Broan Solar Powered Attic Fans can Save Your Air Conditioner

Summer is far from over and the heat will be on for weeks if not months to come. Your house may be too hot, and no doubt if it is, then your attic is too hot for comfort. The attic's heat is radiating into your house, defeating your air conditioner's efforts to cool things down. You can't air condition your attic so what is the solution?

An attic fan will blow the hot air out of your attic, drawing cooler outdoor in through the attic's soffits, or openings near its base. And the best choice in attic fans is a solar powered attic fan - it will do the work of a powered fan without costing you a cent in electricity costs while reducing your air conditioning costs. You will save wear and tear on your air conditioning and make your house more comfortable.

In the winter your solar power attic fan will provide you with a dryer attic as it blows out moist air that accumulates from household water use. Mold and mildew growth in the attic will be inhibited, protecting insulation and ice dam buildup on the roof will be reduced. The solar powered attic fan can be shut off in dry winter climates by a thermostat attached to the motor.

Broan solar powered attic fans are made in the US by a company that has set the standard in household ventilation for over seventy years. Broan fans ventilate up to 1,600 square feet of attic space and can lower the temperature in your attic by as much as 15 degrees. They run silently, even in partial sunlight, from dawn to dusk, insuring that your attic is cooled before the greatest heat of the day. By contrast, powered attic fans do not operate until a temperature is reached to trip the thermostat so that it plays catch-up with built-up heat and moisture conditions while the solar powered fan would have been operating from first light.

Broan's photovoltaic cell panel is highly sensitive and does not need to be angled to the light like other brand's attic fans, blending into the roof profile. They are available in colors that blend with the roof shingles or can be painted to match. The four varieties of fans available offer different configuration on your roof.

The surface mounted attic fan is the most popular model, designed for standard roofs without a steep slope or irregular shingles. The curb-mounted fan installs above a small box, or "curb" for irregular shingled or steep roofs to prevent water seepage. The remote mounted fan separates the solar panel and the fan so the panel can be mounted where light is optimal while the fan is mounted where it provides the best air circulation in the attic. The gable mounted fan also comes with the solar panel separated; in this case the fan mounts in the roof's gable space.

Broan solar powered attic fans provide 20 watts of power from dawn to dusk, contrasted with less expensive brands that only provide 10 watts of power. Those brands ventilate less square footage than the Broan solar powered attic fan, and cost less. The Broan solar powered attic fan has a variable speed motor allowing it to adjust speeds depending on available light. A federal tax credit of 30% of the cost of purchase and installation of a solar powered attic fan is available. It can be claimed on IRS form 5695 and applies to both primary and second homes.

You can be comfortable in your home with a durable Broan solar powered attic fan while knowing that you are not draining more electric power from the grid - that you can cool your house without spending more on electric power from your local utility.

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EIA Calls Its Skewed Data Garbage

"Garbage" is how US Energy Information Administration Acting Administrator Howard Gruenspecht described their recent report on 2010 US energy subsidies according to those present at the time. Written in response to a request from Congress, the report comparing subsidies for renewable energy sources to traditional energy source's support has resulted in a Freedom of Information Request to the EIA to determine the extent to which it knew its report was inappropriately limited or influenced. Charges of "skewed" data have been leveled at the EIA which is now caught between its role as provider of objective energy analysis and its responsibility to fulfill research requests from Congress.

The report, "Direct Federal Financial Interventions and Subsidies in Energy in Fiscal Year 2010" updates a 2008 report at the request of three Republican Congress members; Jason Chaffetz (UT), Roscoe Barlett (MD) and Marsha Blackburn (TN). The 2008 report looking at 2007 subsidies, showed renewables receiving more government support than fossil fuel sources. But at that time the EIA cautioned that "Some electricity sources, such as nuclear, coal, oil, and natural gas, have received varying levels of subsidies and support in the past which may have aided them in reaching their current role in energy production." The Senator's current research request said the study should be "limited to subsidies provided by the federal government...that provide a financial benefit with an identifiable federal budget impact."

According to several sources, the EIA's Acting Administrator became visibly angry when he learned of the assumptions and requirements limiting the report, calling the report "garbage” and reminding his staff of the EIA's responsibility to impartial analysis. Though he moved to halt distribution of the report it was ultimately provided to the requesting Congress members.

Renewables have no fuel input costs, making their subsidies proportionally lower when measured over the life of the renewable power source. The current study faced the same limitation - the Senators requested a study of the subsidies over one year, ignoring the life-cycle benefits of a renewable subsidy dollar versus a fossil fuel subsidy. Great concern has been expressed that the EIA is providing political talking points to the requesting Senators rather than performing a neutral analysis.

The EIA delayed releasing the report citing concerns about quality assurance and whether it provided a full picture of the subsidy situation. In the executive summary it included a qualifying explanation stating that "this report only includes subsidies meeting the following criteria: they are provided by the federal government, they provide a financial benefit with an identifiable 2010 federal budget impact, and they are specifically targeted at energy." It proceeds to list some of the subsidies excluded from the analysis due to "the difficulty in determining the sufficiency of trust funds to meet potential liabilities and the fact that the excluded subsidies have no direct federal budgetary impact in FY 2010" (to which the study was limited). EIA’s list of excluded but acknowledged subsidies includes:

: America Jobs Creation Act reductions in taxable income for manufacturers including domestic oil and gas producers, a $3 billion benefit

: Subsidized credit for energy infrastructure projects provided by export credit agencies and multilateral development banks

: The lower interest rates available from tax-exempt municipal bonds supporting oil, gas and nuclear projects

: Foreign tax credit for income taxes paid to foreign countries - "major oil companies are significant beneficiaries of this provision”

: The subsidy associated with energy-related trust funds - the Black Lung Disability Trust, the Leaking Underground Storage Tank Trust Fund, the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund, the Pipeline Safety Fund, the Aquatic Resources Trust Fund, the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund, the Nuclear Waste Fund and the Uranium Enrichment Decontamination and Decommissioning Fund

The limitations on this study placed by the requesting Congress members raise questions about the EIA’s role in responding to requests from Congress. Does its responsibility to accurate and thorough analysis confer a responsibility to alter, widen, or otherwise change the scope of the congressional request? Is the EIA obligated to release a report with the limitation of the 2010 subsidy study? Should the EIA be in a negotiating position with Congress when fielding or interpreting requests for research?

Some say the EIA's responsibility to rigorous analysis requires such interaction. The Freedom of Information Request is filed by the Checks and Balances Project, which made public the report prior to its official release. It asks to EIA to provide records of communication between the requesting Senators and the EIA, to determine whether "there was any budgetary pressure applied by members of the House” to get the EIA to release the report during the time when the EIA was delaying it. The EIA is required to respond to the request by August 20.

A snapshot of a year does not reveal the true subsidies being received by each energy sector. The exclusion of a variety of sources of federal support to non-renewable energy sectors results in a skewed report, a use of statistics that any government agency should be wary of. Implicit subsidies, though hard to measure, provide real advantages to the fossil fuel and nuclear industries. When ignored while comparing FY2010 explicit renewables subsidy dollars for traditional and renewable energy sources the result is a false, even manipulative reading of the true state of energy subsidies.

Federal Consumer Energy Efficiency Tax Payback

Many wonder when we will be in a position to afford the conversion to an energy efficient economy. New equipment is needed. Household installations are required. Home improvement projects to gain greater energy efficiency cost money, which is in short supply these days. In this case, the federal government might be able to help you. Tax credits of up to $500 are now available for the purchase and sometimes, the installation of energy efficient equipment.

The Federal Consumer Energy Efficiency Tax Credit program has changed from 2010. Previously tax credits were available for 30% of energy efficient equipment and installation costs for the first $1,500 of costs. For 2011 taxes credits are available in various programs depending on the type of equipment purchased.

The most generous credits are for solar energy systems, small residential wind turbines and geothermal heat pumps. For this equipment there is a tax credit of 30% of costs with no upper limit for existing homes and new construction, both for primary residences and for second homes. For solar systems the credit is available for solar water heaters and solar panels that provide energy for the residence but not for swimming pools or hot tubs. This and all other energy credits described here are claimed on 2011 IRS form 5695 and expire December 31, 2016. Small wind turbines producing no more than 100 kilowatts also qualify for the 30% credit.

A lesser credit of 10% of cost up to $500, with specific caps is available for biomass stoves; heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems; insulation, roofing, water heaters and windows and doors. The insulation credit, 10% of the costs up to $500, applies to bulk insulation products including batts, rolls, blow-in fiber, and rigid boards; expanding spray and pour-in-place; weather stripping, canned spray foam, air sealing caulk and house wrap, but does not include installation costs.

Credits capped at $300 are available for air source heat pumps and central air conditioning. Gas, propane, oil or electric hot water boilers and gas, propane or oil furnaces are capped at $150. Tax credit eligibility for this equipment is established by a Manufacturer Certification Statement which should be included in the product package. You should keep it in your records but the Statement does not need to be submitted to the IRS.

Efficient windows, doors and skylights can reduce energy bills. A tax credit of 10% of the cost up to $500 is available, but windows are capped at $200. The equipment must be ENERGY STAR qualified.

Residential fuel cell systems qualify for a 30% credit for the cost of equipment for the primary residence, up to $500/0.5 kW of power capacity. Fuel cells provide a more efficient, cleaner alternative choice for fossil fuel combustion.

One onerous feature has been added in the legislation instituting these changes - a $500 lifetime limit. If you received over $500 in energy tax credits between 2006-2010 you have no further eligibility.

Energy credits and subsidies are being withdrawn or attacked in local and state legislatures and congress. More information in future posts will detail how the EIA was used to provide "skewed" data to Congress regarding energy subsidies and describe the local legislative and Congressional attack on energy credit programs.

Note: This article is an overview and does not substitute for the advice of your tax accountant.

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Can Energy Efficiency Save the Economy?

Losing money causes anyone to question their place in their own life, their status and their family role, their own identity. It’s not a good thing. And when an entire nation loses money these same doubts arise. Who are we as a people? Are we one people anymore? What is our place among the global nations? Is our status as global leader and source of financial stability secure? These questions come at a time of great strain in the American project.

Dwindling resources cause anyone to circle the wagons and protect their own. So is it surprising that we are now divided into so many fragmented groups? Tax vs. no tax, haves vs. have nots, unions vs. management and hostile state governments, energy users and energy producers. How can we find our way through this divisive time and retain our nationhood - our identity as a freedom-loving and a caring society?

The answer could be found in energy efficiency. Making an end run around shortage and limitations, energy efficiency finds value where there was none. The low-hanging fruit of energy crisis opportunities, energy efficiency allows the homeowner to save on his power bill, the plant manager to gain productivity increases without increased costs. Energy efficiency can relieve the pressure on state governments to maintain their physical plant. Energy efficiency creates more to go around where there was less.

The transition to an energy efficient economy won't come overnight. Individuals can buy more ENERGY STAR qualified products, insulate their homes, consider solar power installations. Businesses can ensure that their commercial vehicles run at the highest possible fuel economy. School districts can encourage children to turn off all unnecessary lights and inspire their students to bring the lesson home.

Energy efficiency isn't the only answer to solving the crisis of economies operating on the basis of debt and insufficient revenue to cover their expenses. But it can contribute a great deal towards lowering costs nationally. A recent survey by the Consumer Electronics Association shows consumer receptivity towards energy efficiency. 92% of the 1,254 adults surveyed turned off the lights when they left a room; 64% choose energy-efficient electronics when shopping. 63% shut down their computer when it was not in use. And most important, 85% considered the energy consumption of a product an important purchasing decision factor.

The largest opportunity for energy consumption reduction, the most inexpensive resource, the easiest resource to implement, energy efficiency is a renewable energy source - its potential never runs out. And the remarkable thing is that it starts with "little" changes - duct sealing, turning off unneeded appliances, the use of programmable thermostats - all these small steps taken at the residential level can add up to a meaningful reduction in America's energy consumption, freeing resources for better, nation-building and enriching purposes. Perhaps a meaningful energy efficiency movement can reduce the fear of dwindling resources and temper the extreme political voices dominating the national debate.

 

Cut the Cord - Save on Home Electronics Costs

Your computer doesn't cost a lot on your electricity bill. Neither does your home music center. Your TV doesn't cost that much to run either. But together your home electronics make a real dent on your electric bill contributing up to 20% of your power costs.

Electronic devices cost you money two ways - they draw power while in use, and surprisingly, many of them draw power when not in use. A rule of thumb is that if a light is displayed by your device when you’re not using it then it is drawing what energy experts call "vampire power". The devices are sucking electricity out of your outlets while you sleep.

The solution - power strips   devices that you plug your vampire appliances into and switch off all the devices at once when not needed, when you're out of the house and overnight. If you can, plug your TV, DVR and other home entertainment center devices into the power strip so you can turn them all off at once.

The worst of the vampire offenders is the set top cable television box. It draws 29 watts when not in use, multiplying the cost of cable television by a significant amount. One estimation has set-top boxes consuming $2 billion per year of wasted electricity while not in use, or 27 billion kilowatt hours/year. That is the equivalent of the output of nine 500 megawatt coal-burning power plants.

Almost 2/3 of the energy used by set-top boxes takes place when the box is not in use. Unplug the box when not needed or switch it off with a power strip! You'll save real money. New set-top technology is available in the ENERGY STAR Version 4.0 set-top box models. Request one from your cable provider. An unplugged set top box will require 5 to 10 minutes to reboot when turned back on but the power and cost saved is worth the wait.

Reducing excessive brightness on your tv screen can cut power use by up to 25%. If you are looking for a new TV shop for an ENERGY STAR qualified model - without sacrificing quality or performance you can save energy and cut your power bill.

The home office is another place where excess energy use can be cut. The computer, monitor, printer, copier and fax all consume energy when turned on but are not in use. Choose your needed device(s) and keep all the others turned off until needed. The choice of equipment can make a big difference also - an ENERGY STAR qualified computer uses 70% less electricity than standard models. In sleep mode they use no more than 4 watts. While in low power mode the ENERGY STAR computer runs cooler and lasts longer. If your computer must remain on, for example for remote access for your small business, an ENERGY STAR model is the best choice for energy cost savings.

No longer do you need to keep a computer on continuously to save power or wear on the equipment. Today that is no more than a misconception from the early days of very large computers. Today's personal computers are like appliances - turn them off when you don't need them. Screen savers also do not save power, they consume it - switch to sleep mode or turn off your monitor instead. And if you are looking for a new computer get a laptop - they are much more energy-thrifty than desktop computers consuming 50 watts while a desktop CPU and monitor consume 270 watts.

They look innocent, but battery chargers such as those used for your cell phone, contain a transformer that consumes power when they are plugged into the wall outlet whether in use or not. What to do? You know it by now - unplug it when you're not using it or put it on a power strip and turn that off when not needed.

Introducing Save Watts at Home

Energy. I didn't have much this morning, so I drank a few cups of coffee.  Afterward, I had lots of energy, but later my energy ran low. I could've had more coffee but then I'd have too much energy to fall asleep and not enough coffee to last the week.

Sound familiar? Sound like America? Do we have too much energy? Do we use too much energy? What would happen if we had less energy to use? And what would happen if we had enough energy, but didn't use it all?

Just as I don't drink all my coffee on Monday morning, it makes sense for a large nation to carefully use its energy resources so they will last. Just as I don't want to pay $12.99/lb. for the artisanal coffee at my neighborhood coffee roaster, so too America doesn't want to pay high electricity bills or $4.00/gallon for gasoline.

It’s great if we have an alternative. I buy decent coffee at 2/3 the price of the artisanal, but America has few choices for cheaper fuel.  The result? The alternative energy movement with its emphasis on renewable resources and energy efficiency.

There’s a catch though: solar, wind, and biomass provide less than 10% of the nation's annual energy budget. They are projected to potentially contribute 15% or more by the year 2035 –given the right combination of public subsidies and political will. The good news is that renewables share of America’s energy consumption is growing rapidly – wind power use grew 28% from 2009 to 2010 and solar power consumption grew 11%. Total renewables consumption is poised to exceed nuclear consumption this year given current rates of growth.

Can Your Energy Efficiencies Help?

How then do we manage America's energy budget in the face of high oil prices and concerns about nuclear power, while waiting for the growth of efficient alternative energy? How would I deal with high coffee prices and no obvious alternative for that morning energy boost?  Two approaches: conservation and efficiency.

I can't get more bang for the buck out of a cup of coffee. To drink more is to spend more. The coffee's efficiency is fixed. My only alternative is to cut back, which I did,

US Energy Reporting Cutbacks Dismay Data Fans

You may not need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows, but if you are a builder seeking information about energy consumption by building type, or an energy specialist in search of data for future oil and gas reserves and supplies, you may be out of luck. After a $15.2 million budget cut, the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) imposed “significant cuts in data, analysis and forecasting activities" according to EIA Administrator Richard Newell. The immediate cuts, which became effective April 26, include:

- Cancellation of the 2011 US oil and natural gas reserves report
- Ending its study of the links between energy markets and financial trading, including the effect of speculation on the price of oil
- Ending its annual report on solar thermal systems
- Ending auditing of information submitted by major oil and gas companies
- Ending work on its Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS), the main
source builders use for information on energy consumption in commercial buildings
- Ending analysis and reporting of planned refinery outage market impacts
- Cancelling the 2012 edition of the EIA International Energy Outlook
- Ceasing to publish its annual inventory of US greenhouse emissions
- Curtailing its ability to do special analyses for Congress
- Closed customer contact centers telephone support as of June 6.

The loss of CBECS data, to be issued every four years, affects users of all types of energy use information for the US commercial building stock. In addition to cancelling the 2011 report, the previous 2007 report was withheld due to insufficient statistical standards, leaving builders to rely on 2003 numbers.

The CBECS information supports a variety of energy efficiency standards including the green building LEEDs rating and Energy Star planning tools. "How are we going to know how well we're doing" without new data, said New Buildings Institute Technical Director Mark Frankel. "It's dismaying. There's more interest now in actual building performance than there has ever been before."

More Difficult to Address Energy Challenges

In response to the announced cuts, US Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chair Jeff Bingaman said "Right now, Americans need that sort of objective information more than ever". He called the EIA one of few credible unprejudiced sources of oil

How to Save Watts at Home - Stay Cool in the Heat

Your home is a living breathing system. Just as you need food and shelter, your home uses inputs like electricity, water and natural solar warmth to produce a life-sustaining residence. You can do many things to increase your home’s energy efficiency and save you money.

According to Consumer Reports, most people are taking some steps towards energy efficiency. In their October 2010 issue they report that a study showed 81% of those surveyed bought energy-efficient light bulbs, 44% purchased an Energy Star appliance, and 43% caulked their windows and doors, A third to a quarter of those surveyed installed energy-efficient windows or doors, installed insulation, upgraded to an energy-efficient heating or cooling system or bought a high efficiency water heater. The report found that 77% of those surveyed took these actions to lower energy costs. Energy efficiency works.

Three actions drive energy efficiency

- Using less power, for example use a solar powered attic fan to cool your attic and relieve the demand on your air conditioner.

- Use power more efficiently; buy Energy Savers rated appliances to get the most bang for your electricity buck.

- Reduce the need for power - one important power saver is to improve your home's insulation, to eliminate drafts warming your cooled air during summer month and losing heat in winter months. The common wisdom among those working in the home energy efficiency field is to insulate first, then put in