A Road Map to

Energy Efficiency
Tips and Tools to Save
Energy in Your Home
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 Prologue

Dear Minnesota Power Customers,

This booklet, A Road Map to Energy Efficiency, is a useful guide to help you achieve your energy-
saving goals.

When making energy efficiency decisions, the hardest part can be figuring out where to begin. The
Power of One ® , Minnesota Power’s conservation program, is here to help with information, tips and
tools, incentives, and rebates—we’ll help you create your road map to energy efficiency.

To learn more about energy efficiency and simple ways to save, please visit us at mnpower.com/
powerofone or call 1-800-228-4966.

One change, one choice is all it takes. The Power of One ® … it begins with you.

Sincerely,

The Conservation Program Team at Minnesota Power

Table of Contents

Introduction..................................................................................................................................................1

Chapter 1—Button Up Your Overcoat...........................................................................................................2

Chapter 2—Insulation: The Lining in Your Overcoat.....................................................................................6

Chapter 3—Ventilation: Your Home’s Breathing Space.................................................................................8

Chapter 4—Heat: The Number One Energy User........................................................................................10

Chapter 5—Water Heating Systems...........................................................................................................13

Chapter 6—Appliances...............................................................................................................................15

Chapter 7—Lighting...................................................................................................................................24

Chapter 8—Renewable Energy: Wind and Solar.........................................................................................29

Glossary......................................................................................................................................................31
 Introduction:
Your House is a System

Your House Is a System
The modern, energy-efficient home is more than just a
structure—more than just walls and floors and a roof with
wires, pipes, ducts, and appliances. Instead, the modern,
truly efficient home is a well-thought-out system of integral
parts all working together to provide comfort and security
with economy and ease of maintenance.
This booklet deals with the home as a system with all its
parts working together to provide a comfortable, secure,
energy-efficient indoor environment.
supply, your water heater, your lighting and some of your
appliances.
Along the way, we’ll offer some Home Energy Tips, and in
some chapters we’ll provide checklists for home energy
inspections.
Welcome to A Road Map to Energy Efficiency—Tips and
Tools to Help You Save Energy. We’re delighted to have you
with us!

For example: No matter how powerful and efficient your

heating appliance may be, if your home has insufficient
insulation, heating costs will be higher than they need to
be. Yet, insulation itself isn’t especially effective unless all
the major air leaks have been sealed. On the other hand, a
tightly sealed home may need some controlled ventilation
to prevent moisture problems and to ensure good interior
air quality.

Thus, the first chapter of this ­booklet will examine your

home in its entirety, as a system of ­important parts
working together to give you the maximum benefits of
your home energy use.

Subsequent chapters of this booklet will give you ideas

on how you can improve the efficiency of your heating

Residential Energy Use

Home Heating & Cooling 45–55%
Clothes Drying 4%

Lighting 6–10%

Cooking 5%
Refrigeration 9% Water Heating 15–25%

1
Chapter 1
Button Up Your Overcoat
If you’ve ever stepped out into a winter storm with a button
missing from your coat, then you know how your house
feels with the temperature plunging to 20 below zero and
the wind zinging at 20 miles per hour while its hard-earned
heat is leaking out from openings near doors, windows and
other spots: It’s cold out there!
Caulking and Weatherstripping
Air leaks alone can account for 10 to 25 percent of a home’s
heat loss. That’s why experts recommend that the first step
toward substantial home energy savings is stopping the
leaks.
Putting insulation in your home comes later. First, you have
to button up your home’s overcoat. You can do this by
caulking, weatherstripping, and sealing.
The first part of this important job is finding the leaks. You’ll
have to be a detective because some of the most important
leaks are hidden, but your work can pay off in significant
energy savings.
Heat leaks out at upper levels of the home and from
openings near doors, windows, and other spots.
It’s vital that you seal your home from the inside. Sealing
prevents moisture from being trapped in wall cavities.
The outside should be caulked for rain and run-off, but
should be more breathable than the inside to allow water
vapor to escape from inside the walls to the outdoors.
Here are some of the most common places inside your
home where energy-robbing leaks develop:
• Window, door, and baseboard moldings. (Hint: Look
here first. This is where one-third of a home’s heat loss
usually occurs!) Put your hand next to gaps around
windows and doors and feel for moving air, or hold an
incense or a piece of tissue near the gaps and watch
2
for fluttering. Doors should open and close with slight
resistance but without binding.
• Plumbing penetrations through insulated floors and
ceilings.
• Fireplace openings and dampers.
• Attic access hatches.
• Recessed lights and fans in insulated ceilings.
• Missing plaster.
• Electrical outlets and switches, especially on exterior
walls. (This is simple to fix: Just remove the faceplate,
add a foam gasket, and replace the plate.)
• Dropped ceilings or soffits above bathtubs and
cabinets.
• Wiring penetrations through insulated floors,
ceilings, and walls.
• Chimney penetrations through insulated floors and
ceilings and exterior walls.
• The tops of interior partition walls where they intersect
with the attic space.
• Along the sill plate and band joist at the top of
foundation walls.
• Floors extending beyond the foundation wall.
• Kneewalls in finished attics, especially at access doors
and built-in cabinets and bureaus.
Now that you’ve found the leaks, it’s time to close them. The
product you should use to seal them depends on their size
and where they are.
We’ll start with caulks.
Caulk is best for cracks and gaps less than a quarter-inch
wide. Caulk may be applied where two surfaces meet but
don’t move, such as at window and door trims.
The caulk’s label will tell you if the caulk is suitable for the
material to be sealed. If the caulked joint will be visible,
choose a caulk you can paint or one that is the right color.
Look for a caulk that will remain flexible for 20 to 25 years.
Generally, avoid the cheapest caulks because they generally
don’t hold up well. The most often recommended caulk
for sealing your home from the inside is a clear siliconized
acrylic. Where greatest flexibility and longest life is needed,
such as on the outside, you can choose a pure silicone.
 Chapter 1
Button Up Your Overcoat

When working with caulk in a tube, you apply the caulk
by placing its tube in your caulking gun (the handiest and
least expensive item in this whole project) and cutting the
end of the caulk tube off to the size of the bead you need.
Start with the smallest bead possible. Then apply the caulk
to the gap or crack you’re working on and fill it completely
by squeezing the handle of the gun and pushing the tip of
the caulk tube at a 45-degree angle to the crack. After a few
squeezes of the trigger and
just a few minutes’ work,
you’ve become a home
Caulking inside ­energy saver!
a home
Other caulks come in rope
or ribbon form. You press
them like clay into a crack.
Some are removable;
others are permanent.
These options aren’t as
long-lasting but do seal
well.
Expanding or non-expanding foam sealants are excellent
materials for larger cracks and holes not exposed to sun
and moisture, though this caulk can be messy and takes
some practice to learn how much to use.
Backer rod or crack filler is a flexible, closed-cell material,
usually in long coils and from a quarter-inch to an inch in
diameter. Use it for large cracks and to provide a backing in
deep cracks that you’ll seal later with caulk from a gun.
For your largest heat-robbing openings, such as attic hatch
covers and plumbing “chases,” you can use rigid foam
insulation caulked in place or fiberglass. Fiberglass works
best if wrapped in plastic or stuffed in plastic bags because
air can leak through unsealed fiberglass. Don’t use plastic
in places where it gets extremely hot. Always wear goggles,
gloves and a dust mask (available in hardware stores) when
working with fiberglass.
To seal around chimneys and flue pipes, you may need
specialized materials such as metal flashing or high-
temperature silicone sealants.
Now let’s move to weather-stripping.
Weatherstripping consists of … yes … strips of metal,
foam or vinyl that make a weatherproof barrier between the
frame of windows and doors and their parts that move.
As a general rule, you caulk where parts don’t move and
weatherstrip where two surfaces meet but must be opened
and closed.
Weatherstripping can be:
• Tape—cloth or plastic.
• Gaskets—felt, adhesive foam, adhesive rubber, or foam
on an attachment strip.
• Tubular—core filled, hollow, or hollow on an
attachment strip.
• Strips—spring-loaded metal, on pile attachments,
magnetic.
Now, to see how caulking and weatherstripping, along with
seals, can be used, let’s go to work on those leaky windows
and doors.
Windows and Doors
If your windows are in generally good shape, it will probably
be more cost-effective to caulk, weatherstrip, and fit with
storm panels than to replace them.
Your quickest and least expensive action is to caulk all
cracks and gaps and weatherstrip all edges. For wintertime,
you may use a rope caulk to seal cracks where window
parts move. Come summer, you can remove the rope caulk,
store it in foil, and use it two or three more seasons. A
temporary clear caulk is available that can be applied with
a gun and peeled off later for
opening the window. Weatherstripping
Installing weatherstripping
is a little more time-
consuming than caulking,
and a little more expensive,
but it needs to be done
only once. The type of
weatherstripping to use
depends on the window.
Compression and V-strip
types are both widely available in hardware and building
supply stores. Compression types are mounted on the sash
frame so that it is squeezed together when the window
closes. The center rail can be sealed with a self-adhesive
vinyl or metal V-strip. If you don’t need to open the upper
sash of a double-hung window, you can caulk it closed.

3
Chapter 1
Button Up Your Overcoat
As with caulking, top-quality weatherstripping products are
recommended over cheaper products.
To top off your work, you can install a plastic film that
tapes to the inside of the window frame. These kits are
readily available in hardware stores, cost from $3 to $8
per window, and typically last one to three years. Some
are made of a shrink-tight plastic that you heat with a blow
dryer after installation to pull out the wrinkles.
You also can enhance the energy efficiency of your
windows by installing insulating shades, curtains, or
drapes. Closing them at night can significantly cut down on
heat loss. (Closing them in summer can cut down on heat
gain.) Look for shades or drapes that fit into tracks to keep
air from passing around the edges and possibly causing
condensation problems behind them.
Yet another way to boost the efficiency of your windows is
installing a storm window. If you have single-pane glazed
windows, storm windows will double their efficiency.
Storm windows with glass or rigid acrylic panes are
recommended if you plan to keep your home for more than
a few years. Most people choose combination storm/screen
windows, which generally are easy to use. Aluminum
frames are more common, but wooden frames are more
energy efficient. For maximum effectiveness, the frame
should fit snugly into the sash.
Storm windows typically cost from $50 to $120, depending
on size, quality and the cost of labor. That’s far less than
replacement windows.
But if your window sashes have rotted and have damaged
wood, cracked glass that has lost its seal, or poorly fitting
sashes, you might be better off getting new ones. That can
cost $400 to $1,000 a piece.
Plastic film taped to the
If you do decide on new
inside of the window frame
windows, it is worth the
extra cost to buy high-
performance windows
with low-E glass (low-
emissivity) and an argon
gas fill between two or
more panes.
Look for windows
that have non-metallic
spacers between panes
to hold them in place.
4
Metallic spacers conduct cold at the edges of the window.
Carefully compare the U-values of windows when you’re
shopping. Some manufacturers list just the U-value at
the center of the window. U-values that take into account
the whole window, from center to edges, most accurately
reflect a window’s performance. Typical unit U-values
of high-efficiency windows are .30–.35, although some
triple pane windows are available with U-values less
than .24 (remember, the lower the U-value the better the
performance).
You also can compare air leakage, which is listed in cubic
feet per minute per foot. The lower the number, the more
airtight the window.
Now for your doors.
If your doors are in generally good shape, tighten them up.
If they’re not, you’ll save by replacing them.
If you’re keeping your doors, but you spotted leakage,
weatherstrip around the whole perimeter to ensure a good
seal when the door is closed. Installation can be tricky
because weatherstripping must be tacked into place.
Spring-metal weatherstripping comes in several shapes and
is durable.
Silicone-bulb weatherstripping is long-lasting and can
withstand sub-zero temperatures. The bulb comes on a
metal strip that is caulked and then nailed into place.
Other types are flaps or foam and vinyl and vinyl foam
tubular strips. These might not last as long or work as
effectively as the other, more expensive types.
Back when you had your detective hat on and were
investigating your home for leaks, you should have paid
close attention to the bottoms of your doors. It is important
to have quality door sweeps. Sweeps usually are made of
a vinyl flap, which is attached to a piece of aluminum. The
sweep attaches to the bottom of the door so that the flap
seals against the floor or threshold.
We recommend a multi-level sweep, one that meets the
threshold and floor in several places.
Check your thresholds, too. They can deteriorate.
Replacement thresholds with a vinyl bulb running down the
center are available.
If you have a door in such poor condition that you just can’t
fix the leaks, it may be worth your while to invest in a new,
 Chapter 1
Button Up Your Overcoat

pre-hung insulated door. These can cost from $400–$800.

New, technically advanced doors have foam cores and
R-values from 6–12. They can dramatically reduce heat loss.
Your savings can run up to $40 a year.

Adding a storm door is another way to increase energy

efficiency. Costs range from $130 to $250. Storm doors,
installed properly with a snug fit, provide dead air space
between the outdoors and your primary doors.

And now, with your home’s leaks caulked, weatherstripped,

sealed, and stuffed with insulation—you’ve buttoned up
your overcoat!

Checklist
Windows
• Caulk interior trim with siliconized acrylic
• Seal pulley openings
• Weatherstrip loose windows
• Secure and caulk upper sash
• Install sash locks to hold windows tightly together
• Install plastic
• Replace putty and/or caulk loose glass

Doors
• Caulk interior trim with siliconized acrylic
• Weatherstrip
• Install door bottom sweep
• Replace threshold

Other trouble spots

• Caulk baseboards at wall and floor
• Install foam gaskets behind outlet and switch faceplates
• Seal fireplace opening with glass doors or, if the
fireplace isn’t used,with an airtight cover
• Seal air leaks through foundation walls
• Seal heat leaks in attic

5
Chapter 2
Insulation:
The Lining in Your Overcoat
Attic Insulation
Now that you’ve got your house buttoned up, your next step
to achieve maximum comfort and efficiency will be adding
energy-saving insulation.
Insulation is your primary defense against heat loss. If your
attic is poorly insulated, you could save up to 25 percent of
your heating costs by insulating. That’s why, when it comes
to adding insulating materials, it’s a good idea to start at the
top and work your way down.
Adding insulation to the attic is usually easy. If your attic
doesn’t have a floor, simply add more insulation—either
loose fill or fiberglass batts. If your existing insulation
already comes up to the top of the joists, add an additional
layer of unfaced batts across the joists.
Seal air bypasses around
vents, chimneys, and wiring.
If your attic does have a floor, you may have to lift the
boards to put batts in place or make holes in the floor and
blow insulation underneath it.
The recommended depth of attic insulation here in
Minnesota Power country is 12 to 14 inches. This gives
an R-value of R-44 (the higher the value, the better the
insulation).
Be sure to check your attic for warm air bypasses and seal
them. These are areas around vents, chimneys, wiring, etc.,
that leak heated air into the attic. Bypasses cause 30 to
70 percent of heat loss in or from the attic.
Keep in mind the tips from Chapter 1 for working with
fiberglass insulation—wear goggles, gloves, and a mask
over nose and mouth.
6
Wall Insulation
Adding insulation to an uninsulated wall can reduce heat
flow in the wall by as much as 50 percent. An uninsulated
wall has an R-value of approximately R-4. A standard 2-by-
4 wall with fiberglass batts has a value of R-14.
Be advised that putting insulation into walls in an existing
home can be difficult. (If you’re not sure about whether
your walls have insulation, pull off an electric outlet cover
and peer into the wall cavity, or drill a test hole—but not
near an electric outlet or wiring!
It might not be cost-effective to add insulating materials to
walls if you already have an inch or more. A wall cavity has
room for only about 3 1/2 inches of insulation. If you are
able to add only a couple of inches or less of new material,
the purchase and installation costs might outweigh the
benefits.
But if you’re planning to put on new siding, insulating
sheathing can be applied to the outside of your walls. This
is also a good opportunity to fill in any uninsulated cavities.
With the sheathing, be sure to use materials that have an
R-value of at least 3.6. It’s available up to R-7.2. Anything
less than 3.6 is not cost-effective.
In the event that your walls don’t have insulation and you’re
not going to have new siding put on, consider calling in an
insulation contractor to blow cellulose, fiberglass, spray
foam, mineral wool, or rock wool into your walls. This is
best done from the outside.
Foundation Wall Insulation
The benefits of foundation-wall insulation are just now
beginning to be appreciated. The more above-ground
foundation you have, the greater the energy savings and
comfort you’ll realize if you have foundation insulation.
This insulation can be added either to the inside or the
outside of the foundation walls.
Exterior insulation is considered to be 10 to 20 percent
more effective than interior insulation because the
foundation wall is kept warmer and stores heat from the
home, thus helping to moderate temperature swings within
the house.
If you choose to insulate the exterior foundation walls, all of
the above-ground wall surface should be covered, and the
material should reach to at least a foot below the ground.
(On new homes, insulation goes all the way to the footings
or the frost line.)

The material to insulate the outside of your foundation
walls is extruded polystyrene, which comes in boards and
should have an R-value of R-10. You fasten the board to
the wall by drilling a hole through the board and into the
wall and inserting a mechanical fastener to anchor the
board in place. Next, on the above-ground portion comes a
coating to protect the insulating material from the ultra-
violet rays of the sun and from physical wear and tear. The
most commonly used coatings are made of a portland-type
cement base that is mixed with an acrylic or latex bonding
agent to assure adhesion and elasticity so the coating can
withstand the weather without cracking. The coating can be
applied by troweling or spraying it on. It should be about a
quarter-inch thick.
If you choose to insulate your foundation and basement
walls from the inside, you may use boards or fiberglass
batts.
Keep in mind, though, that you can have too much of a
good thing. If your house has poor drainage away from the
foundation or if you have heavy, non-porous soil along the
foundation wall, your house is susceptible to frost damage.
In this case, insulate just to a few feet below ground level,
leaving enough uninsulated area to allow intentional heat
loss, which will help prevent frost heave outside your
basement walls.
When installing your insulation from the inside, be careful
around plumbing and wiring, and be sure that you’ve
corrected any moisture problems before you begin.
Crawlspace Insulation
If your home has a crawlspace instead of a basement, your
insulation strategy depends on whether the crawlspace is
heated or unheated.
In either case, though, it is important to correct any
moisture problems and create as dry an area as possible.
Your old reliable—the six-millimeter plastic sheet—again is
your best choice of materials. Place it on the ground of your
crawlspace to prevent water vapor from entering the space.
Also, be sure you’ve sealed any gaps in the rimjoist area,
and around pipes and wires, as discussed in Chapter 1.
If your crawlspace is heated, place the insulation around
the perimeter, either on the outside or inside walls, using
boards on the outside or batts on the inside. If you’ve
elected to insulate the exterior of your crawlspace, you’ll
have to use the same finishing technique as for exterior
foundation walls.
Chapter 2
Insulation:
The Lining in Your Overcoat
To insulate the floor of an ­unheated crawlspace, the
recommended action is blowing the ­cavities full of loose fill
or instal­ling fiberglass batts, with a vapor barrier already
attached, to the­­underside of the floors. The vapor barrier
goes on the “winter-warm” side of the insulation—in other
words, toward the inside of the house.
To keep the batts in place, you can use string, wire or wire
mesh, or plywood, chipboard or foam insulation boards
that you nail in place under the floor joists. Using the
insulation boards not only keeps the batts in place but also
insulates the joists.
Insulating Materials
Cellulose is commonly used as attic insulation. It is
installed with a blower. Cellulose is made from newsprint
that is chemically treated to resist fire, corrosion, odor,
fungi, and vermin.
Fiberglass and, less commonly, mineral wool and rock
wool, are used in attics and walls. Fiberglass comes in batts
in various widths and thicknesses—and in blankets, which
are continuous rolls. Fiberglass comes unfaced or faced
with a paper or foil vapor barrier.
Vermiculite and perlite are loose-fill products that can be
poured into wall cavities. They are mineral products that are
formed as small beads and are poured into wall cavities.
They are noncombustible and can be used in tight spaces,
but they tend to be more expensive than other products and
have a lower R-value than others.
Insulating boards for sheathing exterior walls are made
from plastic foams, including expanded and extruded
polystyrene, polyurethane, and polyisocyanuate.
Now that you’ve sealed all the leaks and gaps in your home
and you’ve properly installed the right insulation, two of the
three major components of your “house as a system” are in
good order.
But you don’t want your home to get too stuffy inside its
over-coat. Next comes a third vital factor—ventilation.
7
Chapter 3
Ventilation:
Your Home’s Breathing Space
Attic Ventilation
Ventilation for attics is extremely important. If the air leaks
from your living spaces aren’t completely sealed, warm
moist air from inside the home escapes into the attic and
can cause damaging condensation and ice dams. Sealing
warm air leaks into the attic minimizes these problems and
reduces the need for excess attic ventilation. Heat gain from
the sun also can cause problems if the attic isn’t adequately
ventilated.
Several forms of ventilation are available to cope with these
problems.
Various roof and soffit vents
Here’s the rule of thumb for attic ventilation: If there is
a vapor barrier, one square foot of outside ventilation is
needed for each 300 square feet of attic floor. If there is no
vapor barrier and the roof has less than a three-foot rise
from eave to peak, one square foot of ventilation is needed
for every 150 square feet of attic floor.
In both cases, the ventilation space should be evenly split
between high and low locations. This is usually achieved by
using a combination of roof vents, such as ridge and soffit
vents or gable end vents and soffit vents. Passive static
vents also can be used.
Ventilation also is important in your crawlspace, if you have
one.
In non-heating seasons, one square foot of venting for
every 150 square feet of floor space is recommended for
crawlspaces without a vapor barrier and one square foot
of venting for every 1,500 square feet of floor space with a
vapor barrier.
8
During our heating seasons, crawlspaces should have
insulated and weatherstripped covers installed over the
vents to control heat loss.
Indoor Ventilation
As you work around your home to make it tighter and more
energy-efficient, you also lower the amount of available
fresh air and increase your need for controlled ventilation.
Inside your home’s living spaces, proper ventilation is even
more important. You need a healthful supply of clean, fresh
air.
Normal, day-to-day activities within the home generate
a substantial amount of water vapor. As homes become
tighter, this buildup of water vapor can result in problems.
Normal activities also create indoor air pollution from
the sprays, cleaners, smoke, dust, laundry supplies, and
cooking that are part of our modern lives.
In addition, in an especially tight home, serious backdrafts
can develop in a gas- or oil-burning furnace and water
heater. This happens when the natural draft that is normally
created by the hot gases of combustion are drawn back
down the flue and pour into the surrounding area instead of
flowing up the chimney and out of the home. These exhaust
fumes can eventually overwhelm the oxygen in the area and
begin producing large amounts of lethal carbon monoxide
and other harmful gases.
All homes using gas or propane heating or water heating
systems should be equipped with carbon monoxide
detectors.
Together, water vapor and indoor pollution can create the
need for some form of mechanical ventilation system.
Here are some products you can use to be sure that your
home is getting plenty of breathing space. For the older
home that’s been sealed and insulated, it may be necessary
to add the following:
• Exhaust fans can be installed in high-humidity areas
such as kitchens and baths. Fresh, “makeup air”
comes from passive sources—basically, miscellaneous
building leaks that even the most conscientious
resident cannot seal. These fans don’t have
sophisticated air-management controls and are the
least efficient of all mechanical systems.
 Chapter 3
Ventilation:
Your Home’s Breathing Space

• The central heat recovery ventilator, also known as an

air-to-air heat exchanger, is the most complete and
effective ventilation system. It consists of an intake
fan, exhaust fan, and a heat-exchanging duct system.
A heat recovery system reduces indoor heating
and cooling loads. It brings fresh air into the home,
passes it through one side of the heat exchanger and
distributes it throughout.
Stale air is drawn through the other side of the heat
exchanger, transferring heat to the fresh-air side, and is
dumped outside.
This system can be run continuously or can be con-
trolled by a timer or a humidistat.
• Central intake and exhaust fans, with their own duct
system, are similar to the heat exchanger but don’t
have the heat-recovery feature. The central intake
system also can be run continuously or controlled by
a timer or humidistat. The initial cost is significantly
lower than that of a heat-recovery ventilator.
• In a mechanical exhaust with metered air inlets, fresh
air is introduced into each room and the exhaust is
central and controlled to provide a continuous level
low, even ventilation.
Now your whole-house system is in order! Congratulations
on sealing air leaks, insulating, and keeping your indoor
environment fresh.

9
Chapter 4
Heat:
The Number One Energy User
Heating Systems
Heating the home accounts for the greatest use of energy
in most households—accounting for up to two-thirds of
annual energy bills. Reducing your energy use for heating
may be the single most effective way to save money and
reduce your home’s contribution to global environmental
problems.
Your heating system replaces the heat that is lost through
the shell or envelope—or “overcoat”—of your home. How
much energy your heating system requires to do its job
depends on five factors:
• Where the home is.
• How big the house is.
• How low or high the energy efficiency levels of the
home are.
• How energy-efficient the heating system is.
• Lifestyle—how you use energy.
The heating system is usually the
largest energy user in the home.
You may have little control over the first two factors;
they’re more lifestyle choices than they are energy choices.
And perhaps you’ve already done what can be done with
the third factor. But you probably can save a great deal
by installing a new, high-efficiency heating system or by
improving the efficiency of your present s­ ystem.
Here’s a look at today’s modern heating systems:
Gas and Oil
Gas-fired and oil-fired systems generate heat in a furnace
or boiler.
The most accurate way to gauge the performance of your
system is the annual fuel utilization efficiency, or AFUE. This
is a measure of the system’s efficiency that accounts for
start-up and cool-down and other operating losses in actual
conditions. The AFUE is the average efficiency over the
entire heating season, and it is the efficiency rating used in
comparing heating units.
10
Heating system controls regulate the various components
of the system.
The most important control from the homeowner’s
perspective is the thermostat. Turning back the thermostat
is the easiest and best way to save on your fuel bill.
Automatic-Setback Thermostats
Automatic-setback thermostats can be installed easily
to save money by making sure the thermostat is turned
down regularly. They are relatively inexpensive and pay for
themselves in a short time. By reducing the temperature in
your home from 70 to 65 degrees, you can save as much
as 10 percent on your heating bill. If you turn it down at
night another 5 to 10 degrees, you can save 5 percent to 10
percent more.
Furnaces
A furnace heats air that is blown through air ducts and
delivers the warm air through registers or grills. This is
called a forced-air system.
The success of this system depends on an equal amount of
flow in the heating ducts and return ducts. It is important
not to block warm or cold air grills with furniture or drapes.
Registers should be kept clean so the air flows freely. Ducts
also can be cleaned occasionally with a hose-type vacuum.
Furnace filters should be replaced as often as every month
during the heating season. This is important in keeping
your furnace operating at peak efficiency.
The natural-draft, forced-air furnace is the most common
heating system found in Minnesota.
“Natural draft” means that the exhaust gases go up the
chimney without mechanical assist because they are lighter
than the air around them. In “forced-air” systems, an
electric blower sends air past the furnace’s heat exchanger
to pick up heat and then through the ducts and registers of
the home.
Newer, high-efficient furnaces are power vented or
sealed combustion, typically using plastic pvc piping for
venting the exhaust gases. When replacing a furnace,
consider purchasing a system with an ECM (electronically
commutated motor) circulating fan motor that uses up
to 80 percent less electricity than a conventional motor.
Boilers
A boiler heats water or steam that circulates through pipes
to radiators or baseboard units. Hot-water, or hydronic,
systems are more common today than steam systems.

A hot-water system must be void of air for maximum
efficiency. Air can collect in radiators and keep them from
filling entirely with water. To fix this, use a radiator key
(about half a dollar at hardware stores) to open the valve
near the top of the radiator. As soon as water starts to come
out, you know that air has been bled from the radiator. You
also know that the floor is getting wet—so close the valve.
Have a pan ready to catch any spillage.
When replacing a boiler system, it’s recommended to
purchase a system rated at 90 percent AFUE or greater.
Servicing
A qualified service person should check, clean and tune
your burner annually, not only for efficiency but for safety,
too. In oil burners, oil enters the burner as a liquid and
contains more impurities
than gas. In gas systems,
there is a risk of carbon
monoxide poisoning
if regular maintenance
tasks aren’t performed.
All homes using fossil
fuel (gas or propane)
appliances should be
equipped with a carbon
monoxide detector.
Add-on equipment, which
should be installed only by qualified people, can improve
the efficiency of your gas or oil burner.
Vent dampers automatically block off the vent pipe after
the burner shuts off and prevent the escape of warm air up
the chimney when the furnace isn’t running. Dampers are
operated by heat or electricity and result in a savings of 5 to
8 percent.
A common improvement on oil-fired systems is replacing
the standard burner with a more efficient flame-retention
head burner, saving 10 to 20 percent of fuel costs.
Furnaces and boilers and any other fuel-burning appliances
in your home need an ample supply of outside air to
operate properly. The importance of this replacement air,
also called “makeup air” or “combustion air,” cannot be
overstated. Without enough combustion air, your house can
become polluted with dangerous gases, including carbon
monoxide. The burner also becomes less efficient.
Chapter 4
Heat:
The Number One Energy User
To supply ample amounts of combustion air in a tight, well-
insulated home, you can put in a duct from the outside to
the vicinity of the heating system.
The typical heating system will last about 25 years or
longer. If you’re considering replacing your system with a
high-efficiency model, and you know your present AFUE, it
will be easy for you to calculate the savings you’ll
realize.
It makes sense in our climate to invest in the highest
efficiency system available. Be sure to buy one with a good
warranty from a reputable company.
Insist on a closed or sealed-combustion unit. Sealed-
combustion appliances bring outside air directly into the
burner and send the exhaust gases directly to the outside
without the need for a draft hood, damper or chimney.
They generally burn more efficiently and reduce the risk of
introducing dangerous combustion gases into the home.
Electric Heat
Electric systems provide clean, safe and easily controlled
heating. Electricity can be used to provide additional heat to
areas that aren’t sufficiently heated by other systems, or it
can be used for total home heating.
Electric heat is considered to be 100 percent efficient in the
home because it has none of the combustion losses that
other systems have.
There are two common types of electric heat: electric
resistance heat and electric heat pumps.
Electric Resistance Heat
This system works by directly converting electric current
into heat by running it through a resistant element, which
heats up. Electric resistance heaters come in a variety of
styles: baseboard units, fan-forced wall heaters, radiant
heaters, furnaces, boilers, space heaters and sub-slab
systems.
Baseboard Heaters
The primary benefit of baseboard heat is the individual
room control with little or no maintenance. Electric
baseboard units are commonly installed along the bottom
of outside walls, usually under windows, where the heat
loss is greatest. Units are usually surface mounted,
providing minimum interference with window placement.
Proper sizing and location of baseboard units are important,
because they rely on natural convection of air flow around
the heating elements to heat the room.
11
Chapter 4
Heat:
The Number One Energy User

– Air-source models use outside air as the heat source.

Wall Heaters
Fan-coil wall heaters are thermostatically controlled and
use an electric heating coil. Wall heaters are available in
a variety of configurations and sizes to fit many space-
heating considerations.
Radiant Heaters
These heaters come in many styles: heat lamps, radiant
panels and the cove style are most common. Unlike other
systems that use air movement to distribute heat, these
heaters radiate heat directly below them.
Radiant heat is the same type of heat that you feel from the
sun on a cold winter day. The air temperature might be 10
above, but the side of your face that the sun is hitting feels
warm. This system technically requires less energy because
it heats people and objects—not the air around them.
When outside temperatures drop below freezing,
though, the heat pump alone may not be enough
to warm the home to the desired level. In this case,
supplemental resistance-type heat is necessary.
– Ground-source/geothermal systems extract the
heat from ­water or the ground below the frostline.
Geothermal heat pumps are more expensive to install
than air-source systems, but generally require little if
any supplemental heat and can be less expensive t­o
operate overall in our northern climate.
Whichever heating system you use in your home,
remember to keep the key components clean and to
have them serviced at the intervals recommended by the
manufacturer. Making a commitment to keep up a sound
maintenance schedule will save energy and increase the life
of your system.

Electric Furnaces Checklist

These furnaces use a fan to move room air across the
furnace’s heat exchanger and into the indoor space. Electric
furnaces come in many configurations and are similar to
the more common gas or oil forced-air furnaces. Unlike
electric baseboard systems, electric furnaces provide
central air handling, which offers the option of installing
central air conditioning.
Electric Boilers
These boilers operate in a much less complicated way than
gas- or oil-fired boilers due to the absence of combustion.
Otherwise, electric boilers, too, heat water that is circulated
through baseboard heaters or radiators.
• Clean and tune annually
• Replace/clean air filters regularly
• Insulate ducts in unheated space
• Insulate hot-water/steam pipes
• Remove any obstructions from radiators, baseboard
units, registers, air returns
• Install timer on thermostat or turn down thermostat
manually
• Place foil reflectors behind radiators
• Be sure burner has sufficient combustion air

Electric Heat Pumps

Electric heat pumps don’t produce heat directly from the
electric current; instead, they use electricity to move heat
from one place to another. Because it requires less energy
to move heat than it does to convert electricity to an
equivalent amount of heat, heat pumps are highly efficient.

The most important advantage of a heat pump is its low

operating cost, but it has others, too. For example, no
fuel delivery or storage is necessary, nor is a chimney
necessary—and a heat pump can also be used for cooling.

Two types of heat pumps are available: air-to-air and

ground-source.

12
 Chapter 5
Water Heating Systems

Water Heating Systems • Over time, sediment will build up in the bottom of a
gas or oil water heater tank. This buildup insulates the
Heating water is often the second largest household energy
water from the heat source, which means the burner
user and may account for up to 20 percent of annual energy
has to be on longer to heat the water. Sediment buildup
costs.
also shortens the life of the water heater.
You can reduce the cost of heating water in a couple of To control this buildup, hold a pail under the faucet
ways: cut down on the use of your present water heater, or at the bottom of the heater, open the valve and drain
purchase a high-efficiency model. off water until it runs
clear. You should do this
Water heaters have an average life expectancy of 10 to every few months. This is
20 years, but they can last much longer. In general, as recommended only if you
a water heater gets older, its efficiency drops. It is often start this practice when
cheaper in the long run to remove an operating, but your tank is new, as an old
inefficient, older unit and replace it with a new, highly sediment buildup could
efficient model. Your water heater should be replaced if it is make it difficult to close the
leaking, making popping or cracking noises, or if you have drain tap.
to keep turning the temperature setting up to maintain an
adequate supply of hot water. • Fix leaky faucets
immediately. A hot-water
When you do decide to install a new water heater, buy one faucet leaking one drop a second will waste about
with a high efficiency rating, listed as EF or Energy Factor. 60 gallons of hot water a week. Leaks can usually be
High-efficiency gas water heaters have an EF of 62 percent fixed by replacing the tap washer.
or greater, while high-efficiency electric water heaters have • Install a water-saving shower head. A typical shower
an EF of 93 percent or greater. It will cost a little more, but head uses four to nine gallons of water a minute. A
the extra cost will pay for itself in a few years. After that, the water-saving shower head
more efficient performance will save you money for the life uses two to three gallons of
of the water heater. water a minute. They can cost
Here are some ideas for conserving energy with your anywhere from $8 to $20,
current model: depending on style. To install,
remove the old shower head
• Turn down the temperature. It need not be higher than with a wrench, put a little
120 degrees. With electric models, be sure to turn off pipe joint compound on the
the power to the water heater before you do this. threads of the spigot and
If you have a dishwasher, you may find that you screw on the new shower
need the water temperature a little higher, around head.
130 to 140 degrees, for best results. Try keeping the • Take showers instead of baths. Showers use much less
temperature down and changing detergents. water.
• Use a foam pipe wrap or insulation wrap to insulate
accessible hot water pipes throughout the house. • Wash only full loads of laundry, or adjust the water
Also, insulate the cold water level for smaller loads, and use cold water whenever
pipes for the few feet nearest possible.
Tape
the heater. If you use a • Run the dishwasher with full loads only and let the
dehumidifier in the summer dishes air dry. If you wash dishes by hand, fill a pan
months, it is recommended with rinse water. Don’t run the water continuously.
Pipe to insulate all accessible cold • Install a heat trap on hot-water line.
Insulation water pipes to reduce pipe
condensation, reducing run • Turn your water heater off or down if you are going to
time on the dehumidifier. be gone for a few days or more.
• Install a timer on an electric water heater to shut it off
when you don’t need it.

13
Tape
Chapter 5
Water Heating Systems

• Consider installing a drain water heat recovery device Discolored water

that captures heat from the drain water leaving the • Heater anode gone bad
home. These devices can save up to 25 percent on a
water heating bill. • Scale/sediment buildup

Electric Water Heaters—Common
Service Problems
Water not hot enough, or insufficient
• Thermostat set too low or out of adjustment
• Incorrect voltage and/or wattage
• Incorrect connections (wiring)
• Hard water scale on element tubes
• Inoperative lower element
• Capacity too small for demands
• Heat trap installed in wrong inlet or outlet
Checklist
• Lower temperature to 120 (or higher for best
dishwasher performance)
• Install insulation jacket
• Insulate accessible pipes
• Drain 1 to 2 gallons from bottom of tank to control
sediment
• Fix leaky faucets immediately
• Install low-flow shower head

No hot water
• Defective or blown fuse or breaker
• Incorrect connection (wiring)
• Loose connections or broken wires at controls
• Defective thermostat
• Inoperative upper element
Where Your Water Goes
Water too hot
• Thermostat set too high or out of calibration Washing Machines 22%

• Upper thermostat improperly connected Toilet Leaks 5%

Toilets 28%
• Defective thermostat
• Grounded element

Bills too high

• Water consumption higher than anticipated
• Leaky faucets
• Circulating systems—no check valve on return line
• Wasteful use
• Location of heater, pipe size too large
Dishwashers 3%
• Scale deposit on elements Showers 21%
Faucets 12%
• Improper grounds Baths 9%
• Leaky or faulty relief valve
• Malfunctioning mixing valve on toilet

Water leaks
• Loose elements
• Defective gaskets
• Loose pipe connections
• Actual tank leak

14

Appliances
The household appliances that we take for granted today
have made revolutionary—and entirely welcome—changes
in our lives.
Thanks to refrigerators and freezers, we can serve meals
with fresh-tasting meats and vegetables weeks and months
after the foods were first packaged. Our stoves, ranges
and ovens have become efficient, easy to use, and easy
to care for. Dishwashers, clothes washers and dryers,
and air conditioners have brought increased convenience,
cleanliness, and comfort into our homes.
Today we can’t imagine getting along without our favorite
appliances. The only drawback to these marvelous devices
is the fact that they consume energy. However, with proper
selection, installation, use and care, today’s appliances can
be models of efficiency.
This chapter discusses operating tips for existing
appliances and tips for buying new ones.
Refrigerators
Although they are still among the top energy users in
the home, in recent years the efficiency of refrigerators
has improved substantially. Increased insulation and coil
surface area and improved compressors, motors and door
seals all have contributed to this improvement.
It is recommended that a 15- to 20-year-old refrigerator be
replaced with a more efficient ENERGY STAR®. This can
result in energy savings of 50 percent or more.
As you shop for a refrigerator, consider the features you
want as well as the extra operating costs they bring.
Compare the cost of operating a side-by-side unit to a
conventional unit with the freezer on top, which usually
costs much less to run. (Advice on comparing costs with
the EnergyGuide label comes later in this chapter.)
Manual-defrost models, although they’re getting harder
to find, can use half the electricity of some other models.
Consider cubic feet and arrangement of door and shelf
space. Keep in mind that an ice maker may increase the
cost of operation by as much as 20 percent.
It is generally much less expensive to buy and operate one
big refrigerator than two smaller refrigerators.
By properly recycling your second refrigerator/freezer, you
will save energy and benefit the environment.
Chapter 6
Appliances
Tips for Your Refrigerator
• The appliance will fail to dissipate heat properly if it
is in direct sunlight or next to the dishwasher or cook
top/oven.
• Regularly cleaning the condenser coils that are in the
back of older refrigerators and at the bottom of most
new ones is important. They can be cleaned with
a vacuum or a brush. Dust on the coils acts as an
insulator and makes it more difficult for the coils to
give off heat to the surrounding air. Be sure to unplug
the refrigerator when cleaning the coils.
• The refrigerator temperature should be from 38 to
42 degrees Fahrenheit; the freezer compartment should
be around zero to five degrees. If the refrigerator
and freezer are kept 10 degrees colder than these
recommendations, energy consumption can increase
by up to 25 percent.
• Seal liquids tightly in automatic defrosting models so
you don’t use energy to control unnecessary moisture.
• Refrigerators work
most efficiently when
air circulates freely
between the packages
and bottles.
• Manual and partially
automatic defrost
$
refrigerators and
freezers should be
defrosted when frost
buildup approaches a
quarter-inch.
• Some frost-free refrigerators have a switch that
permits the user to shut off the small heaters that are
built into the door gaskets to prevent moisture from
collecting on outer surfaces when the humidity is high
in the summer (often called the “energy saver” switch).
Turn this switch off unless there is an excessive
amount of condensation building up.
• Check the door seals or gaskets. These can deteriorate
over time, greatly affecting performance. Put a dollar
bill in the door as you close it; if the bill is not held
firmly in place, the seals are probably defective. (This
test does not always work on units with magnetic
seals.)
15
Chapter 6
Appliances
Tips for Your Freezer
Freezers come in two basic styles: chest type or upright.
Chest freezers are typically 10 percent to 15 percent more
efficient than upright freezers because they are better
insulated and because cold air doesn’t spill out when
chest freezers are opened. They are also more difficult to
organize.
Many freezers need to be defrosted manually, although
automatic defrost models are available. Automatic defrost
models often consume up to 40 percent more electricity
than equivalent manual-defrost models. Also, automatic
defrost freezers may dehydrate frozen food, causing freezer
burn.
• Locate the freezer away from heat sources and allow
free air circulation. Common heat sources are dryers,
furnaces, washers, and water heaters. Avoid stacking
boxes or allowing other stored items to become piled
near or against the freezer, as this may restrict air flow
to the condenser coils.
• Automatic-defrost freezers should never be operated in
unheated spaces. Freezing the drain lines can severely
damage this type of freezer.
• Unlike refrigerators,
freezers are most
efficient when they are
completely full. Plan the
storage and rotation of
foods. A good time to
defrost a manual unit is
when the frost reaches
an eighth- to quarter-
inch thickness.
• Freezers need the same cleaning care as a refrigerator.
Because they are more likely to be in dusty areas, such
as in a basement, on a back porch or in an attached
garage, they may need their coils cleaned more often.
Cook Tops
Gas stoves built after 1979 have electronic ignition and
save up to 40 percent over those with standing pilot lights.
If you use a gas stove, be sure to use a ventilation fan that
exhausts to the outside.
Many types of electric cook tops are available. The most
common electric burners are exposed coils, but you can
also buy models with solid disk elements, electric coils
beneath a glass surface, high-tech halogen or induction
elements.
16
• Solid disk elements are more attractive to some
people than coils, and they are easier to clean, but
they heat up more slowly than electric coils. Higher
wattage elements are used in solid disks, so energy
consumption is higher. Flat bottomed cookware is
recommended for solid disks for top efficiency.
• Radiant elements under ceramic glass are easy to clean
and heat up faster than solid disk elements. The energy
efficiency of ceramic glass units is somewhat better
than standard coils, although the cost of ceramic glass
cook tops is higher than coil or disk element cook tops.
Flat bottomed cookware is also recommended with this
cook top surface.
• Halogen cook tops use halogen lamps as the heat
source. They have instant heat response. The efficiency
of these units is about the same as the ceramic cook
top. The initial purchase cost is higher.
• Induction cook tops transfer electro-magnetic energy
directly to the pan, where the heat is needed. As a
result, they are highly energy efficient. Because they
use magnetism to heat, they can be used only with
steel and iron pans.
Cook Top Tips
• Do not install the cook top or oven near a window.
When the window is open, drafts can interfere with
proper operation. Also, locate the cook tops and ovens
away from refrigerators and freezers.
• Cook tops and ovens are generally not efficient at
cooking small amounts of food. When cooking smaller
meals, use microwave ovens, toaster ovens, pressure
cookers, or ceramic pots with heating elements.
• Lids help keep heat in and speed up cooking times.
Lids also reduce potential moisture problems in the
kitchen.
• Fit the pot or pan to the size of the burner, especially
with electric cook tops. Use pots and pans with flat
bottoms on electric
cook tops. They
provide the best
contact with the
element. Also, with
electric, the element
can be turned off a few
minutes ahead of time
and the hot element
will continue to cook
the food.

• With a gas burner, make sure you’re getting a bluish
flame. If the flame is yellow, the gas may not be burning
efficiently. Have a service person adjust this.
• Cook with as little liquid as possible and lower burner
settings as soon as foods reach a simmering boil.
Use only as much heat as necessary to keep the liquid
simmering.
Ovens
In addition to the standard electric and gas oven, there are
now convection ovens, microwave ovens, and combination
models that work in one or more modes.
• Conventional ovens come in gas or electric. Self-
cleaning electric models are more energy-efficient
because they have more insulation. Gas self-cleaning
ovens, however, will probably not be much more
efficient than their conventional gas counterparts. Using
the self-cleaning feature on an electric model more than
once a month will cut down on that efficiency. An oven
with a glass window in the door rather than a solid one
can be more efficient because the cook doesn’t have to
open the door to look at what’s cooking.
• Convection ovens contain a fan that circulates air
evenly, eliminating hot and cold spots. Temperatures
can be lowered and cooking times shortened with
convection ovens. You can avoid preheating for most
items and often shorten cooking times by 30 percent.
• Microwave ovens come in three styles: microwave
only, microwave/radiant, and microwave/convection
combinations. They require special cooking utensils
and commonly have 120 volt, 10 amp electric wiring
requirements. Although this avoids 240 volt, 20 amp
wiring, the energy available for cooking is only half that
of standard ovens.
High-frequency radio waves cook food in a microwave oven
by penetrating the food and heating water molecules inside.
Overall cooking times for food are greatly reduced and less
heat is emitted into the kitchen. When used appropriately,
microwave ovens consume only 30 to 50 percent as much
electricity as conventional ovens for cooking the same food.
They generally aren’t a substitute for a full-size, regular oven
for major meal preparation.
Oven Tips
• Keep oven preheating to a minimum. Most foods do not
require preheating.
• When possible, cook several dishes or meals in the
Chapter 6
Appliances
oven at one time. Freeze some for later use. It doesn’t
take as much energy to reheat food as it does to cook
it.
• Allow frozen foods to defrost in the refrigerator before
cooking.
• With microwave ovens, keep the inside surface clean to
allow more efficient cooking. You can also cook many
foods right in their serving dishes, saving time and
energy in clean-up.
Dishwashers
Dishwashers use energy for water heating as well as to
actually run the dishwasher. An ENERGY STAR efficient
automatic dishwasher can use less hot water than washing
dishes by hand. The savings in water heating often make up
for the power consumed by the dishwasher.
Models that use less water use less energy. Most
dishwashers use 8 to 14 gallons of water for a complete job.
Look at the manufacturer’s literature for total water use with
different cycles.
Be aware that there are two dishwasher classifications:
compact capacity and standard capacity. Compact models
will use less energy, but hold fewer dishes. A compact unit
will actually end up using
more energy if it is used
more often.
Manufacturers are not
required to test cleaning
effectiveness on the same
cycles that they use to
rate energy efficiency, so
the label may reflect the
normal cycle, but not the
pot scrubbing or heavy
duty cycle.
A useful feature to look for in a new dishwasher is a
booster heater. Dishwashers need water heated to about
140 degrees Fahrenheit to remove soap film and food
particles. If your water heater is set this high, a large
amount of energy is wasted because of heat loss from the
storage tank and pipes.
A booster heater raises the temperature of water entering
the dishwasher. A booster heater adds up to $30 per year to
the operating costs of the dishwasher, but it more than pays
for itself in energy savings in about a year by allowing you
to keep your water heater at a lower setting.
17
Chapter 6
Appliances
Other useful features are short cycle and air-dry selectors.
Short cycles use less hot water and are suitable when dishes
are only lightly soiled. An air-dry selector automatically
shuts off the heat during the drying cycle, cutting electricity
use by up to 20 percent.
Dishwasher Tips
• Keep your dishwasher away from a refrigerator or
freezer. Dishwashers produce moisture and heat that
cause refrigerators and freezers to use more energy. If
you must install your dishwasher close to a refrigerator
or freezer, put a layer of insulation between the two
appliances.
• Wash only full loads. Running two half loads can take
twice as much energy as a full load. Don’t waste water
or time by pre-rinsing dishes. Most newer models
require only that dishes be scraped off and liquids
emptied. If you do pre-rinse, use cold water. Use short
cycles when you have easy-to-clean loads. If you have
an air-dry feature, using it regularly will typically cut
your electricity bills.
Washing Machines and Dryers
Washers
Like dishwashers, most of the energy used by clothes
washers is for water heating. The most inefficient washer
will use more than three times as much energy as the most
efficient model, so it really pays to compare. Be aware that
models with smaller capacities will have better ratings,
but the smaller capacity may mean that you have to run
the machine more often, so it may cost more to operate in
the long run. Also, the labels do not take energy-saving
features into account.
Front loading models often use considerably less water than
top loading machines because they move water through
the clothes better. Their fast spin cycle helps reduce drying
costs by extracting more water than many top loading
washers.
Standard top loading machines can use 40-55 gallons per
load while many of the newer efficient, ENERGY STAR
models use 8–16 gallons per load.
If you have a laundry tub near your washer, you can
purchase a washer with a suds-saver cycle. When you do
two or more loads, this feature can save up to 20 gallons of
water per load.
18
Washer Tips
• Install the washing machine as close to the water heater
as possible, and insulate water pipes leading to it to
minimize heat loss through the pipes.
• Up to 90 percent of the energy needed to wash clothes
is used to heat water. Only 10 percent is used for
controls and motors. That means the most effective
energy saver is to use less hot water.
• Use the lowest applicable temperature settings for
washing laundry. Use warm or cold water for the wash
cycle instead of hot (except for greasy stains and
some whites), and use cold for rinses. Experiment with
different detergents. If you presoak heavily soiled items,
a colder wash cycle may work. Cold water rinse does
not affect cleaning.
• “Cold Water Wash” on most machines means
70 degrees Fahrenheit. In Minnesota, the temperature
of the water going into the washer can drop to below
40 degrees. At that temperature, water may not clean
properly, so you may have to use the warm water cycle.
There are machines on the market that automatically
add hot water to the cold wash cycle if the temperature
sensor finds the water too cold.
• Wash full loads when possible or match the water level
to the size of the load.
Dryers
Regardless of the number of selections on the controls,
dryers have two or three heat settings. Look for energy-
efficient features such as an automatic temperature control,
a moisture sensor control, a cool-down cycle, and a no-heat
cycle. Moisture sensor controls are more accurate and
more effective at saving energy than a timer. A cool-down
cycle tumbles clothes in unheated air during the last 5 to 10
minutes of operation. This feature saves energy and reduces
wrinkles.
All new natural gas dryers sold in Minnesota since 1978
have an electronic ignition. Older models with pilot lights
increase dryer annual gas consumption by 30 percent.
Dryer Tips
• The most important part of dryer installation is the
exhaust system. Always vent your dryer to the outside.
It is no longer recommended that it be vented inside
at any time. Air pollutants and moisture can create
problems. Use as short and as straight a section of

smooth metal ducting as possible. A flexible vinyl duct
may restrict air flow, can become crushed, and may not
be able to withstand the heat from the dryer.
• A dryer exhaust hood on the exterior of the building
should close firmly when not in use to protect that area
of the building from infiltration. Clean the vent hood on
a regular basis.
• Locating the dryer in a heated space will increase its
efficiency.
• Don’t mix weights of materials. Don’t over dry clothes.
Take them out while they are slightly damp and hang
them.
• Clean the lint filter between loads. Dry clothes outside
whenever possible.
This not only reduces
the amount of gas or
electricity consumed
(to zero!) but actually
brightens white
clothes and keeps
excess humidity out
of the house.
Air Conditioners
Instead of using energy
to create heat, air
conditioners use energy
to take heat away. The most common air conditioning
system uses a compressor cycle (similar to the one used
by a refrigerator) to transfer heat from your house to the
outdoors.
Room air conditioners come in a variety of styles and
cooling capacities. Cooling capacity is probably the most
important buying consideration. A room air conditioner with
too little cooling capacity will not cool the room adequately.
One that’s too large will not lower the humidity enough to
prevent the cold, clammy feeling caused by chilly, humid air.
A room air conditioner’s cooling capacity is expressed in
British thermal units (Btu). Proper sizing for the room is
extremely important.
An air conditioner’s operating cost is another important
purchasing consideration. A room air conditioner’s
efficiency is expressed as EER (Energy Efficiency Ratio) or
SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio). EER is computed
by dividing the number of Btu per hour by the watts of
power used. The higher the EER, the more energy efficient
the air conditioner.
Chapter 6
Appliances
When replacing air conditioning units, consider purchasing
a unit with a SEER rating of 14 or higher.
The label will show the model’s EER, which is measured
according to federal test procedures. The energy label will
also show the unit’s cooling capacity and how it compares
in efficiency to other models of similar capacity.
The cost grid at the bottom of the label helps you estimate
the unit’s annual operating cost, provided you know your
electric rate (your Minnesota Power bill provides this
information) and average number of hours you will be using
it.
Cooling and Air Conditioner Tips
• Close windows early on hot days and open them only in
the evening.
• Close drapes during the day.
• Use exhaust fans after cooking or bathing.
• Take fullest advantage of cross ventilation.
• If you can’t make your home comfortable without air
conditioning:
– Set thermostat at 78 degrees or higher.
– Clean or replace filters once a month.
– Keep grills, coils and fans clean and dust-free.
– Turn off the appliance when you’re away for
several hours.
– Make sure window models are sealed in the
opening tightly. Cover or remove in winter.
Now for some tips and tools to help you when selecting new
appliances.
Although the natural inclination is to look only at the price
tag, keep in mind that the cost of an appliance runs on for
as long as you use it.
Owning and operating a new appliance—even if you paid
cash for it when you purchased it—is like buying on an
installment plan. The energy costs can really add up.
Consider the average life of our typical appliances:
Clothes washer—18 years
Dishwasher—15 years
Freezer—21 years
Refrigerator, refrigerator/freezer—19 years
The long life of a modern, well-built appliance is why you’ll
profit from the most efficient model for your needs and your
budget.
19
Chapter 6
Appliances

To help find the most efficient model the next time you
shop for a major appliance, look for the yellow and black
labels. They allow you to compare the energy costs of
similar models. Studying the labels and selecting the model
just right for you can help you save money because many
energy-efficient products will cost less to operate over the
long run, even though their initial purchase price may be
somewhat higher.

Federal law requires that the label be attached to the

following major appliances: clothes washers, dishwashers,
freezers, refrigerator/freezers, refrigerators, furnaces, room
and central air conditioners, heat pumps, and water heaters.
EnergyGuides provide specific information about yearly
energy costs and/or equipment efficiency.

We encourage you to replace older appliances with Energy

star® labeled models for super energy savings. For an
appliance to receive the ENERGY STAR label, a product
must meet strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department
of Energy.
For example, an Energy star labeled refrigerator uses
just half the energy of a 10-year-old unit and a new high-
efficiency washing machine can cut energy use up to
70 percent. Using Energy star appliances in your home
will save you hundreds of dollars in energy costs over
the life of the unit. To find out more about Energy star
appliances, visit the Web site: www.energystar.gov.
A sample EnergyGuide label is shown here. Each label
provides the following information:
• All labels tell the manufacturer, model number, type of
appliance, and capacity.
• The large number gives the yearly energy cost in
dollars. This is based on estimated hours of use per
year and a standard energy price. The standard energy
price is the average for the entire country, and it
changes over time as energy prices go up or down.
• The labels you see in different stores may have been
printed at different times and thus may use different
standard energy prices. Also, the standard energy price
may be different from the price in our Minnesota Power
area. Therefore, it is best to find out your actual energy
price when using the yearly cost table.
• For room air conditioners, central air conditioners, and
heat pumps, the large number is not dollars but, rather,
energy efficiency ratings (EER, SEER, and HSPF and
SEER respectively). The higher these ratings, the more
efficient the equipment.
• The line scale on the label shows how the appliance
compares in energy efficiency with other models on
the market of comparable size and type. You will see a
range of lowest to highest. The ranges provided are not
updated regularly and are often not accurate.
• The yearly cost table allows you to estimate the yearly
operating cost based on your local electric or gas
rates. Find out how much you pay per kilowatt-hour of
electricity (see your Minnesota Power bill) or per therm
of natural gas.
• For dishwashers and clothes washers, the table shows
what the costs are depending on whether you heat your
water with gas or electricity and how many loads you
wash per week.
• For room air conditioners, the table shows what the
energy costs are for various hours of use.
• Labels on furnaces provide only general information
and some simple tips on keeping energy consumption
down.
• For more information on the appliances, ask for the
manufacturer’s fact sheets.

20
 Chapter 6
Appliances

Appliance Operating Costs

The following costs are based on energy consumption of
typical appliances and their average use. Your appliances
and use patterns may vary somewhat, so you may want to
figure exactly what it costs to operate your appliances. It
isn’t difficult to do if you have the right information.
All electric appliances have the “wattage” or “amperage”
and “voltage” indicated somewhere on the unit (amps x
volts = watts). You can use this figure to determine your
cost of operation. For example, an electric space heater with
1,500 watts costs 12 cents per hour to operate. Here’s how
that figure is reached:
1,500 watts ÷ 1,000 (watts per kWh) = 1.5 kWh
1.5 kWh x 8.0 cents per kWh = 12 cents per hour
Many electric appliances are thermostatically controlled.
Because they turn off and on automatically, they use energy
intermittently.
The following figures give you a basis for estimating
appliance operating costs. These estimates are based on
Minnesota Power’s average residential cost of 8.0 cents, per
kilowatt-hour. Your average cost may be slightly lower or
higher depending upon your usage and rate classification.

Average Average
Monthly Monthly
Household Services kWh Cost*

Laundry
Washer (used 12 hrs. a month) 9 $.72
Dryer (used 16 hrs. a month/$.30 per load) 83 6.64
Iron (used 16 hrs. a month) 12   .96
Well pump (3/4 hp) 20 1.60
Water heater (52 gallons) 100 kWh/tank plus addl. 100 kWh/person* 500 40.00
Water heater (energy-efficient model) 50 kWh/tank plus addl. 100 kWh/person* 450 36.00
Cooking and Refrigeration
Range (for a family of 4) 100 8.00
Microwave oven (1,450 watts; used 20 min. a day) 16 1.28
Refrigerator/freezer (upright, 2 dr., 18 cu. ft., manual defrost) 95 7.60
Refrigerator/freezer (upright, 2 dr., 18 cu. ft., frost-free) 152 12.16
Energy Star (upright, 2 dr, 18 cu. ft., frost free) 42 3.36
Refrigerator/freezer (side-by-side, total frost-free) 233 18.64
Energy Star (side-by-side, total frost free) 55 4.40
Freezer (15 cu. ft., manual defrost) 100 8.00
(kWh varies with model, cu. ft. and ambient outside temperature)
Freezer (15 cu. ft., frost-free) 147 11.76
Energy Star (15 cu. ft., frost-free) 45 3.15
Other Kitchen Appliances
Dishwasher (with heater unit) 26 2.08
Toaster (used once a day) 3 .24
Coffee maker (one pot per day) 22 1.76
Heating and Air Conditioning
Oil burner (26–60 kWh, varies with weather conditions) 60 4.80
Supplementary electric heaters
e.g., 1,500 watts @ 8 hrs/day x 30 days 360 28.80
1,500 watts @ 16 hrs/day x 30 days 720 57.60

*based on family of 4; the costs listed are based on the commonly used average of 8.0 cents per kilowatt-hour

21
Chapter 6
Appliances

Average Average
Monthly Monthly
Household Services (continued) kWh Cost*

Furnace fan or circulator (50–100 kWh; varies with weather conditions) 100 8.00
Room air conditioner (depends on size, use, and weather conditions) 300 24.00
Central air conditioner 670 53.60
Roof and gutter cable (usually 7 watts per ft.; multiply watts x hrs.)
Home Entertainment
VCR/DVD (used 10 hrs. a week) 2 .16
Personal computer—desktop with 17" CRT monitor (4 hours per day) 36 2.88
Personal computer—laptop (4 hours per day) 6 .48
Television—conventional 21 1.68
Television—LCD screen 42 3.36
Television plasma screen 126 10.08
Stereo system 9 .72
Other Appliances
Power tools (saws, drills, sanders, etc.) 3 .24
Vacuum cleaner (used 1 hr. a week) 4 .32
Waterbed heater 100 8.000
Electric blanket 14 1.12
Humidifier (without heating element; portable) 25–60 2.00–4.80
Dehumidifier 143–464 11.44–37.12
Auto engine heater (winter mos., multiply watts x hrs.) 20–100 1.60–8.00
Lighting (varies with daylight hours)
5-room house (winter mos.) 50 4.00
6-room house (winter mos.) 60 4.80
8-room house (winter mos.) 80 6.40
Lawn light (dusk to dawn, 100 watt) 35 2.80
Reddy Lite (100 watts, flat rate; includes all maintenance
and ownership costs) 9 .35
*based on family of 4; the costs listed are based on the commonly used average of 8.0 cents per kilowatt-hour

Measuring Your Appliance Participating libraries are making the meters available for
check-out—just like a library book. These devices—about
Operating Cost five inches by two-and-a-half inches in size—can monitor
Minnesota Power has teamed KILL A WATT P3 the electrical consumption of any 120-volt appliance, such
up with 30 service territory as refrigerators, microwave ovens, and televisions, and give
libraries (Kitchigami Regional the user an idea of how much energy the appliance is using.
Library System, Great River
Volt Amp Watt Hz KWH

Regional Library System, and

VA PF Hour
Included in the meter’s carrying case is a worksheet to help
Arrowhead Regional Library you convert your energy usage into dollars. The goal is to
System) to make available to provide a good idea of where your electric energy dollars
their patrons the Kill-A-Watt are being spent, so you can make informed decisions when
electric consumption meter. purchasing or upgrading appliances—and help conserve
energy.

22
 Chapter 6
Appliances

To meter an electrical appliance, simply plug the Kill-A-Watt
meter into a regular 120-volt electrical outlet and then plug
the appliance into the front of the meter. At the press of a
button, the meter displays alternating readouts of total time
the appliance has been plugged in and total energy used in
kilowatt-hours.
For a complete listing of appliance operating costs and
energy and money-saving recommendations, visit www.
mnpower.com and click on Power of One–One Home, or
go to www.energystar.gov.

Instructions are included with the meter on how to

determine an appliance’s monthly cost of operation.

EnergyGuide
1. Type of appliance and capacity. 1 2 3
2. Estimated annual operating cost for this model only.
3. Name of manufacturer and model number of the 4
appliance on which this label appears.
4. All model numbers are listed if the label applies to more
than one model. 14
5
5. All brands and models compared in the scale on this
label fall within this capacity range.
13 6
6. Estimated annual operating cost in this size range that
costs most to operate.
12
7. Cautions that the customer’s cost will not necessarily
be the same as the cost figure given above.
7
11
8. Suggests that the customer ask salesperson or utility
for local utility rates.
9. A grid to help determine more closely the customer’s
operating cost based on local utility rates and use
habits.
10. Warning that it is unlawful to remove label.
8
11. Where the estimated annual cost of this particular
model falls in comparison to all other models in this
size range.
12. Scale showing lowest and highest estimated operating 10 9
costs for models with this size range. These models
represent different brands, not just those of the
company listed in the upper right-hand corner.
13. Estimated annual operating cost for the model in this
size range that costs least to operate.
14. National average cost for electricity upon which the
estimated annual energy cost figure is based.

23
Chapter 7
Lighting
Lighting
The light bulb was the first electric device to be brought into
many homes and, in many respects, the incandescent bulb
that brought the lighting of America has changed little since
its invention more than a hundred years ago.
Today, though, we have energy-saving alternatives to the old
reliable incandescent bulb. We also have good reason for
making the switch: Lighting can account for 6 to 10 percent
of total electrical energy use in your home, and just one
option—the compact fluorescent light (CFL)—can save up
to 75 percent of a household’s lighting costs.
Cost of Lighting (based on 6 hrs/day)
Incandescent Lighting (6 years)
Initial Investment: $.50
6 Year Operation: $62.50
Replacement: $2.00
Total Cost $65.00
Savings over life of bulb = $46.00
Here’s a look at the lighting choices that are available today:
Incandescent
Almost all lighting in the home today is supplied by
incandescent bulbs. An incandescent bulb has a tungsten
filament that heats up as electric current passes along it.
The heat makes the filament glow white-hot and give off
light.
The principal product of an incandescent bulb, in fact, is
not light—but heat. More than 90 percent of the electrical
energy used in an incandescent bulb is dissipated as heat.
Less than 10 percent of the energy actually produces useful
light.
In effect, incandescent bulbs are miniature furnaces—
providing an expensive form of heating in winter and
unwanted heat in summer. (To experience this phenomenon,
go to the lighting department of your nearest home-supply
store and bask in the heat of the hundreds of incandescent
bulbs in the fixtures on display!)
While inefficient, the incandescent bulb does have its
redeeming features, which help account for its continued
widespread use:
24
For many people, their perception of fluorescent lighting
has been influenced by experiences in the workplace. Don’t
worry. You don’t turn green under modern CFLs.
The new compacts for household lighting differ in important
respects from typical fluorescents used in commercial
buildings. Besides being much smaller, the CFLs are warm
in appearance and render colors almost as faithfully as
incandescents. When in a fixture with a shade or lens, a CFL
is virtually indistinguishable from an incandescent.
CFL Lighting (6 years)
Initial Investment: $3.00
6 Year Operation: $16.00
Replacement: $ .00
Total Cost $19.00
• The bulbs themselves are inexpensive.
• They are lightweight and compact, and hundreds of
thousands of lighting fixtures have been manufactured
over the years specifically to accommodate them.
• Because they have a “point source” (the tungsten
filament), their light can be directed fairly easily.
• They can be dimmed and are compatible with all sorts
of timers and sensors.
• One wattage bulb can be swapped for another in the
same fixture. This makes it easy to adapt a fixture for
the changing needs of the people in a household.
In places where you’ll continue to use incandescents, keep
this in mind: Higher wattage bulbs are more efficient than
lower wattage bulbs. For example, it takes two 60-watt
bulbs, or four 40-watt bulbs, to provide as much light as a
single 100-watt bulb.
This is not to suggest that you should go out of your way
to use the brightest bulb you can find; instead, use high-
wattage bulbs for reading, cooking, sewing and the like, and
low-wattage bulbs in halls, attics, porches, garages and so
forth.

Energy-Saving Lights
Halogen Lamps
Halogen incandescent technology was originally developed
for car headlights. Halogen light is attractive. It is a bit
whiter than most incandescent light and is frequently
used to highlight retail displays. Halogen bulbs are about
10 percent more efficient than average incandescent bulbs.
Here’s how the halogen light works:
Iodine molecules are introduced into the glass capsule
in a halogen bulb. These molecules intercept tungsten
molecules, which break off the bulb’s filament as it wears
down from high current flowing along it over time. The
tungsten and iodine molecules combine chemically and
return to the filament. There the high heat releases the
iodine, which is free to begin repeating the process. This
regenerative quality of a halogen bulb results in fewer
deposits on the inner wall of the bulb, compared to a
standard incandescent, and a more durable filament, giving
the lamp brightness for a longer time.
Parabolic Reflectors and Elliptical Reflectors
Parabolic reflectors and elliptical reflectors use a design
feature rather than exotic chemicals to achieve efficiency
gains. These lamps have highly reflective surfaces that
are molded to concentrate light on a sharply defined area.
Reflector lights are particularly useful for directional lighting
situations—for use in recessed and track lighting fixtures,
for example, or outdoors, to light a porch, walkway, or
garage entrance without extending to a neighbor’s yard.
Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFL)
Fluorescent lights work on a different principle than
incandescents. The inside surfaces of a compact fluorescent
are coated with a mix of phosphors—substances that
glow when bombarded with ultraviolet light. A compact
fluorescent is filled with mercury gas that is ionized by the
electricity that passes through it. The ionization generates
ultraviolet light, which excites the phosphors, which causes
the bulbs to glow—or fluoresce. Mercury is necessary for
the bulbs to work and is safely contained inside during use.
CFLs must be recycled at the end of their use. Contact your
county or utility for recycling options.
Ionizing mercury gas requires a higher voltage than
is delivered by ordinary household 120-volt current.
So compact fluorescents employ a ballast—a type of
transformer—to boost the voltage and start the lamp. Once
the lamp is aglow, the ballast limits the amount of current
Chapter 7
Lighting
that flows through the lamp, as less energy is needed to
keep the lamp aglow once it has started.
The compact fluorescent is essentially “conductive,”
while the incandescent is “resistive.” A conductive device
generates much less heat than a resistive device. That
difference accounts for much of the compact fluorescent’s
energy-saving performance. Only about 70 percent of
the energy that flows through a compact fluorescent is
dissipated as heat, while about 30 percent produces useful
light. The incandescent, you’ll recall, uses only about
10 percent of its energy to produce useful light. Thus the
compact fluorescent can be three to four times as efficient
as the incandescent.
Until recently the most popular compact fluorescent bulbs
had a tubular shape. One of the downfalls of this shape was
that they were substantially taller than an incandescent.
The spiral tube has since been introduced. The spiral shape
maximizes the area of the bulb, making the length of the
bulb comparable to incandescent bulbs. Lamp shades fit
nicely over the spiral shape, and covers on ceiling fixtures
can even screw back over the popular “mini-twist” spiral
compact fluorescent bulbs.
Even with the spiral shape, some consumers still can’t get
used to the different look. For these people, manufacturers
offer a CFL that is encapsulate to create a light that looks
more like a traditional bulb.
The tubes also can be circular, resembling the original (and
now old fashioned) kitchen fluorescent.
The market for compact fluorescent light bulbs has taken
off, allowing for consumers to purchase a wide variety of
energy-saving compact fluorescent bulbs at competitive
prices. Consumers can now purchase 3-way and dimmable
CFLs. They can find compact fluorescent floodlights,
chandelier lamps, candelabra lamps, covered lamps, globe
shapes, reflector lamps, nightlights, and yellow bug lights.
In the past, buying a new CFL could cost anywhere between
$12 and $20. A transformation in the light bulb market and
competition amongst manufacturers has resulted in CFLs
priced as low as $2 per bulb. At such a reasonable cost,
consumers are finding more and more places to switch from
their old incandescent bulbs to new, more efficient compact
fluorescent lights. For more information on energy-efficient
lighting you can visit Minnesota Power’s Web site at: www.
mnpower.com/powerofone.
25
Chapter 7
Lighting

Calculating savings made by buying compact

fluorescents

The lifetime of a compact fluorescent is 6,000–10,000 hours

Making Energy-Efficient Decisions in on average, which is 6 to 10 times the lifetime of most
Home Lighting incandescents.

To fully understand the choices available in today’s home- The chart on the following page shows savings obtained
lighting marketplace, it helps to learn just a few lighting by replacing two 75-watt incandescents with two compact
technology terms. fluorescents—both on annual and product-lifetime basis.

Watts (w): Watts are the traditional measure of power Do note that, in this example, the lamps are used in fixtures
consumption. A 100-watt light bulb consumes 100 watts of that are on for an average of four hours a day. Because
power, or 100 watt hours of electricity during 60 minutes. of their high initial cost, compact fluorescents aren’t
recommended for fixtures that aren’t used several hours a
Kilowatt hour (kWh): A thousand watt hours make one day.
kilowatt hour. A kWh is the billing unit of electricity that
customers see. A 100-watt bulb burned for 10 hours uses As prices decrease, it will become more economical for
1,000 watt hours, or one kilowatt hour of electricity. At consumers to change over completely from incandescent
Minnesota Power’s present rates, one kWh costs an average bulbs to compact fluorescent bulbs.
residential customer about 8.0 cents.
Compact fluorescents save three ways
Lumens: Lumens is the technical term for describing the
actual light output of a lamp. While lumens describe total 1. Most important, they use less electricity.
light output, the impression of brightness a lamp gives can 2. The lamps last 6–10 times longer than incandescent
be created by the manner in which it diffuses light, as well bulbs, so there are savings from not having to buy and
as the overall amount of light it radiates. replace bulbs as often.
3. There is a labor savings from not having to buy and
Efficiency of Common Lamps install bulbs as often. These savings are realized more
Lamp Lumen Output in convenience than dollars, since most of us don’t hire
workers to replace our light bulbs, but the convenience
25-watt incandescent 220 lumens
factor shouldn’t be overlooked—especially for hard-to-
40-watt incandescent 480 lumens reach fixtures and for homes in which elderly people
60-watt incandescent 870 lumens live on their own.
75-watt incandescent 1,200 lumens
The one area in which compact fluorescents haven’t
100-watt incandescent 1,750 lumens compared favorably in the past with incandescents is in the
11-watt compact fluorescent 600 lumens purchase price. Incandescents frequently cost less than a
15-watt compact fluorescent 900 lumens dollar each, while compact fluorescents cost between $2
and $6 each. However, because of their long life, they are
18-watt compact fluorescent 1,100 lumens
generally a better choice for lighting your home.
20-watt compact fluorescent 1,200 lumens
23-watt compact fluorescent 1,550 lumens

26
 Chapter 7
Lighting

Comparison of Cost
(Using two 75-watt incandescent bulbs and one 18-watt compact fluorescent and one 23-watt compact)

18-watt compact
Two 75-watt fluorescent and
Energy Savings incandescents 23-watt compact Difference
Guide fluorescent

Watts 150 watts 41 watts 73% savings

Lumens 2,400 lumens 2,650 lumens 10% gain
Lamp life 1,000 hours 10,000 hours 9,000 hours longer
kWh per year
@ 4 hours a day 219 kWh 60 kWh 159 kWh less
Cost per year
@ 8 cents per kWh $17.52 $4.80 $11.13 per year savings
Years of life 0.68 year 6.8 years 6.12 years longer
Energy costs to operate
lifetime of lamp* $105.00 $28.70 $76.30 less
*Based on 10,000 hours use (24-hour per day use is 8,060 hours per year.)
Other Factors to Consider Edison medium. An option to installing a standard screw-in
While compact fluorescents offer impressive savings, they compact fluorescent with an adapter is to replace an entire
aren’t appropriate for every use in your home. Important fixture.
factors to consider in deciding where to place compact Here you have two further options:
fluorescents are:
Fluorescents
• Compact fluorescents are often longer and wider than
most incandescents. Make sure the new lamps will fit An increasing number of fixture manufacturers are making
your fixtures. many different types of fixtures in fluorescent versions,
with ballasts incorporated into the fixtures. Ceiling drums,
• Some compact fluorescents should not be used in wall sconces, jelly jar, and flood exterior lights are some
unventilated fixtures. Heat buildup can cause the lamps commonly made and sold fluorescent fixtures. These accept
to fail prematurely. compact fluorescent lamps ranging in wattage from twin-
• Standard compact fluorescents can’t be used with tube 7-watt and 9-watt lamps to 32-watt circular lamps.
dimmer switches. This can be a fire hazard. Consumers
need to make sure they purchase a bulb specifically The price of a fixture can be two to six times the cost of a
designed for a dimmable fixture. screw-in compact fluorescent, and they need to be installed
by someone skilled at working with wiring. Hard-wired
• Compact fluorescent bulbs contain a trace amount of compact fluorescents, in completely new fixtures, do have
mercury, so consider placement and do not dispose of some advantages. Unlike standard fixtures, for example,
in the household trash. Most recycling centers accept they are specifically designed for compact fluorescent lamps
compact fluorescent bulbs. and won’t overheat. In addition, the ballast will last for
Efficient Lighting Fixture virtually the lifetime of the fixture—a decade or more. When
lamps burn out, it costs only a few dollars to replace them.
This discussion so far has been about lighting fixtures
found in a typical home. These fixtures have sockets that A fixture change makes the most sense for a high-use
accept only the traditional lightbulb base known as the location, and perhaps a location where characteristics such

27
Chapter 7
Lighting

as a pause before lighting aren’t a significant inconvenience.
Lights in the kitchen, family room and exterior locations are
good candidates for fixture retrofits.
High-pressure sodium lights
High-pressure sodium lights are primarily identified
with commercial and industrial projects. This lighting
is extremely efficient, on the order of up to 140 lumens
delivered for each watt consumed. In densely populated
neighborhoods, because of brightness and intensity,
it wouldn’t be a popular choice. In more remote areas,
perhaps where long driveways or walkways need to be
lighted, high-pressure sodium lighting might make excellent
sense.
High-pressure sodiums, like fluorescents, require ballasts.
They take several minutes to light and are appropriate only
where turning on is restricted to once or twice a day.
• Turn off lights when you leave the room. Disregard the
common myth that it costs more to turn lights off and
on than just leaving them on when you leave a room.
With compact fluorescents, the rule of thumb is that
any time you are leaving for more than 10 minutes, turn
the light off. (Frequent off/on cycling will shorten the
lamp’s lifetime, but electricity savings should offset the
loss.)
• Keep fixtures and lamp shades clean. Dust and dirt
restrict light output from lamps.
• When buying lights, check the package for information
about lamp lifetime and the lumens produced in
contrast with the watts consumed. Get the most lumens
for your watts.

Lighting the Future

The technologies of high-efficient lighting have changed
dramatically.

Compact fluorescents are arriving in new configurations that

include both more glass (which means more light) and more
compact designs. Microprocessors are being developed for
use in compact fluorescent adapters to produce improved
efficacy, instant start, cold-weather use, and use with
dimming switches. Further improvements are expected.

LED (light emitting diodes) lighting is the next generation

of high efficient lighting. Currently found in low wattage
applications like holiday lighting and exterior walkway
lighting, many new LED products are entering the
marketplace for a wide range of uses in interior and exterior
applications. Many of the LED light products are rated for a
50,000-hour life.

Stay tuned and check in regularly with Minnesota Power’s

Power of One® Web site to learn more ways to save energy
and benefit the environment.

Tips

• Use natural daylight whenever possible. A single

skylight or properly positioned window delivers more
light than all the bulbs you can buy. The sun comes on
each morning and never sends you a bill.

• Reduce background light and rely more on task lighting.

Concentrate the light just where you need it. Consider
installing track or recessed lights.

28

Renewable Energy (Solar and Wind)
Solar Energy with SolarSense energy/windsense/faq.htm)
Minnesota Power’s SolarSense rebate program can
help customers generate some of their electricity from
the sun. Programs like this one exemplify Minnesota
Power’s commitment to being responsible corporate
citizens dedicated to reducing environmental impacts and
encouraging conservation of our land, air and water.
Solar Electric Rebates
Minnesota Power customers can receive a rebate for
installing a grid-connected solar photovoltaic (PV) electric
system. A PV electric system installed on a home, business
or industry generates a portion of your monthly electricity
needs from solar energy. Solar electric systems help
conserve our natural resources and protect the environment.
Incentives
1. A $2,000 per kilowatt rebate up to maximum of $4,000
from Minnesota Power. Rebates are limited to one per
customer and are subject to availability of funding.
2. To be eligible for the MP rebate, customers must
qualify for the State of Minnesota Solar Electric Rebate
Program (www.state.mn.us/mn). The state program
provides an additional $1,000–$20,000  rebate for up
to  10 kilowatts of grid connected solar energy ($2,000
per kilowatt). See MP Solar Electric Rebate Program
(www.mnpower.com) for more information.
3. To find out more about renewable energy projects,
visit the Northern Minnesota Renewable Energy Center
(www.mnrenewables.org).
WindSense
Through Minnesota Power’s renewable wind energy
program, residential and small commercial customers
can support the purchase of electric energy that has been
produced by the wind.
For almost 100 years, Minnesota Power has produced
your electricity primarily from two energy sources: low
sulfur, western coal, and renewable hydropower. Through
the terms of a 15-year agreement, Minnesota Power is
purchasing half the output of three new wind generators
owned by Great River Energy at Chandler Hills Wind Farm in
southwestern Minnesota.
Chapter 8
Renewable Energy
FAQs:
(www.mnpower.com/powerofone/renewable-
Subscription Form:
(www.mnpower.com/powerofone/renewable-
energy/windsense/subscribe.pdf)
The cost to produce wind energy is higher than the cost of
producing electricity from coal or hydropower. As a result,
wind energy provided under this program will include a
small surcharge ($2.50 per unit) to cover the additional
cost of acquiring this renewable resource. We sell wind
generated electric energy in 100 kilowatt-hour (kWh) blocks.
So, if you decide to choose wind power, you would pay an
additional charge of $2.50 per 100-kilowatt-hour block per
month.
Examples
1 block of 100 kWh $2.50
2 blocks of 100 kWh $5.00
3 blocks of 100 kWh $7.50
4 blocks of 100 kWh $10.00
5 blocks of 100 kWh $12.50
6 blocks of 100 kWh $15.00
7 blocks of 100 kWh $17.50
If you use 700 kilowatt-hours of electricity per month
(typical household use), and you choose to utilize wind
power for all your electricity needs, your electric bill would
be an additional $17.50 per month. However, you may buy
as many or as few blocks of 100 kilowatt-hours of wind
energy as you’d like, up to a maximum of 20 blocks. The
choice is yours.
We don’t want you to think we can direct each electron
from the wind turbine to your meter. That’s not physically
possible. Wind power flows into the power grid, where it’s
mixed with electricity from all the other regional sources.
However, by financially supporting renewable wind energy,
you’ll support the growth of wind generation in the state.
Learn more about electricity produced by the wind:
Frequently Asked Questions: (www.mnpower.com/
powerofone/renewable-energy/windsense/faq.htm)
To purchase electricity produced by the wind, you can call
722-5642, ext. 2824, or 1-800-228-4966 (Minnesota only),
ext. 2824, and ask for a WindSense brochure. It includes a
postage-paid subscription agreement for you to fill out and
29
Chapter 8
Renewable Energy

return, or you can print the subscription agreement on-line

and mail it in. Please allow at least six weeks for your
WindSense subscription to be noted on your bill.

Make Energy Improvements First

Energy-efficiency improvements on your home or business,
such as adding new insulation, upgrading heating systems,
and caulking and weather stripping, is more cost-effective
than installing a solar electric or wind system.

We encourage customers to reduce energy consumption by

making energy-saving improvements first.

If you need help determining which improvements to make,

and to learn more about how you use energy in your home,
you may also request an in-home electric use analysis. Visit
our Web site for tools and information at www.mnpower.
com/powerofone or call 1-800-228-4966 (Minnesota
only), ext. 2909.

30
 Glossary
AFUE The Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency, a rating method
developed by the U.S. Department of Energy. The AFUE indicates
what percentage of the energy in the fuel is converted to usable
heat (input heat versus output heat) over the course of the heating
season.
Btu The British thermal unit, a unit of heat commonly used when
discussing heating and cooling systems. One Btu is the amount of
heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water one
degree Fahrenheit, or roughly the amount of heat generated by a
single kitchen match burning completely.
Air Bypass Leakage points where heated air escapes from the
house.
Caulking Pliable materials used to reduce the passage of air and
moisture by filling small gaps.
Conduction The flow of heat through a material, like wood. One
molecule transfers heat to the molecules next to it.
Convection The flow of heat contained in a gas or liquid. The
adage “heat rises” actually refers to hot air convecting upwards.
Drafts are another form of convection.
Degree Days The number of degrees difference from 65 degrees
Fahrenheit each day, whether above (Cooling Degree Days) or below
(Heating Degree Days); the days are added together for the entire
heating or cooling season.
Door Sweep A device attached to the base of the door used to
seal the crack along the bottom of a door by dragging a flexible strip
against the threshold.
Envelope The protective shell of a building that separates the
outside environment from the inside environment.
Efficacy The ratio of the number of lumens given off to the
number of watts consumed, lm/W.
Infiltration The movement into and out of a home through
intended and/or unintended openings in the envelope (in walls,
cracks around windows and doors, openings around light fixtures,
electrical sockets, pipes, etc.).
kWh Kilowatt-hours, the unit of electricity on which residential
billing is based. The basic unit of electrical power is the watt. One
kilowatt is equal to 1,000 watts, and one kilowatt-hour is a result of
one kilowatt being used for one hour. To calculate kilowatt-hours,
you determine total wattage, divide by 1,000 to convert to kilowatts,
and multiply by the number of hours of use.
Low-E Windows Window panes with low-emmissivity coating.
Also called heat-reflective coated glass. A low-E coating on a
window reflects radiant heat back to its source—the indoors in
winter, the outdoors in summer. The lower the emissivity, the higher
the R-value, and the better the insulating performance.
Life-time Savings A method of determining the cost of an
appliance by including costs of purchase, operation, maintenance,
and disposal of the appliance.
Lumens Visible light output. A unit of measure for the flow of
light, equal to the amount of a single candle.
Radiation The transfer of heat, through heat waves (infrared,
ultraviolet, and visible), from one separate body to another. This
is how the sun heats the earth. Radiative heat transfer makes you
feel cold standing in front of a cold window, even if the inside air is
warm. Your body is radiating heat to the cold window surface.
Relative Humidity The ratio of the amount of water vapor
in the air to the amount it could potentially hold at the same
temperature.
R-Value A measure of resistance of a material or assembly to
heat flow. It is expressed in units of hr-Ft sq-F/Btu. Manufacturers
and engineers commonly use the R-value to describe the rate of
non-solar heat loss or gain through a given material. The higher a
material’s R-value, the greater the resistance to heat flow, and the
greater the insulating value.
SEER The Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio is the total cooling
output of the air conditioner or heat pump in Btu divided by the
total electrical energy input in watt-hour during the same period.
Generally, SEERs of 8 to 10 are good. A rating of 10 or better
is considered to be high efficiency, and some newer units have
achieved SEERs as high as 15.
Vapor Barrier A moisture-impervious layer applied to the
surface enclosing a humid space to prevent moisture penetration.
Ventilation The process of supplying or removing air by natural
or mechanical means to or from any space.
Warm Edge Windows A description of a window that
insulates effectively at its glass edges, not just at the center.
Thermally separated frames help create warm edges.
Watt Unit of power consumption rating for appliances and lighting
(the product of volts x amps).
Weatherstripping Narrow strips of material placed over or in
movable joints of windows and doors to reduce the passage of air
and moisture.
 30 West Superior Street
Duluth, Minnesota 55802
www.mnpower.com
1-800-228-4966 (Minnesota only)
218-722-2641

Printed on recycled paper.

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