|
Sustainability Everywhere: How Sustainable Are You? Tell Us
|
Jack Sargent, P.E., LEED® AP,
San Francisco Associate Principal
We want to hear from you about steps that you or your company are taking towards sustainable practices in the day to day world. Contact us at sustainabilityeverywhere@glumac.com, and tell us what you are doing or if you have any ideas you would like to share with us. We would like to feature these in future issues of our Sustainability Matters newsletter.
In this issue we are featuring information about Glumac employees. Jeff Shaffer has moved into an innovative sustainable community, Don McCleary has installed photovoltaic panels on his house, and Rich Wells shared a practical tip he used for reducing waste in the remodeling of his home.
A Sustainable Community
Jeff Shaffer, one of our engineers in the Glumac Sacramento office bought a home and moved in August 2005. Located just 2.5 miles from the office, the 1,503 sf home offers high energy efficiency at an excellent comfort level. A few of the home features include:
-
Exceeds California's Title 24 energy regulations by more than the 15% qualifying for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Energy's (DOE) ENERGY STAR® Homes national program saving up to 60% on the electricity bill. Says Jeff, "Compared to our last home, we are saving about 75%."
-
2 kW AC Solar Electric Home Power System from AstroPower's SunLine, installed by Premier Pro Energy.
-
On-demand tankless water heater that produces approximately 6.5 gallons of hot water per minute by Rinnai.
-
Heating and air conditioning system by Lennox.
-
Tightly sealed ducts to improve indoor air quality, reduce dust, pollen and other pollutants, and reduce drafts.
-
Dual pane, vinyl framed with low E glass windows and sliding glass doors to reduce energy bills and limit sun damage to furnishings and flooring.
-
Ceiling fans reduce the need for air conditioning and help circulate air.
-
High-efficiency furnace and programmable thermostat to conserve energy.
The average electric bill is about $15.00 with the highest of the year being in July at $41. In May and June, Jeff had a negative bill of $37.50 average. The natural gas bill is averaging about $7 per month, with the highest being $34 in January 2006.
The home is in the first development in the United States to incorporate and advertise the community as a "Zero Energy" environment. The Today Show visited the site, Good Morning America had a feature segment, and magazines and newspapers throughout the country have written several articles.
Photovoltaics At Home
Don Mcleary, an Electrical Engineer in the Glumac San Francisco office, installed photovoltaic panels on his house this year. He is enjoying watching the utility meter run backwards as the system produces more electricity than is used in the house. Moving from an apartment into a house always brings new "hidden" costs. One of the biggest can be the new electric bill. The house that Don McCleary moved into was three times the size of his prior apartment, and his electric bill increased dramatically. The solution was to start producing at least a portion of his own electricity.
He hired Borrego Solar, a firm that specializes in solar panel installation. The installation was completed in January 2006, and by the end of July, the system had generated over 1.2 megawatts of power and negative power bills. This equates to keeping over 1000 tons of CO2 out of the atmosphere.
The government is promoting solar very well. There is a currently a federal tax credit of 30% of the costs up to $2,000. The State of California offers a $2.60 per watt rebate. The total rebates on a 3.1 kW system amounts to over $9,000 over one year. In California, the addition of solar panels does not increase your home's taxable value.
The solar panel industry is changing quickly. There is currently a shortage of the silicon used to make solar panels that is increasing costs, and the government tax credits and rebates are scheduled to decrease year after year. There are some promising technologies on the horizon as well that could decrease the costs by half or more for installation.
Practical Applications
Rich Wells, one of the mechanical Associate Principals in the Glumac San Francisco office, remodeled his home. The plan included an area rug made from the wall-to-wall carpeting that was removed during the remodel. A simple way to save money, reduce the amount of waste sent to a landfill, and reduce the amount of new resources used.
