Home Energy Monitoring Devices

Shaping the Residential Home Energy Environment-By Kathleen Davis, Senior Editor

Consumers are the key to a smarter grid. Along with the growing intelligent technology on the utility side, the smart grid increasingly brings in customers, average guys and gals at the end of the switches. To educate them about their power use and make power management easy and fun, vendors have developed services, programs and technologies ranging from utility demand response initiatives to in-home devices that can break down savings into candy bars and movie rentals. Knowing the players will be the key to navigating this new smart grid subset.

POWERGRID International interviewed three residential energy management players—eMeter chief marketing officer (CMO) Sam Klepper; Paul Nagel, vice president of Control4 Energy Systems; and Greg Memo, GreenWave Reality CEO—about the importance of the systems, what consumers should know and what the residential energy management future looks like.

PGI: How important are residential energy management systems to the smart grid?

Klepper: Residential energy management is a key element of the utility business case to move to the smart grid. Not only does it provide significant potential upside with tools to address energy efficiency and demand response, but it also gives consumers a direct way to control their costs and reduce their impact on the environment.

Nagel: The smart grid will be a complete failure if the consumer does not win or participate. In-home solutions such as energy management systems (EMS) give the consumer a better understanding of their energy use. Successful EMS systems will engage the customer not only with energy consumption specific insight, but lifestyle features such as weather, top news and automatic device control. Failure to engage the consumer will lead to them not participating in load-reduction programs of energy efficiency programs. Deploying in-home technology that gets thrown in the kitchen drawer after three months is a very real problem.

Memo: One of the main challenges in energy conservation today is that the smart grid infrastructure stops outside the home, at the smart meter, leaving untapped the fastest and biggest opportunity for conservation, which is residential energy management. Recent studies in the U.S. and UK have indicated that the vast majority of consumers want tools to give them greater visibility and control over their personal energy consumption, but to date, most solutions have been hard to use, prohibitively expensive or built on proprietary technology, which limits their expandability.

PGI: Why should consumers be concerned about energy monitoring?

Klepper: The demand for electricity is outstripping supply. Prices are only going to go in one direction: up. Energy costs will continue to rise as a percent of household income. We all need to find a way to use less energy overall and especially during peak times, and energy efficiency is the lowest-hanging fruit. Because of inherent inefficiencies in the generation and transmission of electricity, for every one kilowatt of electricity not consumed, we save 3 kW from being generated and transmitted. Once consumers understand the dynamics—and admittedly, most do not—they will be more interested in making home energy management an important part of their routine.

Nagel: Most consumers want to have more insight into their energy use. More important, most consumers want to know how they can control or manage their energy costs. Energy monitoring plus analytics equals energy insights. This leads to peer comparisons and recommendations to save money and customer satisfaction. How does my energy consumption and/or costs compare to others in my neighborhood? What are they doing differently? How does this month's bill compare to last year? Why is it different? I am partially through the month, what is my likely electric bill? EMS systems answer these questions for the consumer.

Memo: Most consumers want to participate in global conservation efforts but don't know how to get started, so the key concern is how to get an affordable, easy-to-use solution to better manage their energy usage and save money. (Customers should look for a) platform that gives them an in-depth understanding of the total home energy consumption and the power footprint of individual appliances in their home.

PGI: Utilities often are not excited about residential consumer participation in electricity consumption. Will they change their minds? If so, what will be the trigger?

Klepper: Utility action is driven by policy and in deregulated markets by competitive forces. The key in either case is consumer demand for more choices and flexibility from their utilities in regard to pricing options, home energy generation and energy management tools. Consumer pressure will lead to new energy policy, which will ensure utility compliance while utilities in deregulated markets must respond to consumer preferences to remain competitive.

Nagel: Utilities are not all alike. Some need demand response (DR) programs, some don't need DR, but need EE (energy efficiency). Some want TOU (time-of-use) or dynamic rate plans implemented. Some are active because their customers are energy-conscious and want programs to increase customer satisfaction. Most want a smart grid for their own internal business efficiencies, however, if the customers don't benefit, there will be big trouble ahead. Pilots have shown that customer engagement is critical. Products to date have not engaged the consumer.

Memo: Due to increased government control and other market factors such as deregulation, especially in Europe, utilities are facing new challenges to acquire and retain customers. Solutions need to help strengthen the relationship between utilities and their customers by offering value-added services to their ratepayers that build loyalty and reduce attrition. Furthermore, as consumer energy demands increase, utilities are looking for creative ways to avoid the costs of building more power plants. Many utilities have also made significant investments in providing smart meters to their service areas but need residential energy management systems to bring value to the consumer from those installations.

PGI: What will be the most important residential energy management system development in the next five years?

Nagel: As the consumer can add additional devices in their home for energy-related programs, there will also be an increase in lifestyle integration and control. In other words, more and more consumer electronics and appliances will be able to connect to a well-designed HAN (home-area network) controller or EMS. As each device is added to the network, the value of the EMS device grows.

Life is better when everything works together. When consumers experience seamless, effortless integration of the devices in their home, they will be more engaged with DR programs and rates from the utility. EMS systems will appear in the devices they already want to buy, including the new LCD TV, Blu-ray player or Internet tablet.

Memo: Over the next five years, you will see a number of innovations that advance residential energy management systems. Some of the key trends will be mainstream adoption of intelligent plugs and power strips, the integration of new connected appliances, the movement to intelligent LED lighting, monitoring gas and water, and even the integration of residential renewable energy sources.

Klepper: Unfortunately, the most impactful development would be a significant blackout or global warming event. This would create consumer and regulatory pressure for more tools for consumers to manage their energy use and reduce peak demand.

 

About the Panelists

 

Sam Klepper is eMeter CMO and leads its marketing and product strategy. He founded eMeter's Consumer Energy Group, where his team launched Energy Engage, a next-generation, online consumer-engagement service that empowers utilities and consumers to work together to drive sustainable energy conservation and cost reduction.

Paul Nagel is vice president of Control4 Energy Systems, one of the first companies to offer home automation systems.

Greg Memo is CEO of GreenWave Reality, a company that works with utilities to provide consumers home energy solutions through a HAN that connects existing appliances into one, easily controllable at-home smart grid.

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Scott's Contracting
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http://www.stlouisrenewableenergy.blogspot.com
http://www.stlouisrenewableenergy.com
scotty@stlouisrenewableenergy.com

Stop Harming, Start Helping: Money for our Green Future, Not Big Oil

--- On Sun, 8/29/10, Scotts Contracting <scottscontracting@gmail.com> wrote: From: Scotts Contracting;scottscontracting@gmail.com> Subject: Stop Harming, Start Helping: Money for our Green Future, Not Big Oil To: buzscott@yahoo.com Date: Sunday, August 29, 2010, 1:26 PM Oil is at the core of concerns like the health of our communities, global warming, war, national security, and even poverty and developing country debt. The profits of the oil companies have increased just as the price of gas for all of us has gone up. Oil money fuels bad policy on Capitol Hill while Congress continues to give Big Oil $10 billion in tax subsidies each year. If these issues are of concern to you, check out Oil Change International, an organization that is leading the movement for a Separation of Oil & State! Visit www.PriceofOil.org to learn more. Be sure to check out Follow the Oil Money (www.FollowTheOilMoney.org) a tool that tells you which companies are pumping their dirty oil money into Congress, who is accepting it, and how it affects key climate, energy and war votes. Send your members of Congress a quick note urging them to separate oil and state, and then learn how to organize an SOS movement in your community!

Solar Bill of Rights

Dear Friends,

I have just read and signed the petition: "Support the Solar Bill of Rights".

Please take a moment to read about this important issue, and join me in signing the petition. It takes just 30 seconds, but can truly make a difference. We are trying to reach 20000 signatures - please sign here: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/715/758/531/

Once you have signed, you can help even more by asking your friends and family to sign as well.

Thank you! Scotts


http://www.care2.com/go/z/e/VdK7/qM../BJ1xQ

Photos and Build Notes-Green Build Projects

Location This attractive home in Austin, looks like your standard suburban dwelling, but it's far from ordinary. The eco-minded homeowners designed a hardworking home that's built from durable materials, enlists nature to help heat and cool, and is supremely energy-efficient. Location was the first step in their green building effort. To save gas (and time), the homeowners chose infill property in a neighborhood that's conveniently close to their bank, grocery store, and children's school. Building in or near a city is inherently eco-friendly because lots, utilities, and services already exist so no energy is wasted to create something new. Building Materials Fiber-cement siding and composite wood trim (recycled from milk jugs and wood chips) resist hail, fire, rot, and insects. Limestone, used to face parts of the home's exterior, is inexpensive and plentiful in Austin. It requires less energy to produce than a material such as brick. Metal Roof & Overhangs The Galvalume metal roof is made from post-industrial recycled steel. It resists cracking and corrosion, and its light color deflects heat. The home's overhangs extend 3-5 feet to provide summer shading. Another bonus: The homeowners don't have to clean the windows very often. Screen Porch The porch is positioned to capture southeasterly breezes. When doors to the living room are open, the incoming breezes can travel across the room and up the stairwell, where warmer air is released through electrically operated windows. Airflow A raised stone fireplace in the living room brings heat to where it's most welcome when the family gathers here: the height of the seat cushions. Flooring Linoleum and oak flooring found throughout the home are durable, are easy to clean, and reflect light. Linoleum is made from natural materials. The oak flooring is a smart choice because it's plentiful and affordable. And the homeowners don't have to worry that they're expending energy to import an exotic wood. Water Heater In addition to providing hot water, the water heater also handles space-heating needs with a radiant floor hydronic system. Appliances Energy Star-rated appliances, which are high-quality products verified to be more efficient than nonrated appliances, help to keep utility bills low. Open Floor Plan On the main level, only the guest room, bath, and home office are enclosed. The open plan offers reduced energy consumption (air circulates naturally throughout the space) and less use of building materials. Cooling System Two air-conditioning systems allow for independent zoning of each floor. This makes for better control of comfort, less energy consumption, and greater flexibility as living needs change over time. Digital programmable thermostats sense humidity in the house and correct the level when needed. Siting Key windows are oriented to capture breezes -- the most effective strategy to save on cooling costs in a climate dominated by air-conditioning. Article Continues at- Why It Pays to Go Green, By Denise Gee  http://www.bhg.com/home-improvement/remodeling/eco-friendly/why-it-pays-to-go-green/?page=12 Changes You Can Make Today Follow these tips to make your home more high-performance -- saving both energy and money in the long run: -- Trade incandescent for fluorescent and LED lightbulbs. -- Add insulation to attic flooring, and if possible, to walls. -- Replace toilets and showerheads with low-flow ones and upgrade appliances to those that are Energy Star-certified. -- Repair or replace ductwork to ensure the home is properly sealed. -- Shade windows prone to excess light with awnings and make sure all windows are weathertight. build green, Scotty Scotts Contracting, St Louis Renewable Energy --Build a Green St Louis!

Guest Post, Guest Blog Tips

Five Tips Every Guest Blogger Should Know
One of the best ways to increase your visibility is to become a guest blogger at a popular blog. This is a chance for you to gain exposure to a new audience and credibility by being associated with highly-respected bloggers with major followings. Guest blogging is a win-win situation for everyone if done right: the blog gets excellent and free content to use while the guest blogger gets increased exposure for their blog, brand or products.

Of course, there are many other people who want to become guest bloggers for the same reason it might make sense for you to do the same. In order to get the prime guest blogging spots on the top sites you need to make yourself and your content stand out from the pack. Here are five tips on how to make that happen:

1. Read and Understand the Blog: It's amazing how many people contact major blogs wanting to be guest bloggers without fully understanding what the blog is all about. Each blog has its own topics that are of interest to the owners and their readers. If you suggest content which is not appropriate your guest blogging request is going to be denied.

Instead, read through the past two to three months of blog posts to see what topics the blog is focused on. You'll want to avoid pitching topic ideas that have already been covered, but at the same time you might be able to pitch a rebuttal to a previous post or a different take on a popular theme. This will also give you a strong sense for the tone of the blog.

2. Know the Guest Blogging Guidelines: Not all blogs accept guest bloggers, so you'll want to make sure they do before you pitch them with your idea. If they do accept guest posts, chances are that they'll have specific guest blogger guidelines published on their site. It's important to review these rules before you contact a blog. You don't want to break any rules at the start which might anger the blog owners and make it harder for you to convince them to let you be a guest blogger. If you seem uninformed about the guidelines of the blog, it's tough to convince a blogger that you will provide great content.

3. Write the Blog First: If you are dealing with a very popular blog, chances are that the site's owners and editorial team are extremely busy. Taking the time to establish a rapport with the blog's management, pitching a story idea and then working through the details is time-consuming. In many cases, it's better to just write a blog on a topic you feel confident will work and send it to the blog. If they like it, they can publish it without having to jump through hoops. If they reject it, you can take it to another blog.

4. Prove Yourself: It's important to provide your credentials when sending over a guest blog in order for the bloggers to understand that you are an expert in the field. A guest blog written by a savvy industry professional is going to carry more weight than one written by a random person. Explain to the blog why you are the right person to discuss a certain topic with their audience and what perspective you bring that can't be found anywhere else.

5. Write a Compelling Headline: A great headline can do more than bring readers to your blog -- it's also the perfect way to grab the attention of the owner or editor of a blog. Much like readers, the people you contact with a request to guest post might only skim to the title of your proposed post. If it's interesting and engaging, they'll want to read more; if it's boring or stale, they'll move on. One great tip is to write a headline that proposes a question you will answer in your article.


GUEST POSTS ARE CLOSED or BY INVITATION ONLY Scotty 10/10/2014

Information Provided by:Scotty, Scott's Contracting GREEN BUILDER, St Louis "Renewable Energy" Missouri http://stlouisrenewableenergy.com; contact  for additional information or to Schedule a "Free Green Site Evaluation"

White Roofs Bring Cool Savings

No matter where you live, you can save energy and money by switching to a white, or "cool," roof, for about the same cost as a conventional roof.

February/March 2010

By Amanda Kimble-Evans 

White or light-colored roofs can reduce energy use and lower utility bills. NREL/CRAIG MILLER PRODUCTIONS/DOE

White roofs, aka cool roofs, are a "hot" topic these days as a means to help stem global warming. Most of us know better than to wear black on a hot day, but when it comes to the roofs on our houses, temperature often takes a back seat to aesthetics . Dark roofs mean higher air conditioning bills, and higher carbon dioxide emissions as a result. The good news is you can save money and help protect the planet by lightening the color (and therefore the temperature) of your roof, or by switching to a white roof the next time your house needs a new hat.

The Benefits of a White Roof

Switching to a white roof can actually reduce energy use by about 20 percent in hot, sunny weather, according to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Heat Island Group in Berkeley, Calif. Hashem Akbari, the Heat Island Group's lead scientist and a professor of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering at Concordia University in Montreal, says that transitioning to reflective roofing and pavements in the world's urban areas would offset the equivalent of emissions from the planet's 600 million cars for the next 18 years. A 1,000-square-foot cool roof saves air conditioning use that otherwise would emit about half a ton of carbon dioxide per year. (The average total square footage of a home in the United States is more than 2,000.)
In urban areas, white roofs also help lower smog levels by lowering local temperatures, which tend to be higher due to the large proportion of paved surfaces.
Critics have suggested white roofs do more harm than good in colder climates. But research shows that the heating benefits of a dark roof in the winter are negligible because days are shorter, skies are cloudier, the angle of the sun is low, and sometimes roofs are covered in snow. "The amount of heat savings you may lose in the winter would be, at the maximum, 30 percent of the summertime savings," Akbari says. "If you need cooling in the summer and heating in the winter, no matter where you are, a white roof will most likely save you money."

Cool New Roof Options

"Cool" is the buzzword that encompasses a range of roofing materials that can reduce carbon footprints. And cool roofs come in a variety of light colors.  The best time to install a cool roof is when a new roof is needed or major roof maintenance is in order. According to researchers, there's little difference between the cost of roof colors.

Not ready for a new roof but still want to cool down? Install a white roof coating instead. There are a number of coatings that will substantially improve an existing roof's reflectance/emittance. Plus, coatings protect and seal, potentially extending the life of your roof. The installed cost of coating a roof is about $0.50 to $1 per square foot, according to Akbari, which will be paid back by lower energy bills and the extended life of your roof.

Roof Resources

A cool roof is measured by two properties: reflectance (the ability of the product to reflect energy away from the roof) and thermal emittance (the roof's ability to radiate absorbed heat). Ideally, you want your roof to be high in both.
The Heat Island Group has developed a Solar Reflectance Index (SRI) to rate cool roofs. You can browse the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's Cool Roofing Materials Database for information about a product you're considering. The Heat Island Group says an SRI rating of 30 percent or higher for sloped roofs (70 percent or higher for flat roofs) can reduce utility bills.  The Cool Roof Rating Council also offers a product directory; just click on "Rated Products Directory."
Federal and state rebates are available; check the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency for details specific to your project. Also call your utility company to check for local programs. "This will not be the silver bullet that solves the global warming problem," Akbari says. "But it cools your home, cools your community and helps cool the globe while putting money in your pocket."
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Scott's Contracting
scottscontracting@gmail.com
https://stlouisrenewableenergy.blogspot.com/search?q=roof

Renewable Energy-Electric Power Lines-Transmission Lines

In the Transmission Line Debate, I've included my comments on the Article.


scotts-contracting-171793

August 20, 2010

Grid, Smart Grid, New Transmission Lines- What a Crock of ___.

If more people utilized their own Renewable Energy Production for Home or Business use. I believe it would lessen the need for Grid Improvements simply because the Energy needed for each House Hold or Business is produced on site- no extra power lines will be needed.

Simpleton Example: if 5 of the 10 Houses on my Block utilize RE Producing Systems. This can lower the need of Electricity Generated by the Electric Company by 1/2 for my Block. With no Transmission Lines Needed.

The only drawbacks I for-see is the Loss income from the Taxes the Government levies on every bill. [My last bill had between $5-$10 dollars worth of Taxes.] And, the Revenue for the Electric Companies and those they employ.

Both of which are small prices to pay in lieu of the Eventual Global Warming which is increasing every year. Worst Case Scenario: We can live without Electricity- But we can't live without food. Our Food comes from the Earth if the Earth is too Hot to support Vegetation where will our meals come from?

I welcome all Green and Eco Friendly Comments on my Green and Eco Friendly Web Site: http://stlouisrenewableenergy.blogspot.com. If you have Green and Eco friendly information to share I offer Sponsor Post Opportunities.

Build Green,
Scotty

Is the Transmission 'Problem' Real?

by Stephen Lacey, Editor

Published: August 19, 2010

California -- Aside from policy stability, it's probably one of the most widely-cited problems facing the renewable energy industry: The lack of transmission. But is the problem really as big as we're told? Or are utilities using it as an excuse to get more money for an unnecessary build-out of infrastructure and increase profits?

"This effort is not surprising considering that network upgrades create more rate base and therefore higher profits for IOUs."

Jaleh Firooz, former transmission planner, SDG&E

We hear stories all the time about projects being curtailed because the grid can't handle the electricity. Industry trade groups also report that there are thousands of megawatts of renewable energy projects sitting in interconnection queues around the country.

But according to a former transmission planner at San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), the push for more transmission – at least in California – is not necessarily needed to bring more renewable energy projects online.

In a piece written for the July issue of the Natural Gas and Electricity Journal, Jaleh Firooz of Firooz Consulting argues that the incessant attention on building new transmission lines actually hinders development of new renewables in the state.

Debate in California over the need for new transmission lines to help clean energy projects has raged on for years. The most high profile project is the Sunrise Powerlink being developed by SDG&E, a $1.8 billion, 150-mile line that will stretch from the Imperial Valley in southern California to San Diego. The main selling point for the transmission project is that it will bring up to 1 GW of wind, solar and geothermal plants online.

Organisations such as the Utility Consumers Action Network (UCAN) say it will help SDG&E's parent company, Sempra, sell power from a large coal plant in Mexico to the southern California market. Other opponents say that distributed generation offers a more cost-effective, dynamic solution to the power needs of the region.
Firooz notes that the cost to ratepayers for the Sunrise Powerlink project would be around $200 million per year. However, she writes that the congestion charges in the entire state of California in 2008 were only $176 million – not enough to justify the new line.

"In such an event, consumers would be economically better off if congestion were managed through the re-dispatch of generation and avoiding the cost of building the new transmission," writes Firooz.

She also argues that large-scale transmission projects hurt developers' ability to get equipment in the ground. Because developers have to shoulder much of the cost of transmission upgrades, they often abandon the project when factoring in those costs. If other alternatives are not explored to get the power to the grid – which, writes Firooz, they often aren't – project developers have limited options to explore when filing their interconnection requests.

In addition, Firooz says the data show that consumer demands have not outstripped transmission investment, the common argument for supporting new transmission lines. (See the chart above).

"This effort is not surprising considering that network upgrades create more rate base and therefore higher profits for IOUs," writes Firooz. "However, if progress toward renewable resource goals is the public policy objective, the focus on network upgrades is entirely misplaced."

The transmission issue is a huge one for the renewable energy community. It is often said that large projects won't be able to get built without new investments in transmission lines. But these new lines often pit concerned landowners and environmental groups against renewable energy developers and utilities. In addition, such projects create a philosophical divide within the industry over the value of centralized and distributed generation.

California is shooting for a 33% renewable energy target by 2020. By most estimates, the state will have a hard time meeting that goal. As it tries to do so, there will inevitably be a debate over how best to do it: With on-site, local resources? Or with centralized power plants that require more transmission investment.

According to Firooz, the focus on transmission may actually delay the goal further. You can find the whole piece here.

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Scott's Contracting
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