Energy efficiency remains key piece of EPA Clean Power Plan

The recent release of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Clean Power Plan highlights the issue many are taking with the amount of carbon dioxide emitted from existing power plants. The EPA hopes its many changes will increase the overall energy efficiency of these plants and other buildings.

Research previously released by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) found that under the initial draft of the plan, more than 50 percent of the emissions would be cut simply by using more energy efficient means.

Energy efficient practices have many benefits including job creation and reducing harmful pollutants in the atmosphere. In addition, energy efficient programs are two to three times cheaper to implement than generating power from traditional sources.

The final ruling on the EPA change also includes a newly proposed early credit program for energy efficiency savings achieved in 2020 and 2021 throughout low-income communities. It also clarifies a few particular issues, which aim to increase the number of states that will participate in the act.

"Energy efficiency is generally the cheapest, fastest and most readily available path for states looking to achieving substantial emissions reductions, while maintaining affordable and reliable power for their citizens," said Steven Nadel, executive director of ACEEE.

As many as 24 states have already experienced energy efficiency savings and 41 states have adopted national model building codes. 

In addition, more than 30 percent of the U.S. industrial electricity sector's needs are being met by combined heat and power efficiency.

On a smaller scale, energy efficiency can also be used in the home. Schedule an energy audit with Alban Inspections today to learn more. 

Alban Inspections' experience with energy assessments and energy efficiency has found that two main ideas, cost and comfort, are most often associated with heating and cooling the home. 

Alban offers residential energy audits, a process that examines both the energy features of the home and tests the home for basic cooling abilities. During this test, multiple factors in the home will be inspected including the heating and cooling system, insulation, building tightness and possible areas prone to leakage. 

The examination in total, is a test of how homes create and lose energy. 

What are some of the many known benefits associated with home energy audits? These include:

• Environmental awareness: According to the Residential Energy Services Network, 16 percent of greenhouse gases are generated by residential homes. Making improvements through a home inspection can help eliminate some of these gases, as well as other harmful pollutants. 
• Home comfort: During a home inspection for energy usage, areas that are prone to leaking will often be found. Whether these leaks have to do with a cooling system or other home area, they are known to waste money and harm homeowner health. 
• Increased home resale value: Recent data from a study published in the Appraisal Journal found that every $1 decrease in annual energy costs increased the market value of a home by $20. Decreasing energy costs by $300 per year increased home value by $6,000.
• Lower energy bills: Taking steps toward implementing more cost-effective measures in the home will lower utility bills on both a monthly and yearly scale.

If you're interested in learning more about a home inspection, schedule an energy audit with Alban Inspections today.

According to The Bay Net, the state of energy efficiency in Maryland is set to greatly increase. The Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) recently launched a new energy efficiency target, now one of the highest in the country. 

The new order requires Maryland utilities to achieve an annual incremental electricity savings of 2 percent on retail sales per year in perpetuity. In 2013, Maryland achieved savings equal to only 1.3 percent of overall sales.

Compared to other states, only Massachusetts and Rhode Island achieved levels higher than 2 percent in 2014. Maryland is now one of the top five states with similar goals in the country.

"The state of Maryland has just taken a huge step in showing that action on air pollution and climate change can go hand in hand with consumer savings," said Mike Tidwell, director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network. "The PSC deserves praise for hearing the public's voice that efficiency is a win-win. We now hope other states will follow suit at this same high level."

In addition, natural gas usage reduction goals were also set for all gas companies throughout Maryland. Other changes include utilities saving over 1.2 million megawatt hours per year, equaling a closing of a 460 megawatt coal-fired plant every two years and reducing carbon emissions equal to taking 173,000 cars off the road annually. 

This change is equal to reducing carbon emissions at a rate equivalent of building 470 megawatts of new wind power every year, three times greater than what Maryland's installed wind capacity is right now.

To learn more about local energy efficiency, or to discover how you can reduce your own carbon footprint by scheduling an energy audit, visit Alban Inspections website. 

Checking out an HVAC system, or heating, ventilation and air conditioning, may not seem too difficult at first. Upon closer inspection though, there are factors that can easily be forgotten, or things that can be overlooked that may impact the function or impact of a system on a home. 

If you are a new homeowner, your HVAC system should have been checked before you moved in. Holding a home inspection before purchasing a home is a crucial part of the buying process. It ensures a peace of mind for both the buyer and those selling the property, as no hidden issues or surprises should be found when all the paperwork is finally signed.

Keep the following three tips in mind for proper maintenance of your system:

• Actually look at the owner's manual: If you're going to open up your system even a little bit, you should have the manual by your side. However, it's often a better practice to call in a professional to avoid harm to yourself and the system.
• Invest in routine checkups: It's not enough to check your system once every four years. Instead, plan a routine checkup each season for long-lasting results. 
• Seal any leakage: Be sure your system isn't losing any power through a leak. Even a small leak can waste hundreds of dollars in warm and cool air, and often becomes bigger with time.

If your system is 15 years old or older, consider investing in a new one. These older systems often use inefficient means to cool or heat a home, wasting both money and energy. To schedule an energy audit to measure energy efficiency in your home, contact Alban Inspections or visit our website. 

According to Switchboard, the Natural Resources Defense Council Staff Blog, solar installations have increased over 400 percent since 2010. 

This increase can be attributed to a range of reasons including lower costs of installation and the decrease in the price of solar initiatives in general. This not only creates thousands of new jobs for workers, but also reduces the amount of electricity needed from power plants, reducing the carbon footprint of those who make the switch.

One major set of Americans that are left out of this change are families in rental housing. As renters do not technically own the roofs of their homes, they are unable to install these energy-saving, cost-efficient panels. In addition, it can be difficult for building owners to agree to this change, even if the numbers indicate it would be sensible for future investments.

With this in mind, President Obama has announced the launch of the Energy Efficiency for All project. Key parts of the plan include:

• Affordable housing owners agreeing to install solar and other renewable energy facilities into their buildings.
• A partnership to promote Community Solar projects, allowing households to receive the benefits of purchasing a piece of a shared solar facility. 
• Enhancing the development of local workforce groups in order to reach low-income communities. 

The plan does not focus on the role of these utilities but instead on addressing the real effects of climate change, promoting clean energy and creating a long-lasting network of jobs for future generations.

To learn more about energy efficiency or to discover how efficient your own home is, schedule an energy audit with Alban Inspections today. Visit our website for more information.

Investing in solar energy efficiency can be a great step toward decreasing your carbon footprint and monthly utility bills. 

According to Boy Genius Report, rooftop solar panels are becoming such a powerful factor in the energy market that they have pushed electricity prices into the negatives in some parts of the world.  Recent analysis from one of these negative price areas, Queensland, Australia, has discovered prices dropping to AUD-$100.

Research has also found that electricity consumption has dropped by 13 percent over the past four years. Within the next 10 years, 75 percent of Australia's residential buildings and 90 percent of commercial buildings will be outfitted with rooftop solar panels. 

What does this mean for the U.S.?

If you're interested in installing solar panels, consider the following three pieces of information before making the first move.

• Actual cost: Determine what the real cost of making a solar energy change will be. Ensure it is something that is both affordable and beneficial for your home. In addition, check out state and federal renewable energy tax credit options that may be available. Although some are ending within the next year, they can still be considered applicable now. 
• Amount of time spent in the particular residence: Solar systems are designed to last 20 years or longer. If you're considering moving before this time is up, see if the company that installs the panels will allow you to take them along to your new residence.  If not, it can be a great way to pull in a purchaser, but you will lose out on the actual use of the panels. 
• Lifestyle: if you don't use a lot of power to begin with, investing in this change wouldn't be worth its cost. Check out the part of your bill that specifies metered electricity in kilowatt-hours (kWh).

Learn more about energy efficiency on our website or schedule an energy audit with Alban Inspections today. 

The United States is currently in a time of rapid expansion of renewable energy. As of today, 11 states generate more than 10 percent of their electricity from non-hydro renewable energy sources.

Three of those states, Iowa, Kansas and South Dakota stand at more than 20 percent. 

Maryland adopted a new moratorium on hydraulic fracking last month. The legislation will become law in October. 

Governor Larry Hogan also signed a bill in May in support of community solar initiatives through a three-year pilot program. This bill, known as House Bill 1087 requires the community solar projects to be regulated under the Public Service Commission (PSC). This will allow a structure to develop, including electricity generation and cost allocation. 

"This pilot program is a key component to our industry's goal of increasing access to solar energy," said Rick Peters, Maryland-DC-Virginia Solar Energy Industries Association (MDV-SEIA) board president and CEO of Solar Energy Services.

Once the pilot program is completed, utilities and subscribers are able to continue their community solar programs, as long as they remain within 1,500 MW limits. 

This law is set to go into effect on July 1, 2015.

One of Maryland's main building developers, Pepco, is also attempting to add to the energy efficiency movement with its access to and understanding of energy data for its clients. 

This initiative hopes to improve energy efficiency and costs in the future. It was part of the bigger plan, the Department of Energy's (DOE) Better Buildings Summit held earlier this month. 

The DOE hopes to cut energy intensity in buildings and plants by 20 percent over the next 10 years.

To learn more about Maryland's energy efficiency initiative, or to schedule an energy audit with Alban Inspectors, visit our website. 

According to CleanTechnica, the latest U.S. Clean Tech Leadership Index has been released. The index, compiled by Clean Edge, a research and indexing firm, tracks and ranks clean-tech activities in all 50 states and large-scale metro areas as well. 

The top 10 U.S. states are:

• California
• Massachusetts
• Oregon
• Colorado
• New York
• Vermont
• Connecticut 
• Illinois
• Washington
• Hawaii

These states were rated based on three major categories: capital, technology and policy. Data was taken from numerous factors including green building deployment, energy efficient expenditures, clean-energy generation and total number of clean-energy patents. 

"Solar and wind power, along with natural gas and energy efficiency, are now the mainstream choices for meeting the nation's electricity needs; coal-fired and nuclear power, the dominant choices of the 20th century, have become the marginalized 'alternatives,'" the report said.

Key findings of the report include:

• California gets a full percentage point of its consumed electricity from utility solar plants.
• Eleven states generate more than 10 percent of their own electricity using non-hydro renewable energy sources. In Iowa, South Dakota and Kansas, this number exceeds 20 percent. 
• Idaho, Oregon, South Dakota and Washington exceed 70 percent of their energy generation from renewable sources. 
• In 2014, solar power and util​ity-scaled wind power made up an almost combined 50 percent of energy generation capacity.

In addition to these energy efficient ventures, another recent survey indicates that almost two-thirds of large investment firms in the U.S. are planning to prioritize solar energy over the next five years.  

The survey found that although only 32 percent of companies stated they would invest in solar energy this year, 28 percent said they plan to in the future within the next two to five years. 80 percent also stated they were most interested in the venture due to their hope for "a cleaner energy future."

For more energy efficiency news, or to schedule an energy audit in your home, schedule a consultation with Alban Inspections today.