Yehuda Draiman's Blog

Reduce Your Energy Bills

Nearly 30 years have passed since the first oil crisis gave Americans an indelible lesson in energy deprivation. Yet many homeowners still don't realize how much energy seeps out of their houses every day despite the steps they might have taken. According to experts, many homes — including new ones — act more like sieves than like sealed buildings.
"What we've learned about basic energy efficiency isn't readily available to homeowners, builders and contractors," says The Energy Expert.
The reason is clear enough: Because much of that knowledge was developed for low-income housing as part of the federal Weatherization Assistance Program, it hasn't yet reached the mainstream housing industry. Nevertheless, it includes a number of findings that affect all homes.
For example, because hot air rises, most heat lost in a building goes right through the roof. What causes that heat loss? Leaks in attic floors are the culprit, lowering the R-value of attic insulation and draining 30 to 50 percent of a home's heating energy. And while leaks around windows and doors let out far less energy than you probably thought, gaps in forced-air ducts can cut home heating and cooling efficiency 40 percent.
Fortunately, making your home more energy efficient isn't rocket science. A couple of weekends sealing the attic and furnace ducting using materials that cost less than $50 on average will slash up to 30 percent off your energy bill.
Sealing the Attic
To save energy immediately, begin by sealing the gaps that lead from your living areas to the attic. Some of these gaps accommodate wiring and pipes, while others result from poor craftsmanship and the normal settling of the building. But all of them serve as passageways for heated air to escape.
That's because houses act like big chimneys. Warm air rises to top of the building, increasing air pressure near the ceiling. The difference between that pressure and the lower pressure outside on a cold day drives the warm air through any crack, crevice or gap it can find. The high pressure at the top also creates low pressure near the bottom of the house, which pulls cold air in through openings around the foundation or slab.
Energy experts call this the stack effect. The larger the spread between inside and outside temperatures, the greater the pressure differences and the stronger its pull. However, if you have mold or condensation problems in your home during winter, don't do any sealing until you've tackled the moisture situation.
What insulation can't do. An insulated attic isn't necessarily a sealed attic. Insulating materials are designed to slow down heat loss through solid materials rather than to stop airflow. Insulation works with weatherizing to create a thermal boundary between the inside and outside of your home. Unfortunately, most homeowners pay attention solely to the insulation part of the equation. "Half the money people pay for insulation is often lost due to leaks," says The Energy Expert and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). "If homeowners sealed the attic floor before insulating, they would save a lot more energy."
Filling the gaps. Spotting the holes and gaps you need to seal is easy in an un-insulated attic. Lay planks across joists and stay on them so you don't step through the ceiling. Then check for gaps around anything that comes through the floor. Examples include the tops of light fixtures, pipes, wiring, the chimney and heating and cooling ducts. Also check for gaps around the top plates of interior partitions.
If your attic is insulated, you'll need to roll back batts to get at the gaps. Wear pants and long sleeves, gloves, eye protection, and a dust mask. Gray or black smudges in the insulation signal air leaks. If your attic is insulated with loose-fill insulation, which can't be peeled back, you might want to call a professional weatherization contractor to locate the leaks. Then seal as many of them as possible.
• Instead of insulation, use latex caulk to fill gaps up to about 3/8 inch wide. For holes up to about 1 inch wide, use expanding urethane foam (it comes in a can). Be careful — the foam is hard to get off of clothes and hands. A new latex sealant from DAP ($3.50 per 12-oz. can) cleans up with soap and water.
• For larger holes, create a plug from a piece of drywall. Cut it to fill the hole, push it into place and then seal the edges with urethane foam. Or, use fiberglass insulation stuffed into plastic bags.
• Seal gaps around chimneys and stove flues with a sheet-metal collar and caulk.
• Insulate and apply weather stripping around the edges of the hatch or door that leads to the attic.
• On cathedral ceilings, apply caulk in spots where drywall meets exposed beams.
Where to Add Insulation
Once you've air-sealed the attic, be sure insulation meets DOE standard. The standard for most of the U.S. is R-38. Call the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy clearinghouse (800-363-3732) for the recommendation for your area.
If you need to add more insulation on top of the old, use un-faced batts or loose fill. Owens Corning and Johns Manville make a batt encased in plastic for easy handling.
You can also reduce heat loss by insulating over light fixtures in the rooms below your attic — provided you replace the standard recessed versions with fixtures rated "IC," for insulated ceiling. To prevent airflow, buy IC fixtures that also have an air- and moisture-tight housing. They're available from most major lighting companies. Halo also offers an airtight retrofit collar for its IC fixtures.
Detecting Duct Leaks
Leaky ductwork in a forced-air heating and cooling system creates several problems. A supply duct that leaks into an attic or crawl space pours cooled or heated air — and the money you paid for it — into the void. Leaky return ducts pull hot or cold attic or crawl space air into the system. Indeed, a duct that runs through the attic can pull in 140 Fair in summer, making the cooling system work that much harder. It also pulls in dust, moisture, mold, and other contaminates.
Start by reconnecting any ducts that have fallen apart. Then hunt for holes in supply ducts by feeling for the air as it leaks out and seeing if a tissue clings to return ducts as air is sucked in. Use duct mastic (available in cans or caulking tubes) to seal small gaps. For larger ones, reinforce the mastic with fiberglass mesh tape. You can also use UL-181 aluminum tape — essentially professional duct tape. Just don't use the cloth variety labeled duct tape, which really isn't for ducts.
Return and supply ducts should also be pressure-balanced for forced-air systems to work efficiently. Leaks upset that balance, and can drive heated or cooled air out of the house or pull outside air in. Unfortunately, sealing only some of the leaks can do the same thing. Have the system inspected by a pro when you're done to be sure you didn't miss any.
After the ducts are sealed, be sure any that run through unconditioned crawl spaces, basements, or attics also are insulated. Insulating long runs of ductwork is best left to a contractor. But you can handle short runs yourself with foil-faced fiberglass duct insulation. Cover all sides and secure the insulation with a cable tie.
Note: Have a pro perform a back-draft test before and after you work on the ducts.
Getting Audited
If your energy bill still seems too high, get a professional energy audit. Be sure it includes a blower-door test. Without it, the contractor can only guess at your energy problems. Essentially a large fan, a blower door pulls most of the air out of the house to pinpoint outside air leaking through holes and cracks. The technician locates the gaps, measures their size, and provides options for sealing them.
A blower-door test costs about $100, though some contractors will do it for free if you ultimately choose them to do the sealing work. But it's hard to find a company that performs this type of test. Contact your local utility, state energy office, weatherization contractors, and home inspectors for leads on finding someone in your area.
Finally, don't seal the foundation completely. A good weatherization contractor will seal it just enough to stop serious leaks without cutting off the air needed for combustion appliances, like furnaces, water heaters, fireplaces, ranges, and dryers.
Other Ways to Save
Once you have sealed the yawning chasms throughout your home, go after the details.
• Replace single-pane windows with low-e units rated R-3 (also listed as U.40) or higher, says The Energy Expert and the U.S. Department of Energy. "You'll cut 20 percent or more off your heating or cooling bills," Lamb explains.
• While leaks around windows bleed relatively little energy (except in exposed, windy areas), seal any obvious gaps. You'll find the largest ones between the window frame and the rough opening in the framing of your home. Use expanding foam (sold in cans) for best results.
• Invest in a set-back thermostat. You can slice your energy bill up to 15 percent simply by setting the temperature back 10 F for an eight-hour period.
• Install wall insulation. When properly installed, cellulose and lightweight foam products reduce heat loss and air leaks.
• Install attic fan and or Whole House Fan.
• Replace lighting with CFL or LED
• Replace old appliances and HVAC with energy efficient appliances.
• Shade Southern and Western exposure during the summer (with trees or shades)
Where To Find It:
Energy Savers
9420 Reseda Blvd., Unit 274
Northridge, CA 91324
847-274-3108
www.energysavers2.com
Compiled by: Jay Draiman

American economy in crises - a long time coming

When a country and its society import more than they export for over a quarter of a century, it is bound to erod the economy to its primate state.

We have only ourselves to blame, what goods and products are we exporting, what goods and services are produced in the USA, the answer is very little by comparison.

In the past 50 years as our population has increased, technology advanced, we have become a nation that consumes enormous amounts of resources, we shop for competitive prices. Corporate America is constantly looking to increase the bottom line.

Most of the goods for and by Americans and its companies are produced overseas and in the past decade with the advancement of telecommunications, many of the services sector are also imported.

The increased costs of energy over the past 10 years, has affected the economy to unimaginable comprehension.

This economic activity has eroded our economy to its core. It seems that the situation is getting worse every year. American debts are increasing beyond our wildest dreams, endangering the future economic vitality of our future generation.

I hope it is not too late for our society to recognize the graveness of our economic predicament and its resolve to take appropriate action to stem the tide of our economic downturn.

Americans are a nation of great technology and knowhow. We must utilize that technology and our resources to find new means to regain our economic independence.

We must face and implement fiscal responsibility, both by the government and the population with its infrastructure of corporate America.

It is no longer an option, it is a must if we as a nation want to survive and retain our way of life and economic vitality.

Inflation, recession and financial crises are here. Let us take the bull by the horn, initiate immediate actions to minimize and hopefully reverse our economic crises.

Yehuda Draiman, Northridge, CA.

PS
The US economy has enormous momentum. Metaphorically speaking, if someone turned off the locomotive that drives the US economy, the economy would go on for miles before anyone would likely notice something was wrong. But something has been wrong for many years. Is there really hope for the future? Maybe. But the terrible truth is that no one really knows. But if there is hope, we're already on the wrong track. And that has to change..

Consumer’s responsibility to conserve energy

Consumers coming to the utilities for innovative ways to educate the consumer first of all, in other words some form of education to conserve energy to assist with the energy crisis, and then also the energy devices that one can implement either those which are relatively inexpensive or those that are more expensive.

What are some of the options consumers have?

If we have a look at just the simple basic habits - that’s switching off lights, buy low voltage bulbs (CFL-LED), switch off faucets, put timers on and or photocells, when you fill up the kettle only boil the water you require for your cup of coffee. I think this is a way of life, and it is about lifestyle - perhaps we are accustomed to something different, it’s now about saying “how can I be more energy efficient?” because I understand as a consumer that the crisis we are currently faced with at the moment goes beyond the responsibility of the utilities. This is the consumer’s responsibility - it’s not going to be solved overnight, but as consumers we can in fact take that role. Our appeal to homeowners is to say “how are we in fact conserving energy, and contributing or assisting in actually solving/minimizing the problem?” If each and every one went a little bit of the way - perhaps an energy saving of 5% or 10% can easily go a long way to assist in the energy crisis.

We still have to depend on wind turbines and solar power - we have batteries that we need to get in order to help to save those power needs as well - are we able to afford them?

I think when we have a look at things like a wind turbine and solar panels those are expensive items - but if you take the average house 20% of the electricity is actually used in the lights. If you used a low voltage bulb for example you’d save 650% of the actual lighting energy that you require - those are inexpensive ways to go about it.

When we use our vehicle, try to accomplish multiple errands at one time, you will save fuel and wear.

We also must look at conserving water – this is resource that sustains life, it must be preserved and not waited or abused. See if you can harvest and utilize rainwater.

Consumer’s responsibility to conserve energy

Consumers coming to the utilities for innovative ways to educate the consumer first of all, in other words some form of education to conserve energy to assist with the energy crisis, and then also the energy devices that one can implement either those which are relatively inexpensive or those that are more expensive.

What are some of the options consumers have?

If we have a look at just the simple basic habits - that’s switching off lights, buy low voltage bulbs (CFL-LED), switch off faucets, put timers on and or photocells, when you fill up the kettle only boil the water you require for your cup of coffee. I think this is a way of life, and it is about lifestyle - perhaps we are accustomed to something different, it’s now about saying “how can I be more energy efficient?” because I understand as a consumer that the crisis we are currently faced with at the moment goes beyond the responsibility of the utilities. This is the consumer’s responsibility - it’s not going to be solved overnight, but as consumers we can in fact take that role. Our appeal to homeowners is to say “how are we in fact conserving energy, and contributing or assisting in actually solving/minimizing the problem?” If each and every one went a little bit of the way - perhaps an energy saving of 5% or 10% can easily go a long way to assist in the energy crisis.

We still have to depend on wind turbines and solar power - we have batteries that we need to get in order to help to save those power needs as well - are we able to afford them?

I think when we have a look at things like a wind turbine and solar panels those are expensive items - but if you take the average house 20% of the electricity is actually used in the lights. If you used a low voltage bulb for example you’d save 650% of the actual lighting energy that you require - those are inexpensive ways to go about it.

When we use our vehicle, try to accomplish multiple errands at one time, you will save fuel and wear.

We also must look at conserving water – this is resource that sustains life, it must be preserved and not waited or abused. See if you can harvest and utilize rainwater.

Water is the source of life - treasure it! R3.
Water is the source of all life on earth. It touches every area of our lives. Without it, we could not thrive — we could not even survive.

Sustainability – “We strive to meet the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.
We should discourage wastefulness and misuse, and promote efficiency and conservation.
For the benefit of mankind, maintain the quality of life and preserve the peace and tranquility of world population. Water resources must be preserved - to sustain humanity. We must eliminate wasteful utilization of water, conserve our water sources and implement rigid conservation methods. We should utilize solar and or other source of renewable energy to operate desalinization projects from the oceans. Utilize renewable energy sources to purify and transport the water to its final destination. As world population increases the scarcity of water will become a cause for conflict, unless we take steps now to develop other sources of water for drinking, rainwater harvesting – storm-water and gray-water utilization. Designing of landscaping that uses minimal amount of water.
"With power shortages and a water scarcity a constant threat across the West, it's time to look at water and energy in a new way,"
To preserve the future generations sustainability, we should look into urban farming – vertical farming. The term "urban farming" may conjure up a community garden where locals grow a few heads of lettuce. But some academics envision something quite different for the increasingly hungry world of the 21st century: a vertical farm that will do for agriculture what the skyscraper did for office space. Greenhouse giant: By stacking floors full of produce, a vertical farm could rake in $18 million a year.
Yehud Draiman, Energy and water conservation consultant
Dec. 31, 2007
PS.

Hydro dynamics: forget oil. Sharing freshwater equitably poses political conundrums as explosive and far-reaching as global climate change.
Quoted from other sources
Anyone who has ever stood on a beach and looked out into the vast expanse of an ocean knows that there is a lot of water on this planet. In fact, 70 percent of the Earth's surface is covered by water. It may seem like water is all around us, but safe, clean, reliable drinking water is not a cease¬less resource. The problems facing drinking water range from failing infrastructure, to climate change, to insufficient supplies.

Personal Conservation
Preserving our water resources is not a job for water industry professionals alone. We all have a vested interest in ensuring that water remains safe, af¬fordable and available. Therefore, each individual American has a responsibility to monitor and control their water use, There are many simple ways for people to reduce excess water use, lower water bills and protect the environment, espe¬cially in die spring and summer months, Beyond the standard constraints of watering the lawn only when neces¬sary and washing car wisely by using soap and a bucket of water, some steps include: draining water lines to outside faucets, disconnecting hoses, shutting off outdoor water sources during cold weather and running a small trickle of water on whiter nights to prevent pipe from freezing.
Conclusion
Water supply management is an issue that affects us all. It may not be apparent to every citizen today, but with climate change and population shifts transforming the United States, it soon will be. Effective solutions need to be put into place today before we are faced with a water crisis. A focus on careful planning, treatments, innova¬tions and conservation measures will help to create stability for long-term water management. Commitment to keeping water at the top of the list for communities and citizens will better prepare us for whatever the future of water holds.

WATER!
The indispensable source of life-without water there would be no industry, no agriculture and, most importantly of all, no life. In dry parts of the world this essential commodity is even more precious. Almost all human actions involve water from taking a shower to reading a newspaper to driving a car or simply eating a sandwich - almost everything we do or touch is somehow related to this precious treasure. We ask that you stop and think how you use water and what you can do to conserve this essential natural resource.
*Water, beliefs and customs,
*Water as a vehicle of the economy,
*Water, source of art and life, irrigation and cultivation.
The people have decided to act to try and develop a real awareness program on the theme of water preservation and distribution in an attempt to help maintain the original purity of rivers and streams.
In many parts of the world water sources and wells are not equally distributed. Water as a source of life can also be at the source of conflict.
Whether we live in India, Iceland or the Atlas… we have always tried to trap and tame water. Dams, pumps, canals, water treatment centers; there are so many different ways to exploit this resource that we often forget how fragile this unique and essential treasure actually is.
Unfortunately, many of the things we do every day can harm our water. That’s why all people and government should be working with municipalities, farmers, business leaders and developers just like you to take action to protect our water and clean it up.
Small changes can make a big difference. This guide outlines practical things we can all do to preserve and protect our water. We all need to be part of the solution.
Concentrated Solar Power, which requires no solar panels at all. It works by concentrating sunlight onto a small pipe using cheap parabolic reflectors. The pipe contains a liquid that’s heated to very high temperatures by the sun and drives a steam boiler that rotates a turbine to generate electricity (much like nuclear power plants, but without the nuclear waste). It’s cheap, low-tech, and far more affordable than solar power. Plus, it can be built in practically any desert, so it doesn’t take up valuable land. As another bonus, when CSP operations are built near the ocean, they can desalinate ocean water as a side effect, providing fresh water for irrigation to grow food. This is the only renewable energy technology I know of that can produce cheap energy, fresh water and crop irrigation all at the same time. Plus, it has no emissions, no toxic chemicals, no nuclear waste and very little environmental impact..
“You can’t escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today” - Abraham Lincoln said it.
“That man is richest whose pleasures are the cheapest” – Henry David Thoreau.
“To waste, to destroy, our natural resources, to skin and exhaust the land instead of using it so as to increase its usefulness, will result in undermining in the days of our children the very prosperity which we ought by right to hand down to them amplified and developed” – Theodore Roosevelt.
“When the ‘study of the household’ (ecology) and the ‘management of the household’ (economics) can be merged, and when ethics can be extended to include ‘environmental’ as well as human values, then we can be optimistic about the future of mankind. Accordingly, bringing together these three E’s is the ultimate holism and the great challenge for our future” – Eugene Odum.