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20 Simple Steps Sources

Posted: 16-Sep-2004; Updated: 17-Sep-2004

Basic Assumptions and Sources

Table 1. Energy and Carbon Dioxide Conversion Factors

  Energy (btu/unit)a C02 (lbs/unit)c C02 (lbs/mil btu)c
Natural Gas 1027 btu/ft3 .1164 lbs C02/ft3 117
Heating Oil 138,700 btu/gallon 22.38 lbs C02/gallon 161
Propane 91,333 btu/gallon 12.67 lbs C02/gallon 139
Kerosene 135,000 btu/gallon 21.1 lbs C02/gallon 159
LPG   12.8 lbs C02/gallon 139
Electricity 10,346b btu/kwh 1.3dlbs C02/kwh 380e

Sources:

a. EIA. Monthly Energy Review Appendix A. Thermal Conversion Factors.
b. EIA. Monthly Energy Review Appendix A. Thermal Conversion Factors. This value is called the heatrate and takes into account the average conversion efficiency of electric generating plants.
c. EIA.1997. Form EIA-1605: Voluntary Reporting of Greenhouse Gases, Instructions, Appendix B.
d. EIA.1997. Form EIA-1605: Voluntary Reporting of Greenhouse Gases, Instructions, Appendix C. This number does not take into account transmission losses and is therefore conservative.
e. 1.3 lbs C02 /kWh * 1 kWh/3,412 btu*1,000,000=380 lbs C02/ million btu

Table 2. U.S. average household space heating, water-heating, and cooling energy values.

  Mil btu/yr Lbs C02/yr $/yr
Space heating 60.4 8,800a 482
Water heating 20.2 3500b 203
ooling 6.1 2,300c 150
       

Source: EIA. 1999. A Look at Residential Energy Consumption in 1997
a. Space heating: total lbs of C02/yr=640 billion/72.7 million households using a major fuel=8800 lbs C02/yr/household
b. Water heating: total lbs of C02/yr=250 billion/73.4 million households using a major fuel=3500 lbs C02/yr/household.
c. Electric air-conditioning: 6.1 mil btu/household/yr *380 lbs C02/million btu=2300 lbs C02/year/household or 1,798 kWh/household/yr*1.3 lbs C02/kWh=2300 lbs C02/year/household

Cost of electricity: National average=$.08/kwh. Source: EIA. Annual Energy Review 2001.

Sources:

Home Appliances

1) Wash clothes in warm water or cold water, not hot.
Carbon Dioxide Reduction: 350 lbs C02/yr
Money Savings: $20/yr
Washing most laundry loads in warm or cold water as opposed to hot saves 50% of energy used for clothes washers. Clothes washers use 18.3% of total hot water (RMI, Cool Citizens Report, Footnote #106 based on Bancroft et al. The State of the Art: Water Heating, competitek, RMI).
.183*.50*20.2 mil btu/yr=1.843 mil btu/yr
.183*.5*3558 lbs C02/yr=320.25 lbs C02/yr
.5*.183*$202/yr=$18.58/yr

2) Turn down your water heater thermostat: 120 degrees F is usually hot enough.
For a reduction from 140 degrees F to 120 degrees F:
Carbon Dioxide Reduction: 200 lbs C02/yr
Money Savings: $10/yr
For each 10 degree F reduction, you save 3-5% on water heating (Wilson, Thorne and Morrill p.153) Assuming 3% savings *2 (for each ten degrees)=6% savings. .06*20.2 million btu/yr=1.2 mil btu/yr .06*2558 lbs C02/yr=210 lbs C02/yr .06*$202/yr=$12.18/yr

3) Use the energy-saving setting to dry the dishes. Don't use heat when drying. Carbon Dioxide Reduction: 100 lbs C02/yr
Money Savings: $ 5/yr
Using the energy saving feature will saved 8% of the appliances energy use (RMI, Cool Citizens Report, Foot #117). Dishwashers consume:
935 kwh/yr*1.3 lbs C02/kwh=1215 lbs C02/yr
935 kwh/yr *$.08/kwh=$75/yr.
$.08*1215 lbs C02/yr=97.2 lbs C02/yr
$.08*$75/yr=$6/yr

4) As you replace home appliances, select the most energy-efficient models. By replacing an old air conditioner with a new Energy Star air conditioner:
Carbon Dioxide Reduction: 600 lbs C02/yr
Money Savings: $30/yr
Upgrading from a air-conditioner with a seasonal energy efficiency rating of 9.0 to 12.0 will reduce AC electric consumption by 25% (RMI, Cool Citizens Report, Footnote #90)
.25*6.1 mil btu/yr=1.53 mil btu/yr
.25*2300 lbs C02/yr=575 lbs C02/yr
.25*$150/yr=$27.5/yr

Home Heating and Cooling

5) Don't overheat or overcool rooms. Adjust your thermostat (lower in winter, higher in summer). For each 2-degrees lowered:
Carbon Dioxide Reduction: 350 lbs C02/yr
Money Savings: $20/yr
You can save 2% on your heating bills for each degree you lower the thermostat (Wilson, Thorne and Morrill, p. 110).
For lowering 2 degrees:
.04*60.4 mil btu/yr=2.416 mil btu/yr
.04*8800 lbs C02/yr=352 lbs C022/yr
.04*$482/yr=$19.28/yr

6) Maintain your furnace and air conditioner, clean or replace air filters as recommended. An air conditioner tune-up can save 15% of the energy used.
Carbon Dioxide Reduction: 350 lbs C02/yr
Money Savings: $20/yr
"A 10% undercharge can reduce efficiency by as much as 20%" (Wilson, Thorne and Morrill p. 108). Assume that a tune-up improves efficiency and reduces electric consumption by 15% (RMI, Cool Citizen footnote #76). Air conditions use 6.1 mil btu/yr=2300 lbs C02/yr=$150.
.15*6.1 mil btu/yr=.92 mil btu/yr
.15*1882 lbs C02/yr=345 lbs C02/yr
.15*$105/yr= $22.5/yr

Small Investments That Pay Off

7) Buy energy-efficient compact fluorescent bulbs for your most-used lights For replacing six incandescent lights with compact fluorescent lights:
Carbon Dioxide Reduction: 500 lbs C02/yr
Money Savings: $30/yr
Replacing six 60 Watt incandescents with 15 W CFL saves 45 watts/hr per light. Assuming lights are on for four hours a day:
45 watts*4 h/d*365/1000=65 kwh/yr*6 lights=396kwh/yr
396 kwh/yr*1.3 lbs C02/kwh=514 lbs C02/yr
396kwh*$.08=$31.68/yr

8) Wrap your water heater in an insulating jacket.
Carbon Dioxide Reduction: 250 lbs C02/yr
Money Savings: $15/yr
Assume that a water heater wrap will cut standby losses in half. Standby losses account for 14.8% of the energy used for an electric water heater (RMI, Cool Citizens, footnote #98).
.5*.148*20.28 mil btu/yr=1.5 mil btu/yr
.5*.148*3500 lbs C02/yr=259 lbs C02/yr
.5*.148*$203/yr=$15.00

9) Install low-flow showerheads to use less hot water.
Carbon Dioxide Reduction: 350 lbs C02/yr
Money Savings: $20/yr
Showers use 26% of single household hot water. High efficiency showerheads can cut hot water demand by an estimated 40% (RMI, Cool Citizens Report, Footnote #99).
.4*.26*20.2 mil btu/yr=2.1 mil btu/yr
.4*.26*3500 lbs C02/yr=364 lbs C02/yr
.4*.26*$203/yr=$21.1/yr

10) Caulk and weather strip around doors and windows to plug air leaks.
Carbon Dioxide Reduction: 650 lbs C02/yr
Money Savings: $35/yr
Air leakage typically accounts for 25-40% of heat loss in winter and unwanted heat gain during summer (Heede, 1995, Homemade Money p.23). Assume that weatherizing around windows and doors cuts air leakage to 7.5% saving 5.8% on combined heating and cooling bills (RMI, Cool Citizens Report, footnote #63).
.058*(60.4 +6.1 mil btu)=3.86 mil btu/yr
.058*(8800+2300 lbs C02/yr)=643.8 lbs C02/yr
.058*($482+$150)=$36.65/yr

11) Ask your utility company or an independent energy auditing company if they will conduct a home energy audit to find out where your home is poorly insulated or energy-inefficient.
Carbon Dioxide Reduction: Potentially, thousands of pounds
Money Savings: Hundreds of dollars
No calculations.

Home Improvements

12) Insulate your attic: this can save about 20% of home heating bills
Carbon Dioxide Reduction: 2000 lbs C02/yr
Money Savings: $125/yr
Heat loss through attics typically account for ~40 of a home's heating bill and for ~20 percent of unwanted gain in cooling climate. Assume that adding insulation to the attic cuts combined heating and cooling by 20%(RMI, Cool Citizens Report footnote #62).
.2*(60.4+6.1 mil btu/yr)=13.3 mil btu/yr
.2*(8800+2300 lbs C02/yr)=2200 lbs C02/yr
.2*($482+$150)=$126.4/yr

13) If you need to replace your windows, install the best energy-saving models.
Carbon Dioxide Reduction: 1000 lbs C02/yr
Money Savings: $50/yr
It generally is not cost-effective to replace windows just for energy savings, but if you need to replace windows, use energy-saving models. Assume that installing super-insulating windows cuts unit U-value from .5 to .25 and the cuts the window's heating load from 22% to 11% and saves 11% on energy bills (RMI, Cool Citizens Report, footnote #69)
.11*60.4 mil btu/yr=6.64 mil btu/yr
.11*8800 lbs C02/yr=968 lbs C02/yr
.11*$482/yr=$53.82/yr

14) Plant trees next to your home.
For each tree:
Carbon Dioxide Reduction: 13 lbs C02/yr
In the first year the tree is planted, the tree will fix 4 lbs C02, 8 lbs the second year, 12 lbs in the third year, etc. In ten years, the tree will absorb 130 lbs C02, or an average of thirteen pounds a year over a ten-year period. (Cool Citizens Household Solutions p. 12)

Getting Around

15) When you buy a car, choose one that gets good gas mileage. For an increase from 20 mpg to 23 mpg in average fuel efficiency:
Carbon Dioxide Reduction: 3000 lbs C02/yr
Money Savings: $150/yr
Using the fuel efficiency calculator at www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/savemoney.shtml.
Assume miles driven=15,000 miles per year, and gas costs $1.5/gallon
For 20 mpg=750 gallons of gas=$1125/yr
For 23 mpg=650 gallons of gas=$980yr
750-500=100*28 lbs C02/gallon=2800 lbs C02
$1125-$980=$150

16) Whenever possible, walk, bike, carpool or use mass transit.
Carbon Dioxide Reduction: 28 lbs C02 per gallon
Money Savings: Approx $1.30 per gallon

Lbs C02/gallon takes into account the full fuel cycle, including the carbon (and other GHGs) released during oil drilling, shipping petroleum products
Sources:
DeCicco, J and Kliesch, J. Rating the Environmental Impacts of Motor Vehicles: ACEEE's Green Book Methodology, 2002 Edition. ACEEE, Washington D.C. EIA. Retail Gasoline Historical Prices. Calculated average price of regular gasoline in 2002 for all of U.S.

17) If you have more than one vehicle, use the smaller, more fuel efficient one for most trips, and the larger, less fuel efficient one only when needed.
By shifting 3,000 miles from a car that gets 16mpg to a car that gets 24 mpg:
Carbon Dioxide Reduction:2000 lbs C02/yr
Money Savings: $80/yr
Say you have a Pontiac Grand Prix which gets 24 mpg and a Chevy Trailblazer which gets 16 mpg. Each car is driven 10,000. Average price of gasoline=$1.30. Using the fuel calculator.
For 24 mpg=416 gallons of gas/yr=$540/yr
For 16 mpg=625 gallons of gas/yr=$812/yr
Total=1042 gallons of gas/yr*28 lbs C02/gallon=29,176 lbs C02/yr
$540+$812=$1353/yr
If you transfer 3,000 from the 16 mpg to the 24 mpg then:
For 24 mpg=542 gallons of gas/yr=$704/yr
For 16 mpg=437 gallons of gas/yr=$568/yr
Total=979 gallons of gas/yr*28 lbs C02/gallon=27,421 lbs C02/yr
$704+$568=$1272/yr
Difference=29,176-27,421 lbs C02/yr=1754 lbs C02/yr
$1353-1272=$81/yr

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

18) Reduce your waste generation by: Buy minimally packaged goods; choose reusable products over disposable ones; donate items to charity, etc.
By reducing household waste generation by 10%:
Carbon Dioxide Reduction: 1200 lbs C02/yr
From EPA global warming wheel card assumptions:
"Typical" annual CO2 emissions of 4,800 lbs were estimated based on a household of two people, per capita waste generation of 4.44 lbs/day, a 25 percent recycling rate, no source reduction, and the national average mix of recyclables.
Emissions were estimated using a linear regression equation that defines the relationship between the rate of waste diversion (through source reduction and recycling) and greenhouse gas emissions.
Material-specific maximum rates of recycling and source reduction were established based on expert judgment. Calculations assume that it would be possible for households to recycle 100 percent of all recyclable materials generated as waste; however, the maximum rate of source reduction was determined to be 60 percent of waste generation.
Estimates of greenhouse gas emissions from waste disposal were developed using national waste data and life-cycle greenhouse gas emission factors for waste management.
EPA's annual Characterization Report was the source of per capita waste generation and national average rates of recycling, composting, combustion, and landfilling by material type. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1999. Characterization of Municipal Solid Waste in the United States: 1998 Update.
Carbon dioxide equivalent emissions associated with household waste management were calculated using emission factors developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and presented in the Agency's report on greenhouse gas emissions from waste management and in the online WAste Reduction Model (WARM). These emission factors take into account the full material life cycle, i.e., not only emissions at the landfill, but also emissions and sequestration associated with production, manufacturing, remanufacturing, forest carbon storage due to reduced harvests, etc. For the fraction of waste that was landfilled, we applied emission factors corresponding to "national average recovery practices" (i.e., a weighted average of the emission factors for landfills without gas recovery, landfills with gas recovery and flaring, and landfills with gas recovery and electricity generation). Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1998. Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Selected Materials in Municipal Solid Waste. WARM is available on EPA's Global Warming web site.

19) Recycle your potentially recyclable material (paper, plastics and glass.)
By recycling half of household generated waste:
Carbon Dioxide Reduction: 2400 lbs C02/yr
See above.

Local, State and National Legislation

20) Be informed about environmental issues. Keep track of candidates' voting records and write or call to express concern.
Carbon Dioxide and Money Reduction: Incalculable
- no calculations -  
Note: Money savings are calculated on a per year basis using 2002 dollars and do not include initial investment for purchase of product.

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