Looking for ways to save money and help the environment? Mark Snyder, organic farmer, community activist, and alternative energy expert, can help. 

Mark not only talks the talk, he also walks the walk. Snyder powers his twenty acre organic farm with sun, wind, and water. A licensed California contractor and master electrician, Mark keeps his eye on the environment as he operates not just his farm, but also his home and his own international distribution company and contract service, Mark Snyder Electric.

ELSI interviewed Mark to gain a practical sense of what individual consumers can do to reduce their use of energy and cut the cost of electricity.

(ELSI): Hi Mark. Can you tell us a little about your organic farm? Please tell us how you power it.

(Mark): I have a 20 acre farm with 5,500 watts of solar on trackers, which I recommend. Tracking greatly improves your output- 25-40% more, so your investment is less in panels. I also have 4 windmills. I am at the top of a mountain and get 7-15 mph winds daily. I pickup about 200 kWh monthly from the wind except during stormy months when I get 500-700 kWh. The solar drops off then. Even so, I still get about 1,250 to 1,500 kWh from my solar during that same period.

(ELSI): What about water?

(Mark): We have a lot of water pumping for crops. I have about 7 acres in organic produce; blackberries, figs, guavas, lemongrass, papayas in greenhouses, artichokes, peaches, apples, almonds, walnuts, apricots, fuyu, persimmons, and our home garden.

I also have housing for our farm workers. We have a pool and jacuzzi that we heat with a biomass burner (from Denmark)- all automated. We also heat the house and greenhouse with this unit.

We burn our wood from our brush, mostly scrub oak that we thin seasonally, and recycled cardboard from our church’s retreat that we get by the truck load. The burner is all clean air approved. They are used en mass in Europe (see the link on my website).

(ELSI): You really do seems to get the most from your resources. What can ordinary people do to make their own habitat more energy efficient?

(Mark): The first step would be to have an expert perform an energy audit of their home or business to find out where they are winning or losing. Most people can realize terrific savings just by making simple changes that pay for themselves.

(ELSI): Can you give us an example of what a home energy audit might accomplish?

(Mark): I recently audited the 2,400 square foot home of a retired navy nuclear sub engineer. He had contacted me from my website (www.marksnyderelectric.com). He was hoping to install solar PV (photovoltaics) on a large roof facing south.

We found that his electric bill averaged $280.00/month 7 to 8 months out of the year for 2,000 kWh, but then $435~450 per month for 4-5 months- due to the use of a standard 5 ton AC unit which draws about 8 kWh for 5-6 hrs per day.

His annual electric costs were running $3,750- $4,250. His home was mixed electric and natural gas, built in the late 1970's. Cooking and dryer were electric. We looked and he had a gas stub behind the dryer. His children were grown and out of his home but his wife washed 3-4 times a week.

(ELSI): And what could he do to improve his consumption and efficiency?

(Mark): We gave him a list of ideas:

1. Converting to gas would, for the dryer, knock off about 300-325 kWh per month. A normal electric dryer uses 4.5 kWh and the gas cost is about 1/2 the current electric cap rate of .13 kWh, including tariffs, for San Diego.
2. The electric range was going to be a major repipe job (to get gas to it) so it would be difficult to justify. They did not cook much. If they did I would have recommended to change to a convection oven which cooks much more quickly, saving 25-50% and the cooktop to a glass top with aircore or conjectaire cookware, that holds the heat.
3. The refrigerator/freezer was an old early '80s kluncker. It was still functioning ok but I could see light through the door seals and it was using 6 + kWh per day. I recommend a Sears Energy Star that takes 1.5 to 2 kWh per day, a savings of 4.25 kWh per day approximately saving 127.50 kWh/month.
4. The water heater was gas with solar backup. The solar panel was functional. I noted that the gas pilot was on. I suggested they shut off the gas for the summer to the water heater as it was running 24 hours per day and was burning up enough gas to supply their new gas dryer for the entire season.
5. The washer was a late 1970's Kenmore that took about 1 kWh per load of wash. The washer takes about 50 gallons of water per load and requires 5-6 ounces of detergent. I recommended the Staber System 2000 Washer which I distribute. It takes only .135 kWh per load and consumes 16.5 gallons of water. It requires only 1 ounce of detergent and it is a top loading horizontal axis machine with 25% more capacity than their current model. This machine is the most efficient made. The energy savings over the existing unit is 86%, water savings 70%, detergent savings 80%, plus saved hot water usage of 80%. It has less runtime on the gas dryer as the spin cycle is 50-70% more effective. Monthly saving in power is approximately 14 kWh. The gas saving in hot water and water savings more than offset the gas dryer fuel cost.
6. The pesky freezer in the garage is about 10 cubic feet and takes about 3 kWh per day. I recommend a Conserv freezer which I distribute. It is from Sweden and is a great efficient unit. It runs at 500 watts, .5 kWh per day, saving 75 kWh per month.
7. Lighting. All the lighting in the home except the kitchen I recommended be retrofitted with florescent PL type instant on lights. I represent a manufacturer that has an Energy Star series that is excellent with decorator styles to meet the most discerning women's eye for design. We calculate close to a 8 kWh savings per day, approximately 240 kWh per month.
8. The AC unit is the really big fish. They shut the unit off and suffered this year except for one month. The house is ill situated for prevailing winds or natural airflow and there is a lot of trapped stale air. The AC burden can be cut by 25-35% with an attic ventilator. We have a great solar vent that works very well. The home is in a good location for the use of an evaporative cooler. The relative humidity is generally 10-30% max. The newer evaporative coolers with moving pads by Essick have all plastic reservoirs and last for 15-20 years with only an annual pad change and very little water usage. The comparative energy cost is 300 watts compared to 8 kWh. It is a pressure system. All you do is open a window and the air flows to the area you desire. I have this system in my solar powered home. This is also more healthful; changing the air in the home and filtering it rather then re-circulating air. Saving 7.7 kWh per hour, monthly savings- 1.15 kWh. And you can be comfortable.
9. The home is heated with gas. The windows are old single pane glass which rattle when the wind blows and are not air tight.
10. The ceiling insulation is old blown in cellulose which is all matted down. Considerable savings can be achieved by insulating and replacing the windows. This would save power and gas.

(ELSI): What kind of savings would this plan create in dollars?

(Mark): I calculate the monthly saving for items 1-7 to be 750 to 800 kWh. This would cut the average 2,000 kWh bill to 1,200 or 1,250 kWh, from $250.00 to $156.00.

This is approximately 38% reduction for pretty simple non impactive items. And don't forget, your quality of life is improved as well.

For item #8 the AC unit, the reduction is 97% and your quality of life is improved because you don't have to suffer and cook in our 95+ degree summers. Using evaporative cooling produces an enormous savings, about $173.55 per month. You can cut energy consumption by 1,335 kWh per month. The monthly energy cost after converting to an evaporative cooler, during that period, can drop to just 54 kWh. That's only $6 per month for summer air conditioning!

The annual impact is an electric bill of $1,950.00 instead of $4,000.00. A net annual savings of $2,000- $2,050.00 in electricity.

Items #9 and #10 will probably lower the winter heating costs and power costs by $30 - $40 per month combined.

There are also reductions in water usage which will account for a savings in 12,000 to 14,000 gallons of saved water, This can be improved by low flow toilets and low flow shower and fawcets.

(ELSI): What does this all cost?

(Mark): Many local utilities have vouchers and subsidies for Energy Star appliances. Often times they will even have subsidies for thermopane windows and insulation.

Approximate local costs:

• Refrigerator Sears Energy Star 12 cubic feet- $1,100, subsidy- $300 (SDG&E), net cost- $800.00

• Gas Dryer Sears Kenmore, $650.00, subsidy $100, net cost $550.00

• Washer Staber System 2000, horizontal access, all internal parts stainless steel (average life span 25 years), $1,650.00, subsidy $200.00, subsidy from water department- $150.00, net cost- $1,300.00

• Freezer- Conserv $525.00, subsidy $100.00, net cost $425.00

• Lighting replacement- interior and exterior- $1,000.00, subsidy $200.00, net cost $800.00

• Evaporative Cooler Installed, $1,500.00, subsidy $300.00, net cost $1,200.00

• Insulation cost $1,500.00, subsidy $300.00, net cost $1,200.00

• Window replacement, $3,500.00, subsidy $1,000.00, net cost $2,500.00

Total package cost- $8,925.00

(ELSI): How can this be financed?

(Mark): There are many low interest loans and incentives for both residential and commercial applications. In the case of home efficiency projects like this one, there are green riders on almost all mortgages that have been quietly added that allow you to add this amount onto your mortgage your at prevailing mortgage rate.

This investment pays off in 4 1/2 years approximately, and your $8,925.00 investment in 10 years will make you $12,375.00 or a 43% return on investment.

At this point the house is much more feasible for a solar system at approximately 1,250 kWh per month or approximately 42 kWh per day- an annual 5 hours of solar insolation is possible with a roof top system to handle 1/2 the load or 20 kWh per day.

(ELSI): Could he benefit from Solar?

(Mark): A 4 kWh system would be installed. The installed cost would cost would be $32,000.00 for a utility intertie system. The California Buydown subsidy would be $12,000.00. After subsidy, the net system cost becomes $20,000.00. 

This system, over its 25 year life, will generate a steady 20 kW per day on an annual average, saving $949.00 per year from an electric bill at the present cap rate with tariffs, which are excluded for the energy produced by home solar power. At last summer's uncapped rate of 29 cents per kWh- that value goes to $2,117.00 per year.

(ELSI): Great! Then the solar power system ultimately pays for itself. Will solar power work also as a hedge against inflation and future problems on the grid?

(Mark): We think so. Although the cost of energy from the grid will inevitably rise with the cost of natural gas, the cost of solar power, since it uses no fuel,  stays the same after installation.  The cost of operation is fixed irregardless of how high the cost of conventionally produced electricity may go. However, as the cost of conventional electricity climbs, the value of your system increases.

And there is an added benefit too. In California, as well as many other states, the home installation of Solar Power is exempt from property taxation. You may find the resale value of your home to be higher as a result of your improvements, but you won't have to pay property tax on the added value.  

What's more, this system will also prevent 30 tons of pollution over its lifetime. If enough systems are installed we can retire the gas fired polluting power plants. We could be energy self-sufficient and prevent a major decline in our economy due to unstable and inadequate energy supply.

Efficiency and renewable energy go hand in hand to arrive at a sustainable future for all of us.

Part Two: Efficiency Planning for Your Business

What goes up must comes down. That's what they say at least. But if you have been watching the wholesale cost of electricity in California the last few months, you might start to wonder. The fact is that since the beginning of the state's deregulated market for power, the costs of electricity has gone from $34 per megawatt to nearly $400.Why? Although the answer is hotly contested by some the fact remains, that there simply is not enough power being generated to meet the burgeoning demand brought on by eight years of economic expansion and rising population.

Following a recent flurry of emergency meetings between California Governor Gray Davis, representatives from the federal electric regulatory commission and utility companies, it is clear that the construction of any major new generating plants could still be years away from completion. In the meantime, customers of the giant utility companies must make do with what is available while the shortage of electricity threatens residents with the immediate prospect of rolling blackouts and brownouts as the state's power grids were pressed to the breaking point by an early January storm.

Just as officials from government and industry huddle to find a way to end the state's power shortfall, two of the state's largest utilities, PG&E and Southern California Edison claim to teetering near the brink of bankruptcy. As part of a desperate cost cutting plan, Southern Cal. Edison has announced plans for massive layoffs. The latest crisis was brought on as the result of a retail rate cap imposed hastily last summer as rates began to skyrocket in the deregulated spot electricity market.

Under the provisions of the rate cap, customers have been paying less than 6.5 cents for energy while the utilities procured the commodity from the power exchange for prices as high as 27 cents for the same kilowatt. The red ink has already grown to nearly $9 billion dollars in little over ninety days. In response, Wall Street analysts have downgraded the credit rating of the company bonds to nearly junk status and are raising doubts about the utility's ability to make future purchases of power on credit from the generators selling their electrons on the Cal PX.

No Quick Fix

In his State of the State remarks, Governor Davis stated that bankruptcy was not an option for the state's giant utility companies and that the future of the state's electric power industry, and the 25 million customers they serve, was "with them". But what about all the red ink? Davis stopped short of advocating a bailout but suggested that the state may step in to purchase certain assets needed to assure generation.

Something's got to give though. The option of passing the bill on to consumers could have a chilling effect on the state's economic prospects. Still, no clear answers have emerged. Undisputed however, is the consensus view that wholesale prices have to come down and come down soon. But how?

According to energy expert Mark Snyder of San Diego, the problem is largely a matter of supply and demand. Snyder says,

"We all learned in high school that when demand exceeds the available supply, the market place is going to push the price as high as it will bear. Electricity is no different."

But California is dependent on electricity to fuel the engine of the state's massive economic machine. Cutting consumption of power may be just another word for economic slowdown.

"Not so," says Snyder. "We can continue to consume electricity as we need it without adding to the existing supply by making what we use go farther."

Snyder, a licensed contractor with over 20 years experience in the San Diego area, is an advocate of what is often known as "demand side management" technologies, a view shared by most experts, and one that has not been lost on Governor Davis. Davis has called for aggressive efforts to improve the efficiency of buildings and homes as a way to stretch the available electric power resources. Snyder thinks that is a good idea,

"We needed smarter electricity not just more of it", he says.

Smarter electricity? Just ask Snyder,

"We can make electricity smarter by asking it to do the same amount of work with less waste. The solution is sometimes as simple as providing better insulation in our homes so that our electric heating system doesn't have to work as hard for the same results."

Snyder says that other relatively inexpensive solutions involve replacing older electric motors and pumps commonly found in major appliances with newer, less energy demanding components. He says,

"We can cut electric power bills by 50% or more just by asking people to use more efficient stoves, refrigerators, and freezers. The great news about that is that the utility companies will actually help you pay for the improvements!"

Davis wants to see more incentives offered at the state level as well. Snyder believes that a public awareness campaign about the potential for efficiency improvements is central to putting an end to the state's energy crunch. He says,

"People are amazed when they ask me to visit them. They expect me to say that they need to spend tens of thousands of dollars to install home generators. Instead, I usually perform an energy audit and discover that they can achieve radical energy savings from efficiency improvements. More often than not, the costs are covered from subsidies and from the money cut from their utility bills."

The push towards energy efficiency has been gaining ground. After the energy shocks of the '70's when the nation as a whole spent hundreds of millions of dollars on efficiency improvements, interest waned as the country entered a period of complacency. In California, the three major utilities spent a combined $132 million on efficiency and achieved "substantial " energy savings.

 Unfortunately, as the price of fossil fuels declined, so did the efficiency investments. Now, Governor Davis is proposing $250 million to be set aside,

"We'll supply cash incentives for replacing inefficient refrigerators, washers and air conditioners with more efficient models; and we'll create energy-smart homes, schools, workplace and communities."

In San Diego, considered by many as "ground zero" in California's deregulation soap opera, new Mayor Dick Murphy has proposed a four point plan. Murphy's plan calls for public education about the benefits of "conservation" and a big push to ensure that tax payer funded municipal facilities get the most bang for every tax dollar spent on electricity. Murphy says,

"Our goal should be to make San Diego a model city in energy conservation and the utilization of renewable energy resources."

Snyder thinks Murphy's plan should be adopted by other governments, including the municipalities in San Diego County as well. Snyder suggests that taxpayers contact their local governments and demand that they begin by replacing incandescent light bulbs with more energy efficient compact florescent fixtures. He says the idea is simple and potentially devastatingly effective.

"We can save 200 megawatts by summer just by sunsetting the incandescent bulb."

That's a huge savings for such a low cost program. Snyder says though that if the campaign were extended to include the county's other taxpayer supported municipal facilities and conveyances, like those in Poway, three times as much power could be saved by year's end. Snyder notes,

"We could save over 500 megawatts. That's enough power to make the need for the 500,000 volt transmission line proposed for the Northern Corridor totally unnecessary!"

"It has been proven many times over, that becoming more energy efficient, or getting more work and benefit out of the energy we use, is the least costly way to save money on energy and make a region more energy secure."

RATE RELIEF FOR UTILITY COMPANIES?

Notes:

I will be asking the City Manager to create the position of City Energy Czar-- perhaps working out of the City's Environmental Services Department. I would envision this person working with the Regional Energy Office to pursue the following initiatives:

1. A comprehensive energy conservation program for all city facilities,

2. Incentives to encourage energy conservation in new private development,

3. A public education program to encourage citizen energy conservation, and

4. A study of the feasibility of a municipal utility district.

Our goal should be to make San Diego a model city in energy conservation and the utilization of renewable energy resources.

Conservation measures can provide big reductions in electricity demand for less than the cost of generating more power, said California Energy Commissioner Art Rosenfeld.

Another law Davis signed provides $50 million for conservation efforts next summer that are expected to save 200 megawatts. Those efforts include installing low-watt LED bulbs in traffic signals and light-colored paint on rooftops to reflect heat and reduce air-conditioning demand.

Results over the years have been substantial. Since 1975, utility conservation programs and state efficiency standards for buildings and appliances have saved 10,000 megawatts, the energy commission said.

Next, I'm calling on California to flex the enormous clout we have as consumers. We are 34 million strong and the sixth largest economy on the Earth. By reducing our electricity demand by even a small amount, we can reduce the price, avoid shortages, and lower energy bills.

So tonight, I'm asking every Californian to cut consumption by as much as seven percent, and we will back that up with a 250-million-dollar investment. We'll supply cash incentives for replacing inefficient refrigerators, washers and air conditioners with more efficient models; and we'll create energy-smart homes, schools, workplace and communities.

Every day, every Californian can contribute to the solution by turning off lights and appliances when not in use, shifting their use to off-peak times, using less heat and air-conditioning, reducing outdoor lighting displays, and turning off business equipment when not in use. For example, putting a computer on "sleep" mode reduces the power it would otherwise need by 40 percent.

A-type light bulbs can often be replaced with improved lamp designs, such as reflectors or tungsten halogen lamps. And, for energy savings of 60% to 75%, many incandescent lamps can be replaced by CFLs.

The average homeowner spends close to $1,300 a year on utility bills. But an energy-efficient home—with such features as proper insulation, high efficiency heating and cooling systems, and energy-efficient windows—can lower your utility bills by 10 to 50 percent.