the basement, so I have to believe the main source is air borne.
In past years, I would often leave one or two windows open on the upper level to help keep the house comfortable during hot weather. This year, I'm keeping the windows closed during periods of high humidity and running the heat pump in "dry" mode as required. This is an effective way to remove moisture without over cooling the house, so it works well in cool damp climates like our own. My suspicion is that those open windows (even though they were two floors up) could be to blame. I've also stopped running the heat recovery ventilation system during the summer months as it too would be another source of moist outside air.
Cheers,
Paul
We have a dehumidifier in the basement as well. People lived not too long ago without them. Maybe the solution is simply to make peace with humidity in the basement, combined with an occasional airing out via fans, doors, windows etc. Don't store anything that could be potentially damaged by humidity there -- clothes, books and papers, furniture, etc.
For us, a couple big floods over the past couple years has largely wiped out all the water-damageable stuff from the basement, incentivizing a mandatory cleanout. Not much left there that would suffer from humidity.
Hi econguy,
Our basement level is fully finished and we've learned the hard way that if we don't keep humidity in check we'll have a serious problem on our hands -- books, clothing, furniture, area rugs, etc. are all subject to potential damage.
Whenever the RH outside drops below 55 or 60 per cent, I open the windows and let the place air out on its own; above this, they remain closed. If the RH inside starts to climb much above 60 or 65 per cent, I'll run the dehumidifier until such time as we can open things up again. I'm starting to think 45 to 55 is a better range, so I'll probably be a little less aggressive in terms of cutting back on the runtime; for the small difference in operating cost, it's better to be safe than sorry.
Best regards,
Paul
Don't decide by the relative humidity. It's the dewpoint that matters. E.g., if it is warm and moderately humid outside and you let the air into a cool basement it may condense moisture as the RH of the incoming air may increase to 100% due to the cooling. The way to tell it's a basement-ventilation day is when the dewpoint outside is lower than the temperature inside the basement.
Hi vtpeaknik,
Your point is well taken. The lower level can be several degrees cooler than the outside ambient air temperature, so condensation/moisture absorption on cooler surfaces is a real possibility.
Is there an easy way to calculate dew point or are there electronic monitors that provide such readings? Or can one apply some sort of fudge factor to compensate for the difference in temperature? Generally speaking, it should not exceed 5C (9F).
Best regards,
Paul
the temperature of your basement floor and walls will generally be not much warmer than the ground temp below frost line (unless they are well insulated). about 58 degrees f at 40 degrees latitude. i would bet that is a good estimate of yours as well. you can get a non contact thermometer that will read the surface temp of any surface instantly. i bought one for about us$40. it has a laser pointer as well. it is useful in locating the source of heat loss from your walls, doors, windows, etc. (a semi low tech energy audit) on a cold day outside, the windows surface will be several degrees cooler than the walls for example. if you shoot the temp outside, the opposite will be true * , i.e. the windows will be warmer than the walls.
* proof for disbelievers that heat flows downhill temperature-wise
Hi elwoodelmore,
I appreciate the additional info; thanks! This is a lot more complicated than I initially thought and I'm now wondering if I should simply leave the windows closed and rely solely on the dehumidifier to do the job.
FWIW, I'm at 44.5 degrees latitude and I have no idea of the temperature below our basement floor, but my guess is that it would likely be in the range of 10C (50F). I used an electronic indoor/outdoor thermometer to take a few measurements, which I will share with you now. With the outdoor probe, I was getting a room air reading of 18.8C (~65F). Next, I taped the probe to an outside wall (insulated to R23) and covered it with bubble wrap so that it would better register the surface temperature -- this number came in at 18.1C (~64F). The floor temperature between an area rug and the DRIcore subfloor was 17.1C (63F) and, lastly, the bare concrete floor in the laundry room registered 15.1C (59F). As of 09h00 this morning, the outdoor temperature was 15C (59F) and the relative humidity, 84 per cent; our expected high today is just 18C (64F).
I want to underscore one of btu's earlier comments. Proper insulation is important but don't overlook air leakage. Our home has a central chase or cavity wall about 12 feet wide that extends all the way up from the utility room on the basement level to the attic floor (three stories). The chimney runs through this space as well as various ducts and utilities. We had *huge* (as in 10 ft. long) icicles or "daggers of death" as I use to call them from one end of our roof to the other and I couldn't figure out why. When I went up in the attic to investigate, I discovered there was no heat shield between the brick chimney and the wooden frame around it. This left a two-inch air gap all around the perimeter and vast quantities of warm air was being sucked out the attic. When we did a blower door test we discovered yet another surprise. Inside the master bedroom one of the dormer closets was missing a drywall return above the closet door, so warm air was being sucked up a 48-inch wide gap between the knee wall and the roof rafters. Fixing these two previously hidden problems dramatically reduced our home's heat loss and added considerably to our overall comfort and, as you might guess, no more icicles.
Best regards,
Paul
R-49 walls! Now that's a real solution, rather than this delusional fantasy about powering SUVs from algae byproducts.