Zeno Swijtink
10-12-2008, 09:54 AM
Go Green: No Electricity bill. Again. Period: Designing a Zero Energy Home in California (https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/localnews/ci_10696618)
JENNIFER PARRISH - Santa Cruz Sentinel
Jennifer Parrish writes a biweekly column for the Sentinel on environmental issues. She works for the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments Energy Watch program, which provides energy efficiency programs for local communities through a grant from the Pacific Gas and Electric Company.
Can homes be designed to use zero energy?
The answer is -- well, yes and no. Obviously, homes themselves use no energy; it is rather their occupants who feel the need for heat and light. Even our ancestors burned wood and coal for cooking and heating in their ancient dwelling places. It wasn't until the late 19th century, when electricity first began to be used in homes, that we allowed utility companies to burn these and other substances for us in exchange for electricity. In other words, basic necessity dictates that energy must be consumed in one form or another for survival -- as well as the comfort and convenience provided by our modern appliances and gadgetry.
Thus, when you hear architects and designers use the term "zero energy" think net zero energy -- or generating enough renewable energy at our homes to offset our household energy consumption. In other words, the household is now a producer as well as consumer of energy.
So what is a zero-energy home? When I first enrolled in "Designing a Successful Zero Energy Home in California," one of the free energy-efficiency classes offered by Pacific Gas and Electric Co. at its Pacific Energy Center in San Francisco, I felt myself to be on the verge of discovering a tremendous secret.
The answer turned out to be a simple recipe: energy efficiency + solar panels = net zero energy.
"I designed the first zero energy home as the result
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of a gentleman's wager," revealed Danny Parker, our instructor who had come all the way from the Florida Solar Energy Center to share his wisdom. Contrary to his friend's assertion that "solar is a drop in the bucket" compared to the vast energy consumption of the typical American household, Parker set out to demonstrate that the average home can meet all of its energy needs with energy from the sun's rays.
Parker was proved right when, as part of the wager, he designed and built two houses. The first was a control house, which was representative of a typical energy-guzzling Florida home, and the second was a highly efficient house with a photovoltaic solar system on the roof. The zero-energy home was designed with the most efficient appliances, windows, heating and cooling system, roofing material and lighting available at the time the late 1990s. When the two homes were compared, Parker and his friend discovered that the zero-energy home used 80 percent less measured cooling than the control house and generated 90 percent of its energy use from its solar panels -- certainly a long way from "a drop in the bucket."
Now you might be thinking that "it is all very well and good in sunny Florida to design a house from the start to finish to be energy efficient -- but what about my house? It was built in the 1950s, '60s, '70s and wasn't designed to be energy-efficient."
The good news for us is that the California climate provides the ideal conditions for the production of solar energy -- and with a generally moderate climate, older homes are also good candidates for going net zero.
According to Parker, the key is reducing our energy consumption. Rather than paying for an expensive, super-sized solar array on our roofs to offset gratuitous electricity usage, we should make our houses more energy efficient before installing solar panels. A photovoltaic system is "the most expensive zero-energy home feature; let's get the most out of it," said Parker.
According to PG&E, the average household consumes 575 kilowatt-hour per month of electricity, or an average of about 19 kWh per day. What Parker suggested should hardly be considered revolutionary. In order to ensure that your zero-energy home is "successful," you need to reduce your household electricity consumption to 15 kWh per day before installing a 3 to 4 kWh photovoltaic system.
To this end, an important first step is to do an energy audit of your home to identify ways in which it could become more energy-efficient. Free audits and energy-saving light bulbs are available to residents of Santa Cruz County through the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments Energy Watch program. To schedule an audit, please call the AMBAG office at 883-3750.
Parker also offers various suggestions for how to reduce our daily energy consumption. Here is his recipe for "success in a nutshell":
╢ A basic rule of thumb is to replace all of your appliances as they wear out with the most efficient model that you can find. In particular:
╢ If you are in the market for a new television, choose the LCD flat screen over the plasma television. LCDs are 40 percent more energy-efficient than their plasma counterparts. Better yet, shop for the TV with a portable electric meter Kill-A-Watt that will allow you to find the lowest energy-using model.
╢ Invest in an energy-efficient refrigerator, which, according to PG&E, can have the most dramatic impact of any appliance on your electricity bill. Newer Energy Star models are about twice as efficient as those manufactured before 1993. Also bear in mind that top freezers are more efficient than side-by-sides or bottom freezers. Parker asserts that turning off the moisture control inside the fridge a ring of resistance heaters around the door that are only useful in humid climates and thus unnecessary in Santa Cruz will "probably have a 10 percent impact."
╢ Consider buying a solar hot water heater with a tankless gas water heater for back up.
╢ Make sure that your house is well-insulated to reduce your heating costs.
╢ Use a real-time energy feedback system.
Parker couldn't stress the value of this last step enough. His research has demonstrated the ability to monitor behavior to be of primary importance. One powerful example that he used was that of 11 Beazer homes built in Sacramento. The houses were identical, each equipped with solar panels and the same energy-efficient equipment. However, the annual electrical bills for each varied wildly from a little less than $1,200 to nothing -- depending on the behavior of the inhabitants.
Of course, no one wants high electricity bills, but often people are unaware of how their behavior affects their electricity consumption or which of their appliances are heavy feeders and which are dainty sippers.
Parker advises people to "develop a relationship with your house" by purchasing a real time energy feedback system, an electronic device that measures the energy consumption of your household and its appliances. It will reveal how much electricity each appliance consumes and allow you to monitor and make adjustments to your own behavior.
JENNIFER PARRISH - Santa Cruz Sentinel
Jennifer Parrish writes a biweekly column for the Sentinel on environmental issues. She works for the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments Energy Watch program, which provides energy efficiency programs for local communities through a grant from the Pacific Gas and Electric Company.
Can homes be designed to use zero energy?
The answer is -- well, yes and no. Obviously, homes themselves use no energy; it is rather their occupants who feel the need for heat and light. Even our ancestors burned wood and coal for cooking and heating in their ancient dwelling places. It wasn't until the late 19th century, when electricity first began to be used in homes, that we allowed utility companies to burn these and other substances for us in exchange for electricity. In other words, basic necessity dictates that energy must be consumed in one form or another for survival -- as well as the comfort and convenience provided by our modern appliances and gadgetry.
Thus, when you hear architects and designers use the term "zero energy" think net zero energy -- or generating enough renewable energy at our homes to offset our household energy consumption. In other words, the household is now a producer as well as consumer of energy.
So what is a zero-energy home? When I first enrolled in "Designing a Successful Zero Energy Home in California," one of the free energy-efficiency classes offered by Pacific Gas and Electric Co. at its Pacific Energy Center in San Francisco, I felt myself to be on the verge of discovering a tremendous secret.
The answer turned out to be a simple recipe: energy efficiency + solar panels = net zero energy.
"I designed the first zero energy home as the result
Advertisement
of a gentleman's wager," revealed Danny Parker, our instructor who had come all the way from the Florida Solar Energy Center to share his wisdom. Contrary to his friend's assertion that "solar is a drop in the bucket" compared to the vast energy consumption of the typical American household, Parker set out to demonstrate that the average home can meet all of its energy needs with energy from the sun's rays.
Parker was proved right when, as part of the wager, he designed and built two houses. The first was a control house, which was representative of a typical energy-guzzling Florida home, and the second was a highly efficient house with a photovoltaic solar system on the roof. The zero-energy home was designed with the most efficient appliances, windows, heating and cooling system, roofing material and lighting available at the time the late 1990s. When the two homes were compared, Parker and his friend discovered that the zero-energy home used 80 percent less measured cooling than the control house and generated 90 percent of its energy use from its solar panels -- certainly a long way from "a drop in the bucket."
Now you might be thinking that "it is all very well and good in sunny Florida to design a house from the start to finish to be energy efficient -- but what about my house? It was built in the 1950s, '60s, '70s and wasn't designed to be energy-efficient."
The good news for us is that the California climate provides the ideal conditions for the production of solar energy -- and with a generally moderate climate, older homes are also good candidates for going net zero.
According to Parker, the key is reducing our energy consumption. Rather than paying for an expensive, super-sized solar array on our roofs to offset gratuitous electricity usage, we should make our houses more energy efficient before installing solar panels. A photovoltaic system is "the most expensive zero-energy home feature; let's get the most out of it," said Parker.
According to PG&E, the average household consumes 575 kilowatt-hour per month of electricity, or an average of about 19 kWh per day. What Parker suggested should hardly be considered revolutionary. In order to ensure that your zero-energy home is "successful," you need to reduce your household electricity consumption to 15 kWh per day before installing a 3 to 4 kWh photovoltaic system.
To this end, an important first step is to do an energy audit of your home to identify ways in which it could become more energy-efficient. Free audits and energy-saving light bulbs are available to residents of Santa Cruz County through the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments Energy Watch program. To schedule an audit, please call the AMBAG office at 883-3750.
Parker also offers various suggestions for how to reduce our daily energy consumption. Here is his recipe for "success in a nutshell":
╢ A basic rule of thumb is to replace all of your appliances as they wear out with the most efficient model that you can find. In particular:
╢ If you are in the market for a new television, choose the LCD flat screen over the plasma television. LCDs are 40 percent more energy-efficient than their plasma counterparts. Better yet, shop for the TV with a portable electric meter Kill-A-Watt that will allow you to find the lowest energy-using model.
╢ Invest in an energy-efficient refrigerator, which, according to PG&E, can have the most dramatic impact of any appliance on your electricity bill. Newer Energy Star models are about twice as efficient as those manufactured before 1993. Also bear in mind that top freezers are more efficient than side-by-sides or bottom freezers. Parker asserts that turning off the moisture control inside the fridge a ring of resistance heaters around the door that are only useful in humid climates and thus unnecessary in Santa Cruz will "probably have a 10 percent impact."
╢ Consider buying a solar hot water heater with a tankless gas water heater for back up.
╢ Make sure that your house is well-insulated to reduce your heating costs.
╢ Use a real-time energy feedback system.
Parker couldn't stress the value of this last step enough. His research has demonstrated the ability to monitor behavior to be of primary importance. One powerful example that he used was that of 11 Beazer homes built in Sacramento. The houses were identical, each equipped with solar panels and the same energy-efficient equipment. However, the annual electrical bills for each varied wildly from a little less than $1,200 to nothing -- depending on the behavior of the inhabitants.
Of course, no one wants high electricity bills, but often people are unaware of how their behavior affects their electricity consumption or which of their appliances are heavy feeders and which are dainty sippers.
Parker advises people to "develop a relationship with your house" by purchasing a real time energy feedback system, an electronic device that measures the energy consumption of your household and its appliances. It will reveal how much electricity each appliance consumes and allow you to monitor and make adjustments to your own behavior.