This page covers How To Make Smart Energy Choices. Here you'll learn that there are a lot of smart choices you can make on your own. Building designs and heating/cooling systems are examples of choices best made with Professional Help. To make sure your best choices include getting what you pay for, check out the Checklist For Doing Things Right.

First, it is important to define exactly what is meant by "Smart Energy Choices."

Smart Energy Choices Provide:

Compelling financial benefits

Compelling environmental benefits

More sustainable use of energy

Improved comfort

Reduced energy waste

Reduced dependence on foreign fuel

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How To Make Smart Energy Choices
If you're interested in investing just a little time or money for now, Practical Tips can show you how to get the most benefits for the least cost. These tips cover a wide range of energy solutions, from appliances to transporation, and will give you a fast overview of the possibilities. You'll be better prepared to speak to sales people and explore the products and services available locally in order to get the best value.

If you're interested in exploring your choices for reducing a buildings energy use, there are a very large number of (viable) energy solutions to choose from and dollars at stake. Taking the time to find and use an independent (reliable, trustworthy and unbiased) energy professional is a very good idea for buildings.

"Unfortunately, people often waste a lot of money on alternative building solutions providing little savings for the cost, unaware of far better solutions."

Because buildings are especially complicated "systems," the many potential solutions available are beyond the scope of most non-professionals. Unfortunately, people often waste a lot of money on alternative building solutions providing little savings for the cost, unaware of far better solutions. Unless people are willing to invest a lot of their own time to fully understand the relative benefits of the many choices available, they are likely to waste a lot of money without professional assistance.

Be Smart And Hire A Professional !
There are many professionals available today to help you make appropriate energy choices. An un-biased energy professional, who has knowledge of a comprehensive range of energy solution(s), is most likely to provide the most appropriate and cost-effective energy solutions. Such a professional is generally found in building-related professions where "good advice" rather than "just buy our product" is their primary business motive. These can include such professions as energy consultants, engineers, architects, and designers. The best way to find an expert is to do a lot of "asking around" of people you trust. Ideally you want someone with practical sensibilities and experience combined with a strong technical background.

"An un-biased energy professional, who has knowledge of a comprehensive range of energy solution(s), is most likely to provide the most appropriate and cost-effective energy solutions."

Imagine an ideal approach for making your most appropriate energy choices. You have an expert whose is familiar with the full range of energy solutions as well as their costs and benefits. The expert is unbiased towards any particular solution because they have nothing to sell you except quality "choice-making" assistance. Their reputation depends on it.

First the expert makes a thorough assessment of your situation, asking you about such things as your needs, budget, and timeframe. Your building is "simulated" with a sophisticated computer program, telling the expert your energy use for things like heating, cooling, and hot water when using different energy (solution) scenarios. The "first cost" and energy savings under each scenario as well as maintance/replacement considerations and other factors are thoroughly analyzed. The expert then gives you the bottom line on the particular energy solutions that will provide you with the most benefits for the least cost.

Before your building is ever built (or remodeled, etc.) you are told just how good an investment your choices are. For example, the expert may tell you "we've saved some and spent some, but all together we're adding an extra $800 to the cost of your home, but it will save you about $450 per year in gas and electricity costs. And as far as pollution is concerned, you're putting out about 1/3 less than a brand new home of the same size!" Note: These figures are based on an actual case - The Energy Guys' Home. With the compelling economic and environmental benefits of your choices explained, you're now empowered to make your best choices.

California Energy Code has encouraged growth of Energy Consultant industry.
In California, the state energy code allows a computer simulation of your buildings energy use as one method (of several) for proving you comply with the minimum requirements. You cannot get a building permit without showing compliance. The computer method has become the most popular method of compliance, used approximately 80% of the time because of it's flexibility in evaluating many potential solutions. It evaluates the interaction between solutions, and allows the consultant to help you choose solutions providing the most savings for the least cost.

"The best consultants are open-minded and have developed both a practical understanding of, and ability to work repectfully with, other building related trades."

Although most California energy consultants help buildings pass the energy code, those that can provide you with more than just a few (common) energy solutions are more difficult to find. The best consultants are open-minded and have developed both a practical understanding of, and ability to work repectfully with, other building related trades. In general, energy consultants can belong to any one of a variety of building related professions such as architect, designer, engineer, builder or some combination. Ideally, the energy consultant takes a very comprehensive approach to evaluating the energy solutions, clearly conveying the economic and environmental benefits of the most attractive choices to the decision makers.

Checklist For Doing Things Right

Although the focus of this page is buildings or building related systems, most of these concepts apply equally well to other energy technologies!
 

#1 - Making the most appropriate decisions

#2 - The benefits of professional assistance

#3 - Will the installation work as intended?

#4 - How to select a professional

#1. Making the most appropriate decisions -

To build a more sustainable use of our energy supplies we must know how to make the most appropriate energy choices. The "most appropriate choices" are those that provide compelling economic and/or environmental benefits. But how can we know our choices are best, given the seemingly infinite range of possibilities out there?

"The most appropriate decisions are those that provide compelling economic and/or environmental benefits."

Which option does it make sense to spend money on for your home: a better window, a solar water heater, more roof insulation, or a high efficiency furnace? Are there still other choices that might save even more energy but cost less money than these options? Are there options that will save far more on energy bills than than they cost in the first place? The answer is "most likely," but to make the best decisions you need to ask (for each option you might consider):

1) How much does it cost?
2) How much will it save?
3) How much will it cost to maintain it?
4) How long will it last?
5) What other benefits does it offer (environmental, comfort, etc)?

If you get honest answers to these questions from all the salespeople you speak to, you'll be in a good position to make the right choices. Before making any final decisions, you'll want to be familiar enough with the full range of design options, cost-effective materials and quality services available to be sure you're not missing any of the better choices available.

If you're looking for quick results and have little time right now, visit the Practical Tips page. If you want to make the best choice for the environment, I highly recommend The Consumer's Guide To Effective Environmental Choices.

If you're planning a major investment, such as a building, you'll want to assure your decisions are based on a complete understanding of your best choices.....for this it is wise to get Professional Assistance - avoid being "penny-wise and pound-foolish" with your energy investment dollar, and you'll help the environment more too!

Are you a local government decision maker or land planner?
If so, you are in a position of significant responsibility, given the impact your decisions can have on energy use. To appreciate the significance of your decisions on energy use and to learn about sensible energy solutions, pick up a copy of one of the many excellent planning guides available.
 

#2 - The benefits of professional assistance -

Imagine you have a construction project planned, and you've found an excellent architect, builder, and energy consultant to work with. Imagine they all get together to brainstorm how to provide you with a quality building - one that will cost less to build, less to operate, less to maintain, and will be more comfortable than average. Sound dreamy? This sort of scenario is quite real, and is called the "Design Team" approach. It is becoming increasingly common during the planning, designing, and implementation of a wide variety of construction projects because of the many benefits it offers.

"All projects, no matter how large or small, can benefit from some form of 'Design Team' approach."

Although design costs are higher using the Design Team approach, the potential for the team to reduce costs and improve quality are generally "paid for" through the results of this approach. In the typical decision making process, the architect, engineer, contractor, and others involved have little to no interaction. Instead, they work separately from (and frequently at odds with) each other, making it close to impossible to satisfy each others concept of "what works best." With a Design Team approach, the architect can no longer point the finger at the contractor (and vice versa) for things gone awry, because now they're communicating face to face, establishing mutually beneficial project goals than would be impossible otherwise.

All projects, no matter how large or small, can benefit from some form of Design Team approach. For example, consider a small owner builder residential remodel/addition project. The owner builder could schedule one or more "Design Team" meetings using a quality oriented local designer, builder, and/or energy professional(s) to go over his plans and budget. It is quite common for a professional to be able to make suggestions that will save hundreds to thousands of dollars on a construction project, often improving the project in many other ways during the process.

Huge opportunities for improving a projects economic and/or environmental impact can be gained for a comparatively small cost using an energy professional within the context of a Design Team. Once the Design Team has made your project all that it can be, however, one potential stumbling block still remains - will the project get built and perform according to your expectations?
 
 

#3 - Will the installation work as intended?

It is all too common for failure to follow "the best laid plans of mice and men." Construction is an extremely competitive, fast paced industry where speed generally rules over quality. Building owners all too frequently encounter problems with higher than expected energy costs, comfort complaints, equipment failure, and other issues.

Performance Contracting is an excellent way to avoid these problems. Although usually applied to large commercial or industrial buildings, various forms are also used in residential and small commercial buildings. Performance contracts are one of the simplest ways to finance energy efficiency retrofits and new building systems. They are also useful in reducing energy costs, comfort complaints and O&M (operations and maintenance) headaches!

In "pure" form, energy performance contracts are arrangements between building owner(s) and specialized Energy Service Contractors (ESCOs), which offer turnkey Energy Service packages. The ESCO finances and installs the energy efficiency equipment, manages all or part of the energy systems of a building in combination with the facility operator, and monitors the energy consumption of the building regularly to ensure the actual energy savings projections are met.

One of the most attractive features of a performance contract, from the client's point of view, is that the contractor guarantees the performance of the project. The contractor effectively takes the risk of project "non-performance" away from the building owner, and the energy savings cover the cost of the ESCO's services as well as the cost of the energy efficiency equipment.

Many other forms of "performance contracts" exist, and more are surfacing all the time. We can't keep up! Examples we've found include "guaranteed utility bills" offered for home buyers, schools, and companies that have provided performance contracts for all sorts of building. To find such opportunities in your area, try the Energy Guy's Directory & Search Engine links ("google.com" is a favorite). For your search, try different combinations of "key words", in a "base" sort of form, such as "guarantee energy sav home;" in this way, the word "sav" will get a "hit" on the words "save," "saved," and "savings;" likewise, both "guarantee" and "guaranteed" will get a "hit." This technique will help.... Happy searching!
 
 

#4 - Selecting a professional -

Once you're convinced of the benefits of professional assistance, how do you go about finding a quality professional? When choosing professional services, the best approach is to use someone that did a good job for someone else you know. It is also wise to find two or more (competing) companies and ask them about things such as how long they have been in the business, the cost and extent of their services, and how they think it best to address your needs. Ask them for references and some examples of their past work or, better yet, find this information from some other source. Finally, compare your options and choose the best professional you can afford.

". . . the best approach is to use someone that did a good job for someone else you know."

To find professional assistance in your community:

1) Ask around!

2) Check the yellow page listings under headings such as "Energy
Conservation Products & Services," "Solar Energy Equipment & Systems - Dealers," and "Solar Energy Equipment & Systems - Service & Repair."

3) Check with your local gas or electric service providers regarding
assistance programs they may have available.

4) Check the Energy Guy's Professional Services Page.