MGPC Sustainability Blog

Enigin markets a product known as ACES, the Air Conditioner Energy Saver. While MGPC has been successful at saving kWh and reducing kW demand using sub-coolers known as the Demand Buster, the ACES unit looks truly unique in its approach to improving the efficiency of installed air conditioning systems.

Enigin has posted some amazing energy saving results for the ACES on their blog.

We would like to do a few case studies in our climate (Maryland, Virginia, Washington DC and Delaware), and would be willing to loan a couple of the ACES units we have ordered, at no cost to the customer under the condition that we be allowed to monitor the performance with and without ACES using the Eniscope smart meter, and make the results public. Preferance will be given to companies which allow their name and address to be used (who wouldn’t want the free publicity?)

If interested, please contact Dennis at Maryland Green Power Co. at 443-864-3072.

Distributors Wanted

While Air Conditioner manufacturers are boasting about their 16 SEER to 23 SEER air conditioners, a new technology (to the United States, but at least 10 years old in Europe and Asia) has brought a 30.89 EER air conditioner into our market. This represents not an incremental improvement in air conditioning efficiency, but a giant leap. It must also be pointed out that EER is measured at a higher temperature than SEER, and is probably more relevant for the majority of consumers.

Below you will find pictures of an installation at a supermarket, along with some efficiency calculations.

Maryland Green Power Co. is seeking qualified HVAC contractors to introduce this breakthrough air conditioning product to the Mid-Atlantic. We will publicize the results of the earliest installations, so your firm will receive free advertising.

MGPC will limit distribution of these solar air conditioners. To be considered, please fill out the information request form on our main page and check the box indicating HVAC retrofits / solar air conditioners.

Click on pictures below to access the brochure request on the main page:

Figure 1: Evacuated Solar Heating Tubes in a row next to solar air conditioner “condensers.”

Figure 2: Solar Air Conditioner Indoor Fan Units

These 8 units are 135,000 BTU each (about 11 Tons each).

The energy consumption in the middle of the day was recorded at 19A for a single 135,000 BTU unit:

135,000 BTU / (19A x 230V) = 30.89 EER

For more information about solar air conditioners, or to inquire about distributing or installing solar air conditioners, please contact Maryland Green Power Co. at: 443-864-3072.

Distributors Wanted

Quick Tip: Click here for even more ways to save money on energy!

The CNN Money piece titled “Knock $ 4,000 of Your Utility Bill” does a great job of offering simple advice with great payback. Isn’t that what you want? Aren’t you tired of unpractical innovations like a solar powered pocket book, which not only looks goofy, but does nothing to help you save money or reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Many of their simple fixes cost under $ 1,000, some even less than $ 100, but offer payback periods of a year of less. After one year, these fixes become PROFITABLE to you!

I recommend flipping through the slides while they are still up on the CNN Money site at this link:

http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2008/pf/0809/gallery.utility_bill.moneymag/4.html

Let’s take a look at some here:

• Insulate Attic

Cost: $ 500 - $ 1,000

Payback: $ 500 - $ 1,000 / year

Don’t stop here - this one is one of the most expensive with the slowest payback period. This gets better soon. See the other tips below.

Comment on the recommended Attic Tent, which insulates around attic hatches: Amazon.com sells a more economical alternative called Battic Door. Click here for information and pricing.

• Great Stuff - Insulating Foam

Cost: $ 15.00

Payback: $ 500.00 / year

Comment: Get Great Stuff Insulating Foam from $ 5.33 / bottle by clicking here

• Insulation Jacket on Water Heater

Cost: $ 40.00

Payback: $ 100 /year

Comment: You wouldn’t need to insulate your water heater if you used a tankless water heater, which creates hot water on demand - fast and efficiently. Make it even more efficient by pre-heating your water with a solar powered water heater on your roof. Click here to see more energy efficient home products including high efficiency appliances like refrigerators and washing machines.

• Schedule a Periodic Service Call

Cost: $ 100- $ 200 / year

Payback: $ 300 - $ 500 / year

Comment: Call us for a referral to a good service company in the Mid-Atlantic region: 443-864-3072.

• Cover the Ducts

Cost: $ 50 - $ 250

Payback: $ 500 - $ 1,500 / year

Comment: The all-time favorite fix-it, duct-tape, can delivery an almost unbelievable payback for its cost. Add a little additional cost to purchase duct insulation and you’re done.

• Use Time-Settings for Heat

Cost: $ 40.00 or Free using BG&E’s PeakRewards as explained below

Payback: $ 500 / year

Comment: While a programmable thermostat is a great energy-saving idea when used correctly and can be installed very easily by yourself, you sometimes have to be careful about which type you buy if you own a heatpump. To make matters simpler, and cheaper, if you live in Maryland’s Baltimore Gas & Electric service area, you can contact BG&E to take advantage of their PeakRewards Smart Energy Savers Program. By doing so, Baltimore Gas & Electric will provide you with a new, digital thermostat and free installation. Furthermore, the digital thermostat is programmable over the internet. You enter the settings on a website, and then they are transmitted over radio to your thermostat and automatically programmed to make energy saving so simple that you are more likely to do it. Note that by agreeing to be in the program, you are allowing BG&E to remotely cycle your compressor on and off at their discretion on peak energy emergency days, but BG&E claims they will only use it a few times per summer. This might cause your indoor air to be warmer or more humid, but that shouldn’t matter to families which commute to work during those peak hours. Since BG&E is able to more efficiently manage their peak power usage, their costs decrease. They pass some of this back to you as a rebate for being on the PeakRewards program. You can learn more about PeakRewards and sign up at Baltimore Gas & Electric’s PeakRewards website at:

http://www.bgesmartenergy.com/peakrewards/what-is-peakrewards

Note: Although the PeakRewards program has its benefits, BG&E’s time of day billing has some definite downsides, judging from comments posted by customers on Jay Hancock’s blog.

Sellers offer “Green” Incentive Package to Buyers

Boca Raton, Florida (PRWEB) March 5, 2008 — With headlines reading “Home prices to post another decline in ‘08,” residential home sellers are between a rock and a hard place. In order to set their home apart from the 235 houses on the market in their price range in the Boca Raton, Florida area, Tara and Daniel Biller devised a “green home” incentive plan for potential buyers. They are offering buyers a slew of environmentally friendly upgrades and products including a solar water heater system.

“Tara and Daniel Biller are in the same situation as millions of American’s with a home to sell,” said Torm Martinson, broker/agent for Campbell & Rosemurgy Real Estate. “They’ve lowered their asking price, made home improvements and have been patient waiting for an offer - any offer.”

“We realized it was time to do something different to set our house apart,” commented Tara. “I’m in the process of starting up a residential ‘green home’ consulting service and I have been doing a lot of research on solar panels and outfitting the home with more environmentally friendly solutions. Daniel and I devised this plan to see if this would peak the interest of potential buyers.”

For those that are interested in learning more about the Biller’s home and the “green home” incentive package, please contact Torm Martinson at 561-504-6200, or torm@campbellandrosemurgy.com.

In response to their more than $80,000/year utility bill, the LBGC accepted Maryland Green Power’s offer to work pro-bono in evaluating the Club’s energy pitfalls and implement a program to help them become more efficient and significantly cut costs.

Progress on this project so far:

1) Located no-cost electricity provider switch which will save Laurel Boys and Girls Club 8% on their electricity bill immediately;
2) Installed Enigin Eniscope and started metering energy usage in facility’s gymnasium, which contains their largest air conditioning loads: 40 tons of air conditioning. Will commence data logging to develop load profiles and energy usage history for up to 2 years with data stored off-site in redundant storage;
3) Will launch “Energy Buddies” phase in order to implement additional no-cost energy saving solutions.
4) Will publish link to live meter data on this website.

Companies can have their energy bills analyzed for savings for free by faxing all pages of 2-3 months of their electric and gas bills to fax: 443-927-9018, Attn: Free Energy Audit. If selected, we will contact you and send an engineer to your facility for a no-cost energy survey. Please include cover sheet with contact information in order to be considered.