Saving Step-by-Step: A Couple Takes Control of their Home Energy Use

Note: Katie Jones, CERTs MN GreenCorps Member, met Greg Loek and Kathy Rice at the Minnesota Renewable Energy Society Solar Tour in 2010. After hearing their story, Katie thought it was a great story to share with the CERTs community—we certainly agree! Special thanks to Greg and Kathy for sharing their story!

The Spousal Challenge

January 2007, Greg Loek told his wife, Kathy Rice, about a story he heard on Minnesota Public Radio about the energy savings possible from replacing incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent lights (CFLs). Kathy was skeptical and so they agreed to exchange their lights out but track their energy usage to see if they made a difference. Kathy collected their utility data month after month, and soon realized that the CFLs, in fact, made a significant dent in their energy bill. During the first half of 2007 their daily electricity usage decreased 19% from their 2000-2006 average.

Curiosity Takes Hold

Kathy and Greg soon became curious about other ways they could cut their energy bills. After brief research on the Internet, they picked a few “low hanging fruit” energy efficiency strategies. First, they decided to tackle “phantom load,” the energy used when electronics are idle or “turned off” but not unplugged. They put their stereo, TV, and microwave among other devices on powerstrips, placed each power-strip within easy reach, and cultivated a habit of powering down devices when not in use.

Second, to maximize solar heat gain and minimize heat loss when the sun was absent they paid attention to weather reports and opened curtains on sunny winter days, kept them closed on cold winter nights and sunny summer days, and opened windows on cool summer nights. This kept their heater and air conditioning use at its minimum.

They also bought a “Watt’s Up” meter, a tool that instantaneously measures the energy consumption of any device plugged into it. The couple tested many electronics to understand how much energy their household devices were consuming and how to better manage their use of these devices.

After awhile, they began to view energy differently. Kathy and Greg said saving energy became a game – Kathy couldn’t wait for her utility bills to arrive each month so she could see if they had improved.

The couple quickly implemented additional no-cost and low-cost energy options, such as using drying racks more often than clothes dryers, exchanging two old analog TVs for more energy efficient LED and LCD ones, de-lamping one of their two refrigerator incandescent bulbs, and replacing the twelve overly-bright, temperature-raising 40-Watt incandescent bulbs over the bathroom sink with two clean white 13-Watt CFLs. Once the couple utilized all of their no cost/low cost options, it was time to look at bigger investments.

Ground-source Heat Pump Project

Living in the country, the couple’s main heating energy source was propane. In searching for a cheaper and more environmentally-friendly heat source, they became interested particularly in a ground source heat pump (GSHP) system, which utilizes a pump to push fluid through pipes buried underground for exchanging heat. In the fall of 2009, following a few months of research and getting references and quotes from various companies and customers, their GSHP was installed over the course of just three days by a local certified geothermal systems installer. The sizing of a GSHP is critical for its efficiency and lifespan, and correspondingly, a system that does not freeze is a key indicator of good function. Therefore, a major selling point for Greg and Kathy was that their installer guaranteed that based on the sizing their system would not freeze.

Another advantage of the GSHP is that it can run in reverse to deposit heat into the ground. Thus, in the summer the system cools the house, which allowed the couple to remove their air conditioner. (The old propane furnace remains as a back-up, because the system was sized to heat the house when the temperature is above -10°F. The outdoor temperature only dips below -10°F for about 2 weeks per year, so it was most cost effective to size the system capable of heating the house up to that temperature.)

During the installation process, the house heating and cooling system was zoned into three areas, one for each floor, for more accurate, efficient control and distribution of warm and cool air. As far as reliability, there has only been one small glitch, which occurred with the controls system, but overall, Kathy and Greg are content with its performance, the pump’s quiet hum, and the more than 60% in heating cost savings per year. But Kathy and Greg didn’t stop there.

Photovoltaic Project

The idea for Greg and Kathy’s solar photovoltaic (PV) system evolved over a series of events. In 2009, while replacing a worn out roof, Greg and Kathy began considering the roofing criteria for the solar energy – just in case they would ever want solar panels. Then upon viewing a “60 Minutes” episode on the Tennessee Valley Authority coal ash spill, the couple reflected on the sources of their energy and its potential effects, and subsequently looked more seriously into moving away from traditional fossil fuel energy sources.

To learn about alternative energy projects, Greg and Kathy attended the Green Expo in Minneapolis and went on the 2009 MN Renewable Energy Society Solar Tour to see energy projects firsthand that have been implemented by MN residents. In the end, the clean energy and energy independence aspects that PV would provide them was simply too good to pass up. Following thorough investigation using government and utility websites among other resources, the couple saw their new PV panels attached to the south side of their barn roof and the inverter box installed inside the barn in December 2010 – just before the electric utility rebate was due to expire.

While they would like to have had more time to get additional system quotes before the utility rebate offer expired, Greg and Kathy have been satisfied with the system they chose. The panels have generally operated better than was expected from model calculations. In the 12 months starting February 2010, the solar panels produced 48% of the electricity needed to run the heat pump and household appliances and lighting while generating excess electricity from April through October, which is sold back to the grid. Thus far, the only major downside of the panels has been the inconvenience of clearing snow from the panels following large storms.

Reflections and What’s Next?

In reflecting on their energy journey, Greg and Kathy are very satisfied with the 50% decrease in their energy demand and costs they have achieved as well as the energy independence they have gained. Beyond their measurable successes, another thing to celebrate is their process.

The Rice-Loek household demonstrates the commonsense behind following the recommended progression of: Energy efficiency, first. Alternative energy, second. This progression is important, as it lowers energy demand and minimizes the size (and therefore, cost) of any alternative energy systems.

• Step 1: The coupled measured their energy usage, executed a single, easy-to-implement energy saving practice, and documented the savings.
• Step 2: They employed a suite of easy behavior changes and low-cost practices while tracking energy consumption using utility bill data.
• Step 3: After exhausting low cost/no cost opportunities, they investigated larger projects.

The process has created a consciousness-shift in the Rice-Loek household where the new norm is wearing sweaters in the winter and line-drying laundry. And they have done all of this without a sacrifice in lifestyle – they still watch movies and work in well-lit rooms just like any other Minnesotan.

Having undertaken two large projects in the past two years, Greg and Kathy are now in “monitoring mode.” With their great enthusiasm for tracking energy usage, they are following the effectiveness of their existing solar panels for offsetting their grid electricity use for an anticipated future sizing and installation of more PV panels.

As energy prices will rise and fluctuate, Greg and Kathy are situated warm and comfortably, insulated from many of those energy cost changes. With some dedication, common sense, and easily available research information, the Rice-Loek home has changed itself, inside and out, step by step, into an example of “energy smarts”.

Project Snapshot:

• Project: Low home energy costs through energy efficiency and alternative energy systems
• Projects: No-cost/Low-cost Energy Efficiency and Behavior Change; Ground-Source Heat Pump; and Photovoltaic Solar Electric System
• Who: Greg Loek and Kathy Rice of Faribault, MN
• Local Utility: Steele-Waseca Electric Co-Op
• Energy Impact:
  • 53% decrease in annual household electricity use from the 2000-2006 average to 2010
  • 65% decrease in annual heating costs from 2008-2010 and 35% decrease in annual electricity costs from 2007-2010
  • 3,400 kWh excess solar power sold in 2010

Ground Source Heat Pump (GSHP)

• Size: Horizontal 2 stage, 4 ton, 1600 total ft of 1” plastic piping buried 8-30’ deep with Bryant heat pump
• System & Installation Cost: Around $14,000 ($21,000 without incentives)
• Estimated Payback: 8-10 years
• Rebates: $1,600 Steele-Waseca Electric Co-op; $5,894 Federal tax credit (30% of installed costs less other rebates)
• Installation Date: October 2009
• Savings: 65% decrease in annual heating cost from 2008-2010 annual average

Photovoltaic Solar System

• Size: 5.6kW capacity, roof-mounted
• System & Installation Cost: ~ $19,000 (without incentives, ~ $41,000)
• Estimated Payback: 15-20 years
• Rebates: $10,000 State of Minnesota rebate; $4,000 Steele-Waseca Electric Co-op; $8,077 Federal tax credit (30% of installed costs less other rebates)
• Installation Date: December 2009 – January 2010
• Savings: PV covered 48% of 2010 electricity use. 3,400 kWh of extra power was produced and sold in summer. There was a 16% decrease in annual electricity costs even with the addition of the ground-source heat pump from 2009-2010.

For more information, contact Clean Energy Resource Teams, MN GreenCorps member, Katie Jones, at 612-626-1028 or email katie@cleanenergyresourceteams.org.