CE 4188: Senior Design I

 Topic: Energy and Cost

Analysis for
Environmentally Friendly
Home Upgrades


 Advisor: Dr. Vivek Tandon



 Members
 Jackie Villegas
 Adam Duran
 Michael Steward

Courtesy of finehomebuilding.com
 Insulation Costs
 Data from
sprayfoamdirect . com
 -$1500 tax credit
 -US DOE states 40% can be saved by
sealing
 air leaks and improving insulation.
 -Product is mold, moisture, and pest
resistant.
 -Analyzed different thickness of spray
foam,
 estimating double the amount of floor
square
 footage for wall square footage. (Used
value
 of 5000 s.f.)
 -1’’ gives an r-value of 7, which is twice
the
 r-value per inch of fiberglass.
 -For cost effectiveness, 1” of spray foam
will
 be used to seal air leaks, the rest filled
with
 typical fiberglass insulation.
 -Cost for spray foam is $5700, and payback
 period is 142 months, cost of batting
insulation is
 $1615, and sheetrock estimate is $2000
with labor.
 Total is $9315. Payback period, at $550
savings per
 Solar Panel Costs
 -$1500 tax credit
 -Avg. electricity usage is 888 kWh per
month.
 -With 5.5 hrs avg. daily sunlight, wattage
 required to be completely off grid is
7000
 watts, which would require 54 130-watt
 panels.
 -Price for on-grid system would be $25,480,
 with a payback period of 19 years.
 -For stated goal of on grid usage of 388
kWh
 per month, leaving 500 kWh for solar,
 requirement is now 3000 watts.
 -Price is now $11271, that’s $715 savings
per
 year, with a payback period of 13.67 years.
 -These panels also include a 12 VDC output
 for battery charging applications.
 -A 12 V wind generator can produce 40 kWh
 per month, at a cost of only $905.

Tax Incentives Assistance
Project
 Homeowners can receive
Residential Energy Efficiency
Incentives worth 30% of the
cost, with a $1,500 cap per
home. The tax credit is only
on the cost of the materials
for:
 Insulation and Sealing
 Replacement Windows ,
Skylights , and
External Doors
 Window Films
 Roofs

http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=tax_credits.tx_index#s1
 Low-e Windows
 High-performance windows
have at least two
panes of glass and a
low-e (low emissivity)
coating.
 Allow light to pass
through, but reflect
back radiant heat.
 Cut heating/cooling cost
by 10% to 15%.
 Roofs
 Adding a roof with
reflective coating
can save 10-15% in
cooling costs
 30% tax credit, up
to $1500, on energy
efficient asphalt
& metal roofs
Greenbuildingenergysavings.com
 Ducts
 Leakyor improperly
insulated ducts can
lead to energy
losses of 25-40%

Consumerenergycenter.org
 Doors
 Properly sealed doors
can save up to 11%
on energy costs
 Federal tax credit of
30% of cost (up to
$1500) for
installation of
energy efficient
doors
 Furnaces
AFUE= annual fuel utilization efficiency
Electric furnaces, because they have no chimney, have an AFUE of
95%-100%
Old furnaces have a continuous pilot light, which wastes energy,
instead of an electric ignition.

Estima te d Sa vings fo r Eve ry $100 of Fuel Cos ts by Incre as ing Your He a ting Equipme nt Efficie ncy*
Ex isting Ne w/Upgra de d Sy ste m A F UE
Sy ste m
A F UE 55% 60% 65% 70% 75% 80% 85% 90% 95%
50% $9.09 $16.76 $23.07 $28.57 $33.33 $37.50 $41.24 $44.24 $47.36

55% ---- $8.33 $15.38 $21.42 $26.66 $31.20 $35.29 $38.88 $42.10

60% ---- ---- $7.69 $14.28 $20.00 $25.00 $29.41 $33.33 $37.80

65% ---- ---- ---- $7.14 $13.33 $18.75 $23.52 $27.77 $31.57

70% ---- ---- ---- ---- $6.66 $12.50 $17.64 $22.22 $26.32

75% ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- $6.50 $11.76 $16.66 $21.10

80% ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- $5.88 $11.11 $15.80

85% ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- $5.55 $10.50

90% ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- $5.30
*As suming the s a me he a t o utput
 Water Conservation
 El Paso Average Household (3 people)  Drip Irrigation System
water usage 




 







 

 



 Rainwater Collection System
 

 EPWU rate 

 $1.20/748 gallons (1st 2992 •

gallons) •
 $1.45/748 gallons
•
 average is about 14,000-15,000
•
gallons/month
 •
•
•
•
•
•
•
 Water Conservation
 Drip Irrigation  Rain Water Collection
System  Location
 Maintenance
 Scheduled Watering times 

 At mid day 30% can evaporate

 Roofing/Gutter

 Clean roof
 Automatic Controller  Slight slope
 Uses evapotranspiration and  Good Gutter system
temperature to determine water
for max plant growth •
  Uses
 Can reduce total water usage  Not potable demands
by 20% 

 About 2800-3000 gallons/month  Cost

  Area
 Less expensive than  Intended Collection
conventional sprinkler  Starting +$1500 + installation
system •
 Initial cost + Life span*annual •
maintenance = cost/year
 Conv = $800/yr •
 Drip = $300 yr •
• 

•

 Water Conservation

 Water conserved comparison
 Energy star qualified considering Drip (in red) with
appliances 20% conserved
 Washer 
 Dishwasher
•

•
Any Questions?