PATH TO HOME ENERGY SAVINGS

Why Home Energy Efficiency? The Path to Energy Savings Financing Improvements and Choosing a Contractor Resources and How You Can Help Questions Presentation Outline

Why Home Energy Efficiency? The Path to Energy Savings Financing Improvements and Choosing a Contractor Resources and How You Can Help Questions Presentation Outline

Individual Benefits Stop losing money Comfort Indoor air quality

Impact in Tompkins County 50% reduction in residential energy use $34.3 million annual energy savings 1,700 contractor job-years 412 permanent jobs from the on-going multiplier effect 267,000 tons of carbon dioxide emission reductions Impact in Tompkins County

Why Home Energy Efficiency? The Path to Energy Savings Financing Improvements and Choosing a Contractor Resources and How you can help Questions Presentation Outline

Path to Home Energy Savings

Space Heating 57% Lighting & Appliances 19% Refrigerator Hot Water 17% Air conditioning 3% Source: Residential Energy Consumption Survey Energy Information Administration 4% Home Energy Use in Mid-Atlantic States

Common Misconceptions “My home is weatherized” “I’ll replace my heating system first” “I need new windows” “I’m installing solar panels”

Path to Home Energy Savings

Step 1: No Cost / Low Cost Replace incandescent with compact- fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) or LEDs Weather-strip doors and caulk windows Install storm windows or plastic sheeting

Reduce your hot water use: – Reduce hot water temperature to 120 degrees – Wash clothes in cold water and line dry – Install low flow shower heads and faucet aerators Turn off and unplug computers, TVs, and other electronics. Stop Vampire power / phantom load! Step 1: No Cost / Low Cost

Path to Home Energy Savings

Step 2: Tune Up Energy Users Turn down the temperature. Install and use a programmable thermostat Insulate hot water pipes Seal leaks on heating system ductwork and around furnace filter cavity Keep your heating system and appliances operating efficiently: – Change furnace filter twice a year – Clean filters and coils of refrigerator, air conditioner, and furnace – Regular tune-ups of furnace and boiler (by professional)

Path to Home Energy Savings

A Building Performance Institute (BPI)-accredited contractor will look at your house as a whole and assess air leakage, insulation, appliances, and lighting. The contractor will make recommendations to help you decide how to upgrade your house in the most cost effective way. A. Energy Assessments

Blower Door Test – Fan that sucks air out of your house drawing in air through any gaps and cracks – Measures air leakage – Simulates a 30mph wind on a winter day A. Energy Assessments

A. Energy Assessments: Thermal Imaging Camera Thermal Imaging Camera – Detects air leakage and gaps in insulation Images Source: Massachusetts Infrared Imaging

A. Energy Assessments Combustion and Distribution Efficiency Test – Measures efficiency of heating system – Identifies indoor air pollutants and improperly vented appliances Scheduling an assessment – Typically takes 3-4 hours – Green Jobs Green NY provides free or reduced cost assessments After the assessment – Modeling – Report of recommended measures, cost, energy savings, payback

Step 3: Whole-House Energy Assessment and Upgrade A.Comprehensive energy assessment by Building Performance Institute (BPI) accredited contractor B.Air sealing by BPI contractor C.Insulation installation by BPI contractor D.Furnace or boiler replacement with high- efficiency model by BPI-contractor

B. Air Leakage Our homes are full of holes and cracks that leak heated air out of the house and suck cold outdoor air into the house

Infiltration & Exfiltration Neutral Pressure Plane Air out at upper levels = Air in at lower levels The Stack Effect

B. Air Leakage Because of the stack effect, priority spots to air seal and insulate are the attic floor, basement ceiling or walls, and where the house meets the foundation Can use caulk, weatherstripping, spray foam insulation to seal air leaks Best to hire a professional to use a blower door otherwise you will miss significant leaks Most insulation products don’t block air flow! You should always air seal first then insulate Many Home Improvement contractors are not aware of the above information.

C. Insulation R- Values Types of insulation – Loose Fill – Blankets and Batts – Rigid Boards – Foam

Increase Thermal Insulation Levels Only 20% of homes built before 1980 are well insulated Recommended Levels – AtticsR – WallsR – Floor over non-htd space R – Basement walls R

D. Upgrade heating system Do this after air sealing and insulation. Size matters. Newest models are 80-95% efficient A model with a 60% efficiency is wasting $.40 of every dollar

Photo Credit: Paul Myers, Upstate Energy Solutions

Path to Home Energy Savings

Step 4: Upgrade Appliances Replace refrigerator and freezer (with Energy Star models) Always buy energy star appliances! When buying new appliances buy the most efficient model you can afford.

Refrigerators Source: U.S. DOE Energy Star Qualified Refrigerators Partner Resource Guide

Path to Home Energy Savings

Step 6: Renewable Energy Solar, wind, wood or pellet, geothermal, micro-hydro

Why Home Energy Efficiency? The Path to Energy Savings Financing Improvements and Choosing a Contractor Resources and How you can help Questions Presentation Outline

Use our online financing guide: upgradeupstate.org Financing Improvements

Choose your income

Homeowner Tier II

NYSERDA’s Green Jobs Green NY program offers free and reduced-cost residential energy assessments. Here’s how it works: 1.See if you are eligible: – Own 1-4 unit residential building – Household income under 200% median income ($147,600) for free audit, under 400% median for reduced-cost audit ($295,200) 2.Complete a program application. Must include 1 year summary of previous energy usage 3.Schedule an assessment with a BPI contractor Green Jobs Green NY Energy Audits

Choosing a Contractor Look for Building Performance Institute (BPI) accredited Contractors Ask lots of questions – What’s included in the assessment? – Credentials, certifications, references? – What incentives do I qualify for? Avoid single technology vendors Choosing a Contractor

Why Home Energy Efficiency? The Path to Energy Savings Financing Improvements and Choosing a Contractor Resources and How you can help Questions Presentation Outline

Home Energy Savings Site

Interactive Path

Check out our interactive Path How-to Videos

Some Inspiration

How you can help Make energy improvements to your home and share your experience with others Host a presentation at a community group Become a neighborhood block captain Host a home energy house party Become an energy steward Get on the path to Energy Savings. Take the pledge. How You Can Help

Upcoming Events Energy Savings 101: Save Energy Save Dollars Learn low- and no-cost ways to save energy and cut bills. Learn about programs to help you afford energy- efficiency improvements. Participants receive free weather-stripping, shrink window cover, outlet and light switch insulators, and more. January 30 6:00-8:00pm Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County FREE. Pre-registration is required. To register call Upcoming Events

Made up of 3-5 work-study students, mainly from Cornell. Over the summer, main focus was outreach for NYSERDA’s Green Jobs Green NY home energy audit program. Ran a table at a variety of events throughout Ithaca and Tompkins County (Green Gorges Expo, Juneteenth Festival, Cornell Staff Development Day, Grassroots!, to name a few) Followed up with “leads” gained at these events to maintain interest, also held a weekly energy raffle. Energy Corps Internship Program

Other Projects..To Name a Few Worked with Tompkins County Planners to write a grant for New York’s Cleaner, Greener Communities Program, goal is to mandate home energy audits for homes that are listed for sale and create a market for energy efficient housing in Tompkins County. Currently working with Off-Campus Housing on creating a survey to gain data on student interest in energy efficient housing, hope is to address the split-incentive barrier in rental housing. Wrote DIY guides for home energy efficiency projects, working on incorporating these with home energy workshops.

Interested in Working With Us? We are looking for opportunities to increase our presence on campus. If you have a project or idea that you would like to collaborate on, please contact me! Chris Harvey Economics ‘15 (908)

Questions? Dee Gamble Senior Energy Program Manager ext. 267 ccetompkins.org/energypath Questions?