Energy Efficiency

Week 1

Week one of Energy Efficiency Makeover 2012 was very productive! Tommy Gracy, proprietor of Building Performance Solutions, Inc., and his men from Mountain Home hit the ground running.

Gracy split his team into two units. One applied the high expansion, open-cell Demilac SEALECTION® 500 foam to the roof decking and gable ends. The other installed RetroFoam™ into the air space between the brick veneer and subsiding.

The attic "encapsulation" process is gaining popularity among in hot, southern climates. This component greatly retards convective, conductive and radiant heat gain into the attic. Now the cooled and heated air from the pending geothermal system will now stay inside the house and not leak outside to Mother Nature! Plus the attic will transition into a semi-conditioned airspace once the new HVAC system is installed.

BPSI is an authorized installer of Demilac SEALECTION® 500 foam insulation. SEALECTION® 500 is spray-applied as a liquid and expands up to 120 times its volume within seconds to fill cracks, gaps and voids to provide insulation, an air and moisture barrier in a single application. SEALECTION® 500 is an open cell spray foam that decreases dust and air pollutants, minimizes noise and maximizes energy efficiency by reducing air leakage from your home. SEALECTION® 500 is a proven insulation, with over 20 years of history in North America, and will not sag, settle, deteriorate or decompose.

RetroFoam™ helps to stop drafts that come through electrical outlets and cracks surrounding windows. It aids in stabilizing interior wall temperature, increases comfort and makes the home quieter. Its high R-value and ability to find and fill empty voids means better insulation and savings on utility bills. Since it can be installed from the outside it is not intrusive. No tearing out walls, or moving furniture and no interior cleanup.

Chris Burnley, regional manager with GE Appliance Division, lead the charge with supplying the latest Energy Star appliances for the kitchen and laundry room. Energy Star appliances incorporate the latest energy saving features and use up to 30 percent less energy than their older counterparts. All of the appliances in the makeover house are more than twenty-years-old. While the older models have served the Thomas’s well, their electric and hot water consumption will be greatly reduced by the new Energy Star units.

Forrest City radio station KXJK hosted a live radio interview to share a project update and general residential energy efficiency with its listeners.

Our faithful Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corporation team was busy installing the new Energy Star appliances, installing the ever-important moisture exhaust fans and preparing the home for the upcoming window replacement component. Matt Irvin, manager of campus services and master electrician, Ed Hill, master carpenter, and Scott Bruce, supervisor of grounds, all possess the skill sets required to achieve this major project. All of the still photography shots and video creative are the work of our professional audio and video technician, Gary Bean.

Week two is shaping up to be a very exciting and busy week.

The ultra-efficient General Electric GeoSpring water heater will be installed. Installation of the efficient WeatherBarr windows provided by Harry G. Barr Windows from Fort Smith will begin. Also, the geothermal loop installer should be on site. Bring your earplugs if you plan to visit. If you’ve never seen this process and would like to learn more, watch this educational video created from a previous Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas model home: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5awzy4qVfE&feature=youtu.be

Two of seven guiding principles for electric cooperatives are education, training and information, and commitment to community. Our energy efficiency makeover project gives us the opportunity to practice these principles. All of our participating vendors and product representatives are from Arkansas. Most are electric cooperative members and we are very appreciative of their support.

Thank you for following the project again this year. Check back weekly for more updates! Follow us on Facebook or at www.smartenergytips.org

Until next week,

Bret Curry
AECC