Workshop hosted by the City of Santa Rosa about tips, and easy ways to save energy in your home.

1. Simple, Easy Ways to Save
Energy and Money
Clean Energy Advocate
www.srcity.org/CEA

2. Outline
• What is the CEA program? • Moderate:
• Free: • Refrigerator
• Freezer
• Clothes Dryer
• Dishwasher
• Hot Water Heater
• Clothes Washer
• Standby Power
• Moisture barrier
• Water Efficiency
• Pool/Hot tub
• Inexpensive:
• Weather stripping
• An investment:
• Air sealing
• Lighting
• Duct sealing
• Air Filters
• Insulation
• Hot Water Pipe Insulation
• Programmable Thermostat • How do you pay for
this?

3. Clean Energy Advocate
• The CEA program is grant funded through the
Department of Energy grant.
• We are an independent, unbiased advocate
available to assist homeowners in navigating
the renewable energy, energy efficiency, and
water efficiency upgrade process.

4. Goals of the Clean Energy Advocate
1. Provide education to the public to improve
energy use by changing behavior
2. Increase solar PV and solar thermal in
Sonoma County
3. Improve the experience of installing solar
4. Increase employment
5. Reduce greenhouse gases

5. FREE STUFF!

6. Behavior change- Clothes dryer
• Use a drying rack instead
Average
Cost
$450+
• Use auto dry setting instead of
timer
• Clean lint filter, vent, hose and
outside vent:
Cleaning the filter after every
load will improve air circulation
and increase the efficiency of the
dryer.

7. Behavior change- Hot Water Heater
Cheap: Free:
• Insulation: • Set the thermostat to
If the tank is warm to 120° (or A) if there is no
the touch it needs dishwasher
more insulation
• Use an insulation blanket
if the heater is old or
warm ($20+)
Rebate up to $50 from PG&E
and tax credit for $300
Average Cost: gas or electric: $300+. Varies per fuel type.

8. Behavior change- Standby Power
What to look for: • Standby power is when
• Plugged in appliances an appliance uses
power 24 hours a day
even when it is turned
off
• Unplug appliances
• Use a power strip to
turn the appliance off at
the strip

9. Water Use Efficiency
• Free water and energy audit:
• Indoor and outdoor
• Look for water leaks
• Free showerheads, aerators, hose nozzles
• Attend water wise gardening workshops, and
graywater workshops
City of Santa Rosa
707-543-3985
www.srcity.org/WUE

10. Inexpensive
Stuff!

11. Weather stripping
Unimportant: Important:
• Type of windows, double • Look for leaks around
or single paned (payback the windows and doors
of ~10 years)
• Weather stripping is DIY,
and inexpensive
• Storm window can be
built
Average Cost for windows
$600+, Tax credit up to
$200

12. Lighting
What to look for: **Better to replace standard bulbs right
away with CFL’s or LED’s than wait for the
• Standard vs. CFL’s and LED’s
standard bulbs to burn out.
LED’s
• Lasts 35 to 50 times
CFL’s longer than a
• Last 10 times longer standard bulb
• Produces less heat • Durable: not made
that standard bulbs out of glass
• Disposal concerns • Turns on
immediately
$1.00+ $10+

13. Air Filters
• A dirty air filter makes • Solution:
the whole heating and • Replace or vacuum filters
every 3 months
cooling system work
harder.
Average Cost
$13+

14. Hot Water Pipe Insulation
Insulating hot water pipes can raise the water
temperature 2°- 4° F hotter than uninsulated pipes can
deliver, allowing for lower water temperature setting.
Also means you don’t have to
wait for the water to warm up
as long at the faucet.
Average $0.97 per 6ft

15. Programmable thermostat
Setting Temp (hot) Temp (cool)
Home 70° F or less 78° or greater
Not home (work) Minus 8° F Plus 8° F
Sleep Minus 8° F or off Plus 4° F or off
Get one ($40+) and set it.

16. Moderate Stuff!

17. Refrigerator
What to look for:
• Age: older than 1980, replace
and save $100/year
• Energy Star label
When replacing a fridge:
• Skip the automatic ice maker
and through the door ice
maker Free- Clean your
fridge coils which
Average Cost: $700, Recycling
can improve your
through PG&E $35
efficiency by up to
Free- Unplug your extra fridge 30%!
unless it’s full and used often.

18. Freezer
What to look for: Things to remember:
• Age: 1980, replace it • Get top mounted freezer
and save $70/year not side by side.
• Energy Star label • A manual defrost uses 50%
less energy than auto-
defrost, ONLY if it is
defrosted on a regular
basis.
• Stand alone freezer: chest
freezer is more efficient
Recycling than an upright freezer
$35 • The larger the freezer, the
greater the consumption.

19. Dishwasher
What to look for: Save energy and water
• Age: 1994+, replace it • Dishwasher built before
and save $40/year 1994 uses 10 gpc more
• Energy Star label than Energy Star labeled
model.
• Behavior change: Choose a
wash cycle according to
how dirty the dishes are.
• Choose the right size-
compact or standard.
Average Cost: $300, rebate
through PG&E up to $50

20. Clothes Washer
What to look for:
• Energy Star label Behavior change:
• High spin speed • Wash with cold water
option: reduces the • 90% of energy used in
amount of moisture washers goes to
in your clothes, heating the water.
decreasing drying
time
• Efficiency: front
loading, or efficient Average Cost: $500+,
top loading.
rebates through local gov.
and PG&E

21. Moisture barrier
• Why this is important:
• Moisture control (Mold, mildew, rot)
• Comfort (i.e getting ride of cold floors)
Add plastic
sheeting to control
moisture from
coming through ground.

22. Pool or Hot tub
• Pool efficiency:
• Pool covers save about 50% of heating
costs per year.
• Get a clear pool cover.
• The smaller the pump, the more energy
efficient.
• Turn the pool temperature off when not
using the pool for several days.
• It’s better to run the pump for longer
periods of time at a slower speed than a
Swimming pools can account for faster speed for a shorter amount of
up to 20% of the energy a time.
residence consumes.
Rebate up to $100 for variable
Get a variable speed pool pump. speed pool pump through PG&E

23. An Investment

24. Air Sealing
• Seal cracks, and air leaks with caulking, and other methods
• Also includes weather
stripping, sealing leaks around
pipes, vents, fans, outlets etc
Energy Star estimates
that a homeowner can save
20% on heating and cooling
costs by air sealing.
Usually one of the most cost effective measures (in concert with insulation) for a home.

25. Insulation
• What to look for • R value- An insulation’s
• Depth of insulation: resistance to heat flow.
should be about 12 to 15 The higher the R-value,
inches deep, or check if the greater the
floor joists are exposed
insulation effectiveness.
• R-value: The
recommended
insulation level for SR
attics is R-38
Rebate up to $500 through PG&E,
tax credit up to $500

26. Duct Sealing
• Duct sealing: • Symptoms of needing
• Seal with metal foil tape ducts sealed:
or mastic- NOT duct tape • Too cold in a room
• Make sure connections • Dirt insulation around
at vents and registers ducts
are well-sealed where • Finding kinked flexible
the joints meet. ducts in the system
• Difficulty heating or cool
rooms and keeping them
at a steady temperature
Rebate up to $200 through PG&E

27. Energy Analysis
• A whole home “physical”
• 4-5 hours: testing building envelope,
insulation, windows, house leakage
Home energy analysis:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YolBP0-
vkBU&feature=relmfu

28. How to pay?
SCEIP (Sonoma County Energy Independence Program)
www. sonomacountyenergy.org
• Up to 100% rebate on home energy analysis.
• Property lien for energy efficiency measures. 7% interest.
Energy Upgrade CA
www.energyupgradesonoma.org
• Up to $6,000 for energy efficiency measures.
PG&E
www.pge.com/rebates
• Single measure rebates vary on measure.
• Financial assistance (CARE, FERA, Medical Baseline, Energy Savings
Assistance Program).

29. Helpful Resources:
• www.EnergyStar.gov
• How to guides
• www.SRCity.org/CEA
• Financing Resources, Tips
• www.EnergySavers.gov
• Tips, Helpful reference

30. Questions?
Contact information:
Claire Nordlie
Clean Energy Advocate
707-543-3886
CEA@srcity.org
www.srcity.org/CEA