Should it be singular?

Some possible viewer confusion here. While carbon dioxide and water is a by-product of fossil fuel combustion, the formation of greenhouse gases, such as water vapor, carbon dioxide and methane, also occur naturally so they’re not always related to the burning of fossil fuels as the slide may imply. The thumbnail needs a minor revision. Let’s just say that coal, oil and natural gas are fossil fuels. The existing copy seems to imply that they are components of fossil fuels. Plus oil and natural gas are not really minerals. Finally, a photo of belching coal power plant or cars gridlocked in traffic might make for a more natural

The storage tank copy was focused on atmospheric venting, which is one of several venting options, but I wanted to redirect the focus back to more on how the unit works and the benefits.

This slide really helps illustrate the source of consumer confusion. Energy efficiency ratings only tell about a third of the story. Today’s rating methodology measures energy use at the point of use or site use. While this measure has some benefits it fails to account for the amount of energy used and lost in the conversion process of a primary fuel, such as coal or natural gas, to a secondary fuel such as electricity. And by failing to acknowledge the “full energy cycle”, energy efficiency ratings in use today overstate the efficiency of electric end-use applications relative to natural gas and fail to capture and account for the emissions created in the conversion process. As shown on the slide, when all factors are considered, an electric water heater uses more than two times the energy and produces more than two times the emissions of a gas water heater.

We also have a calculator on our website that provides operating costs and emissions. Can we work that into the slide?

The First in a Series of Exploring the World of Green Living

Have you met your carbon foot print? The truth is - everything you do in your daily life like driving, bathing, cooking, doing laundry; to the food you buy and eat, to exercising and entertaining are just a few examples of how your day-to-day lifestyles has an impact on our environment. Chances are you haven't – in fact, if you’re like most people you probably don’t even know if you have one – much less what it means.

How? Many activities we do day-to-day burn fossil fuels which one by one form greenhouse gases. The gases are released into the atmosphere - gases such as water vapor, carbon dioxide, and nitrous oxide, and trap heat from the sun that is radiating off the earth’s surface.

The release of greenhouse gases is what helps to warm the earth; it happens by a natural process and should be balanced in order to maintain the Earth’s temperature. Too much of an increase in man-made gases creates an imbalance in the atmosphere which affects the climate and our society physically and financially. Greenhouse Gases

Change your light bulbs to ENERGY STAR rated compact fluorescents Use ENERGY STAR rated appliances Have your heating and cooling systems examined regularly by a trained professional Change and clean your filters monthly Insulate and weatherize your home properly Recycle and Reuse products in your home. Reduce your water usage by installing low flow If you are building a new home – consider choosing an Energy Star builder. Dollars and sense - Save energy and money – for your family What can you do at home to reduce your family’s carbon footprint?

Our goal in this series is to help you understand the recommendations to reduce your energy consumption. We are going to review 4 of today’s market choices for water heaters. Let’s talk about water heaters

Before you purchase your water heater – consider all of your options – here’s why: Recovery is the time it takes a water heater to refill and make hot water available. Natural Gas water heaters recover twice as fast over electric models. Water heaters account for approximately 15% of your home’s energy consumption.

Atmospheric-vent water heaters are the standard gas water heaters that have been serving millions of homeowners for years Option 1 Storage Tank These units heat water and keep it warm continuously and automatically, beginning when cold water is delivered to the bottom of the tank through the dip tub. These water heaters use “gravity” (rising warm air) to atmospherically vent combustion by-products through the roof. The Benefits: These units offer a compact design, quick recovery, excellent safety records, low operating costs, high-efficiency (Energy Star rated) and environmental friendliness. Reviewing water heater options

Reviewing water heater options Option 2 Direct Vent Water Heater These units use no room air, instead the heater uses a “gravity” system to pull in outside air for combustion and to exhaust combustion by-products. These units can be vented through a sidewall. The Benefits: These units use outside air vs. room air for both combustion and exhaust, so they operate independently of other exhaust systems in your home.

Reviewing water heater options Tankless water heaters provide hot water on demand without the use of a storage tank; they have a gas burner that is activated by the flow of water whenever a hot water faucet is turned on. The water heater will deliver a constant supply of hot water until the faucet is turned off. The Benefits: These units store no water, so there are no standby heat losses which make them very energy efficient. Tankless water heaters can be installed either centrally or at the point of use and mounted indoors or out. Option 3 Tankless Water Heater

Reviewing water heater options Option 4 Combination systems These dual-purpose models feature a tank within a tank, one providing hot water for the family and the other providing warm water for space heating. The Benefits: These units offer increased energy efficiency and reduced costs for whole house or room heating plus all the benefits of natural gas water heating.

Today’s natural gas water heaters represent an extraordinary value in performance, reliability and environmental benefits Shopping Tip: Compare realistically – a 50 gallon electric water heater may be less expensive to purchase – however it will cost you more to operate and provide less hot water when you need it the most. Say “no” to running out of hot water Size(s) needed for family of 3 or 4 50 gallon gas or 65 gallon electric Size(s) needed for family of 5 50 gallon gas or 85 gallon electric

An important fact Electric water heaters rely on the generation of electricity at a power plant, which may be burning coal, lignite, or other fossil fuels. These fuels do not burn as cleanly as natural gas and are a major source of the nation’s carbon dioxide emissions-the major contributor to global warming.

More advice on purchasing Shopping Tips: Check the Energy Guide Label for an estimate of the water heater’s annual operating cost; it will help you compare the annual cost of operation of various models. Also look for the Energy Factor (EF) rating. This tells you how efficiently the unit uses energy to heat water. The higher the EF – the more efficient the unit Other tips: • Never let water run continuously while brushing your teeth or shaving. • When you need only a little water from the tap, use cold water. Hot water drawn into the pipes may never reach the tap and the heat is wasted. • Wrap insulation on long stretches of pipe between your water heater and the point of use, and on pipes running through unheated areas. Repair any leaks promptly. Consider a leak that fills a coffee cup in 10 minutes wastes 3,280 gallons of water a year. For more information on water heaters and guides to purchasing – visit CenterPointEnergy.com

Electric Resistance DOE NAECA Efficiency Rating1: Source Energy Consumption (MMBtu/yr): Energy Cost 2/yr : CO2 Emissions (tons/unit/yr)3: 2006 Shipments (Sales) 4: Equipment Cost: Natural Gas While DOE rates an electric appliance with a more efficient energy rating than a similar gas appliance, in reality that electric appliance consumes more source energy, pollutes more and costs the consumer more to operate. .90 EF 52.2 $665 3.8 4,792,000 $340 .59 EF 23.5 $291 1.7 4,654,000 $415 1. Energy factors based on a 40-50 gallon storage water heaters 2. Energy Cost is based on PUCT Houston REP 2-yr average electric rate of .145 cents/kWh; gas rate is $12.4 MMBtu based on CNP Houston residential rate 3. Emission estimates are based on DOE’s electric power emission estimates for all generation energy sources from Electric Power Annual 2005 data 4. Gas Appliance Manufacturers Association EF=Energy Factor Solving the Climate Change Equation DOE site-specific energy ratings are misleading! 15

So what does your footprint look like? The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has a free online calculator to help you determine your family’s carbon footprint. If you are seriously interested in reducing your impact on the environment and saving money then take the test! Begin by clicking here Household Emissions Calculator Quick Fact: The result of your personal carbon footprint indicates the amount of carbon dioxide you produced through home energy use, transportation, household waste, etc. The average foot print per person in the United States is approximately 16,000 to 21,000 pounds.

Come back and visit us soon – in our next series we will be examining energy efficient appliances casanuevaguide.com