Category: Energy Efficiency

How to Improve Energy Efficiency in Houston, TX Homes

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The best time of year to make home improvements on home efficiency is before cold weather arrives, especially in Houston, Texas. Doing an inspection for checks to find drafty areas of the home is beneficial in making the home more comfortable and in saving money. Determine what do-it-yourself and professional repairs need to be done to prevent warm air from escaping and cold air from invading.

Radiant Heat Barriers
Call reliable local insulation contractors in Houston, TX to determine what type of protection the attic needs. They may make several recommendations to prevent energy inefficiency in what is typically the least efficient room in the home. Foil radiant heat barriers placed in the attic further prevent heat from leaving the home. This means the heating system doesn’t have to work as hard to keep the house at a pleasant temperature level, leading to further energy savings. These can be installed quickly and, once again, saved money may make it pay for itself in the long run. Foil sheeting costs a little bit more than the typical spray-on Houston radiant barrier, but it is worth the extra investment for those who can afford it. It blocks about 97 percent of the Houston sun’s heat from entering the home in the hot summer.

Chimney
Keep the flue closed in the chimney when it is not in use. Not only does this prevent cold, blustery air from blowing in, it also prevents animals seeking shelter from roosting in the attic for the wintertime. Invest in glass or metal doors in front of the fireplace. Keep them closed when the fireplace is dormant. Use fireproof mortar as needed to fill in chinks in the bricks.

Doors
Add storm windows to exterior screen doors. If they already have them, be sure to lower or raise the windows as winter rolls in. The less chance cold air has to sneak into the home, the less warm air must be generated to combat it. Add a draft blocker in front of doors with gaps beneath them. This is not only useful for the exterior, but interior doors as well. A chilly room that is seldom used harbors cold air which escapes into the warm house.

Crawlspaces
Like attics, Houston crawlspaces can harbor cold air and allow warm air from the rooms above it to escape below. Add insulation to prevent air from escaping to unused portions of the home, such as the crawlspace and attic.

Unbeatable Design Expertise for Maximum Energy Efficiency

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Adrian Troop, Sales & Marketing Director for Nu-Heat Underfloor & Renewables believes that the conclusions of the Energy Saving Trusts (EST) heat pump field trials serve to underline Nu-Heats existing procedures and policies. He assesses Nu-Heats capability in response to these conclusions.

Design

When the report was made public in September the Trusts Head of Business Development Simon Green commented that the trials showed that heat pumps are very, very sensitive it is imperative they are designed to heat the relative load; if they are undersized or oversized, then the efficiencies are significantly reduced. Nu-Heat works tirelessly to ensure that maximum heat pump efficiency is achieved through good design and an understanding of the technology, says Adrian.

Yutaki ASHPNu-Heat designs and supplies complete packages ready for installation after establishing the most suitable system for each individual project. The first stage of the design process is to correctly size the heat pump by assessing the heat loss through full heat loss calculations. With a wide range of heat pumps available, including ground source (GSHP), air source (ASHP) and exhaust air (EAHP), Nu-Heat can specify the most appropriate model.

Requirements for the installation of ASHP are relatively simple – in essence space outside by a wall where they can be sited and space inside for the other system components. As a rough guide, installation of a GSHP requires space approximately 2.5 times the internal floor area of the property. If there is insufficient land, vertical boreholes can be drilled, dependent on ground and geological conditions. The heat pump needs to be housed inside with the other system components.

Ethical selling

Nu-Heat takes a strong ethical stance, says Adrian, and where it is obvious that a heat pump will not work efficiently, such as in a badly insulated older property, we will explain why it is not a suitable solution. The most important issue is the quality of the building in terms of insulation. Ideally the building heat loss should be 35 40W/m – and if this isnt achievable then a heat pump is not likely to work efficiently.

In such a case, Nu-Heat will offer alternatives for installers to suggest to the customer, such as a condensing boiler partnered with underfloor heating (UFH), enhancing the efficiency of the boiler and giving a degree of fuel savings. Even for a well-insulated property, a GSHP might be the ideal, but the budget could indicate an ASHP as a cheaper but still effective choice.

Integration

Heat pumps work most efficiently with the lower temperatures of warm water UFH. UFH is core to Nu-Heats business, and the company has invested a great deal in understanding all the elements necessary to design a fully integrated system. This can also include solar thermal for domestic hot water. Nu-Heats solar design and sizing process uses its own unique calculation package to specify the ideal configuration of cylinder, solar collectors and ancillary components for the project,

One point of responsibility

ESTs report highlights the need for responsibility for the installation to be with one company. Nu-Heat offers total product support available in one place to any installer which is a great help to those considering heat pumps for the first time. Nu-Heat also offers on-site and commissioning support on the complete range of heat pumps, along with technical back-up via telephone and email and comprehensive installation and user manuals. By using one supplier there is assurance that all products and parts are compatible, making installation stress free and uncomplicated. Nu-Heat is also committed to the end user and part of our service is to make sure that customers understand how to control their heat pump system.

Accredited training

The report also flagged up the need for a review of installation guidelines and training. Nu-Heat saw the requirement for well-trained installers and opened a specialist training centre in 2008. Courses in heat pumps, solar thermal, photovoltaic and underfloor heating are NICEIC approved and focus on the principles and suitability of the technology. They cover the different models available, benefits, health and safety and the latest news on government grant funding.

MCS

MCS training in progress Successful completion of a course enables application for acceptance onto the NICEIC Competent Persons (CPS) register. Membership of the CPS means that installers are eligible to apply for their own Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) number so they can quote for work as both a competent person and a MCS approved installer. Nu-Heats umbrella scheme provides a simple route for installers committed to a business future in renewables to achieve MCS approved status.

When a renewables project has the benefit of first rate design, correct sizing and well trained installers a truly energy efficient system can be realized, says Adrian, and this is exactly what Nu-Heat is committed to achieving.

Get Datacenter Energy Efficiency Easily

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Presently the organizations have been aiming at efficient ways and procedures to attain more with less, reducing IT expenses and even minimize the incidental costs associated with data center growth and expansion. In today’s competitive market scenario data center managers need to focus on establishing effective operating environments to support the life of the existing data centers. There are numerous ways in which companies can attain data center efficiency and is inclusive of setting up a cold aisle containment system, efficient utilization of outside air and maximize compute densities. The main component however is to maintain a comprehensive metric system to evaluate how efficient is the data center and what are the efficiency enhancements that have been created.

How to estimate data center energy efficiency?
PUE, i.e. power usage effectiveness is one of the most common metrics used for calculating data center energy efficiency. It is calculated by taking into account the overall power consumption of the data center facility and then dividing it by the power consumed by the devices. The ratio that you arrive at is the effective power overhead for a single IT unit load. Most data center managers today are expected to find out ways to reduce the PUE so that the data centers can find a better way to expand.

A better way to expand is by partnering with a data center solution provider that will free organizations from all the worries of establishing and maintaining critical mission IT architecture. Advanced data center today fulfill all the needs for cloud computing services, shared hosting services, dedicated hosting services, collocation services and other security and firewall solutions. In addition to that, the organizations remain secure and well supported 24 x 7 with advanced facilities and industry leading SLAS.

Furthermore, these solution providers offer you the various ways to bring about a change and enhancement in data center energy efficiency. Two essential ways are:-

Minimizing the power that is used for the support infrastructure
Minimizing losses within the power system

By following the above mentioned ways you can ensure greater power entering the data center thereby improving its energy efficiency and reducing the PUE. At the same time, it is critical for an organization to bring down the power system losses and the power utilized for supporting infrastructure. Concurrently, it is also apparent that the mass power consumption in the data center gets transferred to the IT load. If an organization can bring down the IT load then it can naturally reduce the overall power required in the data center.

Green Deal – The Biggest Energy Efficiency Drive In The Uk

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The Green Deal UK aims to reduce CO2 emission and boost energy efficiency in the country. It has great potential to save large amount of money for householders and businesses, as well as to secure energy supplies for the future generation.

In December, 2010, the UK Government introduced the Energy Bill in the Parliament. The bill proposed ‘Green Deal’, that aims to revolutionise the energy efficiency in UK homes and businesses. The most ambitious energy efficiency drive in the UK to date, it enables private firms to offer green improvements to the residents and businesses at no upfront cost, and to recoup payments in instalments on the energy bill. The deal is an attempt by the UK Government to tackle the climate change and secure future energy supplies in the country.

The Green Deal is designed to encourage households and businesses in the UK to retrofit energy saving measures. The government has attempted to create a framework that allows selected private firms to provide energy saving measures to households and businesses without bringing additional costs to them. The policy makers consider it a long-term solution to energy related problems. It is expected to minimise the energy wastage, and help households and business-owners to save money when it comes to boost their energy efficiency. The Green Deal is the biggest ever shake-up in UK energy efficiency history.

Once it comes into force, the Green Deal will allow people to take out loans to improve the energy efficiency of their properties including insulation, heating and lighting. The loans which are to be attached to the property, will be paid back over a fixed period through the savings made on energy bills. As per the estimates, an average house will have 6000 of measures installed, that will be repaid in a time period of more than 25 years. The household will not be required to pay up-front installation cost. Since the repayment will be attached with the electricity meter, the scheme is open to all, without any inspection for credit history and employment status.

Under the Green Deal, people will be provided with financial support to improve the energy efficiency of their properties. Though the deal seems quite beneficial, government will have to take initiative to make it more effective. It’s needed to deliver the policies which encourage the public to take-up Green Deal. Additionally, the financial model must be attractive to the investors, i.e. the default risk should be minimum. In short, the government will have to establish a strong, recognisable Green Deal system that could create confidence and trust, both among potential consumers and service providers. However, the full detail could be available after the launch of Green Deal in 2012.

The Green Deal is open to all, homeowners, tenants, businessmen. If implemented properly, it will surely cut down the CO2 emission, and improve the energy efficiency in the country. If you’re also interested in this deal, and want to opt it, you can register your interest with a reputed company that provides this facility. Using Internet, you can find some reliable websites which help you apply for green deal. Considering your buying criteria, you can choose the best among them, and ensure a reduced energy bill and improved energy efficiency for your premise.

Effecting Greater Energy Efficiency

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A recent paper by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy listed ten programs that spurred companies and customers to economize energy. The findings certainly show that behavioural programs can be astonishingly effective.

Improving energy efficiency is an important topic on the program of most organisations these days. The benefits are numerous, from lowering carbon footprint to the most outstanding of all cutting down on costs with energy. So million dollar question is: How to enhance business energy efficiency?

There are many ways to do so but this is not quite what I want to talk about in this column. I wont be recommending you change all the lights in your concern to LED lights, even though that is one the most cost effective ways to enhance your business’ energy efficiency.

In this paper I’d like to contest what is more effective consumer education or infrastructure updates. One could say that by bringing together both you could achieve greater results but that you will have to adjudge once you have finished reading this article.

Purchaser education has proven to be an effective way to better energy efficiency of households and businesses alike. When combined with programs that apply social science to energy conservation it can incite individuals to beat down consumption and make decisions that will enable their businesses to save as well.

Such programmes are an attractive way to reduce energy consumption since they have low upfront cost and require little change to existing business processes / lifestyles.

Nevertheless, simply relying on consumer/employee education might not be adequate. There is a real danger that energy efficiency gains seen from consumer/employee behaviour will go away over time.

That is when infrastructural upgrades come into the picture. Even though they require a greater upfront investment if evaluated properly and done right such upgrades could generate better benefits. The downside is that most of these benefits will only be noticed in the long term.

But there isn’t a better time to start upgrading your company with more energy efficient machinery. With many governments around the world creating funds to subsidise these changes. For instance here in the United kingdom the Government is creating the Green Investment Bank.

If you are unsure of which route to take in order to save energy. Why not ask for specialist help. Hire an energy consultant or an independent energy broker to inspect your premises and offer the best and most effective options for you company.

Most Popular Fixes To Increase Home Comfort And Energy Efficiency

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Keeping your home comfort levels high while maintaining an efficient home does not have to be difficult. In fact, there are several small things you can do around your home with very little money that will increase your comfort levels while decreasing your bills.

Insulate Electrical Outlets and Switches

A lot of energy is lost through drafty switches and sockets. You can purchase small kits at any big box retailer or home improvement store that will allow you to insulate all of your switches and outlets. Depending on the size of your home, you can typically do this for under $50.

Update Old Windows

Old windows can wreak havoc on your heating and cooling system. You may have to spend some money to replace the windows, but in most cases if you choose energy efficient windows you will make that money back in utility savings in just a few years. If you do not have the money to replace all the windows, do what you can and work on insulating the rest. Even just replacing the caulk around the windows can dramatically improve a drafty room. In the winter you can find plastic kits that will seal the windows, helping to improve the efficiency.

Check the Doors

Doors are another big source of heat loss during the winter. Cool air from indoors can also seep out during the summer months. You do not have to replace your doors to help fix this problem. If the doors are in good condition, consider using an expanding foam to reduce gaps around the door frame.

Sealing Vents

Laundry vents, outdoor faucets, and other types of hook ups can create energy loss. Walk around the outside perimeter of your home and inspect for these areas that could be insulated. Insulating and sealing these items can create a much more efficient home.

Attic Insulation

A good layer of insulation in your attic will prevent heat from escaping through the ceiling and roof of your home. You can do this on your own with just a small investment in the insulation. You can also hire a professional to blow in the insulation if you do not want to deal with this on your own.

Simple Additions

Another way to increase your homes comfort and lower bills is by adding small details such as insulated curtains. These will help prevent air from escaping and can be purchased for around $30 a set. If you have hardwood floors, adding a throw rug to rooms that are heavily populated will actually help maintain the temperature.
Professional Inspections

At least once a year you should have your heating and cooling system inspected. This will alert you of any potential problems, and can help you maintain your homes comfort while keeping your utility bills in check. If you have a service contract with a company this is typically covered. If not, it does not cost a lot of money to have an inspection done annually.

A Biofriendly Approach to Energy Efficiency

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Few of us will deny that being dependent on foreign oil supplies is undesirable. But it is not widely known that available oil supplies worldwide are dwindling, which drives the need for alternative ways of meeting our energy needs. While there is still a lot of oil in the ground, much of this is becoming harder and more costly to extract.

The term “peak oil” describes the concept that oil is a limited resource and at some point the available oil supplies will become less and less. According to some sources global oil consumption already outstrips viable new oil sources.

While we are not likely to completely run out of oil, newly discovered supplies will become less accessible and/or of lower quality, making it progressively more costly to extract. In addition, oil consumption is also on the increase as developing nations like China and India become more industrialized. Oil prices are therefore likely to keep rising.

The bottom line is that it is in everyones interest to become less fossil fuel dependent. A first step in that direction is to become more energy efficient. Saving energy means a lessened dependency on fossil fuels, fewer pollutants, as well as saving money.

Greater energy efficiency can be achieved in many ways. For example, homes can be made more energy efficient with weatherizing and improved insulation, saving on heating and cooling costs. In the transportation arena, biofuels and fuel efficient hybrid cars are becoming more popular. Meanwhile, the Green Plus liquid fuel catalyst from Biofriendly Corporation makes internal combustion engines more efficient by causing the fuel to burn more completely and thus reducing fuel consumption and harmful emissions.

References:

(1)http://www.energybulletin.net/primer.php

(2)http://www.ecomall.com/greenshopping/20things.htm

Does High Amplifier Energy Efficiency Mean High Cost

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If you are about to acquire a new stereo amplifier, you may be concerned about how efficiently your amp works. I will show you exactly what the term “power efficiency” means plus why you need to take a closer look at this number in your selection of a brand new amplifier.

A fairly large amount of power is radiated as heat should you get a low-efficiency amp. This can contribute to several issues: Amps that have small power efficiency are going to waste some energy. It is smart to bear in mind the added energy expense while choosing between a high- and low-efficiency product. The squandered energy is radiated by the amp as heat. Amplifiers that have lower efficiency typically have various heat sinks to help dissipate the wasted energy. These heat sinks use up a good amount of space and make the amplifier large and heavy. Further, they raise the price of the amp. To help radiate heat, low-power-efficiency amplifiers need to have adequate air movement. As a result they can not be placed in areas with no circulation. Also, they cannot be installed inside water-resistant enclosures.

Amplifiers that have low efficiency require a bigger power source to create the identical amount of audio power as high-efficiency products. Further, because of the large level of heat, there will be significantly greater thermal stress on the electrical elements and also interior materials which may cause dependability complications. In contrast, high-efficiency amplifiers can be made small and light.

While buying an amplifier, you’ll find the efficiency in the data sheet. This figure is frequently shown as a percentage. Class-A amplifiers are amongst the least efficient and provide a efficiency of around 25% only. On the other hand, switching amplifiers, also referred to as “Class-D” amplifiers provide efficiencies of up to 98%. Acquiring an amplifier which has an efficiency of 90% as an example shows that 10% of the energy that is used is squandered while 90% will be audio power.

Then again, there are a few things to note about power efficiency. First of all, this figure will depend on on the level of energy that the amplifier is providing. Amplifiers have greater efficiency while delivering larger output power than when operating at low power mainly because of the fixed power that they consume irrespective of the output power. The efficiency value in the amp data sheet is usually provided for the greatest amplifier output power.

To determine the power efficiency, the audio energy that is used by a power resistor which is connected to the amplifier is divided by the overall energy the amp consumes while being fed a constant sine wave signal. Since the efficiency is dependent upon the audio power, usually the output power is swept and an efficiency graph generated which can display the amplifier efficiency for each level of output power.

When choosing a sound amp you will need to weigh efficiency versus fidelity given that low-efficiency analog amps frequently deliver the maximum audio fidelity whilst digital models will have greater distortion. However, digital amplifiers have come a long way and are offering better music fidelity than in the past. Class-T amplifiers come close to the music fidelity of analog amps. Due to this fact picking a switching amplifier with good audio fidelity is now possible.

Replacement Windows Improve Home Energy Efficiency And Value

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In these days of high energy costs many people recognize the importance of improving the energy efficiency of their homes, especially since heating and cooling can account for up to half of a homes total energy usage. While energy efficient replacement windows will save money on heating and cooling bills, they also have many other benefits such as adding beauty and value to your home, and making your living space more pleasant!

There are many obvious reasons to replace old windows that are rough and worn. Creating a new look for your home from the inside out is possible simply by replacing old windows with new ones. With the many styles of windows that you can choose from, and the variety of colors available, replacing your windows could be the home improvement step that dramatically changes the way your home looks and feels. Whether your new windows let in more light, blend into the background, stand out with a bold exterior contrast of color, or serve as a focal point within your rooms, a new window can defiantly bring excitement into your home.

Besides the pleasing esthetic benefits of replacing your windows, there are many more practical reasons to replace them as well. Over time wood windows may begin to rot and can also warp or become infested with termites. Casement windows may have cranks that stop working or counter weight cords that have broken. Paint or even vinyl on windows can peel with age. Correcting these types of problems is important for the upkeep of your home. With todays more advanced window technology window manufacturers have figured out new ways to make sure that your windows will not only be energy efficient but also incredibly durable. Recent improvements include coatings that may help reduce heat transfer in your home and protect interiors from potentially damaging sunlight that can fade pictures, furniture and carpets.

A not-to-be-overlooked factor that makes replacement windows both important and eminently sensible, is the amount of energy that can be saved when replacing old, drafty or single pane windows with new highly energy efficient multi-pane windows. High efficiency replacement windows will help make your home more energy efficient, and a highly efficient home uses less power for both heating and cooling, which in turn helps you save money. Simply switching single-pane windows to double-pane windows will help decrease high energy bills in the cold winter months by blocking out more of the cold winter air and keeping in more of the warm air heated by your furnace. Likewise the same is true of the cool air generated by your air conditioning unit during the hot summer months.

When determining what replacement windows to use it is wise to follow the recommendations of the Energy Star national energy performance rating system. Replacement windows with an Energy Star label meet strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the EPA and US Department of Energy.

ENERGY STAR is a government program under the management of the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy designed to help everyone save money and protect the environment by identifying and utilizing energy efficient products and practices. The use of Energy Star approved windows and other household products can save about a third on the average home energy bill without sacrificing style, features or comfort.

Selecting The Right Windows For Energy Efficiency

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Selecting The Right Windows for Energy Efficiency

New window technologies have increased energy benefits and comfort, and have provided more practical options for consumers. This selection guide will help homeowners, architects, and builders take advantage of the expanding window market. The guide contains three
sections: an explanation of energy-related window characteristics, a discussion of window energy performance ratings, and a convenient checklist for window selection.

Selecting the right window for a specific home invariably requires tradeoffs between different
energy performance features, and with other non-energy issues. An understanding of some basic energy concepts is therefore essential to choosing appropriate windows and skylights. As illustrated on the following page, three major types of energy flow occur through windows:

(1) non-solar heat losses and gains in the form of conduction, convection, and radiation;
(2) solar heat gains in the form of radiation; and
(3) airflow, both intentional (ventilation) and unintentional (infiltration).

Insulating Value

The non-solar heat flow through a window is a result of the temperature difference between the indoors and outdoors. Windows lose heat to the outside during the heating season and
gain heat from the outside during the cooling season, adding to the energy needs in a home. The effects of nonsolar heat flow are generally greater on heating needs than on cooling
needs because indoor-outdoor temperature differences are greater during the heating season than during the cooling season in most regions of the United States. For any window
product, the greater the temperature difference from inside to out, the greater the rate of heat flow.

A U-factor is a measure of the rate of non-solar heat flow through a window or skylight. (An R-value is a measure of the resistance of a window or skylight to heat flow and is the reciprocal of a U-factor.) Lower U-factors (or higher R values), thus indicate reduced heat flow. U-factors
allow consumers to compare the insulating properties of different windows
and skylights.

The insulating value of a singlepane window is due mainly to the thin films of still air on the interior and moving air on the exterior glazing surfaces. The glazing itself doesnt offer
much resistance to heat flow. Additional panes markedly reduce the U-factor by creating still air spaces, which increase insulating value.

In addition to conventional double-pane windows, many manufacturers offer windows
that incorporate relatively new tech- nologies aimed at decreasing U-factors.
These technologies include low-emittance (low-E) coatings and gas fills. A low-E coating is a microscopically thin, virtually invisible, metal or metallic oxide coating deposited on a glazing surface.

The coating may be applied to one or more of the glazing surfaces facing an
air space in a multiple-pane window, or to a thin plastic film inserted between panes. The coating limits radiative heat flow between panes by reflecting heat back into the home during cold weather and back to the outdoors during warm weather. This effect increases the insulating value of the window. Most window manufacturers now offer windows and skylights
with low-E coatings.

The spaces between windowpanes can be filled with gases that insulate better
than air. Argon, krypton, sulfur hexafluoride, and carbon dioxide are among the gases used for this purpose. Gas fills add only a few dollars to the prices of most windows and skylights. They are most effective when used in conjunction with low-E coatings. For these reasons, some manufacturers have made gas fills standard in their low-E windows and skylights.
The insulating value of an entire window can be very different from that of the glazing alone. The whole-window U-factor includes the effects of the glazing, the frame, and, if present, the insulating glass spacer. (The spacer is the component in a window that separates glazing panes. It often reduces the insulating value at the glazing edges.)
Since a single-pane window with a metal frame has about the same overall Ufactor as a single glass pane alone, frame and glazing edge effects were not of great concern before multiple-pane, low-E, and gas-filled windows and skylights were widely used. With the recent expansion of thermally improved glazing options offered by manufacturers, frame and spacer properties now can have a more pronounced influence on the U-factors of windows and skylights.

As a result, frame and spacer options have also multiplied as manufacturers offer improved designs. Window frames can be made of aluminum, steel, wood, vinyl, fiberglass, or
composites of these materials. Wood, fiberglass, and vinyl frames are better insulators than metal. Some aluminum frames are designed with internal thermal breaks, non-metal components that reduce heat flow through the frame.

These thermally broken aluminum frames can resist heat flow considerably better than aluminum frames without thermal breaks. Composite frames may use two or more materials (e.g. aluminum-clad wood, vinyl-clad wood) to optimize their design and performance, and typically have insulating values intermediate between those of the materials comprising them. Frame geometry, as well as material type, also strongly influences thermal performance properties.

Spacers can be made of aluminum, steel, fiberglass, foam, or combinations of
these materials. Spacer thermal perfor- mance is as much a function of geometry as of composition. For example, some well-designed metal spacers insulate almost as well as foam.

The table on page 3 shows representative U-factors for window glazing, frame, and spacer combinations under winter design conditions. Due to their orientation and their greater projected surface areas, domed and other shaped tilted and horizontal skylights have significantly higher U-factors than do vertical windows of similar materials and opening sizes.