How Can I Make My Home More Energy Efficient?

Making your home energy efficient is something every homeowner should do, and not only in the winter months.

According to the US Department of Energy, drafts from underneath doors and other spaces in the walls can waste 5 to 30 percent of energy use per year. Below, are 6 tips on how to make your home more energy efficient and save money in the process:

1. Use a programmable thermostat. Lowering the heat on the thermostat when your out of the house or sleeping can be the most cost-effective way to make your home more energy efficient. Programable thermostats make this easy, since you can see the temperature to a degree; for every degree you lower the thermostat, you’ll on average save between 1 and 3 percent of your heating bill (and the same applies for air conditioning).
2. Caulk where caulk is needed. Even small leaks, cracks, or gaps can reduce a home's energy efficiency. It is important to seal up any gaps by caulking and weatherstripping. These gaps are commonly found where two different building materials meet, such as corners, around chimneys, where pipes or wires exit, and along the foundation. Also, caulk window and door frames to make sure they are airtight.
3. Upgrade or replace windows and doors. One of the most effective ways to save on your home utility bills and increase energy efficiency is to have the proper windows installed in all the rooms of your house. Experts in window installation San Diego agree that the initial cost of installation is more than paid for by the money saved. According to EnergyStar.gov, replacing single pane windows with energy efficient windows will save 7 to 24 percent of your heating and air-conditioning bills and between $126 to $465 annually. In addition to windows, installing storm doors can seal drafts and reduce air flow. Replacing a regular doorr with an energy efficient storm door can help increasing energy efficiency by 45 percent.
4. Improve insulation. Over 40 percent of the heat lost in the average home is through loft space and walls, and as much as 20 percent of your energy bill can be saved by good loft insulation. Adding insulation to walls, ceilings, and the attic can greatly improve your homes energy efficiency.
5. Upgrade or replace light bulbs. Replacing incandescent lightbulbs with energy saving bulbs, also called compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), can save three-quarters of the electricity used by incandescents. Although they cost a few dollars more, the money saved in electricity costs make them a well-worth it purchase. And of course, turn off lights (and other equipment) when not in use. High utility costs often include paying for energy that is completely wasted.
6. Take advantage of tax incentives for home. In energy efficient San Diego, homeowners get tax for credits up to 30 percent for their solar panel installations. But California isn't the only state that gives tax incentives for home improvements. Energy efficiency rebates and tax incentives are available to all US homeowners to offset the costs of home improvements.

Following the above tips is a simple way make your home more energy efficient. And not only will your home save a lot of energy, your family will also save money thanks to reduced utility bills.

Did TransCanada Lie?

A judge has halted construction of the Keystone XL pipeline in Texas in result of the newest lawsuit that had come out of the Keystone XL debacle. A Texas resident is claiming that TransCanada, the company behind the pipe, lied to Texans when it said it would be using the Keystone XL pipeline to transport crude oil.

The pipeline will be designed to carry tar sands oil from Canada to the Gulf Coast through Texas. Although the pipe requires permission from Obama to cross country lines - which is denied last year, inter-country has begun.

As we reported earlier this month, an appeals court ruled that TransCanada could use eminent- domain law to seize land in Texas to build the Keystone XL pipeline. This left many Texans asking, "What is eminent domain?" They soon realized, however, that it meant the the state could physically take their property and hand it over to TransCanada.

One such resident, Michael Bishop, who had has land taken for the construction of the pipeline, wanted to check the validity of the taking. A Texas judge examined the plea, and ordered TransCanada to temporarily discontinue working on the private property where it has been building part of an oil pipeline for a two-week injunction.

The previous court case ruled that tar sands oil are a form of crude oil, which is a common carrier that pipelines are allowed to use eminent domain to carry. However, tar sands oil does not meet the definition as outlined in Texas and federal statutory codes which define crude oil as “liquid hydrocarbons extracted from the earth at atmospheric temperatures. When tar sands are extracted in Alberta, Canada, the material is almost a solid, and can only be in liquid form when heated and melted down.

TransCanada had not mentioned that the tar sands would be refined. This not only violates the orginal definition, but now environmentalists are concerned that if the pipeline leaks or spill occurs, the heavy tar sands will contaminate water and land - as tar sands are more difficult to clean than is regular crude oil. In addition, refining the product will further air pollution in the Gulf Coast.

Since the onset of the pipeline design, several landowners across the country - not just in Texas - have brought lawsuits to the courts to fight the company’s land condemnations. In the majority of the cases, construction has been allowed to resume despite injunctions held prior. In such cases, the landowner is awarded compensation for their land. Several times, such as for Bishop, the landowners can not afford to hire a comdemnation attorney and are forced to settle.

In 2013 California To Stil Lead Solar Race

California is in the lead for solar panel installation, but New Jersey is a close second – and getting closer. New Jersey has intended for increased solar photovoltaic growth within the coming year. 

A key part of the state’s plan to rebuild after Hurricane Sandy is for many home owners and housing developments will be installing back-up solar generation, either grid-tied or off-grid, which can provide power during future major outages. Despite the close race, California is projected to lead the solar race again in 2013. 

Similar to California, New Jersey has launched their own initiatives to deploy solar photovoltaic systems and to diversify their energy portfolio. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, in the second quarter of 2012, California again led the nation in installed solar capacity, with a total of 217 MW, while New Jersey had 103 MW.

Although New Jersey is making solar strides in the right direction, according to new research from Santa Clara, California-based NPD Solarbuzz, CA is projected to keep its position at number one in 2013, much thanks to its combination of policy initiatives. In 2012, energy efficient San Diego was named the country's top solar city, and the city is not ready to lose that title anytime soon.

California has one of the most ambitious Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) requirements goals in the nation: It requires both public and investor-owned utilities to procure 33 percent of all electricity delivered to retail customers from renewable sources by 2020.

California’s Go Solar California Campaign contains several policy initiatives to help the state become more solar friendly. The California Solar Initiative (CSI), for example, is the largest rate-payer-funded solar rebate program in the US. It serves homeowners who are customers of investor-owned utilities, and has supported California’s baseline market demand for solar panels.

The New Solar Homes Partnership provides financial incentives and other support to builders of new, energy efficient solar homes. This, together with the CSI and the several other rebate programs offered through the dozens of publicly owned utilities in the state are key components of the Go Solar California initiative.

The CSI offers San Diego solar customers different incentive levels based on the performance of their solar panels, including such factors as installation angle, tilt, and location rather than system capacity alone. This performance framework ensures that California is generating clean solar energy and rewarding systems that can provide maximum solar generation.

In CA, Even The Prisons "Go Green"

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has been going green, and the resulting estimated reduced electricity costs for the state are proof of its success.

California is known for its green initiatives. For example, just this year San Diego solar power projects have given the city the title of the country's most-solar city. However, the state wanted to reach out from just the cities and expand its solar initiatives. In order to preserve its reputation and reduce energy costs simultaneously, state and county officials, teamed with solar companies and utility systems, came up with the idea of powering correctional facilities using clean, green solar power, and using excess power for the local grid.

The prison sustainability initiative, which started in 2006, is now in full force. It is expected to save the state's taxpayers more than $45 million. Many of the prisons are located in remote, deserted areas, which in fact are prime locations for solar panel placement.

The solar prison-power plants are located at California Correctional Institution, Chuckawalla Valley State Prison, Ironwood State Prison, and North Kern State Prison. The solar energy generated by the systems is approximately 25 megawatts of electricity, which is enough to

provide enough clean energy to power around 65,00 homes, and offset more than 730 million pounds of CO₂ emissions over the next twenty years. This offset is the equivalent of removing 72,000 cars off the road.

In total, the prison sites have over 83,000 panels installed on the sites. The installations in total cover 25 percent of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation energy costs and use.

Thanks to the solar prison initiatives, San Diego solar projects won't be the only ones making headlines! 

Keystone XL Allowed to Use Eminent Domain

An appeals court ruled that TransCanada Corp. can use eminent- domain law to seize land in Texas to build the Keystone XL pipeline.

The Keystone XL pipeline proponents hope it will transport Canadian tar-sands crude oil to Gulf Coast refineries. The Keystone Pipeline System is a pipeline system to transport synthetic crude oil from northeastern Alberta, Canada to multiple destinations in the United States, which include refineries in Illinois, Oklahoma, and proposed connections to refineries along the Gulf Coast of Texas.

One of the main issues with Keystone XL, in addition to its various environmental harms, is that the construction of the pipeline will require taking private land from landowners throughout the country, using eminent domain. Although the government will have to provide just compensation for any land taken, several landowners have hired an eminent domain lawyer to review their cases and fight against the taking. Such cases have been ongoing in Texas for the past year.

The pipeline opponents in Texas claimed that a 2011 TX Supreme Court decision withheld condemnation powers from interstate pipelines that transport out-of-state crude into Texas - only intrastate pipelines transporting hydrocarbons within state borders should be allowed to use eminent domain, the landowners and their condemnation lawyer said in court filings.

This would imply that TransCanada could not use eminent domain, as the company doesn’t meet the definition of a “common carrier” under the 2011 ruling and shouldn’t be allowed to use state eminent-domain laws to take private property. The lower court rejected the farmers’ claim, and the case moved to the appeal's court.

The appellate panel agreed and upheld the dismissal, finding that the Texas law doesn’t limit the right of eminent domain to pipelines within the state’s borders. Now, officially under Texas law, TransCanada is a common carrier and will be able to take any land needed for the construction and maintenance of the pipeline. 

TransCanada has consistently won in all lawsuits along the Keystone XL pipeline route through Texas. Thanks to the court's permission, if President Obama approves the pipeline, then TransCanada can legally start to build the southernmost leg of its 2,151-mile pipeline between western Canada and the US refining industry complex on the Texas coast.