energy efficiency
Saving watts: benefiting the world and wallet
Story by Jen Hiatt | University of South Florida
 Energy efficiency is a proven cost-effective strategy.
With the rising cost of fuel and the increase in energy rate hikes, many Tampa Bay residents are looking to become more energy efficient – saving both energy and money.
Research has shown up to 75 percent of the electricity used in the U.S. could be saved with efficiency measures. A 2006 McKinsey Global Institute report said “there are sufficient economically viable opportunities for energy-productivity improvements.”
Energy efficiency occurs when less energy is used to obtain the same level of energy service. Efficiency can be achieved by means of more efficient technology or by small changes in individuals behavior.
“I think we (Tampa Bay residents) have unique issues that really demand us to be conscious about our resources,” said Taylor Ralph of REAL buildings, a “green” building company. “Our energy resources, our water resources, our material resources, our land … we have to really pay attention to those issues.”
starting at home: know your energy needs
The road to becoming more energy efficient begins with a look at current energy use.
Mark Tomlin, a Progress Energy efficiency expert, conducts home audits for customers. During each energy audit, Tomlin provides recommendations regarding the customer’s thermostat settings, air conditioning and/or heating units, ductwork and insulation levels. He also shares basic measures to help seal the home against energy loss and other tips to save a little energy every day.
“It’s all about what you’re comfortable with,” Tomlin said.
One of the biggest energy costs to Florida residents comes during the summer months when many employ the use of constant air conditioning. Tomlin suggests the use of fans in conjunction with air conditioners.
“Fans actually have a cooling effect on your skin. When air moves across, it cools you. Typically it's anywhere between one and three, maybe as much as five degrees,” he said. “With the use of a fan, if you can raise your base average temperature even three degrees, you’ve saved yourself 20 percent of the cooling cost.”
For those unwilling to compromise on the base temperature of their home, there are other alternatives to battle high electric bills.
• Window tinting can reduce the amount of solar heat gain if applied to eastern and western windows. Tomlin also suggested the alternative of high-efficiency window replacement to reduce even more solar heat gain.
• Pool pumps (and pool water heaters) should be used no more than eight hours during the summer months and six hours during the winter months. Another option is to replace existing water heaters with solar water heaters. This can save up to 90 percent on pool heating costs per year, according to Tomlin.
• Water heaters should be set no higher than 125 degrees for optimal energy saving purposes; this can save up to 10 percent on water heating costs per year.
Both Progress Energy and Tampa Electric offer free home energy audits. They also offer a variety of home rebate programs for implementing measures that decrease the amount of energy being used in the household.
backtrack: retrofitting the home
For home or business owners who want to retrofit, more options are becoming readily available. Retrofitting refers to the addition of new technology to older systems to make them more energy efficient.
According to Ralph, the best places to begin green remodeling are checking insulation in the attic, installing dual-pane windows and taking out as much carpet as possible. Homeowners can also retrofit or install new toilets that are low-flush, exchange showerheads with low-flow fixtures and replace light bulbs with compact fluorescent lights. These lights, often called CFLs, use two-thirds less energy and last up to 10 times longer than incandescent light bulbs.
"Green remodeling is going to be a big thing,” Ralph explained. “It's going to have to be because the amount of homes that will be existing for the next 30 years completely trumps what we could ever build."
Other inexpensive options include adding fans to every room, programmable thermostats and solar lighting for outside light fixtures.
Tomlin also suggests older appliances be replaced with energy-efficient appliances, or Energy Star-compliant counterparts because they use significantly less energy. This includes refrigerators, freezers, ovens, stoves, dishwashers and clothes washers and dryers.
“Current Energy Star refrigerators, for example, use about 40 percent less energy than conventional models did even in 2000,” he said.
green building: efficiency in design & construction
The emergence of “green” buildings is the next step to more energy efficient and sustainable communities, according to Ralph.
Founded in 2007 with business partner Darren Brinkley, their "green" building design company was launched with a mutual interest in sustainable development and a common goal to bring more efficient homes to the area.
"Around here, you tell someone you are building a green house, and they ask ‘well, what does that mean? Are you painting it green?’” said Ralph, vice president of business development.
The first home project designed by REAL buildings remains the only LEED certified Gold home in Tampa Bay.
LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is an internationally recognized green building certification system. Buildings can qualify for four levels of certification: Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum. These structures are designed and built using strategies aimed at improving performance in energy savings, water conservation, emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality and conservation of resources.
The Gold home, in St. Petersburg, is a featured addition of the Green Building Council’s ‘LEED-for-Homes’ program, which specifically promotes the design of high-performance green homes. During his first project, Ralph says he learned a lot about material specifications.
REAL building completed three homes in the Tampa Bay area from 2006-09 and is currently constructing another in South Tampa. Ralph says the company also has three projects in different phases of design or construction drawings.
"We felt like we were on the cutting edge of green home building construction and just continued on that path."
Although the perception of “green” often translates to a rise in cost, Ralph says green homes should not cost the home owner any more than a comparable home with the same finishes and fixtures. A typical REAL building design uses natural lighting, bamboo floors and low-flow appliances.
Additionally, Ralph and Brinkley do not rely on renewable energy sources, such as solar panels, to power the home. Instead, they focus on trying to reduce the amount of energy a home is using by relying on natural ventilation systems and more efficient processes for everyday activities.
"A lot of green materials and construction techniques are just better methods, better materials, better efficiencies," Ralph explained. "One of the big things we really advocate for is the planning of a green home. It's very important to integrate green into the whole process from concept to design to construction."
water conservation: a solution in the sky
In addition to more energy efficient homes, local builders and contractors emphasize the importance of water conservation.
“We kind of take that on as something that should be mandatory in all homes,” said Ralph. “It may be cheap right now, but that resource is very limited.”
One of the most common water conservation practices is storing rainwater under or outside the home in barrels. Its merits stand on their own.
“It’s about the cleanliest water you can get,” Brian Gregson of Rainwater Services said. “There is no chlorine or other household chemicals that contaminates the drinking water.”
Rainwater harvesting is a simple concept – collecting and distributing natural rainwater. This water can be filtered and used indoors for bathing, washing and drinking or outdoors for irrigation.
“If you think about well water, there's already a pump in place drawing water from underground. Instead of drawing from underground, we drop a tank in place and draw from above ground,” explained Gregson, who worked with REAL building on two of its LEED-certified homes.
Greywater systems are also gaining popularity. These systems allow residents to conserve water by recycling and reusing bath, laundry and sink water. Termed “grey” because of its cloudy appearance, it can be used in toilet and sewage systems or for outside irrigation.
Rain barrels have an up front cost, averaging 3 to 5 dollars a gallon. But, Gregson says, the savings for inside use and outside irrigation can be substantial.
“A lot of people don't realize how much water comes off the roof (into the barrels). It's massive.
“And it rains more here than in Seattle,” he added.
Gregson, who specializes in efficient outside irrigation systems, started his business to combat inefficient sprinkler systems in Tampa Bay.
“Basically, I was just frustrated quite a few years ago seeing yards being sprinkled when it's raining out,” he said.
A good way to conserve water is to utilize Florida-friendly landscaping. This includes using native plants that can both withstand a drought and battle cold weather. Native landscapers also suggest plants that can survive in sandy soil without needing fertilizer.
“A rainwater system ... it's a finite system, but if you have really extensive, exotic, nonnative landscaping, then turn on your sprinklers once and you might drain it empty,” Gregson said.
The emergence of green building practices and water conservation applications in Tampa Bay are becoming more common, both Ralph and Gregson say.
“It's not just a marketing thing anymore," Gregson said. “People are demanding green.”
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