Technology Reducing Home Energy Consumption

In the last year, I have blogged about technology devices that I have used and rated, along with the installation of LED light bulbs.  I am happy to report that I have replaced everybulb in my house with LED lightbulbs with the exception of two chandeliers.  The reduction in electricity usage has been more dramatic than I would have guessed.  I also added a Google Nest thermostat and Zuli Smartplugs to three electricity hog devices.  The cost of all of these energy upgrades is:

• $200 - Google Nest thermostat,
• $159 - Zuli Smartplugs (3 of them), which work with the Google Nest thermostat and smartphones,
• $25 - Hot water heater blanket, and
• $575 - LED lightbulbs.  For a total of
• $1,000 exclcuding taxes 

Total is roughly $1,000 of energy upgrades.  I have dropped from an energy consumer using more electricity than my neighborhood homes to below the energy efficient homes.  Yes, call me competitive, but this was a fun and extremely satisfying and rewarding project.  I can demonstrate the breakpoints of when the changes were begun and continued.  I can also determine when my energy hogs (sons) are home from college.  

Before anyone goes out and tries to make there home energy efficient with expensive devices, the most cost effective of all of the energy upgrades is the LED lighting.  Bulbs at Home Depot right now average $2.00 per bulb (65 watt standard bulb, meaning not flood light bulbs or special bulbs).  My costs are at an average of $5.00 per bulb and I waited for the sales or the subsidies and was very disciplined about my bulb purchasing.

If every American household were to now go out and purchase the bulbs, the energy savings within the US would be substantial.  So, substantial that the likelihood of additional power plants being built would decrease dramatically and we could focus on closing low efficiency coal-fired power plants.

I will provide specific data in the next blog.  Buy your bulbs today, and light up your green life.

Obama Rejects Keystone Pipeline - Is He Responsible for Future Oil Train Derailment Deaths?

The environment is important, but what about the people that live along the railroad route over which 100 unit oil trains pass everyday from North Dakota and elsewhere.  The safety factor of a pipeline is multitudes greater than that of rail.  Should anyone along these routes be killed in an oil train derailment, then the responsibility should go to the Administration.

Our government, party aside, has lost its marbles.  They govern and legislate from the hip and in knee-jerk fashion.  While households, small businesses and corporations plan and plan for contingencies, our government has no clue how to do that.  Why should they?  They can tax with impunity, change the rules to suit their politics, and preserve the crony political system.

What happens when the Administration or Congress govern and legislate from the hip, they miss the law of unintended consequences.  When one takes the time to actually plan for the future, they calculate the risks and rewards of an action.  This means they look at what the impact on one bill or action might have on something else.  Such an unintended consequence with this Keystone Pipeline rejection, will be that oil will now be forced to travel by road (near haul) and rail (distant haul).  The statistics for derailment and hence air and ground water pollution, death and destruction is massively in rail's favor when compared to pipeline.

So, when those who die from fires or explosions from a derailed oil train, don't solely blame the railroad companies, blame the Administration and Congress.  Now that's politics.

Product Review – Zuli Smartplug Presence Pack - 5 out of 5 Stars

I recently reviewed Belkin's WeMo Insight Switch (January 2, 2015) and LED Starting Kit and am continuing to review other products that I have purchased.  This review is about the Zuli Smartplug Presence Pack - a 3 plug package.

From start to finish, the experience was excellent.  As with Apple products and Nest products, the packaging was clean, environmentally sensitive and protective.  I purchased the Zuli Smartplug Presence Pack – a three pack. It does not get any easier than plug in the device to the power plug and then into the wall socket.  However, the little packet that I thought contained instructions, really only had technical warranty and disclaimers.  There were no installation or more appropriately iPhone/Android Zuli app instructions.  Instead, on the cover there was instruction to get the setup instructions from online.     

Download the Zuli app and walk through the setup instructions.  Zuli works/pairs with Google Nest smart thermostat.  As with the Google Nest, you can set the plugs to go on and shut off any time of the day or multiple times during the day.  But there’s more.

What makes this product significantly better than WeMo’s, beside the stellar software, is its use of Bluetooth and employs what the designers call Presence.  Quoting the web page, “Zuli Presence uses breakthrough algorithms to accurately and reliably pin-point your location within the home.  The Zuli app senses when you enter and exit the room and notifies the Smartplugs to perform your desired actions.  It is designed to learn over time and continuously train itself to enhance your experience.  The system becomes more predictive the longer you use the Zuli app.”

“Zuli leverages Bluetooth Smart to provide the simplest way for anyone to make their home more intelligent.  Setup takes seconds (20 seconds for each room that you have installed the plug).  Literally, Zuli Smartplugs do not rely on WiFi, so there’s no need to fuss with router configuration settings.  Direct communication between your smartphone and Smartplugs ensures instanteous control.”

Not only can you set each plug to recognize your smartphone’s Bluetooth signature, you can setup each family member’s smartphone to be recognized by each plug as well.   The significance of this, is that the programmed times can be over-ridden by the presence of the smartphone.  So, it’s Friday night and you have your friends over for a Star Wars marathon.  Your TV, DVR, surround sound system are all connected to the Smartplug and it is approaching the programmed shut-off time.  The time passes and the equipment is still on because of Presence.  When Episode VI is over, your friends leave and you head upstairs for bed.  The Smartplug recognizes that you have left the room (you walked around the room for 20 seconds during the setup session to outline the dimensions of it) and turns the equipment off.  It’s Saturday morning and you wanted to watch Episode VI again.  You walk into the room, before the preprogrammed time, the Smartplug senses your presence and the equipment turns on.  This is excellent.

While you are watching the movie, everyone else wakes up and leaves for a lacrosse game (you have another commitment later).  You finish the movie and are the last one to leave the house.  Google Nest, your smart thermostat, senses you leaving and turns off the heat.  Again, this is excellent.

The iPhone/Android app is very clear and easy to navigate.  The software has an on-board energy metering processor, which provides accurate real-time energy measurement of any device that is plugged in (I have a Monster Power Home theater electric filtering device plugged into the Smartplug, with my TV, PlayStation, Apple TV, surround sound receiver all plugged into the Monster Power).  Zuli analyzes how I use my devices and estimates my monthly bill based on my usage patterns, and energy pricing for my current zip code.  The longer I continue to use my Zuli Smartplugs, the more accurate the estimates become.

The Smartplug also has dimmer light controls with each Smartplug.  The Zuli designers as with the Google Nest designers have designed the software for expansion as new devices are brought to market.

If you have ever been to a European hotel, the newer hotels use a room key card as the on off switch for all of the electricity in the hotel room.  Instead of a room key card, you have your smart phone, smart plug and smart thermostat all working together shutting off your electrical devices as you leave the house or re-enter it.

Product review: Zuli Smartplug Presence Pack

Cost: $159 plus tax.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Pros:

Clean look.

Simple installation.

Simple to program.

The iPhone/Android software is clean, straightforward and easy to use.

Works with Google Nest and is expandable.

Cons:

Cost is a bit pricey, but is at the same pricing point of similar smartplugs.

Conclusion:
I really enjoy these devices and have replaced the WeMos with the Zuli Smartplug Presence Pack.  They are plug and play and plug and leave.  Now, let’s see how much energy I save.

Combined Market Cap of the Top 10 Oil and Gas Cos Less Than Combined Market Cap of AMZN, GOOG, and AAPL

I recently ran an analysis on the 10 largest cap global oil and gas companies. On April 16, 2015, their market cap was $1.788 trillion. On Sept 17, 2015, their market cap was $1.252 trillion, down 30%. The list included Petrochina, Exxon, Chevron, Shell, Sinopec, BP, Total, Kinder Morgan, ConocoPhillips and CNOOC. On September 17, 2015, Google, Apple and Amazon's market cap was $1.338 trillion. 

The last time that I looked at the market cap of resources companies compared to tech companies was about March 2002. The sum of the market cap of all the global, publicly-traded basic material companies and metals and mining companies was less than Microsoft's market cap. That occurred about 6 months ahead of the bottom, which was October 2002. Three months ahead of bottom, Julian Robertson's, one of the best natural resource investors of all time, shut down his resource hedge fund, because he "didn't get the tech stocks".  

Well here we are again.  And every time is different.  In the last cycle, the number of natural resource engineers, geologists, technicians and skilled electricians, plumbers and welders declined significantly.  The average age of those professionals in 2006, was mid 50s.  This down turn will definitely set back the ability to employ newly minted engineers, geologists, etc. and the average age is clearly high 50s to mid 60s.  Newly minted professionals did enter the market over the last 10 years, but the lay offs have been massive and they are likely to permanently leave the sector.

Part 1 - LED Lighting's Impact to Our Home

The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, signed by President George Bush on December 18, 2007 was an energy policy intended to make better use of our resources and help the United States become energy independent.  Part of the law sets energy efficiency standards for light bulbs; the first phase went into effect January 2012. The incandescent light bulbs were phased out January 1, 2012 for 100 watts, January 1, 2013 for 75 watts and January 1, 2014 for 60 and 40 watts.  The following table shows the incandescent wattage and its equivalent lumen and LED-CFL wattages (Source: www.energystar.gov/la/products/lighting/cfls).

Incandescent Bulb (Watts)	Minimum Light Output (Lumens)	Common Energy Star Qualified Bulbs (Watts)
25	250	4 to 9
40	450	9 to 13
60	800	13 to 15
75	1100	18 to 25
100	1600	23 to 30
125	2000	22 to 40
150	2600	40 to 50

Efficiency is measured by the number of lumens per watt.  Brightness is measured by the number of lumens.  Watts is the amount of energy that a light bulb uses.

  

Below is a comparison of incandescent, CFL and LED bulbs

• A standard 60 watt incandescent light bulb provides 13 to 14 lumens per watt.
• An equivalent CFL provides between 55 and 70 lumens per watt.
• An equivalent LED provides between 60 and 100 lumens per watt.

Source: www.energystar.gov/la/products/lighting/cfls

My first foray into efficient lighting was CFL.  I purchased about a dozen of them and placed them in the bathrooms and entertainment room.  They worked fine in the bathrooms, but flickered in the entertainment room.  The lights were also a bit antiseptic, not the soft white of the incandescent bulb.  My second foray was purchasing two, first- or second-generation light bulbs and they were terrible – blue and ugly.  So, I waited another year.  Then, Xcel Energy and Cree offered 40-watt LED bulbs for $4.99.  I purchased 20 LED bulbs in August 2014.  Being an energy analyst, I set up a spreadsheet to measure the electricity use of my house over the past 17 months and included Xcel’s electricity usage by my neighbors and my most energy efficient neighbors.

I have included three graphs that I have generated from my electricity bills and Xcel Energy’s web based data tools.  The first graph illustrates my family’s (2 adults, 2 teenage sons) electrical usage.  As you can see the electricity spiked in August 2014 and then dropped off appreciably.

The second graph shows the above kWh used and is overlain with temperature data (provided by Xcel Energy).  You can see from the chart, that electricity usage is highly correlated to temperature in May, June, July, August, September, and October.  Then it switches to an inverse correlation during November, December, January, February, March and April.  During the summer months, the air conditioner kicks in during hot days.  We agreed to have an energy saver device installed to our A/C system.  When there is peak load demand during the hot days, the energy saver device is activated and reduces the flow of electricity into our home and allowing the A/C to shut off for longer time periods.  We receive a price discount for that energy savings.  During the winter, you can see energy usage peak, when temperatures are at their lowest.  The increase in energy usage is due to the furnace blower heating the house. 

 

More interesting is the sharp drop of electricity usage from August to September 2014.  The temperature dropped from an average of 70 degrees F for the period of July 17 to August 17 to an average of 65 degrees F for the period of August 17 to September 15.  The corresponding electrical usage dropped from 1721 kWh to 947 kWh.  Clearly some of that drop was due to reduced summer temperatures and some of that came in the form of the highly efficient LED bulbs. 

To see the contribution of LED lighting, it is better to compare the winter usage January 2014 to January 2015.  From December 16 to January 19, 2014, the average temperature was 12 degrees F and electricity usage was 1557 kWh.  For the corresponding period in 2015, the average temperature was 16 degrees F and electricity usage was 1253 kWh.  That is a drop in electricity usage of 19.5%.

During the month of August, when I installed the LED bulbs, my comparison to my neighbors and my energy efficient neighbors, our energy usage dropped below our average neighbors’ usage and just above the most energy efficient neighbors.  I then checked into Xcel’s database to see who I was being compared to - homes that were smaller and homes that were newer and therefore more energy efficient. 

Since August 2014, we have stayed within the band of the most energy efficient neighbors and the average neighbors electricity band.  That demonstrates that the LED bulbs have been a reasonable contribution to energy savings.

Product Review – Google Protect - 5 out of 5 Stars

I recently reviewed the Google Nest (rated 4 out of 5 stars, but would be upgraded should they deliver the software suggestions and lower the price).  This review is the Google Protect, a smoke detector, which integrates with the Nest thermostat.  As with the Google Nest, the Protect experience from start to finish was excellent.  The packaging is straight out of the Apple playbook of packaging.  It is clean, environmentally sensitive and protective.  Instead of being round like the Nest, it is square.  The parts were clearly labeled and well thought through.  And it comes in four languages – Dutch, English, French and Spanish.

 

There are two versions of the Protect – wired and battery.  The wired version will attach to your security system and report the information to your home security-monitoring firm.  The battery model, which I purchased, is not attached to my home security system.  Both versions are simple to install – 4 screws and a screwdriver.  For the wired version, simply plug your product into your home security system, after installing the mounting bracket.  For the battery model, just screw the mounting bracket into ceiling (drill holes first).  Make sure that you follow the installation suggestions as to where to place it in your home for optimal smoke detection.

As with the Nest, the Protect’s setup software and instructions were clear and easy.  I was able to connect to my Nest quickly. 

The Protect is equipped with a photoelectric smoke sensor, a carbon monoxide (CO) sensor, a heat sensor, three activity sensors, an ambient light sensor and a humidity sensor.  That makes it one very sophisticated smoke detector.

There are several cool features to the Protect:  1) The most important feature of this device is that it detects – smoke, heat and CO and warns you in English (my selection, or in Dutch, French, or Spanish) along with a pulsing yellow light.  2) The next most important feature is that if the device detects smoke, heat or CO, it will connect to the Nest and instruct the Nest to shut down the furnace.  This obviously turns off the fan within the furnace/AC, preventing the fanning of the flames.  When tripped, it pulses a red light and tells you what to do.  3) There are motion detectors in the device that will activate a solid white nightlight, which has brightness adjustment.  There is no annoying flashing red light.  4) The battery status of the device can be viewed on your iPhone or iPad (and Android) with a green ring.  5) The device will report the battery condition to the Nest and then to the software.  There is no beeping or chirping for battery replacement in the middle of the night.

Product review: Google Protect

Cost: $99 plus tax.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Pros:

Detects smoke, CO2 and CO.

Turns off the furnace/AC if the above is detected.

It speaks in English what to do.

A nightlight turns on when motion is detected.

The battery condition is posted to the Nest software.

Cons:

Cost is the biggest negative.  This device is roughly double or slightly more than that when compared to a conventional smoke detector.   But given all of the other features that it has – like shut your furnace/AC off, it is well worth the added expense.

Conclusions:

This product gets a 5 out of 5 stars as it goes far beyond the normal smoke detectors.  The Nest can handle a string of Protects, should you install them in all of your bedrooms and other rooms.  They will all show up in the Nest iPhone app.  Together the Nest and Protect are excellent products and companions, they look good and function like you would hope.