This is a research project in partnership between Engr308 Technology and the Environment and the Campus Center for Appropriate Technology during Fall 2014. The project includes analyzing the various energy uses of CCAT for their impacts (in dollars, energy, and carbon), as well as devising an implementable plan to ameliorate the impacts and to reach Net Zero Energy. Any suggested new additions will be analyzed on energy, carbon and dollar buyback.

Teams

American Cat Squad

Net Zero Heroes

50,000 kilowatts

TurnDownForWATTs

Big Green Hairy Squatches

Wireless Energy

Another Watt Saved

Ghostface Killowatts

Efficient_SEE-ERS

Research

Use wiki markup for references, which is the following format:

  • Information. <ref>URL or Title of reference. </ref>

See http://www.appropedia.org/Help:Footnotes for more.

I will not be too draconian on writting style... but make sure NOT TO PLAGIARIZE![1]

50,000 kilowatts

Net Zero Energy Concepts

Becoming a Net Zero Energy Home is much more than just creating as much energy as you use, it starts by being more efficient, both in the technology used in the home and being conscious of the energy one is using and not using. [2]

Examples of Net Zero Homes

Two homes located in Gainesville, Florida were able to produce more energy than it used one home achieved "a HERS rating of -2" and the "energy consumption is offset by a 6.75 kW photovoltaic system." The other home achieved "a HERS rating of 0" and the “energy consumption is offset by a 6.6 kW photovoltaic system. [3]

Home Energy Audit

Have a piece of paper and pencil with you as you check the following to see where you can be more efficient; Air Leaks, Insulation, Heating & Cooling Equipment, Lighting, Appliances and Electronics. After you've done your Home Energy Audit you should call a professional so that they can do a more thorough analysis. You should do the recommendations to have a more efficient home. And since technologies are changing pretty fast you should check your home at least 3-5 years to see if you can upgrade and be more efficient.[4]

Energy Efficiency

This is the first and easiest (yet hardest) step towards reaching a Net Zero Energy Home. This is also the first step towards reducing CO2 emissions while saving you money. [5]

Residential Electricity

In the United States we use 60Hz/ 120 V ac in our buildings. 1Hz or 1Hertz equals 1 cycle per second.[6] [7]

Energy History of CCAT

CCAT has made numerous projects many that have succeeded and a few that have failed, some of these projects are a photovoltaic system, natural building, organic design, pedal power machines and many other projects. All of these projects has truly made the house a center to experiment with appropriate technologies.[8]

LED

Switching to LEDs has many advantages as they last longer, consume less electricity, are safer than incandescent lights, are sturdier as it will not break as easily, and are very easy to install. In all of these areas not only will LEDs will look nice in a home they will be saving you a lot more money in the long run.[9]

Stoves

Gas has a slight edge when it comes to energy efficiency but it still uses gas, so unless CCAT can create their own gas it would probably better to get an electrical stove with an oven because electrical oven save more energy than gas ones. [10] [11]

Kill-A-Watt

It is a tool to measure the electrical consumption of a device plugged into a socket. [12]

In Home Energy Monitors

TED Pro Home is in-home electricity monitor that allows you to view your electrical usage on a computer, helps perform household energy audits and reduce electricity usage. [13]

Peer-reviewed Journal

According to this article all new homes will meet the standards of the Net-Zero Energy Home by 2030 because by that time “the price of energy efficiency measures, renewable energy technologies, electricity and fuels will likely fluctuate, ultimately influencing the affordability of Net-Zero Energy Home.” [14]

Book Sources

Anna M. LaRue, Noelle C. Cole, Peter W. Turnbull (2013). Chapter 11 - What If This Actually Works? Implementing California’s Zero Net Energy Goals.: Energy Efficiency Towards the End of Demand Growth. Pages 275-303 [15]

A list of stuff to do[16]:

  • Create an inventory list of things that use energy at CCAT
  • Do a Home Energy Audit for CCAT
  • Compare research with Meta Group

Maybe some links to different templates:

Big Green Hairy Squatches Research

Net Zero Energy Concepts

  • According to Marzsal et al., "The Zero Energy Building (ZEB) concept is no longer perceived as a concept of a remote future, but as a realistic solution for the mitigation of CO2 emissions and/or the reduction of energy use in the building sector." [17]
  • "A NZEB/PEB refers to a building with a zero or negative net energy consumption over a typical year."[18]

Home Energy Auditing

The Home Energy Audit is the first step in determining how much energy the house consumes on a daily/weekly/monthly/yearly basis. This will help us determine what kind of changes are needed to bring the CCAT building to a net-zero state.

Some things to look at when doing a home energy audit:

  • Evaluate electricity bills.
  • Inventory appliances.
  • Analyze doors, windows, laminates, and heating units.

Here are a few home energy audit examples:

  • Do-It-Yourself Home Energy Audits[19]
  • D-I-Y Home Audit Checklist[20]

Energy Efficient Products

The use of efficient products is key to building a net zero building. Efficient appliances and products reduce your energy needs, therefore allowing the building to stay within the bounds of its available energy supply. To implement this we will take an inventory of the CCAT building and after finishing the energy audit, we will assess which (if any) product will need to be replaced by efficient products.[21]

Smart Solar Hot Water tanks

These are somewhat similar to tankless water heaters, but are heated through solar-thermal energy. They heat the water from the top to the bottom. With the possibility of utilizing energy efficient technologies, such as predictive heat control, we can potentially improve the CCAT's hot water system.[22]

Making Current Technology (and Products) More Efficient

Assessing what technology is existent in the CCAT will give us much insight into updating inefficient technology. Upon finishing assessment, we will look at more efficient, but cost-effective, technologies.[23]

Greywater Systems

  • Greywater refers to used water collected from household appliances such as sinks, showers, dish washers, and washing machines. While the water may seem and look dirty, the water that is collected and reused never comes from human waste. Greywater is a good irrigating source for plants and trees.
  • There are several important factors to take into account that are crucial: all products used in a greywater system should be biodegradable and non-toxic; do not use chlorine bleach; be mindful of soaps that change pH balance of water.
  • Average cost depends on the size and complexity of the system. Typical costs for materials range from $100 to $600 in basic greywater systems. Installation costs range from $700 to $3000.
  • California Requirements: Under a new 2009 law, washing machine greywater systems that do not alter existing plumbing do not require a permit as long as certain guidelines are followed.
    • "The system must:
      • have an easy way to direct flow back to the sewer/septic (like a 3-way valve). The valve must be labeled.
      • send the water to irrigate landscape plantings
      • keep the water on the same property it is produced
      • have a maintenance manual
      • discharge greywater under a 2" cover of mulch, plastic shield, or stones.
    • The system must not:
      • contain diaper water
      • contain hazardous chemicals (such as from a home photo lab)
      • have pooling greywater or runoff
      • make greywater accessible to people or pets (such as in an open tub)
      • include a pump (except the washing machine's internal pump)
      • connect to the potable water supply
      • affect other parts of the building, such as the electrical or structural components."[24]

Insulation and R-Values

  • R-Value = thermal resistance to heat flow
  • CA Building Codes (minimums): Water Heater R-12, Walls R-13, Floors R-19, Roofs R-30 (CA Building Standards Commission).
  • Types: Fiberglass roll/ batts, structural insulated panel, sprayed foam.
  • Framing home with 2 x 6 rather than 2 x 4 allows for larger thickness of insulation in walls and therefore more insulating potential.
  • Comparison of Fiberglass Batts:[25]
Thickness (inches) R-Value Cost (cents/sq. ft.)
3 1/2 11 12-16
3 5/8 13 15-20
3 1/2 (high density) 15 34-40
6 to 6 1/4 19 27-34
5 1/4 (high density) 21 33-39
8 to 8 1/2 25 37-45
8 (high density) 30 45-49
9 1/2 (standard) 30 39-43
12 38 55-60

Windows

  • U-Value: inverse of R-Value.
    • Example: U-Value= .25 (1/.25) R-Value =4
  • Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC): A high coefficient means high heat gain; a low coefficient means low heat gain; reflective/ tinted coatings lower SHGC.
  • Visible Transmittance: Amount of visible light transmitted; usually between 0.3-0.7. The higher this number is the more light that is entering.
  • Air leakage: Heat is lost and gained through the window assembly. Represented by an AL rating, expressed as the equivalent cubic feet of air passing through 1 ft2 of window area.
  • Condensation Resistance: 1-100; a higher number is more resistant to condensation.[26]

Passive Solar Heating

  • Using location, materials, and design to minimize energy use. Heat is collected from sunlight and stored in items with thermal mass (stone, cement, tile, water). Trombe wall is a masonry wall on the south face that collects sunlight in the morning and radiates heat into home at night.
  • Glazing (windows): majority on south and west for maximum exposure.
  • Building overhangs block sunlight during summer when sun angle is high and allow sunlight to enter during winter when sun angle is low.
  • Landscaping with deciduous trees shades home in the summer and allows sunlight to hit the home in winter when leaves are gone. Also, shrubbery blocks wind/ noise.[27][28]

Energy Usage Monitors

  • The TED is a small devices that provides a simple and easy way to check and measure the amount of electricity your home is using, in real-time. It can also be used to monitor specific appliances or circuits.
  • Displays energy consumption by the kilowatt-hour; also diplays measurements in volts, amps, and wattage within 0.2% accuracy.
  • Can estimate electricity usage and expenses for day, week, month, or year.
  • Benefits include: better understanding of energy usage (peak usage, outliers, etc.), usage awareness leads to lower energy usage overall, less energy efficient appliances are identifiable.[29]

How to Read Residential and Natural Gas Meters

  • Electricity
    • The majority of residential households include standard electric power meters, installed on the exterior of the home. The meter itself is "a clock-like device driven by the electricity running through it." The faster the dials move, the more electricity the house is using.[30]
    • "When reading an electric meter, read and write down the numbers as shown on the dials from right to left. When the pointer is directly on a number, look at the dial to the right. If it has passed zero, use the next higher number. If the dial has not passed zero, use the lower number. Record the numbers shown by writing down the value of the dial to your extreme right first and the rest as you come to them. Should the hand of a dial fall between two numbers, use the smaller of the two numbers."[31]
  • Natural Gas
    • "Natural gas is commonly measured by the cubic foot, and you are billed by the thousands of cubic feet (MCF) or hundreds of cubic feet (CCF). You may also be billed by the therm, which is about the same as a CCF or 100 cubic feet. To measure the amount of electricity or gas that you use, the utility installs a meter between the incoming electric power or gas lines and the point of distribution at the house."
    • "A gas meter is driven by the force of the moving gas in the pipe, and also turns faster as the flow increases. Each time the dial with the lower value makes one complete revolution, the pointer on the next higher value dial moves ahead one digit."
    • "When reading a gas meter, read and write down the numbers as shown on the dials from left to right (opposite of an electric meter). It is important to note that on both types of meters, the hands of adjacent dials turn in opposite directions to each other."[32]

VAWTs

A VAWT, or vertical axis wind turbine, is a wind turbine that spins about a vertical rather than horizontal axis. Though less efficient than horizontal designs, they are ideal for residential use due to small size, and low-grade DIY projects can be fairly cheap to produce. The two most common types are drag-type Savonius rotors and lift-type Darrieus rotors. Though VAWT technology has been less attractive due to lower efficiency numbers and potentially higher upkeep, non-commercial DIY designs may be beneficial in the small scale setting.[33][34]

Solar in Arcata

With the expansion of the solar industry in the United States, residential size arrays are more affordable than ever and can eliminate the need for reliance on fossil fuels.[35]The one big drawback to solar is what to do when the sun is not shining, a problem you have to deal with for half of the day, every day. New technologies are being developed to provide cheap, reliable storage that is easy to produce. With these new technologies, solar energy may very well replace large scale fossil fuel energy production.[36]

  • Based on data from Solmetric, a solar array in Arcata should have a 33o tilt, and be oriented on a 196o azimuth.[37]
  • The solar unit should be sized based on amount of available sunlight in your location, the size of installation area, and the amount of electricity you expect to supply.[38]

LED Lighting

LED lighting is much more efficient than CFL and incandescent lighting, using less watts per lumen. This, combined with a much longer lifespan, makes them a much more cost effective solution to lighting. LED lights have the ability to render in different colors. The lifespan of LEDs in well-designed fixtures is estimated to be upwards of 30,000-50,000+ hours.[39]

Wire Less Energy Research Team

Net Zero Energy Concepts

A net-zero building produces the same amount of energy it consumes[40]. Reaching net-zero can be difficult and requires changes to the way the building consumes energy as well as with the behavior of the people who live or use the building. Our objective is to achieve net-zero at the CCAT house on the Humboldt State University campus (hopefully within a year!). We will do this by applying more energy efficient technologies after analyzing their building through an home energy audit.

Net Zero Energy buildings are becoming more common with people searching for new homes. The whole concept of buying a house with no utilities bills can be both a cost effective and simple decision for most. Whole Building Design Guide[41] attempts to define the NZB (Net Zero Building). Its explained that NZB are not only designed once a house is build but is actually in the initial development. Retrofitting an existing house is also a good way to achieve net-zero but it would be better to start from the beginning to the end.


Zero Energy Buildings According to National Renewable Energy Laboratory

"At the heart of the ZEB concept is the idea that building can meet all their energy requirements from low-cost, locally available, nonpolluting, renewable sources. At the strictest level, a ZEB generates enough renewable energy on site to equal or exceed its annual energy use."[42]

Solar Stove

A solar stove may not be good for all months (cloudy) in Arcata but it when used it has absolutely no draw on energy or output in waste. It is 100% net zero. Go Sun Stove [43] is one of the first practical solar stove available. This solar stove will thrive in almost any weather conditions other than rain because of cloud cover, but in arcata rain doesn't always go hand in hand with clouds. Thankfully the Go Sun Stove can cook every day foods with just a few extra minutes than a burner stove.

10 minutes for 4 standard hot dogs
20 minutes to scramble eggs
30 minutes for 2 pounds of raw meat

With other elements such as snow and cold it has absolutely no effect due to the insolation of the "Go Sun Stove".

Ec3b17e4db43ed2b674444994e2be2f9 large.jpg

Steps to go Net Zero

  • 1.Audit your home
  • 2.Change your behavior
  • 3.Plug gaps
  • 4.Install compact Fluorescent lighting
  • 5.Buy a solar water heater
  • 6.Low-flow shower heads
  • 7.Installing ceiling fans
  • 8.Purchase Energy efficient appliance

The above are just a few steps you can take to go towards net-zero[44]. SmartPlanet.com helped with the list but I found some of the things they listed unnecessary. This is not a subject for net-zero as much as a guide I would like to add to. It will be a current list by 12/17/14.

Solar Water Heater

Solar water heaters can be used to heat up a houses water without the need for gas and many solar water heaters are plugged into the gas grid incase of things like over cast. They are practical but expensive. They don't have many differences besides a few exceptions but the basic concept is to heat your tank the the use of electricity obtained through a solar grid. Here is an example of a common website who has their heaters listed "Rheem.com"[45].

There are also technologies such as Passive Solar Water Heaters[46] in which the water tank itself is inside a bread box style hut with a roof on the top so it can heat passively through the sun. It has insolation to protect it from the cold. A passive water heater does not rely on pumps like an active water heater, they cost less and are more reliable due to this.

Build-a-passive-solar-water-heater.jpg

Home Energy Audit

A well performed home energy audit is essential towards planning a Net Zero building. It is important to understand what is the demand to plan a generation microplant. Houses tend to change consume during different seasons, different times of the day, different days in a week, and so on. A very detailed audit is the best option to a starting point in a project design. [47]


Basic steps for conducting a Home Energy Audit

A Home Energy Audit must first be conducted in before reaching the goal of becoming Net Zero. This allows the consumers to know how much energy they will need to produce in order to either maintain their current energy consumption patterns or become more efficient consumers with energy saving devices that assist in lowering the total use of energy. The two primary ways of conducting a Home Energy Audit is by contacting an energy audit firm that offers such services or by doing it yourself. Below are the basic steps that enumerate the entire process, in particular, the specific steps that occurs while conducting a Home Energy Audit along with references that may provide readers with a more in depth understanding of each step.[48]

Steps for conducting a Home Energy Audit:

1) Inventory -In this phase of the audit all of the energy consuming devices in the unit must be accounted for in a spreadsheet that categorically lists all of the items in the unit with its corresponding information such as the quantity, type of energy used (ie. electric, natural gas, solar), power rating (number of Watts), and any other observations that may be need to considered for the audit. Pre-made templates of spreadsheets that may be used for a DIY Home Energy Audit can be found on the web.

2) Audit -Here another spreadsheet will be generated very similar to the Inventory’s spreadsheet but with additional columns that will tally the total energy consumed per month. A number of tools may be used to accurately measure the amount of energy that is being consumed. The audit will generally take more than one day to complete in order to reflect the greatest accuracy of the measurements.

3) Generate Plan -In this step of the audit a plan must be generated that outline the course of action that must be taken for the unit to reach its Net Zero goal. After measuring the total amount of energy consumed in the unit through the audit, the consumers must change their behavior patterns and install energy saving (or more efficient) devices that will allow their energy consumption to level out. For specific examples on the latter please see the following references.[49] [50]

4) Execute/Practice -This is the final step is where the final plan will be executed and practiced. If any modifications arise the previously used spreadsheets & plan may be altered in order to project accurate figures.


Auditing Devices

A Kill A Watt Meter[51] is a device that is commonly used to measure the amount of energy (in Watts) that is used by items that are continually consuming energy throughout the day such as a refrigerator, freezer, or incubator; the device will be left for a period of 24 hours in order to read the amount of total energy these devices consume per day. This device was also be used to estimate the amount of power used by the consumers. The consumers must list how much time the item is used and then plug it into the meter to generate the power readings and calculate the total energy consumed per day. Kill-a-watt-power-meter.jpg

Tape Measure is used to measure the levels of insulin in the unit such as the attic (if you are conducting a DIY audit and do not have all the proper equipment it is recommended to at least have a flashlight with you while entering dark places such as attics during audits for maximum visibility while taking measurements). Please see click on the following reference for a guide on how to check your insulin levels and how much your unit requires. [52] Tape-measure.jpg

A Blower Door[53] is a device that only a professional home energy auditor may utilize. The blower door test is conducted in order to prevent air leakages throughout the unit. Blower door.jpg Checking for airleaks can also be done visually, however.[54] The following is an excerpt from Energy.gov: “On the outside of your house, inspect all areas where two different building materials meet, including: All exterior corners Outdoor water faucets Where siding and chimneys meet Areas where the foundation and the bottom of exterior brick or siding meet.

Inside your home, inspect around the following areas for any cracks and gaps that could cause air leaks: Electrical outlets Switch plates Door and window frames Electrical and gas service entrances Baseboards Weather stripping around doors Fireplace dampers Attic hatches Wall- or window-mounted air conditioners. Cable TV and phone lines Where dryer vents pass through walls Vents and fans” [55]

Professionals may also use infrared cameras, manometers, and smoke generating devices to check for air leaks.

Soap bubbles may be used to detect fuel leaks in combustion appliances.

Combustion analyzers are used to detect leaks in the gases emitted by vented combustion appliances.

Other handy tools used during energy audits include ladders, goggles, gloves, mirrors, etc.

Solar PV

In order to achieve a net zero energy building, there must be an effective energy generator to supply the system. Solar panels have been used frequently in buildings seeking net zero consumption. [56] Some roofs does not have enough room for an more efficient solar PV; therefore it is essential to have a good design of installation, so there is a maximum efficiency plant.

LED Lightening

LED light in a new alternative to a more energy efficient and long lasting illumination technology. A 3 W LED lamp is equivalent to a 50W halogen lamp. [57] This difference can be essential for reducing energy consumption in a building and make Net Zero possible.

LED lights can have unpleased colors and there is a technology still in development. Therefore, it is essential to find a better lamp for a different proposal. Depending on the type of environment, it will require a different color. [58]

Battery Storage

As solar panel depends on the climate, and seasons. It is unpredictable to guess the amount of energy it will produce in one day, or during the whole year. Therefore, it is important to have a good storage system to avoid waste and keep it for fall and winter seasons, when the hours of full sun decrease considerably. [59]

Radiant Floors

Areas that share Humboldt County's climate would benefit from radiant floors as a form of internal heating. This system uses Air Source Heat Pumps which can be used for both heating and cooling. By pumping or moving the air from one place to another to regulate temperature decreases the amount of energy used compared to a traditional furnace. The aesthetics of the system is not visible and the noise levels are minimal. [60]

B radiant heat.jpg

Desiccant Dehumidification

This is an energy conservation wheel also known as (rotary enthalpy wheel) which uses the energy that would have been discarded. [61] Depending on the season it can dehumidify or add humidification to the building. This is a very efficient way to capture and reuse heat that would have been wasted otherwise. They would work well together with radiant floor heaters because they are both installed underneath the floors.

Interviews

Interview conducted by, Cheryl Pomeroy, Ph.D for eZing Inc. The public has assumptions about home audit and energy efficiency that are not accurate. This conducted interview addresses biggest misconceptions about energy efficiency, "The notion that a house is a complex system needing independent, professional testing and diagnostic work is foreign...They are most surprised to learn what is and is not cost effective for energy savings." Those that conduct a home energy audit on their own home come to find a lot of surprising items that are more/less effective over others. Identifying the source of energy consumption adjustments than can be made. http://www.ezing.pro/images/NTHP_energy_auditor_survey_CP.pdf


Home Energy Audit Interview on Radio Green Earth - Part 1. Perf. Pro Energy Consultants. YouTube. Radio Green Earth, 6 May 2010. Web. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IriwqIrId3k>. [Video Description:] "Missy Tancredi and Jim Jackson interview Pro Energy Consultants on "Radio Green Earth," a weekly environmental radio show for public radio. Jim accompanies Pro Energy Consultants franchise owner Chris Block on an actual home energy audit at a hom in the Biscane Historic District, just north of downtown Miami. Learn how you can reduce energy costs, go green and save money. This interview aired Dec. 26, 2009 on WXEL-AM in West Palm Beach, Florida."

Further Readings

Books Montgomery, Richard H. The Home Energy Audit: Your Guide to Understanding and Reducing Your Home Energy Costs. New York: Wiley, 1983. Print. The Energy Efficient Home: A Guide for New Home Buyers and Renovators. Parramatta, N.S.W.: Prospect Electricity, 1993. Print. The Energy Efficient Home: A Guide for New Home Buyers and Renovators. Parramatta, N.S.W.: Prospect Electricity, 1993. Print.

Peer Reviewed Journal Articles Grant, Traci, and Gretchen M Spreitzer. "Helping Students Manage Their Energy: Taking Their Pulse with the Energy Audit." Journal of Management Education, 36.2 (2012): 239-263. Shapiro, Ian. "Energy Audits: In Large Commercial Office Buildings." ASHRAE Journal, 51.1 (2009): 18-23.

American Cat Squad

Net Zero Energy Concepts

Net zero energy is a steadiness when comparing the energy that a specific building produces and the energy that the same building consumes [62]. Breaking down the statement “net zero energy” this definition is quite apparent. Net, of course, is indicative of the total so net zero would mean that the objects being compared must equal out. In this case the objects being compared would be energy.

Net Zero Energy Example

There are very good examples of net zero buildings, one of which is in Pittsburgh, PA and is called The Center for Sustainable Landscapes or CSL [62]. The CSL has actually had a group come in to figure out the embedded energy, and while it is not directly related to CCAT, or has a whole lot to do with the net zero we are going for, it is still very interesting. The embedded energy from the Center for Sustainable Landscapes was very close to that of a building constructed under normal means, mostly because the photovoltaic system is so high [62]. In order to get CCAT to have the energy they produce equate that which they consume, an in-depth home energy audit should be performed to identify the appliances that are using more energy than others, and finding a means to cut back on said energy consumption, and implement useful tools in the house to help the residence keep track of energy consumption.

KillAWatt

This is specifically for the P4400 Kill A Watt TM, other devices could have subtle differences.There are a wide variety of instruments used in the energy audit, such instruments include the KillAWatt described above, wattmeter, power factor meter, foot-candle meter, ammeter, and voltmeter and many others that can specifically find information in temperature deviations for example [63]. The device is relatively simple in appearance but is very useful to find energy use in one’s house. It is essentially a box with the means to plug it into a wall and a place to plug in devices that you normally plug into a wall. Duration of time can vary from device to device, it is generally the larger appliances that are plugged in for a longer period of time, the refrigerator for example would be good to plug in for a week, but a cell phone charger can be plugged in for a day to get adequate readings[64]. There is a screen and a series of buttons from left to right: the volt button displays volts, the amp button displays the current amp output, the watt button displays both watts (active power) and VA or Vrm Arms (apparent power) watts appear upon one press and VA on the second press of the same button, next is the Hertz (which is frequency of voltage output) and press again to get the power factor which is the ratio of watts to VA, and finally the button that will be of most use for the duration of this project is the kWh button farthest to the right which shows the energy consumed by the device for the duration of time it was plugged into the meter as well as how long the device was plugged into the meter on the second press; all of these are displayed on the LED screen [65].

CCAT Energy

In an interview with one of the CCAT co-directors, it seems like appliances in the CCAT house that likely use the most energy include; the fridge, hot water heater and lights. In the past CCAT would track the energy history, but it is not done currently. They do have the capability to measure the energy use and all the old gas and electric bills are kept. The easiest methods to increase energy efficacy would be getting LED lights, transitioning to all electric, and increasing the capacity of the solar array. The changes in energy use vary with who is in the house, but there have been no new projects to increase energy use. The current net zero plans are very long term in a scale of years, they do not currently know where they are but the gas and electric bills are minimal. There are in-home energy monitors in the house but are not used on a day to day basis. The residence cut back on energy in the standard ways, not leaving lights on, using cold water, keeping the house cool and other customary energy saving methods. [66].

Home Energy Auditing

Objective: Analyzing energy leakage and constructing a plan to fully minimize energy and reach net zero use at CCAT by 2016.

Energy audits are not simply about finding a household's’ energy consumption through appliances, they include its finding areas of thermal loss within the home, preventing phantom loads from appliances, and leakages of energy both electrical and thermal. [67]. Chiras explains that in a simulation of 20 mile-per-hour wind blowing on older homes they found the homes leaked air at a rate of 8,500 cubic feet a minute. This figure was compared to the air leak rate of new homes, projected to be 500 cubic feet per minute, on average, in 20mph wind [67]. In addition to thermal energy loss from leakages, Chiras states that “Leaky doors and window can increase the cost of heating or cooling a home substantially, by up to 30 percent.” A home energy audit must observe for attic insulation, the number of panes in a window and if they’re leaky or have broken seals. Furthermore, scanning for gaps, pipes or other holes that lead through the home, more commonly found in basements or lower parts of the house. Something as simple as closing the dampers in the fireplace when not in use make a huge difference. Insulation is crucial for heat transportation systems, including all components of an HVAC [67].

Islanding Regulation

Islanding is a situation where a part of a grid system is isolated from the rest but is still powered by its own energy source; this may be intentional or accidental. However, it is a situation generally avoided for reasons of safety and resource management. Demand for island prevention or regulation have been met with anti-islanding devices or features.[68] Islanding may be ideal in situations where the central grid experiences issues in reliability. This allows people supplied by the local grid to maintain power in the event of central grid problems. Intentional islanding must address additional problems, such as how to handle excess loads in the system and the ability to safely alternate between islanded and connected modes.

Energy Loss due to Air Infiltration

Infiltration is an important aspect of home energy audits. Air can leak in and out through cracks around windows, doors, and frames, around loosely fitted water pipes, out chimneys and through openings in walls. Caulking, weather stripping and insulation can help reduce the exchange of heat between the inside and outside of the residence. [69]

NegaWatt

A negawatt is energy saved through efficiency measures and conservation. Negawatts reduce CO2 emissions, due to less use of fossil fuel energy. Another name for negawatts is "avoided energy" [70]

Winterizing a home

CCAT uses the most energy during the winter months[71] Winterizing helps a home stay warm without using extra energy. There are a few basic things you can do to winterize your home. [72]

  • Get rid of door draft. Any fabric can be used under the bottom of the door to keep air from coming through.
  • Replace or clean furnace filters: dust in filters cant constrict air flow making furnaces work harder to put out warm air.
  • Turn down the water heater
  • My person favorite, wear warmer clothes and wrap yourself in blankets.
  • Insulation: Insulation keeps heat from moving from warm areas to cold areas. Insulation can be installed in the ceilings, walls, and floors and around the water heater.[73]. There are also ways for you to insulate windows.[74]
  • Weather stripping : Weather stripping is installed on doors and windows, compressing the material when windows or doors are closed. The weather stripping seals the openings and decreases airflow. [75]
  • Caulking: The purpose of caulking is to seal cracks. Cracks can be filled from the inside and will lessen the amount of air entering and decrease the amount of water vapor entering. Large cracks should be filled from the outside. [76]

Team Net Zero Heroes Research

Objective: Conduct an energy audit at CCAT and create a feasible plan that can be implemented to reach net zero by 2016.

Net Zero Energy Concepts

Vivint and Garbett state that, "Net-zero simply means that a home produces as much energy as it consumes. Net zero homes minimize energy use through efficiency and meet remaining needs through renewable energy systems.

Net Zero House Examples

Many innovations are leading the way towards net-zero building, for example "The Zero Home" is an affordable new home that has reached a Home Energy Rating System (HERS) rating of zero. For example, through the partnership of Garbett Homes and Vivint, net-zero homes are making their way and becoming more affordable.[77]

Efforts to promote net zero homes by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Building America (BA) program is working to increase the energy efficiency of new and existing homes while raising comfort, and durability and reducing resource use.According to Norton and Christensen, as part of this program there is pursuit towards opportunities to research highly efficient homes with the goal of understanding what works, what doesn’t work, and what are the most economic ways to reach very high efficiency targets. The program aims to create cost neutral zero energy homes by 2020. Norton and Christensen also state that, "In pursuit of this goal, this home and other research homes around the country designed to approach or achieve the zero energy goal are being built and studied."[78]

Home energy rating system (HERS)

The HERS Program was first carried out to address issues in construction and equipment installations that had been known to not been done properly. In an revision to the HERS Regulations[79], the rating of a home as a system (known as Whole House Home Energy Rating) was put forward, where a home is rated on a scale from 0 to 250 to show its efficiency compared to a reference home built to just meet the Title 24 Building Energy Efficiency Standards' authoritative requirements.[80]

Residential Electricity

According to Stein and Meier, approximately 20% of all the energy consumed in the United States is consumed by the residential sector. Nowadays most of this energy can be saved cost-effectively by building new houses to be more energy-efficient and by modifying existing houses with more efficient equipment. Sadly, most of the chances to save energy, natural resources and money in houses are not apprehended because of market barriers such as lack of facts and lack of funding. HERS and related financial products, have the capability to assist the progress of identification and funding of a enormous number of such chances.[81]

Home Energy Auditing

Energy.gov describes a home energy audit also known as a home energy assessment as the first step in assessing how much energy your home consumes and evaluating actions you can take to make your home more energy efficient. An assessment will also show you problems that can, when revised, save you serious amounts of money over time.

The Campus Center for Appropriate Technology (CCAT)[82] is a student run sustainability organization located at Humboldt State University. In a attempt to have CCAT run as a net-zero organization a home energy audit will first be conducted to assess energy use and output.

A list of stuff to do:

  • Go to CCAT and divide house into sections to be audited by team members.
  • Take an inventory of all energy consuming and producing items.
  • Calculate energy used and produced.
  • Compare data to energy bills.

Links to different templates:

  • Example of an Energy Audit Data Collection form[84]
  • Energy Savings Toolbox–An Energy Audit Manual and Tool [85]

US Energy

  • According to the book “Energy for the 21st Century : A Comprehensive Guide to Conventional and Alternative Sources (2nd Edition)” Efficiency is needed heavily for the future. In 2006 the USA created 433 TeraWatt Hours, but we needed 18921 TeraWatt Hours. In 2030 it looks like we will 33265 TeraWatt Hours. In order to meet this requirement the USA will need to increase its Efficiency.[86]

Power and Energy

  • Power is the Rate at which energy flows. Energy is in all things, such as electricity, water, air, everything! Humans use energy for all sorts of things like powering a phone and computer with electricity. There are often times where using energy affects the environment. Like if someone burns coal for energy a lot of C02 comes out. Luckily we have discovered some forms of clean energy, like windmills, solar panels, and many more.

Renewable Energy

  • According to a Journal written by John A Turner Many people have the wrong idea that renewable energy costs more energy than it saves. He says that it takes 3 to 4 years to payback. John A Turner also says that the USA is the biggest energy consumer in the world. If that is correct then we have a bigger job to reduce energy consumption. So we should increase our renewables and stop using as much energy.[87]

Government Involvement

EPA.gov, when searched for implications into government involvement in net zero concepts and accountability, shows little for how the government is actively involved in the net zero movement but does have a four-step guide so to speak, which gives examples in how to go about moving towards a net zero facility and is targeted mostly towards government run facilities and not towards home owners. Though this guide could actively be applied towards the common home owner as a set of guidelines into how to move towards net zero household.

  • On The Road to Net Zero EPA [88]

According to an article on Net Zero Housing, financial and monetary incentives need to be implecated by government and other organizations to make full net zero housing a worthwhile financial investment and not just an investment into the sustainability of the Earth. [89]

Net Zero Housing

There is a boom in housing options regarding net zero living. A surprising amount really considering a fair amount of these homes are simply buy and build style housing options. Such as the two websites below which hold events, informational gatherings, as well as their main attraction of highly formulated and detailed layouts of how to go about bringing your HERS down to zero and how to go about transitioning to a net zero home. As mentioned above the Garbett and Vivint partnership is a great example site on how to transition to net zero housing through their site The Zero Home [90]. Zero Homes is another site in which to brush up information on net zero housing.

Materials/Home Improvement for Net Zero Housing

  • Photovoltaics (PV)
  • "Passive solar design refers to the use of the sun’s energy for the heating and cooling of living spaces." According to Sustainable Resources [92] a Passive Solar design has proven to produce low energy cost, reduced maintenance, and provide great comfort. Windows, walls, and floors are made to collect, store, and distribute solar energy. This consist of heat in the winter and rejecting solar heat in the summer.
  • Solar water heating
  • Superinsulation
  • Sealing air leaks

Alternative Products/Appliances

Below is a list of a few household items and appliances that could be used in a Net Zero home to help with energy efficiency :

  • LED lightbulbs- Produce light very efficiently by using light emitting diodes. LED light bulbs are efficient, durable,versatile and longer lasting than CFL light bulbs. "[93]
  • Skylights
  • Heat Exchanger aka "heat recovery ventilator"[94]
  • Induction Cooktop[95]
  • Hands free/ leg-operated sinks [96]

Maintenance of a Net Zero Home

Depending on the types of energy efficient products/appliances you have put in place the maintenance of a Net Zero home will vary. Below are a couple of items that should be maintained annually.

  • Antifreeze-based Solar Thermal systems should have their pH checked annually.If needed the coolant should be replaced or added to help with performance and to avoid corrosion.[97]
  • Clean PV panels' annually.

Interview

For our interview, we went to CCAT and interviewed one of the house members Nick. He said there is no energy history of CCAT besides recent bills. They are currently working on a way to log the information and upload it online. For now no energy bills were provided to us. He said he believes the solar array to be about 2.3-2.4 kW. The main way the house is heated is through passive solar and he says overall the house is pretty well insulated. When it came to suggestions on how to move towards a net-zero household, he said that it is completely up to the Engineering 308 students and wants us to find inefficiencies.

Book Sources

  • Anderson, R. , Roberts, D. (2008). Maximizing Residential Energy Savings: Net Zero Energy Home Technology Pathways. Golden, Colo.: National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
  • Norton, P. , & Christensen, C. (2008). Performance results from a cold climate case study for affordable zero energy homes. ASHRAE Transactions, 114, 218.[98]
  • Nersesian, Roy L.. Energy for the 21st Century : A Comprehensive Guide to Conventional and Alternative Sources (2nd Edition). Armonk, NY, USA: M.E. Sharpe, Inc., 2010. ProQuest ebrary. Web. 17 November 2014.

Peer Reviewed Articles

  • According to this article on a study conducted in Denmark's housing scope on PV installation and the amount of energy to be conducted via a Net Zero Housing option "that in order to build a cost-effective Net ZEB, the energy use should be reduced to a minimum leaving just a small amount of left energy use to be covered by renewable energy generation."[99]
  • Newell, B. (2014). Net zero homes. ASHRAE Journal, 56(5), 38.
  • Stein, J. , & Meier, A. (2000). Accuracy of home energy rating systems. Energy, 25(4), 339-354.[100]
  • Zmeureanu, R. , Fazio, P. , DePani, S. , & Calla, R. (1999). Development of an energy rating system for existing houses. Energy & Buildings, 29(2), 107-119[101]
  • A Realizable Renewable Energy Future John A. Turner Science,New Series, Vol. 285, No. 5428 (Jul. 30, 1999), pp. 687-689 Published by: American Association for the Advancement of Science Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2898476

Efficient_SEE-ERS Research

  • John Plaggmier
  • Wade Sedawie
  • Jacob Carroll-Johnson
  • Kekai Tanaka

Objective: To analyze the energy usage at CCAT and create a plan to reach Net Zero Energy by 2016.

Net Zero Energy Basics

Net zero energy construction and design is an efficiency oriented technique that focuses on conserving resources, conserving energy, and balancing those concepts whilst utilizing the highest performance appliances and systems available. There are many, many facets of zero energy construction and design, but all of those facets revolve around the same concepts just previously mentioned.

A common misconception, and a product of profit motive on net zero energy construction and design, is that often people think of producing more energy instead of first finding an alternative method to accomplish their goals or by reducing their demand for energy. Often it will conserve much more energy and financially benefit builders to design first with reduction in mind instead of production.

When starting a net zero energy project, as many factors as physically reasonable to include need to be examined while analyzing any one particular site for the development of a net zero facility, whether it be a house, a school, or a hospital. A thorough survey of the natural resources and renewable energies in the immediate area needs to be undertaken. Following this, a critical look at the needs/wants/demands of the facility will decide how and what energy systems need to be in place. Environmental factors like total full sun hours, topography, strength/duration/direction of prevailing winds, soil type and content, and more can cause major problems or drive huge decisions, such as whether to use passive heating and cooling systems to provide the majority of HVAC, or whether a solar array is absolutely necessary. Physical factors like the area of land to work with can also change designs dramatically, because even though demands might be sufficient enough to require a large wind turbine or solar array, there might not be enough space to place it. There is also the issue of energy storage, which is most often affected by finances or space. Although, energy storage can be unnecessary if a clever combination of renewable energy sources is utilized in combination to meet the immediate demands on the grid.

The sheer complexity of the environment, technology, and the economy can make the process of designing a truly net zero facility extremely difficult, but with the right data, and enough money and time, any installation can become a net zero, or even energy producing facility that accomplishes the goal(s) it intended whilst respecting the environment and conserving energy and resources.

Information Source [102]

Alternative Energy Sources

  • The Smart Themosiphon Array is a new technology that allows the transfer of heat to and from soil. This new technology makes achieving net zero easier to obtain. "STAs use standard passive thermosiphon mechanisms to transfer energy out of soil, and controlled rate transfer of energy into the soil using standard machinery. In this paper, we describe how STAs can provide seasonal energy storage to meet all climate control needs. The passive mode of soil freezing and the pump-assisted operation of air conditioning are modeled."[103]


  • "Geothermal energy is extracted via a 120 meter deep borehole and serves as a heat source for a brine/water heat pump."[104]

Heat Exchangers

A very efficient and effective way to save on heating and cooling are heat exchangers. By utilizing the waste heat that is being generated by house plumbing, dryers, ventilation systems, and other appliances, people can heat their homes with energy that they were just throwing away before.

Examples of Heat Exchanger Designs:

Straight-tube heat exchanger 1-pass.PNG U-tube heat exchanger.PNG Double-Pipe Heat Exchanger.png

Devices similar to the ones pictured above can be used to extract heat from the waste water from your shower or sink, from the ventilation streaming from the dryer to the outside of the house, or any other similar heated-circulating system, and then pump that heat back into your house, recapturing that wasted energy. In combination with passive heating and cooling systems, heat exchangers can be a very simple way to make a facility more efficient.

Information Source [105] Image Source [106]

Net Zero Building Examples

  • "The two-part, 970 foot^2 modular structure relies on solar photovoltaic panels to create electricity, thermal technology to store and deploy heat from the sun, and vacuum insulation panels to seal the building envelope."[107]

Example

Name: Painters Hall Location: Salem, OR, USA

Description: Painter's Hall operates as a cafe, office, art gallery, and an event venue. It is open to the public, and is an excellent example of a multi-use facility that is also net zero energy in design and construction.

Notable Features: Painter's Hall is a retrofit and renovation of a pre-existing structure, as opposed to a brand new building that was constructed with the initial goal of being net zero. Economic incentives were the primary factor for stressing energy efficient choices in design. As expected, passive cooling and lighitng systems are one of the cheapest and most beneficial engineering choices, and they are implemented here. As well, Painter's Hall utilizes a district based geothermal heating loop for air conditioning. As with many net zero energy buildings and sites, the designers thought ahead and connected the 20.2 kW rooftop solar array to the pump system for the geothermal heating, so that excess energy produced by the solar array doesn't go to waste. Recycled and local materials were sourced as frequently as possible

Painters hall.jpg

Specifications: The Rooftop Solar Array is a 20.2 kW system with 96 Solar Modules, consisting of four individual arrays. Each array has three sets of eight modules.

Here is some actual performance data of the system, taken from the International Living Future Institute:

"Annual Energy Use

  • Actual: 19,845 kWh (67.66 MBtu) for dates 2/1/11 to 1/31/12
  • Designed: 19,563 kWh (66.7 MBtu)
  • Energy Use intensity: 20.83 kBtu/sf
  • Annual electricity generated: +2,297 kWh Excess Generation

Design End Use Breakdown

  • Heating & Cooling: +2,297 kWh Excess Generation
  • Interior Lights: 17.6 Mbtu
  • Misc Equipment: 30.0 Mbtu
  • Pumps: 3.1 Mbtu
  • Fans: 2.6 Mbtu
  • DHW: 1.2 Mbtu
  • Exterior Lighting: 0.0 Mbtu
  • EUI: 19.7 kBtu/sf"

Information and Image Source [108]

Solar Hybrid Cooking

Thermal system.jpg

  • System Designed by Larry Schlussler PhD [109]

More extreme efficiency measures described by Larry Schlussler can be found here.

LED Lightbulbs

Traditional incandescent light bulbs lose a lot of energy as wasted heat. LEDs emit more lumens per watt than incandescent light bulbs [110] making them more efficient. Another benefit of LED lighting is the relatively long lifespan (some estimates are 35000 to 50000 hours of life) [111]. Like many energy efficient measures one can make, the initial cost is more, but over the long run, energy/money savings make the investment worthwhile.

Screen Shot 2014-11-23 at 11.03.01 PM.png

Home Energy Auditing

  • "A home energy audit, also known as a home energy assessment, is the first step to assess how much energy your home consumes and to evaluate what measures you can take to make your home more energy efficient. An assessment will show you problems that may, when corrected, save you significant amounts of money over time."[112]

A list of stuff to do[113]:

  • Inspect the following:
    • Locate air leaks; check insulation; Inspect heating and cooling equipment; inspect lights; inspect electronics and appliances


Maybe some links to different templates:

Ghostface Killowatts

Desiree Martin
Carlos Sanchez
Maegan Mclean
Steven Wissel

Net Zero Energy Concepts

A net zero building consumes no extra energy from the grid, meaning all energy consumed in the building is created through renewables on site [114]. We will be analyzing CCAT's energy use and giving them suggestions on how they can reduce their energy use. The overall goal is to give suggestions for CCAT to become a net zero building by 2016. Our team will be doing a Home Energy Audit of CCAT, which will be a detailed report of what appliances are using the most energy. Our suggestions will also include an estimated cost for CCAT to run entirely off solar power.

Similar Devices to the KillAWatt/Home Energy Monitors

GEO’s smart energy Monitors (from the UK)

3 different monitors the Solo, Duet and Trio.

The energy data is expressed in multiple ways to engage the product user. The Solo display might show "a ‘speedometer’ to indicate instantaneous levels of electricity use; a ‘milometer’ which indicates the amount of electricity used each day expressed in kilowatt hours, pounds sterling or carbon dioxide emissions; and a ‘fuel tank’ enabling householders to set a daily budget which indicates whether this is being met or exceeded by displaying a tick or a cross symbol."

The Duet display is similar to the solo but has an extra screen that shows "boiler and radiator usage (this contains icons to show householders when the boiler or radiators are on, and also gives a percentage reading to indicate how much of the time – either over a 24-hour period or over the last 15 minutes the boiler and radiators have been operating) and up to 6 individual appliances. The appliances themselves must be plugged-in via a ‘PlugBug’ device, which transmits consumption data to the Duet unit."

"The Trio has a full colour display with a very wide range of monitoring options. Whilst the Solo and Duet are designed for self-installation involving simply clipping-on a transmitter to the electricity meter and, in the case of the Duet, to the boiler as well, the Trio demands professional installation by an electrician and a computer specialist as it involves a more extensive transmission system involving the household Wi-Fi system. Once installed it monitors heating, hot water usage (using the same system as the Duet), all electrical circuits in the home and up to 100 individual appliances (using PlugBugs). It can then display this information graphically, allowing householders to investigate their consumption patterns in more detail. For example, the Trio can display the consumption of a range of appliances over 24-hour or monthly periods, expressed in kilowatt hours, pounds sterling or carbon dioxide emissions.”[115]

Ways to Reduce Energy Use

“Examining how to motivate sustainable lifestyles that encompass a multitude of behaviors, as opposed to a few individual behaviors at a time, holds great promise of lasting and impactful change for a variety of reasons.

A list of some ways to reduce energy use:

  • Raise fridge/freezer temp
  • Turn off computer if away > 1 hr
  • Turn off monitor if away > 15 min
  • Unplug unused/ “off” appliances
  • Use powerstrips, turn off if not in use
  • Buy efficient washing machine
  • Turn off copier when not in use
  • Buy efficient dishwasher
  • Select “air-dry” or open door
  • Buy efficient refrigerator
  • Use a laptop not desktop
  • Turn off printer, not in use
  • Stop using screen saver
  • Use sleep mode if away < 1 hr
  • Use “energy saver” /“light wash”
  • Always run a full load
  • Apply low-emissivity window films
  • Sealed airducts
  • Installed skylights tunnels
  • Use space heater
  • Caulked and weatherstripped (doors and windows?)
  • Installed insulation
  • Turn off lights
  • Use curtains
  • Installed double pane windows
  • Turn down thermostat
  • Installed program. thermostat
  • Switched to CFLs"[116]

How to conduct a home energy audit

  • take an inventory of ALL energy using devices and make a list
  • estimate/average how long each device is used per day
  • plug each device into a KillAWatt to measure wattage each uses, turn device off to measure phantom wattage (If device has a sleep mode measure this as well, measure when refrigerator is “running” and not running) and record results.
  • calculate and compare with bill for accuracy[117]

a previous home energy audit of CCAT [118]

Net Zero Water

It would be difficult to implement net zero water in the allotted time but this is an interesting topic to explore and CCAT has already installed a catchment system. The first step would be to reduce water usage which could be done in the following ways (this list also includes some ways to reduce energy consumption as well via the water heater):

  • Buy solar water system
  • Buy tankless water heater
  • Take shorter showers
  • Insulate water pipes
  • Wash clothes cold water
  • Insulate water heater
  • Lower water heater temperature
  • Buy efficient water heater
  • Wash a full load
  • Install low-flow showerheads
  • Install faucet aerators”[119]


“One hundred percent of occupants’ water use must come from captured precipitation or closed loop water systems that account for downstream ecosystem impact and that are appropriately purified without the use of chemicals.”

“One hundred percent of stormwater and building water discharge must be managed on-site to feed the project’s internal water demands or released onto adjacent sites for management through acceptable natural time-scale surface flow, groundwater recharge, agricultural use or adjacent building needs.” [120]

Example of a Net Zero Energy Building

The Equinox House is a great example of a net zero energy building in the Central Illinois city of Urbana. All of the energy used in the house is from the photovoltaic solar panels in the form of columns. The solar array output is 8.2 kW. The building has very thick insulation consisting of 12 inch Structural insulated panels (SIPs), which results in a decrease in energy use related to heating and cooling. The authors of the article have worked in solar energy and helped extensively with the project design. One of their main goals was to educate the public and their community about net zero energy building and show that it is not out of reach. [121]

What is a KillAWatt

A KillAWatt is a device/meter that tell us how much power(up to 15 amps) an appliance runs on. The KillAWatt plugs into the wall, power source(110volts), and the appliance plugs into the KillAWatt. Which then displays the power it draws, on an LCD screen. And it can also be used to check the quality of power that is supplied by the outlet. By knowing how much power a device draws one can calculate how much energy it uses. This can be very helpful if one would like to make a home energy audit.[122]

Energy History of CCAT

After interviewing an employee of CCAT , we learned that there is a brief history of some energy projects that CCAT has implemented. There were two main projects that were brought up: one is that in 1979, CCAT installed a solar water heater. The other one was that from 1991-2001 CCAT was off the grid.[123] We were told that we will be provided with information regarding the usage of energy.[124]

Types of appliances

There are a broad range of appliances to make the living conditions ideal. The more general ones are as follows: refrigerators, stoves, heaters/furnaces, microwave ovens, toasters, coffee brewers, water heaters, and so on. There are many aspects to consider when purchasing a new appliance. The main ones are the affording price and the features that it offers. If we were to choose between a “regular” and an energy efficient appliance. Then the money saved, over a period of time, from energy efficient appliances outweighs the purchasing price. [125]

Energy Efficiency

  • “Energy efficiency is ‘using less energy to provide the same service’”[126].There are countless ways to be more energy efficient. One simple and inexpensive way is by replacing your incadescent light bulbs with compact flourescent light bulbs. Another way to be more energy efficient is by purchasing ENERGY STAR appliances("ENERGY STAR is a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) voluntary program that helps businesses and individuals save money and protect our climate through superior energy efficiency")[127]. Homes, cars, and factories can all have gains in efficiency and use less energy, but with these gains comes a cost. One of the most widely used tools to analyze these costs is energy payback.

Energy Payback

  • Energy payback is an economic tool designed to show how long it will take a device to save enough energy to pay back it's initial investment. This economic tool is very useful for consumers and investors. Consumers should use this tool when thinking about adding solar pv systems to their homes or when they vote on legislation to build wind farms in their area. Investors must use this tool when thinking about opening a new factory or simply when they are trying to make efficiency gains in an already existing factory. This tool can be used for comparing new technologies or replacing old technologies with new ones.
  • Total initial cost/(Annual energy cost savings - Annual operating costs)= Payback Time [128]
  • "When designing houses for clients I try to convince them that spending more money on energy efficient materials now, will save them more money in the future".[129]

Energy Economics

  • The biggest driver in energy technologies is economics. As a capitalist society it is imperative to cut costs of energy production in a clean responsible manner. These costs can include money, pollution, and resources. If we as a society decide to produce dirty, cheap energy, what does that hold for our future? It will lead to a sick, unproductive society, where the natural resources we desperately need will be of no use because they are destroyed. we must innovate and build new technologies that can produce as much as, if not more than the old technologies. If we can not create these new technologies we must look at ways to use our current technologies more efficiently. Economics is about give and take, if we want/need something, we will have to give something up in order to get it. We must start investing in new technologies so we can bring the prices down and make them competitive with already existing technologies. [130]

Energy Awareness

The general public does not know or care about energy issues. This creates the first step in fixing our energy issues. We must educate the public. There are many ways to do this and a combination of them is going to be the best way to educate the public. "A majority (58%) of the respondents think Saudi Arabia is the largest foreign supplier of oil to the U.S., while only 13% recognize Canada as having that distinction".[131] Knowledge is power.

Team TurnDownForWATTs Research

Objective: We'll be analyzing the energy use of CCAT and creating a plan to reach net zero by 2016.

Net Zero Energy Concepts

  • According to Lstiburek (2014), a zero energy house produces all its necessary energy on site using renewable technologies; also usually the house is off grid, providing energy storage.[132] The main goal of our group is to analyze the energy use of CCAT through a home energy audit and to create a plan to reach net zero by 2016, especially through PV modules installation.
  • Although most case studies of Net Zero homes call for homes that are “Build tight, and ventilation right"[133], it will be more plausible for our class to focus on implementing renewable resources technology and energy conservation techniques to achieve net zero rather than trying to create an airtight seal over the entire CCAT building.

Examples of Net Zero Homes

  • Despite producing a surplus of energy across the whole year, a solar net-zero house in Maryland had a few winter months of energy deficit [134].
  • The Zero Energy House - Auckland, New Zealand a home designed to achieve net zero energy over the course of the year through energy efficient features and solar energy systems[135][136].
  • Yoklic, Martin, Mark Knaebe, Karen MartinsonIntegrating Net-zero Energy and High-performance Green Building Technologies into Contemporary Housing in a Cold Climate. Madison, Wis.: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, 2010[137].

Residential Electricity

  • Does a Motion-Activated Light Switch Save Money? The room that I think would be the most effective for such a switch would be the bathroom. I can speak from experience that restroom lights are often left on, particularly in the evening hours. While these are usually “caught” before I go to bed, there’s often an hour or two of several bulbs burning, eating up the energy[138].

LED Lighting

  • LEDs are “directional” light sources which means they emit light in a specific direction, unlike incandescent and compact fluorescent bulbs which emit light – and heat – in all directions. For this reason, LED lighting is able to use light and energy more efficiently in many applications. However, it also means that sophisticated engineering is needed to produce an LED light bulb that shines light all around like an incandescent A-shape bulb[139].

Heat Pump Water Heaters

"These unites use a heater/compressor and refrigerant fluid to transfer heat from one place to another. They are fueled by electricity, but the heat source is warm air in the vicinity of the heat pump. For this reason heat pumps work best in warm climates. They use less electricity because it takes less energy to move heat than to create it. They are available with built-in water tanks called integral units, or as add-ons to existing water heaters. They are expensive and complicated to install, so it's best to hire a contractor for this job." [140]

Indirect Water Heaters

"Indirect water heaters use the home heating system's boiler. Hot water is stored in a separate insulated tank. Heat is transferred from the boiler via a small circulation pump and heat exchanger. Disadvantages include the fact that it's an integral part of the home heating system and that it's usually easiest to install during new building construction by a contractor." [141]

Solar Water Heater

  • Cheap and Easy Passive Solar Water Heater for your Home. ($300) Heat your water for free with a solar water heater. This $300 DIY solar water heater system even includes an electric backup water heater for cloudy days. It heats water to 135F (55C) on sunny days in a 80 gallon (310 liter) tank - and there are no moving parts - it relies in a thermosyphon to circulate the water[142].

Energy History of CCAT

  • CCAT has developed many projects involving the conservation of energy such as solar electricity, solar water heating, passive solar heating, pedal power tools, thermal curtains, and a wind turbine. Currently, CCAT consumes less than 5% of the average energy consumption in the USA[143].

Types of Appliances

  • “Short of using a solar cooker, you’d be hard pressed to find a more efficient way of cooking [than a pressure cooker]”[144].

Home Energy Auditing

  • Performing a home energy audit will help to assess the energy consumption of the structure. With the energy consumption information at hand it is possible to make changes that will result in a more energy-efficient home. For this to be possible it is necessary to be diligent to identify the problems. Conducting an audit should inspect ‘walkingthrough’ points such as locating air leaks, insulation, heating/cooling, and lighting[145].

What a KillAWatt or Similar Device is

  • Plug an appliance in to a Kill A Watt meter to measure it’s electrical consumption[146].

Interviews

  • “Now induction will cook food around twenty to twenty-five percent quicker than your traditional butane or gas. It’s energy efficient. It draws fifteen amps, but the savings is in how quick it cooks.”[147].
  • Interview: Building Science Pioneer Dr. Joe Lstiburek on the Good, Bad and Ugly Side of Buildings | Inhabitat - Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building[148].
  • Interview: Paul Schwer, P.E. LEED AP, President of PAE Consulting Engineers, Inc. “Detailed knowledge of how energy will be used in the building will inform choices about where to save energy. Architectural factors such as building orientation, massing and geometry, percentage glazing, insulating values for walls, roof and glass, and daylighting obviously have a huge impact on overall building energy use.”[149]
  • Interview: Paul Schwer, P.E. LEED AP, President of PAE Consulting Engineers, Inc. “Detailed knowledge of how energy will be used in the building will inform choices about where to save energy. Architectural factors such as building orientation, massing and geometry, percentage glazing, insulating values for walls, roof and glass, and daylighting obviously have a huge impact on overall building energy use.”[150]
  • Mike Kalfsbeek of prosperous Kalfsbeek farms in Colusa County, CA claims that "Keeping up to date with the condition of wiring, retrofitting/replacing old, worn components in fuse boxes/transformer boxes can reduce the amount of energy wasted in a system." [151]

Book Resources

  • Cook, M. (2009). Energy Efficiency in Old Houses. Ramsbury: Crowood.
  • Anderson, R. , Roberts, D. (2008). Maximizing Residential Energy Savings: Net Zero Energy Home Technology Pathways. Golden, Colo.: National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
  • Black, Dave. (2008). Living Off The Grid. Skyhorse Publishing. New York, NY.
  • U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Building Technologies Program (2005). Builders and Buyers Handbook for Improving New Home Efficiency, Comfort, and Durability in Cold and Very Cold Climates. Washington, D.C.

Peer reviewed Articles

  • Putting a heated pressure cooker into an insulated box resulted in unprecedentedly low energy costs while cooking potatoes and beans[152].
  • Net zero homes have positive impacts as reducing energy, increasing sustainability, generating new jobs, but it is necessary to evaluate the indoor environment[153].
  • Two fundamental principles were employed: “Build tight, ventilation right” and contaminant source control. The first principle was pursued by constructing the building with a tight exterior envelope. While this approach is not new, particularly in northern Europe, the U.S. is still catching up with the latest airtightness construction practice (3). The goal for this house was that it be extremely airtight, for a U.S. home, through the use of a continuous air barrier system[154].
  • Edmonton, Alberta – It’s a beautiful, livable, functional net-zero experiment - Welcome to the home of architect Shafraaz Kaba[155].

Another Watt Saved

Net Zero Energy Concepts

Living Building Challenge defines Net Zero Energy as, "exceptional energy conservation and then on-site renewables to meet all of its heating, cooling and electricity needs." [156] A collaboration of ideas and goals to fully minimize energy use has lead to development of and rise of community centers, research labs, classrooms, park and centers for sustainable living. [157]

Home Energy Auditing

Conducting a home energy audit on a facility, home, center of any kind will help identify and isolate where energy consumption is used. By obtaining this knowledge and awareness of where the consumption of energy comes from it then becomes possible to analyze the information and make changes. Inspection throughout the whole facility must be made carefully to not miss any potential energy usage. This inspection will help calculate and determine how much energy the facility uses. In addition to full house inspection a sense of energy use can be obtained by looking at electricity bills and appliances on the premises.

Where to Start

In designing a dwelling with a net zero energy consumption rate there is a comprehensive 10 step plan for achieving the goal that can be viewed at the consumers leisure on a number of websites.[158] Before thinking about producing the energy one requires on a yearly basis, that is to produce the energy a home consumes entirely, one must reduce their consumption significantly. It is advised that a net zero energy home be all electric with great insulation.[159]

A list of stuff to do:

  • Gather all bills from recent months
  • Change behavior- raise self awareness of surroundings
  • Conduct self home energy audit [160]

Conducting a home energy audit

By conducting your own energy audit, one will know their energy consumption and become familiar with what appliances and activities consume the most energy. A useful tool is the Killawatt, an in-home energy monitor that is easy to use and helpful [161]

How to use a Killawatt/energy monitor

1. Measure the watts of all appliances when in use. Plug in the Killawatt to an outlet, then plug in your appliance to the outlet on the Killawatt. The monitor will give you the volts, amps and if the appliance is on and running, the watts. The kilowatt hour reading will be available once you have left the appliance running for over an hour to calculate.
2. Calculate daily/monthly watt usage. It is just as important not to overestimate your time usage of appliances than it is to underestimate the usage.
3. Find a more efficient appliance for those that are consuming more energy than expected or make the appliance more efficient.

Using the Home Energy Rating System

Designed by the US Department of Energy, the HERS will give the more efficient homes a lower number on its index. For example, a home that is truly net zero would rate zero. The insulation of the home is first accounted for. How well the home is air-sealed, through its doors, windows and walls is significant. Then the efficiency of appliances, cooling, heating and lighting systems are analyzed. This information is used to calculate how much energy is being consumed by the home on average in order to find how much energy must be produced by the home in order to be at net zero energy. [162]

Planning

Steps[163] [164]

1) With a Designer/architect that has knowledge of Zero Energy Home (ZEH) design, create a project team which will consist of: owner, builder, energy consultant, and landscaper.

2) In collaboration with the team choose the site. When considering the use of solar arrays, it is ideal to have the roof ridge line run east-west to get a south facing slope.

3) Use energy modeling to figure out the most cost-efficient home. (This will likely be done by the Energy Consultant).

4) Super seal/insulate the building envelope.

5) Minimize thermal bridging. [165]

6) Use highly insulated doors and walls. It is important to balance insulation. It is not any more important to have a highly insulated roof than it is to have highly insulated walls, windows and/or doors.

7) Use the sun for passive solar gain.

8) Use the sun (and wind in Arcata) for electricity/hot water.

9) Decide on appropriate Energy Recovery Ventilation (ERV) or Heat Recovery Ventilation (HRV) system to efficiently supply fresh air and manage humidity.

10) Install energy efficient lights, electronics, appliances and heating/cooling systems. Energy efficient appliances will be very helpful, but there is also efficient ways of using the appliances. For example, when using CFL or LED lighting instead of the higher CO2 emitting incandescent, you can still use the lighting more efficiently if you think about lighting surfaces with the light bulbs, rather than lighting spaces. If the lighting hits brighter walls and areas, you illuminate more than trying to light up the spaces directly.

Wind Power Alternatives

"The Caltech design targets that power by relying on vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs) in arrangements that place the turbines much closer together than is possible with horizontal-axis propeller-style turbines.

VAWTs provide several immediate benefits, according to Dabiri, including effective operation in turbulent winds like those occurring near the ground, a simple design (no gearbox or yaw drive) that can lower costs of operation and maintenance, and a lower profile that reduces environmental impacts.

Two of the primary reasons VAWTs aren't more prominently used today are because they tend to be less efficient individually, and the previous generation of VAWTs suffered from structural failures related to fatigue." [166]


Another alternative involves the use of wind energy, is using the "Rooftop Mounted Wind Turbine Ventilator"[167] , there is a lot of different types of rooftop mounted produced those day: one example can be found at the website http: // rooftopwind. biz / that is a company that produce this type of equipment and Also offer other stuff related to save energy and renewable energy.

Looking at Ecovillages for ideas

The Global Ecovillage Network is an organization of sustainable communities from different cultures and countries around the world who live in neighborhoods centered around sustainable living. The GEN supports the development and maintenance of the growing sustainable settlements through the communication and exchange of sustainable ideas, technologies, practices, etc. [168] For instance, the Los Angeles Ecovillage lists on their website resources to help other communities work on sustainable methods they practice. [169] Some ecovillages are working on net zero energy building, but some are not. However the variety of ecological methods and practices being used by different ecovillages are bound to offer an interesting array of ideas that will only help in achieving a net zero energy household. For example, the Los Angeles Ecovillage offers ideas from permaculture to composting toilets!
By becoming familiar with the ways in which Eco-villages are being challenged ecologically, economically and so on, you will find inspirations for your own net zero project. [170]

Book Resources

Do-It-Yourself Home Energy Audits: 140 Simple Solutions to Lower Energy Costs, Increase Your Home's Efficiency, and Save the Environment [171]
“Energy Free, Homes for a Small Planet, A comprehensive guide to the design, construction, and economics of Net-Zero energy homes.” by Ann V. Edminster,

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