Rebates are available to customers who replace single pane or aluminum-frame windows with new energy-efficient windows.

Chelan County PUD will offer cash incentives to homeowners who add insulation and replace windows beginning Jan. 1, 2010.

The PUD will pay 25 cents per square foot of insulation added, and $3 per square foot for energy-efficient windows and glass doors. The rebates are expected to cover from 10 percent to 25 percent of the cost, depending on the type of project.

Mark Wiser, conservation program manager, said he expects rebates to total about $250 for insulation and about $500 for windows in a typical home.  The maximum rebate per homeowner is $2,500.

All electrically heated homes are eligible, including manufactured homes and multi-family homes up to a four-plex.

The rebate program will replace a low-interest loan program operated by the PUD for more than 20 years. That program ends Dec. 31, 2009. Customers interested in loans can still apply through Nov. 13.

Wiser notes that with the new program, customers can finance their projects through local banks and credit unions and still be eligible for the PUD rebates.

Click here to put your name on a list to receive a reminder postcard or e-mail when the new program starts.

Vampire power, also known as phantom load, is the electricity that electronics and appliances use while they are turned off or in standby mode.  While it may seem like just a small nibble in your home energy consumption, vampire power quickly adds up to be a significant drain nationally on energy resources.

Standby power is beneficial when used in remote controls, clock displays, and timers. But too often it’s simply wasted because cell phone chargers, iPod chargers, power adapters and other devices not being used are left plugged in.
According to Energy Star, the amount of energy used by products when they are in standby mode is significant. The average U.S. household spends $100 per year to power devices while they are off (or in standby mode). On a national basis, standby power accounts for more than 100 billion kilowatt hours of annual U.S. electricity consumption and more than $10 billion in annual energy costs.

The Energy Star Web site lists these tips for ridding your home of energy spooks:

• Look for ENERGY STAR when shopping. All ENERGY STAR qualified products are among the lowest power consuming in their category in standby mode.
• Enable the ENERGY STAR power management settings on your computer and monitor, so they go into power save mode when not in use.
• Use a power strip as a central “turn off” point when you are done using equipment, which completely disconnects the power supply. You can use one for your computer and all peripheral equipment, and another for your home electronics (TV, VCR, DVD, stereo, gaming). Keep in mind though that if you’ve set a timer to wake up a product, such as programming a Digital Video Recorder (DVR) to record a program, then the product must remain plugged in (and able to draw standby power) to function as intended.
• Unplug your chargers: cell phone chargers, camera chargers, battery chargers or power adapters, etc. These are drawing some amount of energy even when not in use (and even when not connected to an end-use product).

Related links
National Vampire Awareness Day 2008
Vampire power explained
Surge protectors

It’s time for a lot of local retirees to fly south for the winter. Energy-conscious snowbirds are calling Chelan County PUD’s Conservation Department  for advice on shutting up their homes for the season.

Their main question: At what temperature should I set my thermostat when I’m away?

The answer: about 55 degrees F. In older homes that are not well insulated, customers may want to leave the thermostat at 60 degrees. If there’s no fear of pipes freezing, you might be able to get away with 50 degrees.  Tip: Leave cupboard doors under sinks open so warm air can get to your pipes.

Here are some additional tips:

• To save energy, turn off the circuit breaker to your hot water heater. Just remember to turn it back on when you get home before you jump in the shower.
• Unplug electrical appliances and computers (but not the refrigerator/freezer). Power outages and/or power surges may cause undue stress on any electric equipment.
• Make sure your smoke alarms work and have new batteries.
• Turn off those faucets throughout the home. Check drains to make sure they are open and ready to drain if necessary. Turn off the supply valve of water to the toilet and water supply lines to your washing machine.
• Ask a friend, neighbor or family member to check your home every week or two while you are away, especially during extended periods of cold weather.

Related links
Closing your home for the winter

Need help finding energy savings in your home? Step into the House of Savings and reduce your energy bill.

The House of Savings is a new interactive feature on Chelan County PUD’s Conservation Web page. Place your mouse over a feature in the house and a pop-up box provides tips on saving energy and money. Hover over the thermostat, for example, and you’ll learn that for every degree you set your thermostat lower (or higher for summer cooling) you can reduce your power bill by 2 percent. The items also contain links to related information.

The house is a collaborative effort of  technology, graphics and conservation staff at the PUD. Come on in!

Are hot-water circulation systems worth the cost?

Two callers phoned Chelan County PUD’s Conservation Department in the last month to ask about installing equipment to help hot water get to their taps sooner. This is a fairly common problem: Water heaters are so far away from bathrooms and kitchens that customers have to let water run through their plumbing for a long time before it’s hot. That wastes water and energy, and tests one’s patience.

Mark Wiser, conservation program manager, referred customers to several Web sites that address this problem (see links below). One solution is installing equipment to circulate hot water. You’ll spend more on energy but less on water. The bottom line, Wiser says, is that “hot water recirculation will add additional costs which include pump operation, heat loss from pipes, extra insulation of pipes, and the equipment itself. It will save on water, since customers don’t run the water system as long to get to temperature, and is more convenient.”

One thing that isn’t mentioned in the Web articles is heat transfer from pipes. If the pipes are kept hot, Wiser notes, they will transfer heat into the house. The loss of hot water then needs to be replaced, causing the heater to run more. In the winter, this reduces the heating requirements of the home slightly, but in the summer this adds to the cooling requirements.

Here’s an article that discusses hot water recirculation systems: http://energyexperts.org/EnergySolutionsDatabase/ResourceDetail.aspx?id=4019

Frequently Asked Questions: http://www.grundfos.com/Web/HomeUs.nsf/Webopslag/76D6ABACA35052D986256AEE00555E40

Energy waste in hot water recirculation systems: http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/Conservation/Recirc/RecircEnergy.htm

Inefficiencies common in many hot water circulators: http://www.redytemp.com/efficient_hot_water_circulation.html

PUD customers have been calling the Conservation Department to ask about federal tax credits for energy efficiency improvements to their homes. The federal government will pay for up to 30 percent of some home improvements through a tax credit authorized in the stimulus bill passed by Congress earlier this year.

Complete information is available on the Energy Star Web site. But here’s a summary of the key points.

Tax credits are available at 30 percent of the cost, up to $1,500, in 2009 and 2010 for existing homes only for:

• Windows and doors
• Insulation
• Roofs (metal and asphalt)
• HVAC systems
• Water heaters
• Biomass stoves

Installation costs are NOT covered by the tax credit for windows, doors, insulation and roofs. The tax credit for windows, doors, insulation and roofs is for 30 percent of the cost of materials only, up to $1,500.

Customers participating in the PUD’s low-interest weatherization loan program are eligible for the tax credits.

Tax credits are available at 30 percent of the cost, with no upper limit through 2016, for existing homes and new construction for:

• Geothermal heat pumps
• Solar panels
• Solar water heaters
• Small wind-energy systems
• Fuel cells

Installation costs ARE COVERED for HVAC, biomass stoves, water heaters (including solar), solar panels, geothermal heat pumps, wind-energy systems and fuel cells.

Tax credits of between $2,500 and $7,500 are available for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. Tax credits also are available for hybrid vehicles, for both personal use and for business use.

Home builders are eligible for a $2,000 tax credit for a new energy-efficient home.

More resources:
U.S. Department of Energy – Tax Breaks
Tax Incentives Assistance Project

… And CFLs are not. Here’s why the bulbs generate less heat than your standard incandescents.

We’ve been warning customers not to place compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) in recessed fixtures unless the bulbs are rated for that use. We’ve also been telling customers that CFLs generate less heat than their incandescent cousins. Those two seemingly contradictory statements prompted a question from a customer about why the recessed-fixture warning is necessary if CFLs generate less heat.  

Here’s the answer: CFLs do generate some heat, just not nearly as much as an incandescent bulb. So putting a CFL in an enclosed fixture is not recommended . The build-up of heat in an enclosed space can cause CFLs to burn out early.  

The GE Lighting Web site offers a good explanation of the difference between incandescent and CFLs in heat generation: 

“Regular light bulbs, known as incandescent bulbs, create light by heating a filament inside the bulb; the heat makes the filament white-hot, producing the light that you see. Halogen light bulbs create light through the same method. Because incandescent and halogen bulbs create light through heat, about 90% of the energy they emit is in the form of heat (also called infrared radiation). To reduce the heat emitted by regular incandescent and halogen light bulbs, use a lower watt bulb (like 60 watts instead of 100). 

“Fluorescent light bulbs use an entirely different method to create light. Both compact fluorescent bulbs and fluorescent tubes contain a gas that, when excited by electricity, hits a coating inside the fluorescent bulb and emits light. (This makes them far more energy-efficient than regular incandescent bulbs.) The fluorescent bulbs used in your home emit only around 30% of the heat of their equivalent incandescent bulb, making them far cooler.” 

Pretty cool, all right.

CFLs that are approved for use in enclosed fixtures are available in most stores that sell bulbs and fixtures.