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Energy Savers GUIDE Energy Savers GUIDE Saturday, Sept. 8, 2012 Fairbanks, Alaska

2012 Energy Savers Guide

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Tips and tricks to save energy and money in Interior Alaska.

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Page 1: 2012 Energy Savers Guide

Energy Savers

GUIDE

Energy Savers

GUIDE

Saturday, Sept. 8, 2012Fairbanks, Alaska

Page 2: 2012 Energy Savers Guide

2 Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Saturday, September 8, 2012

HOME WEATHERIZATION

The weatherization program provides weatherization work on houses, apartments, &

mobile homes for qualified households.

Renters and homeowners with low to moderate income may be eligible for thermal doors, windows, insulation, air-sealing, weather-stripping and heating system repair at absolutely no cost. Save money on your fuel and electric bills! The paperwork is extremely simple!

Call Interior Weatherization, Inc .

today for details! 452-5323 or Long Distance 1-800-478-5323

713 15th Avenue Download application at: www.interiorwx.org

EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

Funded by Alaska Housing Finance Corp., US Dept. of Energy, and the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)

13401260-9-8-12ES

A household is automatically eligible if any household resident documents receipt of SSI, Energy Assistance (LIHEAP), ATAP, TANF, Senior Care Benefits, APA/IA or Food Stamps. Homes weatherized before April 2008, are eligible to be re-weatherized.

Annual Income Guidelines Size

Household 1 2 3 4

Max. Income FNSB

$59,300 67,700 76,200 84,600

$68,500 $49,800 78,300 56,900 88,100 64,000 97,800 71,100

Denali Borough

Nenana & Delta

11401157-9-8-12ET

By JEFF [email protected]

Figuring out how to slash a costly energy bill is tough for many Interior residents, but the crews

at Interior Weatherization know where to look for the usual suspects.

The nonprofit corporation, which has operated since the 1980s, evaluates and upgrades about 500 homes per year in the area. Paul Woodman, a quality control evaluator for Interior Weatherization, said attics and crawl spaces are the most typical areas of heat loss, because of inad-equate insulation or poor air sealing.

Instead of examining those hard-to-reach spaces, qualifying residents are eligible to get a free look from Interior Weatherization and perhaps an upgrade that will boost their home’s efficiency.

The weatherization program, funded by the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation, cuts an estimated average of 24 percent from a home’s previous energy consump-tion, Woodman said.

“We really take pride in that the money we get from the state, we put all we can into the homes,” Woodman said.

Improvements can include adding insu-lation, improving a thermal seal, replacing an inefficient boiler or heating system, or boosting a home’s ventilation.

Nonprofit corporation works to help slash energy use

Jeff Richardson/News-Miner

A Joshua Industries employee checks out a heater while working on a new boiler unit at a North Pole-area home Aug. 31. The upgrade was one of a series

INDEXMaking your small business green ....... 4

The Home Energy Rebate Program ...... 7

Advantages and disad-vantages of recycling .............................. 8

Recycling items around the house .............. 9

Decoding boiler jargon ............................ 11

What stack effect can do to your home ......................... 12

Improving your home’s energy efficiency ... 13

The best time and ways to season wood ............................ 15

Page 3: 2012 Energy Savers Guide

3Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Saturday, September 8, 2012

Wood Stoves, Pellet & Barley Stoves, Furnaces, Boilers, Fireplaces and Inserts TRUE Chimney Lifetime Warranty Licensed, Bonded, Insured. Over 20 Years Experience.

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products at the best possible price. We offer a wide variety of stoves,

fireplaces, inserts, biomass furnaces/ boilers, patio furniture, fire pits, barbeque grills, barbeque supplies and outdoor power equipment. Our outdoor power equipment includes chainsaws, brush cutters, power washers, generators and supplies. We offer the largest variety of pellet stoves in Interior Alaska. We have pellet stoves that can be ducted to provide heat to different rooms or different floors. We have a pellet stove that comes with a battery back-up in case of loss of power. Additionally, we have woodstoves by Lopi that will start a fire for you with the touch of a button. We have the products that you are looking for but didn’t know where to find them. Come on in to our showroom and check out what we have to offer.

Come in and check out our outdoor power equipment selection by Dolmar. We have a wide variety of chainsaws to meet practically anyone’s needs. We have all of your accessories such as lubricants, chains, bars, safety equipment, chainsaw cases and etc.

We stock pellets by Superior Pellet Fuels from North Pole. We warehouse their pellets and have some of the lowest prices on pellets in the Fairbanks area and we don’t run out! We heat our store by way of a biomass furnace and burn only Superior Pellet Fuels pellets. We offer biomass furnaces/boilers by Woodmaster and America’s Heat.

The brand names of woodstoves that we offer are: Archgard, Lennox, Regency, Jotul, Lopi, Avalon, Vermont Castings, Nordica, and Supreme Fireplace. The brand names of pellet stoves that we offer are: St. Croix, Regency, Lopi, Wittus, and Paromax ( the only gasification pellet stove and has a battery backup). We offer high quality gas fireplaces by Mendota and Valor.

Our chimney products are the best in the industry. Our chimney is manufactured by Olympia Chimney which has the only TRUE lifetime warranty in the industry and is even transferable. Our stainless steel liner is stronger and thicker than you will find at our competition. We are a full service one stop shop. We service and install what we sell. You will not find any

better quality products at our prices anywhere in Interior Alaska.

Our services include free estimates, and discounts for military (active or retired), senior citizens, police and firefighters. We have more than 25 years of combined experience with heating appliances, chimney and venting installation and maintenance. We are more than happy to help anyone even if we don’t carry your particular product because we are here to bring great customer service to the residents of Fairbanks and the surrounding areas.

The old NAPA building, the Big Blue Building, located at 1001 College Rd, is where you will find the true meaning of excellent customer service and quality at an affordable price. Cold Country Hearth & Patio has the widest selection of quality hearth and patio products in the Fairbanks area. Cold Country Hearth & Patio was opened to give Interior Alaska residents a choice to shop at a local store with some of the best brands in the industry and be given the best customer service possible. In these hard times we believe that heat should be affordable to anyone, no matter your budget, which is why we offer a variety of stoves, inserts, and fireplaces that are friendly to the pocket book as well as friendly to the environment. We are here to provide you the best quality

Forever Warranty, not pro-rated or limited lifetime , UL Listed and Tested , Winner of the 2011 Vesta Award for best Chimney and Venting products

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Page 4: 2012 Energy Savers Guide

4 Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Saturday, September 8, 2012

59 College Road, Suite 105 Fairbanks, Alaska 99701

[email protected] www.alaskaalacarterealty.com

A LASKA A La Carte R EALTY Alaska A La Carte Realty offers a menu of services to choose from. You pay for only the real estate service you need. You may need one or all but you now have a CHOICE. For

example, for a low flat fee we can place your home in our local MLS, which goes to 100’s of websites, including Realtor.com, or you my just need specific For Sale By Owner (FSBO) assistance. Andrea is the same dedicated, trusted, thorough Realtor,

with over 30 years of real estate background/sales in the Fairbanks area.

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907.378.0336 Call Andrea to schedule your FREE consultation.

Who has the power to use less energy? YOU do. We’re bringing you stories of real Alaskans who are saving money by using less power.

Find our more:

Your neighbors are saving on their electric bills. You can, too.

The program is free to home occupants, including homeowners and tenants in rental units. When rental units are upgraded, however, a contribution from the land-lord is required for substantial improvements.

Annual income guidelines for the program range from $59,300 for a person living alone to $98,200 for a family of six. There’s a waiting list to receive the service, but Execu-tive Director Angela Ketzler said it typically isn’t a lengthy one. Clients with the program must also take a two-hour class on boosting energy effi-

ciency before a home evalua-tion is done.

Not every home needs effi-ciency improvements, but the evaluations also include safety measures, like checking smoke alarms, carbon monoxide lev-els and fire extinguishers.

“Our main intention is to help the client save money,” Ketzler said. “But when we see a health and safety issue, you can’t ignore it.”

More information about the program, along with a link to the program application, is available online at www.inte-riorwx.org. Forms and infor-mation also are available at the Interior Weatherization office at 713 15th Ave.

Contact staff writer Jeff Rich-ardson at 459-7518.

By Anica WongCreators.com

There’s no hotter trend these days than being “green.”

If you’re not buying compact fluorescent light bulbs for your house, then your friends might say you hate the envi-ronment. Compost piles and recycling bins are the new accessories for any sustain-able household.

Companies are starting to jump on the bandwagon, too. But for small businesses that can’t hire a sustainability expert, there can be a hesita-tion to make any big changes. That shouldn’t be the mental-ity that small companies use, said K.J. McCorry, a former member of the Connected Organizations for a Respon-sible Economy board.

“Employees want to work

with companies that are ‘doing the right thing’ and being proactive with corpo-rate environmental and social programs,” she said. A 2007 survey by Adecco, an interna-tional human resources com-pany, found that 52 percent of employed adults feel their companies should do more about the environment.

Start by focusing on the

low-hanging fruit when audit-ing for ways to become more environmentally friendly. The most common thing is light-ing, which can comprise up to 60 percent of an electric bill for a small company.

“Things become obsolete quickly. With incandescent light bulbs being phased out,

NONPROFITContinued from Page 2 How to make your

business sustainable

Please see BUSINESS, Page 6

Start by focusing on the low-hanging fruit when auditing for ways to become more environmentally friendly. The most common thing is lighting, which can com-prise up to 60 percent of an electric bill for a small company.

Page 5: 2012 Energy Savers Guide

5Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Saturday, September 8, 2012

HOME HEATING OIL

Products we deliver:

• Heating Oil • Diesel Fuel • Unleaded Fuel • Jet-A Fuel • Avgas

Aviation: • Off Airport Deliveries • Full into-plane service at Fairbanks International Airport • 24-hour self-serve Avgas Cardlock

"Fairbanks International Airport/Chena Marina Airport" • Full service FBO on West Ramp of Fairbanks

International Airport • Pilots' lounge on the East Ramp of Fairbanks

International Airport

Locally Owned and Operated Since 1982 Servicing Nenana, Salcha, Fox, North Pole and Fairbanks

P.O. Box 60669, Fairbanks, Alaska 99706 www.alaskaaerofuel.com • email: [email protected] 18400966-9-8-12E

S

Some of the services we provide:

• 4x4 fuel delivery trucks • Competitive pricing • Friendly staff • Budget Payment Plans • Auto-service available • Prompt payment discounts • Call-in delivery service • Environmentally conscious • 24-hour Emergency Service

Page 6: 2012 Energy Savers Guide

6 Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Saturday, September 8, 2012

Providing a renewable, affordable and environmentally friendly

Energy Source Alternative

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Alaska’s first large-scale producer of wood pellets

Monday-Friday 8:00 AM - 5:30 PM Saturdays 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM.

New bulk delivery truck available to fill individual silos to make handling pellets more convenient.

We have a variety of silos available at the mill. Call for details!

Locally Manufactured Wood Pellets with

Guaranteed Availability at the Facility.

488-6055

Premium Grade Wood Pellets: $305.00/Ton Credit

Standard Grade Wood Pellets: $200.00/Ton

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Available in Bulk or Super Sack Form

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The most thorough service check in the North Star Borough

Locally owned & operated Serving FNSB for over 16 years

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Offering our 28 Point Annual Service check!

We recommend an annual service maintenance of your heating

system to improve the efficiency of your unit.

We service all makes of Boilers and Forced Air Furnaces.

Call to schedule your appointment today!

~ Service Heating ~

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Phillips Field Rd

Well St

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eway

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Located in the Railroad Industrial area, off East Phillips Field Rd.

ARCTIC TECHNICAL SERVICES ENERGY EFFICIENT COMFORT

452-8368 1318 Well Street [email protected]

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G ENERAL C ONTRACTING E LECTRICAL C ONTRACTING

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Sheldon Thompson (907) 378-5547

[email protected] 329 Driveway Street

Fairbanks, Alaska 99701

57399952-9/8/12ES

businesses still have a lot of outdated lighting,” said Nicole Stika, the director of energy programs at the Council of Smaller Enterprises.

There are a few options, she said. Companies can go with the compact fluorescent light bulbs, which are an inexpen-sive option, or they can opt for light-emitting diodes. Though LED lighting can cost more at the beginning, Stika said that they produce 10 times greater savings than CFLs. If your company is going to stay in the building for an extended amount of time, it probably would be worth it to spring for the LEDs and reap the ben-efits in the long run.

Stika also suggests that areas that don’t need to be lit

all the time be put on light sensors. This will eliminate unused rooms from sucking energy and adding to the elec-tric bill.

While recycling has become an easy way to help planet Earth, upcycling might not be as common. Upcycling, which Stika defines as being able to repurpose a material, is especially important for com-panies that have a lot of waste material left over from creat-ing, packaging and shipping products.

She points to an example from The Taylor Companies, one of the oldest chair manu-facturing companies in the United States. According to Stika, it was able to cut down to zero percent in waste each year. It sold the sawdust cre-ated during the manufacturing process to a local horse farmer, and a company in Canada repurposes any scrap leather into wallets.

Along with doing small things in the actual office building, Stika suggests that small businesses check to see if they are eligible to receive rebates or tax benefits to become environmentally friendly or after they have made changes to their opera-tions. Businesses can also check out Green Plus, an insti-tute that provides national accreditation for small busi-nesses and recognizes them for their sustainability efforts.

By becoming accredited as a Green Plus certified busi-ness, small-company owners become connected with local, regional and national contacts and businesses that feel the same way about sustainability as they do.

Improving brand awareness with other green corporations and then expanding to differ-ent circles can help a compa-ny’s bottom line. According to a National Marketing Institute survey, consumers are will-ing to spend up to 20 percent more on environmentally sound products and services. Increasing green and going green — it’s not a bad way for a company to thrive.

Creators.com photo courtesy of GreenStreet

Solutions

Putting the light bulbs in

your office on motion

sen-sors will

decrease your

electric bill and put you

one step closer to

becoming “green.”

BUSINESSContinued from Page 4

Page 7: 2012 Energy Savers Guide

7Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Saturday, September 8, 2012 18401307-9-8-12E

S

or visit us online at www.budgetblinds.com/fairbanks

This column previously was pub-lished on June 21. The “Ask a Builder” series is dedicated to answering some of the many questions Fairbanks resi-dents have about building, energy and the many other parts of home life.

By CCHRC staff

The state of Alaska invested an estimated $110 million from 2008 to 2011 on extra

insulation, new boilers, air sealing and other retrofits for roughly 16,500 homeowners — about 10 percent of all homeowners in Alaska.

The Home Energy Rebate Program provides funding to help homeown-ers make their houses more energy efficient. The Cold Climate Housing Research Center worked with the Insti-tute of Social and Economic Research to look at the economic impacts of the program. The study, funded by the

Alaska Housing Finance Corporation, showed homeowner investment, fuel savings, payback periods, job creation and more.

Here are some highlights:• Total spending for energy

efficiency improvements was about $185 million, with state rebates cover-ing 60 percent and homeowners 40 percent. Homeowners should recoup their investment in roughly 3.5 years. State and private spending will be returned in homeowner savings in less than 9 years.

• Annual fuel use dropped an esti-mated 33 percent for households who participated. The average homeowner will save an estimated $1,300 a year on fuel (or 26 percent).

• Every $1 million in state spending generated 12 Alaska jobs — 7 direct retrofitting jobs and 5 indirect jobs — amounting to about 1,330 jobs.

• Overall, participants are saving an estimated $22 million annually. If

they spend those savings locally, every $1 million in new household spending generates 11 jobs throughout the state economy — an annual average of about 240 jobs.

• The biggest money savers were more efficient boilers or furnaces (con-stituting 50 percent of energy savings). Adding extra insulation to walls, doors, and ceilings made up 25 percent of sav-ings; sealing air leaks accounted for nearly 15 percent of savings; replacing windows and water heaters comprised 10 percent of savings.

• Anchorage homes made up 49 percent of retrofits; other Southcentral communities 27 percent; Fairbanks 14 percent; and Juneau 6 percent.

The full snapshot is available at www.iser.uaa.alaska.edu/Publica-tions/2012_05_16-HERP.pdf

• Changes in fuel costs and savings are estimates from AHFC’s energy-rat-ing software as actual household heat-ing bills aren’t currently available.

Ask a Builder articles promote awareness of home-related issues. If you have a question, contact the Cold Climate Housing Research Center at [email protected] or 457-3454.

The paybacks of investing in energy efficiencyTotal spending for energy efficiency improvements

was about $185 million, with state rebates covering 60 percent and homeowners 40 percent. Homeowners should recoup their investment in roughly 3.5 years.

Page 8: 2012 Energy Savers Guide

8 Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Saturday, September 8, 2012 17402904-9-8-12E

T

459-1011 • See our maps and schedules online at www.fnsb.us/macs/

Fairbanks Transit Fairbanks Transit Fairbanks Transit

NEW ROUTES to Salcha & Van Horn Rd.

Save Gas , Save Money , Ride the Bus! Save Gas , Save Money , Ride the Bus! Save Gas , Save Money , Ride the Bus!

Recycling: Benefits and concernsBy Chelle Cordero

Creators.com

Most American communi-ties promote programs to reduce, reuse and recycle,

and though they have the support of many, there are also naysayers.

Though most solid waste manage-ment authorities applaud the differ-ence recycling makes in their local landfills, there are some concerns. One of them is pest control. Because plastic, metal and glass food contain-ers often stagnate while waiting to be shipped off to respective centers to be sanitized and reused, pests may be

attracted to the remaining food traces and some worry that this could create health risks.

Recycling collection programs usu-ally include newsprint, glass, plastic bottles, aluminum and steel cans. With recycling containers parked curbside for pick-up, are we using more fuel and adding exhaust fumes to the environment in order to col-lect them? Are we giving consumers a false sense of security by leading them to believe that recycling is sufficient commitment to our environment?

In New York’s Rockland County, residents reduce their amount of trash by separating their recyclable

materials. Those materials are no longer placed in landfills; they are bundled and sold to manufacturers as raw material for new products. Reve-nue from these sales reduces taxes by helping to pay for recycling collection and processing. Additionally, rebates from sales of the recyclables are returned to participating municipali-ties based on the tonnage generated.

Some individuals simply do not recycle or recycle only sporadically. Even when the average consumer recycles everything possible, most items still need a fair amount of sort-ing and preparation. Plastics are num-bered one through seven depending

on polymer content; these numbers are most often visible in recognizable triangles on the plastic containers and are used to sort the plastics dur-ing the first step toward recycling. Depending on the community, glass, plastics and metals may be collected together and need to be separated at some point. Aluminum and steel cans also need to be sifted through.

Paper and cardboard recycling account for an estimated one-third of recycled products. To make paper reusable, it needs to be bleached, which introduces harsh chemicals into

Please see RECYCLING, Page 9

Page 9: 2012 Energy Savers Guide

9Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Saturday, September 8, 2012

Kitchen • Bathroom • Windows Doors • Decks • Siding • Fireplaces

Gutters • Bath • HRV • Radon Licensed, Bonded, Insured, BFFS Certified, FPA Certified

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• Barns, greenhouses, and other farm buildings • Tractors, tillage equipment and other vehicles/implements • Irrigation and watering systems • Farm practices including fertilization, harvest, and tillage operations

To find out more: Contact Fairbanks Soil and Water Conservation District 479-1213 x 107

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AGRICULTURAL PRODUCERS

Sign up for a COST-SHARED ENERGY AUDIT of your farm energy use! Farm energy audits can assess energy use for:

By Ginny FrizziCreators.com

Like charity, going green can start at home. But where to

begin?“Overall, I’d say there is

almost nothing that can’t be repurposed,” said Lynn Colwell, green lifestyle leader and, with daughter Corey Col-well-Lipson, co-author of “Cel-

ebrate Green!: Creating eco-savvy holidays, celebrations & traditions for the whole family.” “The first step is to stop when you’re about to toss an item and ask yourself, ‘What could this be used for?’ If you don’t consider your-self creative, do a search on the Internet for ‘what to do with (name of item)’ or ‘how to recycle (name of item)’ or ‘how to craft with (name of

item).’ You’ll be shocked at how many ideas there are and how easy it is to reuse instead of tossing.”

According to Colwell, lids often are thrown away — even by those who recycle — because most recyclers won’t take them. “Depending on the size and material — plastic or metal, with a little

the environment and expos-es plant workers to these toxins. Some cynics claim that the finished product is not high quality enough for purchase. Products that are not suitable for bleaching and recycling may be sent to incinerators for disposal, and the fumes emitted from incinerators are harmful to the environment.

There are potential health risks for sanitation work-ers. Some disposed products might contain traces of hazardous materials, such as mercury from fluores-cent bulbs, solvents from cleaning supplies or other chemicals. Exposure to toxic materials can be dangerous for sanitation workers and other waste management personnel. Some municipali-ties may limit what can be recycled, and some schedule specific hazardous materials collection events.

In a 2007 article, Michael Munger, chairman of politi-cal science at Duke Univer-sity, wrote: “If recycling is more expensive than using new materials, it can’t pos-sibly be efficient. There is a simple test for determin-ing whether something is a resource or just garbage. If

someone will pay you for the item, it’s a resource. But if you have to pay someone to take the item away, then the item is garbage.”

The Environmental Pro-tection Agency supports recycling efforts. It turns waste into valuable resourc-es and creates financial, environmental and social benefits. Recycling creates jobs, reduces emissions from the manufacturing of raw products, and conserves natural resources. In addi-tion to reducing, reusing and recycling our own products, purchasing items stamped “recycled” helps to support the ethos and encourages manufacturers to produce those items. The steps to a successful recycling program include collection, process-ing, manufacturing and pur-chasing.

The EPA encourages everyone to conserve natural resources. Reduce packag-ing, buy bulk or concen-trated products when you can, recycle batteries and use batteries with reduced mercury, select reusable and recycled products, use durable products that will stand the test of time, recycle automotive products and learn how to compost. Recycling helps sustain the environment for future generations.

RECYCLINGContinued from Page 8

Recycling around the house

Creators.com photo

Cristin Frank, founder of The Eve of Reduction, a resource for employing creativity, made this ribbon dispenser out of a basket.

Please see HOUSE, Page 10

Page 10: 2012 Energy Savers Guide

10 Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Saturday, September 8, 2012

18402925-9-8-12ET

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paint or even plain — they can be turned into counting and/or building toys, coasters, wind chimes, yard ornaments and jewelry.”

Colwell’s other sugges-tions include using glass jars instead of plastic to store leftovers; donating old hats, purses and other clothing to a children’s organization for dress-up; swapping books with friends and neighbors; and laying down newspapers, which eventually will decom-pose, in the yard to control weeds.

Cristin Frank, founder of The Eve of Reduction, a resource for employing cre-ativity, shares some of her favorite home recycling proj-ects.

“I turned an old wire

flower box into a ribbon dispenser and a dismantled dresser into shelving for a coat closet,” said Frank, who uses a wooden breadbox as a shelf for cookbooks in her kitchen.

Frank’s husband laid old doors on the rafter beams in their garage. They use them to store seasonal items. They also nailed milk crates on the garage walls as storage for balls, mitts, Frisbees and other small sporting goods.

However, most households

reach a point where they really have no more use for recycling egg cartons or mak-ing watering cans from plas-tic milk jugs. Can recycling at home be taken too far?

Yes, according to active recycler Martin Blanco.

“Not only can it be taken too far, but it can be taken too far to no particular purpose. I’ve been a stay-at-home father — in all respects the homemaker — for 12 1/2 years, so I have a good sense

of managing the household, including garbage manage-ment,” he said. “Repurposing is a nice idea, but it does not solve any problems of manag-ing waste and resources, and it creates some new ones.”

Blanco gives the example of an acquaintance who advocates creating with recy-clable goods, such as sculp-tures made from cans and milk cartons and puppets made out of boxes, cans and bottles.

“Look, this is great fun and very creative, but it does nothing to solve the funda-mental problem of what we should do with the excessive amounts of packaging we cre-ate and how we can reuse the primary resource. One can’t make puppets and sculptures in perpetuity,” Blanco said.

For example, he asks, “Once you make them, where do you store them? Are you going to convert your house into a modern art museum? A prominent musician in my area makes wonderful percussion instruments from cans and cartons and other trash. They are terrific, but then he advocates building these as a form of recycling. He does programs at schools and tells the children, ‘Don’t throw this stuff away; recycle it into instruments.’ Great, but once you’re outfitted with a new percussion set and your new repertory theater of milk jug puppets, what do you do with the con-tainers that you continue to bring into your life?”

Blanco does recycle, including using the larger plastic trays from takeout as a drip pan under flowers and empty yogurt containers for starting seeds.

“Actually some of the things we do are similar to what our grandparents did. They didn’t waste and reused things whenever they could,” said Blanco, who also uses canvas bags instead of plastic ones when he goes grocery shopping.

Colwell agrees that hold-ing on to too much can cre-ate clutter and become over-whelming. She offers several suggestions for avoiding this, including putting “clean out” dates on your calendar.

“Devote a half-day a couple of times a year to get-ting rid of the stuff you’re not using. Again, think ‘give it’ or ‘donate’ before pitching into the trash,” she said.

Colwell also recommends avoiding what she calls “mindlessly collecting.”

“Instead, before hanging on to something, think to yourself, ‘What can I use this for, and will I do it?’ But also ask whether it’s an item that someone else might use,” she said.

HOUSEContinued from Page 9

“Actually some of the things we do are similar to what our grandparents did. They didn’t waste and reused things whenever they could.”

— Martin Blanco, who has been a stay-at-home father for 12 1/2 years

Page 11: 2012 Energy Savers Guide

11Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Saturday, September 8, 2012

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Decoding boiler jargonThis column previously was pub-

lished on July 12. The “Ask a Builder” series is dedicated to answering some of the many questions Fairbanks resi-dents have about building, energy and the many other parts of home life.

By CCHRC staff

Q: What terms should I know when shopping for a boiler?

A: It’s easy to get lost in jargon when shopping for a boiler or other home heating appliance. This article covers some of the common terms you might encounter when shopping for a combustion boiler. If you have questions about what type of boiler is best for you, be sure to talk with a heating professional.

Most oil boilers are mechanical draft boilers, which use a fan to draw in combustion air. There are two main methods of mechanical draft that are common in residential models.

• Induced draft uses a fan to remove flue gases from the furnace and force exhaust gas up the stack

and usually operate at a slightly negative pressure.

• Forced draft uses a fan and ductwork to force air into the fur-nace and usually operates at a slight positive pressure.

In mechanical draft boilers, the fan also creates turbulence in the combustion chamber, allowing for a more complete burn. These typi-cally are more efficient than natural draft boilers.

Natural draft boilers rely on the buoyancy of hot combustion exhaust. The exhaust is hot, so it rises passively out of the flue. As the hot exhaust gases exit upward, the draft causes fresh air to enter the combustion chamber. Because natural draft boilers con-sume a large amount of air in this process, they are less efficient than mechanical draft boilers. If the air pressure inside the house is less than the air pressure outside, a natural draft boiler can backdraft and poisonous gases such as carbon monoxide could potentially enter the home.

Photo courtesy Cold Climate Housing Research Center

This con-densing boiler is between 92-97 percent efficient, higher than other boilers because they can capture extra heat from exhaust gases.

Please see BOILERS, Page 12

Page 12: 2012 Energy Savers Guide

12 Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Saturday, September 8, 2012

YOUR FIREARM IS NOT THE ONLY THING

AT YOUR SIDE.

21401914-9-8-12ES

Examples of natural draft heaters are propane water heaters and drip-oil stove heaters.

Sealed combustion boil-ers use a duct to bring in outside air directly to the combustion unit and not from inside the house. The combustion chamber (where burning occurs) is sealed off from the inside of the home. These boilers are safest, because they are unlikely to backdraft poisonous exhaust gases such as carbon monox-ide (CO) into the home.

Condensing boilers are more efficient than stan-dard combustion boilers. A condensing boiler is able to reclaim additional heat from the exhaust gas by cooling it to a point where water vapor from combustion con-denses out. The condensa-tion releases the latent heat from the gas, and this heat is captured by a second heat

exchanger. The condensate water is acidic (it has the same acidity as some vin-egars), so corrosion-resis-tant materials like stainless steel or PVC pipe must be used for the heat exchanger and pipes. Condensing boil-ers must have a drain that allows the water to enter the wastewater plumbing system. In older homes with pipes that could corrode, a neutralizing filter can be added to the drain line. These boilers also have a fan to blow the cooler exhaust gas, which is not buoyant enough to exit the flue on its own, outside the building.

Non-condensing boilers are less efficient because they have to operate at high-er temperatures to prevent condensation. However, they do not require a drain and can be made of materials such as iron, steel or copper that would eventually cor-rode in a condensing boiler.

High mass boilers are very heavy, as the name implies. The mass comes from a large heat exchanger,

which contains heavy metal, often cast iron, and large diameter pipes that contain a high water volume. The high mass design helps the boilers maintain steady state efficiency. These boilers take longer to heat up when they are started, so they should not be short-cycled, or turned on and off frequently, as this will lower their effi-ciency.

Low mass boilers have a smaller heat exchanger that does not contain a large mass of metal or iron. While short-cycling a boiler (or turning it on and off frequently) is never ideal, a low-mass boiler will gener-ally respond better than a higher mass design, as it takes less time to heat up. These boilers also have less standby loss when they cool down, because they do not have the mass to retain a lot of heat while firing.

Ask a Builder articles pro-mote awareness of home-related issues. If you have a question, contact the Cold Climate Housing Research Center at [email protected] or 457-3454.

This column previously was published on July 26. The “Ask a Builder” series is dedicated to answering some of the many questions Fairbanks residents have about building, energy and the many other parts of home life.

By CCHRC staff

Q: I’ve heard stack effect can cause problems with indoor air quality. How is this possible?

A: Stack effect (also called chimney effect) involves both the airflow into and out of a building and through a build-ing. This airflow can produce unwelcome side effects.

An enclosed heated build-ing in winter will have differ-ent air pressures at different heights. These air pressures are the result of differences in air density resulting from differences in temperature inside and outside the struc-

ture. To complicate matters, a taller structure such as a multi-story house will con-tain a taller column of air that will produce greater pressure differences.

Everything starts with the fact that as the air inside a home heats up, it rises. As this warmer air moves toward the upper regions near the ceiling, it produces the potential for positive air pressure at the ceiling level.

It doesn’t end there though, because what’s going on outside the house influ-ences the air pressures inside the house. When it gets very cold, the outside air is much denser than the heated air inside the house. As a result, the positive pressure in the upper regions inside the house can increase dramati-cally relative to the outside air pressure.

Don’t let stack effect hurt your air quality

Please see STACK, Page 13

BOILERSContinued from Page 11

Page 13: 2012 Energy Savers Guide

13Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Saturday, September 8, 2012

By Eric ChristensenCreators.com

Homeowners can’t escape to-do lists — weekend chores, long-term DIY

projects, or even plans and designs for building a dream home from the ground up. A growing number of homeowners are adding “make my home greener” to those to-do lists, and they can pick from a variety of projects that fit any bud-get, goal and home-improvement ability.

After buying a home, architect Robin Greenberg made her house greener because she wanted “to save money in the long term” and have a “healthier personal envi-ronment.” She installed digital thermostats for precise control of her home’s temperature, low-flow showerheads, fan exhausts in the bathroom, and Energy Star appli-ances. She also added insulation to the walls and roof, and she used low volatile organic compound, or VOC, paint. Because of these changes, she was able to get a

small tax refund, lower energy bills and a more comfortable home.

She suggests homeowners check the age of their appliances as a first step to making their home greener. “Old machines are far less efficient than new ones,” she said. Before replacing your windows, Greenberg instead suggests you look for leaks and drafts. “Look around windows, doors and holes in basements. Windows aren’t as drafty as people think, and a good curtain can help with comfort.” Greenberg said plugging those leaks is more cost-effective and is efficient for controlling your air-flow and comfort.

Homeowners interested in green buildings might be familiar with the Leadership in Energy and Environment Design certification program for energy efficiency, but the U.S. Green Building Coun-cil also runs a LEED for Homes program. Nate Kredich, vice president of residential market development for the USGBC, suggests homeowners look at the USGBC’s Green Home Guide and

REGREEN website. The Green Home Guide outlines a variety of energy efficiency options, and it offers advice from professionals. The REGREEN program “allows homeowners and their contractors to zero in on green strategies based upon project type and priorities. The site offers case studies, in-depth technical strategies and oth-er resources to facilitate projects.”

If you are interested in design-ing and building a green dream home, many options are avail-able. Welshman Simon Dale built a green home into a hillside that resembles something from the book “The Hobbit.” Brad Pitt’s Make It Right initiative has built starkly modern homes in New Orleans’ Lower 9th Ward that have received the highest LEED certification. The latest green homes are “net-zero” homes that generate as much (or more) renew-able energy than they consume, but such homes require lots of direct sunlight (they depend

Things are fine, however, until you add air leaks ... and rest assured, all houses will have some degree of air leakage. Warm indoor air will rapidly exit the house through the leaks up high. As the heated air leaks through the walls or roof, it cools and deposits moisture along the way.

It doesn’t stop there. New air to replace the air lost must come from somewhere. Replacement air will tend to take the path of least resistance.

Typically, air is drawn in through leakage points in the lowest regions of the house, which is why problems with soils gases, such as radon, tend to increase in winter. Replacement air isn’t always just drawn in through leakage points in the lower parts of the structure however. Air can also come through poorly sealed or malfunctioning combus-tion appliances such as wood stoves and boilers.

The key to reducing potential problems with stack effect is good air sealing around penetrations in the building. If you are considering sealing air leaks in your house, it’s very important you start at the top. If you start at the bottom, then you are potentially increasing the chances that the air leaking out of the top will pull air from other sources such as combustion appliances.

Always be sure you have a functioning carbon monoxide detector in your home and your boiler and wood stove have a dedicated source of com-bustion air.

Ask a Builder articles promote home awareness for the Cold Climate Housing Research Center. If you have a ques-tion, contact us at [email protected] or 457-3454.

Save money, improve health by making your home greener

STACKContinued from Page 12

Please see HOME, Page 15

Page 14: 2012 Energy Savers Guide

14 Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Saturday, September 8, 2012

Better Efficiency, Better Health! Better Efficiency, Better Health!

AIR QUALITY Fairbanks North Star Borough

www.AQFairbanks.com or 459-1005

Alaska Department of Conservation

dec.alaska.gov/air

Environmental Protection Agency airnow.gov

TRANSPORTATION www.fnsb.us/transportation MACS Transit – 459-1011

Van Tran – 459-1010

OTHER ENERGY SAVING TIPS

UAF Cooperative Extension www.uaf.edu/ces/energy

AHFC Home Energy Rebate www.ahfc.us/energy/

home_rebate.cfm

A large portion of the Fairbanks North Star Borough (FNSB) was designated a “nonattainment” area for PM 2.5 by the EPA because on several days each year there is more fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) in the air than is healthy to breathe. Excessive levels of PM 2.5 are produced through the inefficient combustion of fuels, such as wood, coal, home heating fuel, gas, and diesel. Here are some tips to help you save energy and money, and to help improve air quality in our community. • Plug in your vehicle when its 20

above or colder for at least one hour before starting the engine. This can reduce emissions, including fine particulates and carbon monoxide, by up to 70% and minimizes vehicle wear and tear. Electric timers are inexpensive and can be set to turn on automatically an hour or two before the time you usually leave the house to further minimize the amount of energy used.

• Idle vehicles for less than 10 minutes to avoid wasting gas and polluting the air. A vehicle in motion warms up faster and more completely.

• Ride the bus or carpool to reduce the amount of gas you use and to save money on vehicle maintenance costs. There are currently 8 bus routes offered by MACS Transit, including one route to the Eielson and Salcha areas and another around Van Horn Road.

• Weatherize your home to reduce heating costs and emissions by using less fuel.

• Perform regular maintenance on your heating appliance for maximum efficiency and safest use.

• Upgrade older heating appliances. If you burn wood or coal, check out the FNSB Air Quality Improvement Program. Anyone that owns property in the PM 2.5

nonattainment area that heats with wood or coal may be eligible.

Participants in the replacement program are reimbursed up to $2,500 of the expense for upgrading older, non-EPA certified devices to more efficient appliances. For those that prefer to switch to a cleaner burning fuel, there is a larger incentive of $3,000-$7,500 (depending on the type of appliance) for participating in the removal program. Contact FNSB Air Quality for more information.

• Split, Stack, Store and Save! If heating with wood, split it at least once, stack to allow for good air flow, and store for at least six warm months to get wood that has moisture content of 20% or less . Burning dry wood saves you money because you need less of it to heat your home.

By taking simple steps to save energy, you save money and you help keep our air clean and healthy to breathe!

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Page 15: 2012 Energy Savers Guide

15Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Saturday, September 8, 2012

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This column was published previously on Aug. 9. The “Ask a Builder” series is dedicated to answering some of the many questions Fair-banks residents have about building, energy and the many other parts of home life.

By CCHRC staff

Q: How long does it take to season wood?

A: While we won’t mention the dreaded “W” word, it’s never too early to start thinking about the heating season, when many Interior resi-dents burn wood for heat.

While wood burning is a cheaper and more renewable alternative to heating oil, it also contributes to the air quality problem in the Fairbanks North Star Borough. Burning wet wood produces excess smoke and PM 2.5-sized particles, which disperse into the air and can be harmful to health. These emissions can be less-ened by burning dry firewood. Fully cured wood — moisture content of 20 percent or less — is not only cleaner but also produces more heat.

How long does that take in this climate? It depends on the species of wood, when you har-vest it, how you cut it and how you store it. A study at the Cold Climate Housing Research Center shows that wood can dry rapidly during a single summer but takes quite a bit longer over the shoulder seasons or winter. No matter what wood or method you use, firewood harvest-ed in the fall won’t be fully cured by winter.

In our study, split wood harvested in the spring took anywhere from six weeks to three months to dry during the summer, depending on the storage method. Split birch and split spruce dried in one and a half months when stored in a simulated wood shed or left uncovered. In general, the fastest way to dry split wood was storing it in a wood shed or leaving it uncovered, though uncovered wood is at the mercy of the weather. When stored under a tarp, the wood took three months to cure.

Unsplit wood, on the other hand, didn’t cure during the summer in any storage scenario. Though it neared 20 percent moisture content by the end of the summer, it required another summer to reach a full cure.

Firewood harvested in fall didn’t cure by springtime no matter how it was cut or stored. While it dried some in a wood shed (to between 30 and 40 percent moisture content), some sam-ples got wetter under a tarp during the winter.

Several other factors should be considered when seasoning your wood. Spruce and birch tend to dry more quickly than aspen. Your drying times also will vary based on exposure to sun and air circulation (the more, the better).

The good news is that it’s possible to harvest firewood in the spring and cure it during a single summer. Just make sure to split it early and store it so it can dry.

Ask a Builder articles promote awareness of home-related issues. If you have a question, contact the Cold Climate Housing Research Center at [email protected] or 457-3454.

Make sure wood is fully curedheavily on solar power) and have difficulty maintaining a cool interior in hot and humid environments.

For homeowners designing their green dream home, Kre-dich suggests outlining “your plans and priorities during design” because LEED certi-fication can be more difficult and expensive if the process begins post-construction. Kre-dich also recommends having your builder, contractor, archi-tect and planners meet regu-larly to build consensus.

Kredich estimates a green

home will cost an additional 1 to 5 percent to build, but an experienced builder can some-times eliminate added costs. Kredich also said, “Many local-ities have (financial) incen-tives for building to LEED (or) expedited permitting. It’s worthwhile for homeowners to check and see if their state or locality has any incentives.”

To receive LEED certifi-cation, a home must be 15 percent more energy-efficient than typical homes built to code, but Kredich said “most LEED homes achieve 30 percent or more,” producing “significant savings to the homeowner, though the time-line is dependent on local util-ity costs.”

HOMEContinued from Page 13

Page 16: 2012 Energy Savers Guide

16 Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Saturday, September 8, 2012

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