Archive for the ‘Solutions’ Category

Measuring Power and suggestions on becoming energy efficient

Part 1 and Part 2 looked at the basics of power. Using water as an analogy we discussed how taps and shower roses are the water-based equivalent of electrical appliances and lights. Restricting high rates of water flow, saves water. Restricting the use of high current electrical appliances, saves power. A leaking tap is similar to leaving an appliance on in standby mode.

In the final part of the energy efficiency series we’ll take a look at better ways of measuring your power consumption and some tips on being smart with your electricity.

As we briefly touched on in Part 1, the standard way of measuring power is the kilowatt-hour meter. Total power consumed is recorded on an ongoing basis. But there is no way to see what each appliance is using — which ones draw the biggest current and therefore consume the most power in the quickest time. How much power is consumed by leaving your TV, DVD, microwave and other appliances on, in standby?

Wireless Energy Monitoring

The Queensland Government’s Climate Smart Home Service is currently offering a wireless energy monitor. Most of us by now would have seen the ads of TV. After an electrician wires a link into your normal tariff meter (power and lights), you can use the wireless monitor to see what is known as real-time energy use. Real time because you can see the power usage instantaneously.

Turn your electric stove top on and you will see exactly how much energy it uses. Most people would be shocked at the amount of power a hot plate can use (this can be up to 7000 watts if all hot plates are turned on). Programming the cost per kilowatt-hour into the device (for example 15 cents per kilowatt-hour) and you can also see how much money you’re spending to make that next stir fry.

The benefit of using this device is simple. You can now witness the power consumption of each appliance, and even your lights. You can see how much power is consumed over night when you leave appliances switched on at the power point and left in standby mode. Walk around your kitchen or lounge room of a night with the lights off and notice all the small red or green lights and clocks still running on your appliances. They are like leaking taps.

The only power you can’t see is hot water systems’ and other devices like pool pumps that are connected to off-peak tariffs. Or, if you have three-phase power, you can only monitor one phase.

Lord Kelvin, of thermodynamics and absolute temperature fame, famously said: “If you can not measure it, you can not improve it.” This is very true when we consider the efficiency of the energy-hungry modern household.

Google enters the energy market

Google recently announced a project, the Google PowerMeter, where they are proposing to use the internet to monitor your energy use. This will require new, so-called smart meters which can communicate, in real time, your energy usage and then display this online. Issues exist around privacy and whether energy companies will use this information to introduce varying pricing structures. Technically, there are issues involving the high-speed internet connection required to gather this information.

Currently in Australia ‘smart meters’ or meters that can do more than just measure your power, are being used to turn different tariffs on (hot water and pool pumps) and measure grid-connect solar power generation. More advanced metering could potentially control high-current devices such as air-conditioners, notify authorities of power outages and monitor the amount and type of appliances in a house.

Tips to save power and reduce greenhouse-gas emissions

• The main tip — be informed. Everything we do creates an impact. But it is better to be informed so we are aware of what we’re doing.

• Take advantage of the Climate Smart Home Service — it’s cost effective. Monitoring your real-time energy use can save between 5 and 15 per cent of your power bill each month. Monitor your energy and find out the highest power consuming appliances. Treat power like water and use it sparingly.

• Switch off appliances at the power point. Do not leave appliances in standby mode. They are like leaking taps. If building or renovating, don’t place power points in the standard hidden areas at about 30 cm off the ground. Place them in positions where you can easily get to the switch.

• Consider the power consumption of appliances you are about to buy. Do I really need a big-screen plasma TV? They are big energy consumers –stand near one in a shop and feel the heat. Heat from an appliance is wasted energy.

• Install ceiling fans instead of air-conditioners. People still survived during summer prior to air-conditioners gaining popularity. Efficient ceiling fans can use 70 watts of power compared to big air-conditioners, which can use over 4000 watts. Moving air around your house and creating good ventilation is far more cost effective.

• Insulate your ceiling. Repel heat, before it gets into your house.

• Consider gas stove tops. Burning gas to heat a kettle is far more efficient then burning coal to turn a turbine, to generate electricity, which is sent to you from thousands of kilometres away so you can then heat an element, to heat the water. Coal-fired power stations are the biggest source of greenhouse gases. Gas is not perfect, but it is far better than burning coal.

• Switch to solar hot water. Consider the options of gas or electricity for boosting. Boosting electrically means you are encouraging coal-fired power stations, but it will save on the upfront costs. Yes you can sign up to GreenPower, but we need to make changes now and the current renewable energy input to the electricity grid is a very small and virtually symbolic. We must demand the use of technologies like geo-thermal power, solar power, wind and solar-thermal, but we should not pay a premium for this service.

• Install grid-connect solar power. But remember. You cannot store the power to use during the night.  You never actually use the power from the solar panels – you are always pumping this back into the electricity grid. View the electricity grid in this case as a big battery — you are helping charge this battery. Grid-connect systems have automatic switches in them to switch off the energy from the solar panels whenever the electricity grid is off. You will not be free from blackouts. A 1 kilowatt system in Queensland, may provide up to 5 kilowatt-hours per day in summer back to the electricity grid, therefore offsetting your electricity bill. Some Queensland households use up to 30 kilowatt-hours each day. A 1 kilowatt system however, is a good starting point and as you can see, it can reduce your electricity bills — just be aware of its limitations. A very efficient household can, on average, use as little as 2 kilowatt-hours per day!

• RECS. Cashing these in when you are buying a solar hot water system or grid-connect solar power system means you significantly save on upfront costs. But, holding onto them means you are encouraging the funding of more renewable energy projects. Once you cash them in, they are effectively used by high-polluting industries to continue polluting.

• Remember, electricity generators and retailers are in the business of making money. Making money from selling electricity. It is in their interest for us to consume more. It is in our collective interest to consume less.

Each Australian state is taking its own path on feed-in tariffs.

Feed In Tariff Queensland

Queensland implemented a Net Feed In Tariff in July 2008. Anyone producing electricity above what they are using get a credit of 44 cents per kWh produced. It is handled by the energy retailer (some pay more than 44c) and offset against the electricity bill. If there is a credit at the end of the year, you actually get paid by the energy companies.

Here is a sample calculation. It assumes an average quarterly power bill of $345. One third of that is off peak power (costing 9c/kWh), two thirds is for the continuous tariff (at 16c/kWh). With rising electricity prices in Queensland, the savings will be even better.

A 1kW solar system produces about 2,000 kWh of electricity in South East Queensland in 1 year. So at the very least, you will reduce your electricity costs by $340 (if you have a northern roof at the right angle, etc). That is if you do not feed anything back into the grid at all.

Note: These figures do not take losses into account. Please check the updated Solar Bonus Cost Savings post that shows the corrected figures and a real life example.

If you are able to reduce or eliminate your energy consumption during the day (while the solar panels produce electricity), you might feed 1,000 kWh (50%) back into the grid. For that you would get a credit of $440 per year. The other 1,000 kWh would reduce the electricity you need to purchase. So your total savings a year would be $610.

Or if you can push that even further (100% will not really be possible, because usually the fridge is running during the day), you do even better.

So even though the electricity produced from a 1 kW system is only about 20% of your needs, you can reduce your invoice by up to 50%. A 2 kW system might bring it down to zero.

How to Benefit the Most

It is pretty obvious: If you can minimise your electricity consumption during the day, you have the biggest savings.

Here are some tips of how to achieve that the easiest (or of who is most suited for it):

• Smaller households will lower electricity bills to start off with, will benefit much more dramatically.
• If you are away during the day (e.g. work, school) you are more likely to achieve big savings.
• See whether you can use natural breezes and fans instead of air-conditioning.
• If you have a pool, can you set the timer of the pool pump so that it does not run between 10am and 3pm?
• Can you do the washing early in the mornings or evenings after the sun is down?
• If you need to use light during the day, do you use energy efficient lighting?
• Are you used to turning appliances off at the wall to avoid using stand-by power?

Feed in Tariff in Other States

South Australia – Net feed in tariff, paying 44 cents per kWh (electricity costs 22 cents, so the savings are different to the Queensland example above).

Northern Territory – Only available for residents of Alice Springs through the Solar City Program. They offer an elevated buy back rate (which is in essence an gross feed in tariff) of 45.76c/kWh (which is CPI indexed), but capped at $1,825 per year.

ACT – gross feed in tariff, began March 2009). It pays 50.05c/kWh  up to 10kw capacity and 40.04c/kWh up to 30kW capacity. That is an excellent scheme that should see most 1 kW system cover the whole electricity bill (even with the lower solar gain in Canberra).

Victoria – A net feed in tariff of 60 cents/kWh commenced on 1 November 2009, but it is credit only.

NSW – A gross feed in tariff of 60 cents/kWh to commence in January 2010 and run for seven years. Available for systems up to 10kW.

Tasmania – 20c kWh commenced.

Western Australia – Announced a net feed in tariff commencing 1 July 2010.

National Gross Feed in Tariff

Germany has run a successful model of gross feed in tariffs and is one of the countries with the most solar panels installed (even though they have a lot less sun than Australia). They have a gross feed in tariff so it is often cited as a reason for doing that.

I am not so certain. The benefits of a net feed in tariff are that consumers become more conscious of their electricity consumption habits. So it has additional environmental benefits.

Financially, the two systems can be used to achieve the same savings. It is just a matter of choosing the right level to pay.

If the federal government decided to implement a national gross feed in tariff, a lot of rewiring would have to be done. Every household that has a solar system now with a net feed in meter would need a new meter. And seeing that the electricity prices in the states vary anyway and that some states have taken action already, I think we should continue along those lines and support it.

What About Solar Hot Water?

We sometimes get questions about solar hot water and a feed in tariff. Solar hot water system do not produce any electricity. They use the sun’s heat directly to produce hot water.

They are able to use 80% of the sun’s energy where solar panels that produce electricity are only about 20% efficient. So if there was no off peak tariff, and we paid continuous tariff rates for electric hot water heating, solar hot water would have a much bigger impact on an electricity bill.

As it stands, large families (or people on continuous tariff) usually get a better financial return from solar hot water. Single and double households with small electricity bills benefit more from solar photovoltaic, especially in the states with generous feed in tariffs.

Heat pumps are a great alternative to solar hot water systems with panels on the roof. The electricity savings are substantial (about 70% compared to 90% for a solar hot water system in Queensland). All solar rebates are available for a heat pump and the installation costs are substantially lower.

Heat pump advantages

Ingenero has selected our heat pumps on the basis of  quality and energy efficiency.

Have limited space?

The Rheem MPi-325 can be placed against the wall of the house, making it a simple and straightforward replacement for an existing exterior electric hot water system. At around 1.6 metres tall, it has a two piece design which reduces its visibility to below most fencelines and minimises the distance over which its operating sound can be heard. Its back-up element ensures 60°C hot water in cold conditions and acts as an insurance policy against ever running out of hot water. Better still, it’s designed and manufactured in Australia and operates at only 45 decibels – the quietest heat pump around.

Need indoor operation?

Unlike most heat pumps, the Stiebel Eltron WWK300A is suitable for installation inside your home and is ideal for replacing existing internal hot water units in garages and laundry areas. Its sleek design and quiet operation ensure its versatility – the minimum room size required is 13m3.

The Stiebel Eltron can save up to 75% off your hot water energy bill. While this German designed and manufactured unit attracts the maximum number of RECs and draws the lowest power, it will operate on off-peak tariffs and timers, further reducing the cost of operation. It is also suitable for external installation, especially in frost-prone regions or coastal areas where corrosive salt is a problem.

How do heat pumps work?

Heat pumps use the same principle as a fridge, except the other way around. A fan draws in air and transfers its heat to refrigerant (gas) in an evaporator. The refrigerant is then compressed, further increasing its temperature, before it passes through a heat exchanger in the water tank where it transfers its heat to the water.

For details you can have a look at the wikipedia article on heat pumps.

Heat pumps or solar hot water panels?

We used to recommend heat pumps only for situations where a solar hot water system was not feasible (e.g. too little sun or a roof that was too steep). However, the simpler installation reduces costs by up to $1,000. That makes it a very attractive alternative, not only to solar hot water systems with panels, but especially to the old electric systems.

Nega-Watts (energy conservation) is overlooked in favour of “mega-watts” (energy generation).  So says Dr Morgan Williams, previously New Zealand’s Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment for the last 10 years says.

“Get Smart, Think Small” concludes that local energy systems are cost effective, resilient, provide good market returns on investment, and should be emphasis right now.  Since Thomas Edison over 80 years ago, the whole regulatory environment has been focused on unlimited, large-scale, centralised energy supply.  It’s time to change the paradigm.

Mega-Watts Take the Media and Money Headlines

The smart money is hot on the trail of the next industrial revolution.  A riptide of capital is mainstreaming biomimicry and clean tech, now the third largest domain of venture capital investment. In Silicon Valley, the “watt.com” era has dawned. Compared with $100 billion for the entire Internet market, the worldwide energy market is $6 trillion.

Google just put forth a $4.4 trillion Clean Energy plan. By 2030, it proposes to slash fossil fuel use by 88% and CO2 emissions by 95%. Quercus Trust , a Californian VC has over 34 companies funded.  Quercus runs second to Khosla Ventures for VC money.

There’s mounting pressure on Uncle Sam because government policies make or break markets; and for the past 8 years Bush has not provided direction except for more oil wells!

Astoundingly the US has no national energy policy. That’s hopefully about to change. David Orr, the nation’s leading environmental educator, helped assemble a national network to deliver PCAP — the Presidential Climate Action Plan. It’s a pragmatic 100-day action plan for the incoming Obama 2009 administration, and it’s in play.

But for now, in the US the real action is happening at local and regional levels and has a way to go to catch up with the rest of the world.

California, the world’s sixth largest economy, passed AB 32, the world’s first comprehensive climate change legislation, and is gearing up to install 12.5 square miles of Photo Voltaic solar panels (PV);  12 times the previous largest. Massachusetts just passed the nation’s most far-reaching package of renewables and green jobs legislation. Texas is about to build the biggest wind installation ever, surpassing Germany as the world leader.

Other Countries

The number one use of solar energy is Germany. It invested nearly US$5 billion and captures almost 50% of the world market of PV cells. The “solar park” in Arnstein, Bavaria is one of the biggest PV plants in the world at 12 MW. It became operational in 2006 with more than 1,400 PV solar panels.  Germany legislated with Renewable Energies Laws (EEG) in 2000.

Germany’s solar industry is not limited to the production of PV for electricity. Other notable usage includes solar panels for home water heating system. The solar hot water market is over US$1.5 billion per year.

The next biggest country in terms of usage of solar energy is Spain. Their PV solar energy usage has a world market share of 27%. Their latest is a 60 MW solar field in Olmedilla de Alarcón, near Cuenca. Opening in 2007, a solar park 12 miles outside of Salamanca, has 70,000 PV panels divided into three 36-hectare arrays of 13.8 MW and powers 5,000 homes.

Spain in 2006 mandated all buildings supply 30 to 70% of hot water by solar, and if over 4000m2 use PV as well.

Japan and the US have an 8% market share in the PV world market.

Israel required all residential buildings to install solar water heating systems in the early 90s.

China is the single largest solar hot water producer, partly due to energy shortage. The Evacuated Tube was an Australian invention, taken back to China because the economic and legislative framework is Australia was not supportive of solar energy.

Conclusions:

Get Smart, think Local is the smart way to address climate change initiatives cost effectively. Dreaming the Future Can Create the Future is an article about how to achieve these local solutions.

There needs to be the right legislative environment and it is clear that Australia has only partially addressed some of these issues with initiatives such as RECs and ETS.  Australia, state and Federal, needs to mandate energy efficiency, to make the process happen now.  Initiatives could be similar to Spain, to mandate solar hot water, and mandate PV for larger buildings.
Lobby politicians.  Without informed politicians, the focus will be on big schemes not small schemes and established mega-watt producers will continue to get air-time.

Leave the high tech solutions to the money men. Go with the local energy supply and install a solar hot water system to reduce your residential energy footprint by 30%.  No fancy technology required; get an immediate return on your investment; and it is safer than money in a bank (or in market led securities!)

I have heard some salespeople vigorously defend the heat pump as a solar hot water system. It does use the heat (or warmth) of the air to heat water. The source of that heat is the sun. Therefore it can be seen as a solar hot water system.

But there are no collectors involved and it does need electricity to function. Far less than any electric hot water system though. That is the reason that it receives a Federal Government rebate and renewable energy certificates (RECs).

Heat pump advantages

The biggest advantage: no direct sunlight is necessary. We also recommend a heat pump where a solar hot water system is not feasible (e.g. for properties with an asbestos roof, when the north facing roof space is too far from where the water is to be used and of course where there is a lack of sunshine).

Heat pump disadvantages

The disadvantage: while producing hot water, it makes a noise (similar to an air conditioning unit). It is therefore best to put it away from any living areas. Electricity is necessary to power the fan that draws in air. This is minimal compared to an electric hot water system.