Lots to do in Wenatchee, Leavenworth and Chelan

Chelan County PUD conservation staff will be out in full force on Earth Day April 23, showing customers how to reduce their energy use and, if weather permits, operating the popular solar splash fountain. 

In Wenatchee, Conservation staff will be at Lowe’s Home Improvement Warehouse from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. PUD energy experts will talk to customers about where to look for energy-saving opportunities in their homes and how to save on utility bills by choosing the best products, including Energy Star-rated products. The PUD is participating in a regional program called Simple Steps Smart Savings that reduces the cost to consumers of energy-saving compact fluorescent light bulbs and low-flow showerheads. 

In a salute to Earth Day, Lowe’s will give away 1 million trees across its 1,700 stores. No purchase is necessary. Each store will have at least 500 trees that are regionally appropriate. Customers will be able to register their trees at www.lowes.com/earthday, and each tree will be virtually planted on a U.S. map. Lowe’s is located at 1200 Walla Walla Ave. 

In Leavenworth, the Earth Day Fair runs from noon to 4 p.m. at Lions Club Park. Following up on the just-completed Reduce Your Use Contest, PUD staff will talk about how all customers can improve energy efficiency by doing simple things such as caulking around windows, sealing leaky ductwork and adding insulation in their homes. The popular solar splash fountain will be running for kids to enjoy. Chelan PUD is a co-sponsor of this year’s fair along with the Port of Chelan County, Stevens Pass Ski Area and Sleeping Lady Mountain Resort. The theme is “Think Local First” with a focus on buying from local, independently owned businesses to promote environmental, economic and social sustainability. Information about other activities at the fair is available on the Barn Beach Reserve website. 

Chelan’s venerable Earth Day Fair runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Riverwalk Park. The fair features an alternative-fueled vehicle exhibit including the Chelan School District’s plug-in/hybrid/bio-diesel school bus, which is the only one in Washington state. Local farmers will be represented with information on locally grown food. Children’s activities and entertainment are in the mix as well.  Details about Chelan’s celebration are available by contacting Bee Murphy, (509) 682-5756.

Contest winners Shirley and Richard Ehrenberg of Wenatchee

Richard and Shirley Ehrenberg of Wenatchee are the winners of Chelan County PUD’s Reduce Your Use Contest, dropping their wintertime energy consumption by 35 percent compared to previous years.

Second place goes to Tony and Laura Thompson of Wenatchee, who cut their electrical use by 24 percent. Taking third place are Nick and Jenn Brunner of Cashmere, who reduced their use by 23 percent.

Nine contestants competed in the contest to see who could reduce home energy use by the greatest percentage during the winter heating season of Jan. 1- March 31, 2011. All contestants saved energy. Overall savings averaged 19 percent. Total savings over the three months came to just under 20,000 kilowatt hours – just about enough to power a typical Chelan County home for one year.

A chart showing results for all contestants  is available on the PUD website here.

Mark Wiser, conservation program manager, said the contest showed that simple things such as sealing air leaks, caulking around windows and adding insulation can go a long way toward improving energy efficiency and increasing comfort in Chelan County homes.

The Ehrenbergs received a $500 gift certificate donated by Walmart. The Thompsons received a $250 gift certificate from Community Glass. The Brunners won a $100 gift certificate donated by Stan’s Merry Mart.

Winners were determined by looking at who saved the greatest percentage of energy from Jan. 1 – March 31 compared to the winter heating seasons of 2008-09 and 2009-10. Data analysis accounted for variations in temperatures and in the number of days between meter reads. Staff engineer Jim White used a linear correlation of prior energy use and average monthly temperatures for past winter heating seasons to determine the energy saved by the contestants during the past three months.

Before the three-month contest period, each contestant received a detailed home energy analysis. Each homeowner received a report with energy-saving recommendations. It was up to individual homeowners to decide how much they would spend on energy-efficiency measures, whether to do the work themselves, or to take any recommended actions at all.

Complete contest results — including videos featuring Wiser and the first- and second-place winners — are available on the PUD website. Check out the contestants’ savings, then hunt down yours!

Save on your purchase of CFLs now and save on your electric bills in the future.

PUD,  local stores part of regional program

Chelan County PUD is participating in a new regional program to bring savings on energy-efficiency products to consumers.

Customers will find prices already marked down on compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) and indoor hard-wired fixtures at a dozen local retailers. Markdowns range from about 50 cents below suggested retail for general purpose CFLs to up to $7 on energy-saving showerheads. (Showerhead discounts are available only at Costco and Fred Meyer.)

Items available include:
• Twist CFLs – Regular Twists, Daylight Twists and A-Lamps
• Specialty CFLs – Reflectors, Globes, Candelabras, Torpedo Bulbs and Outdoor Lighting
• Fixtures – Indoor Hard-Wired Fixtures
• Showerheads – Those using 2.0 gallons per minute or less

On average, CFLs use 75 percent less energy than standard incandescent bulbs to provide the same amount of light, and last up to 10 times longer. Used CFLs can be recycled at Chelan County PUD offices, Home Depot and Lowes.

Calculate your potential energy savings  from switching to CFLs. Get help choosing the best lighting with Energy Star. And save on hot-water heating with low-flow showerheads.

Participating retailers are:
• Albertsons, 1128 N Miller, Wenatchee
• Bed Bath and Beyond, 511 Valley Mall Parkway, East Wenatchee
• BiMart, 780 Grant Road, East Wenatchee
• Costco, 375 Highline Drive S., East Wenatchee
• Fred Meyer, 11 Grant Road, East Wenatchee
• Home Depot, 1405 Maiden Lane, Wenatchee
• Lowes, 1200 Walla Walla Ave.
• Platt Electric, 1151 S. Wenatchee Ave., Wenatchee
• Top Foods, 10 Grant Road, East Wenatchee
• True Value, 585 Wapato Way, Manson
• Walmart, 108 Apple Blossom Dr., Chelan
• Walmart, 2000 N. Wenatchee Ave., Wenatchee

If a TV is on your Christmas wish list, consider selecting one of the new super energy-efficient models. The Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) has worked with major retailers to stock shelves with super-efficient televisions at reasonable cost. The super energy-efficient models are 30 percent more energy efficient than the lowest-rated Energy Star models.

An average plasma TV uses 338 watts. An average LCD uses 176 watts. Depending on how much you watch TV, a new set can add significantly to your power bill. Power consumption is affected by type of TV (plasma or LCD), size of the screen, picture settings, and whether your set has power-saving features. A comprehensive guide to TV power consumption is available here.

In a news release, NEEA spokeswoman Stephanie Fleming said 70 percent of all televisions are sold during the fourth quarter of the year. NEEA expects at least 1 average megawatt in fourth-quarter energy savings through the project – enough energy to supply about 500 Northwest homes.

Related articles
Super energy-efficient TVs available this holiday season (Oregon Statesman Journal)
Television buying guide (CNET)
California approves new energy efficient TV regulations (California Energy Commission)

Power use
Average plasma: 338 watts
Average LCD: 176 watts
PlayStation 3: 197 watts
PlayStation 3 Slim: 96 watts
Xbox 360 Elite (2007): 185 watts
Nintendo Wii: 19 watts
Xbox 360: 187 watts
Average PC: 118 watts
DirecTV HR20 DVR: 33 watts
Slingbox: 9 watts
Wireless router: 7 watts
Source: CNET.com

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!