Jay Fretz
480-241-9132
www.slayenergyvampires.squarespace.com
Property Owner:
Property Address:
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Evaluation Date:
Whole House Opportunities
- Upgrade your windows and doors to models that qualify for the new tax credits.
- Add insulation to your attic, which also qualifies for the same tax credits. I had 12" of cellulose blown in and feel it was a good value (~$500, maybe 7 years ago?).
- Shade any glass(or block wall) that receives direct sunlight, especially in the afternoon: plant trees, install shade screens, build pergolas, etc.
- I don't have personal experience yet, but attic fans seem like a good idea. I like the solar powered versions.
- Consider a Solar Hot Water system. The rebates and tax incentives are extremely generous.
- Consider an Energy Information Display(EID), like this one from Black & Decker, to provide real time feedback about your power use.
- Consider a professional energy audit that performs a "blower door" leak test and uses thermal imaging to identify gaps in your building "envelope".
- Photovoltaic solar panels would be the last step in your household energy efficiency makeover. Upfront cost is quite high, but incentives are too. Another option would be a "lease" style installation from SolarCity.
Room-By-Room Opportunities
Entry: Replace porch light with an LED bulb. I like these from Wal-Mart. They are also available with a standard base. Light output does not equal 40 watt incandescent, as they claim, but it's great for a porch light or night light.
Living Room:
- Your LCD Television uses about 150 watts while on and close to zero watts while off, which is relatively good performance, especially compared to a plasma TV. You might try turning down the "brightness", "picture", or "sharpness" settings in the TV's menu to improve it's efficiency some more.
- Your direcTV recorder uses about 23 watts whether it's on or off. I've seen worse, so if you use the recording function and feel it's worth about $20 per year in electricity, you're good. If John wants a new toy, you could connect a Mac Mini to your TV and use a device called an Elgato EyeTV to tune in over the air HDTV and use the Mini's hard drive to record shows. You would lose the ability to receive hundreds of satellite channels, but you would save money on the DirecTV subscription, and electricity, because the Mac Mini uses about 25 watts while on and only 2 or 3 while sleeping. You would also have access to the internet and Apple software on your TV: Hulu, youTube, Netflix, iTunes, etc.
- You could replace your battery backup with a Smartstrip, or you could plug a smartstrip into the battery backup. You could use the smartstrip to cut power to your VCR, receiver, and DVD player when the TV is off.
Laundry: Use cold water to wash clothes as much as practical.
Water Heater: See solar hot water above.
Bedrooms/Bathrooms: Install CFL's when possible.
Kitchen: Limit use of accent lighting when practical. I'm not aware of more efficient bulbs for the fixtures you currently have. Consider LED or lower wattage CFL for the over-the-sink light you leave on all night. Consider replacing the refrigerator if it's older than 7 or 8 years.
Conclusions
You've already taken many of the steps I would recommend to a homeowner to reduce energy use. Your extremely low electric bill is evidence of this. You've replaced most of your bulbs with CFLs, you have many newer, energy star appliances, and your "home theater" is not a power hog. Short of installing a new A.C., solar hot water or photovoltaic solar panels, I think new windows and attic insulation offer you the greatest opportunities for increased energy efficiency and comfort. I hope the links I've provided prove useful, and please don't hesitate to email or call me with any further questions you may have.