Pitch
Using energy efficient products and equipment in all new and remodeled homes and businesses.
Description
Summary
Creating a percentage of energy efficiency required or at least suggested for all new and remodeled homes. By considering the three main areas of building efficiency of heating and cooling, water heating, and appliances together as a society a new normal could be created for how energy efficient a building is.
Heating and Cooling:
Geothermal Systems:
All new buildings, and any remodeled building that do not currently contain baseboard heating or and old radiator.
Average saving in a building of 2500sqft. Is $1500-$2000.
Typical geothermal system is 450% efficient compared to a typical forced air heating system that is at best 98% efficient.
Geothermal systems reduce emissions and save on energy and money.
Tax credits are available in certain areas for up to 30% on home installation, 10% on business installation, and local utility rebates in certain areas as well.
Spray Foam Insulation:
Expands into the joints and cracks of building material making it more difficult for hot or cold air to seep into the building. This keeps the temperature consistent longer.
Water Heating:
Instantaneous Water Heaters:
Only heats water when it is being used, as opposed to heating the entire tank at all times. This would mean that the water heater is using energy to heat a tank full of water and keep it hot while you are on vacation for an entire week or longer.
Appliances:
Energy efficient appliances should be considered in any way possible as they will cut back on the amount of energy used and make the energy last longer. These appliances will also save money by using less energy to do their assigned function.
Solar Panels:
Energy storage, assisting heating systems, heat water
These are a little more controversial due to the savings will depend on the weather as they depend on the sun. The installation cost versus the payback can take a longer time frame, and they are very expensive to purchase and have installed.
Category of the action
Building efficiency, Social Action
What actions do you propose?
The actions needed for this proposal would be the following:
-develop an educational base to inform people of what is out there for energy efficiency and what their options are
-reduce the prices for energy efficient materials and product in order to bring them into the lives of more people
-create a more vast knowledge of these products and materials for contractors who will build the new buildings
-construct a new normal for the percentage of energy efficiency that should be found in the majority of buildings in different areas of the world
Who will take these actions?
These actions will need to be taken as a society. The best places to begin these trends will be in large cities and tourist areas where there are large numbers of people at all times and a lot of electricity and energy is being used. When large trend setting areas like this start to save energy and become more conservative, the people in there notice and bring those ideas back to their smaller cities and towns to expand them.
Great examples or places to start would be in the USA in New York City or Las Vegas. This would also show people the greatest effects of energy efficiency.
Where will these actions be taken?
(See Above)
How much will emissions be reduced or sequestered vs. business as usual levels?
About 40% of the energy in the US and Canada is used in buildings, most of that going to heating, ventilation and cooling. Modern technology allows reductions of over 80% in building energy consumption, which would yield 32% overall reduction in greenhouse gases.
What are other key benefits?
Conserving Energy
Reducing Carbon Footprints - individually and globally
Less greenhouses gases
Saving money
By:
