Edge Energy

desta — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:54:53 +0000

Edge Learning Center

restontechwiz — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 23:33:50 +0000

We are always studying, always learning more about green energy, and continuously putting that information to use. EDGE Energy uses best practices and industry standards in every job we do. The EDGE Learning Center is one of the ways we share that information with our customers and the general public. We hope you can use the information in this section to add to your store of knowledge about green residences and use it to help you make good decisions about how you can save energy and money.

State, Federal and Local Utility Programs

Home Energy Basics

Home Weatherization

Window Replacing – Can Old Windows Be Saved?

Home Improvement: Energy Efficiency

Water

Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning

Green Kids

Green Kids

Secrets of the Energy Audit

desta — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 19:13:37 +0000

There is an interesting secret in the energy audit world. Every house leaks. “Every” house can benefit from upgrading insulation, windows, HVAC systems, lighting and appliances. Telling you that doesn’t require an aerospace engineering degree.

In areas where energy auditors are not licensed, contractors use energy audits as a way to sell their products. Whatever they are selling — that’s what you need. And because “every” house can benefit from basic upgrades, the “audit” is easy and can look comprehensive. Just pull out an energy audit book and fill in the blanks with special attention to the systems you are selling.

We are not in the business of selling insulation or windows or HVAC systems… we are in the business of creating energy efficient homes. When we do an energy audit, we don’t focus on particular products, we focus on your home — a collection of interdependent systems that need to be evaluated individually and as parts of the whole.

Home Performance Workscope

When we evaluate your home, we take a top down approach. We start with the house as as a single entity then break it down into component systems, searching out inefficiencies and opportunities for improvement.

We prepare a home performance work scope that will lays out a series of steps you can take to improve your energy efficiency and reduce your power bills – starting with the most cost effective options. We aren’t out to sell you new windows or a new heat pump. Those may be very viable options, but we are going to make sure that your home envelope is sealed and your insulation is efficient and your lighting and appliances are cost-effective before considering big ticket items.

QC/QA

Quality control/quality assurance. We measure and evaluate every house, every job. Every work scope is based on data collected in your home and designed using home performance modeling software. We double check every aspect of every job and reassess your home performance after the work is done to measure improvements. We want to see those numbers improve just as much as you do.

Tankless (On-Demand) Water Heaters

desta — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 16:54:04 +0000

How They Work
When a hot water tap is turned on, cold water is drawn through a pipe into the heating unit. Either a gas burner or a high-power electric element heats the water as it moves through copper tubes. The hot water then flows directly to the tap. Demand water heaters deliver a constant and unending supply of hot water.

If that sounds too good to be true, here is the catch: The supply is unending but not unlimited. Demand water heaters can only raise the temperature of a given volume of water by a certain amount as the water flows through them. Thus the amount of hot water produced is limited by the volume of water that can physically pass through the heater and by the water’s starting temperature.

Typically, demand water heaters provide 120 degree water at a rate of 2–5 gallons (7.6–15.2 liters) per minute (gpm). Most showers heads have flow restrictors that limit the shower to 2.5 gallons per minute. (Unrestricted showers use 5-10 gpm.) Gas-fired demand water heaters can produce higher flow rates than electric ones. Sometimes, however, even the largest models cannot provide enough hot water for simultaneous uses. For example, taking a shower and running the dishwasher at the same time can demand more hot water than a single unit can deliver.

Green Kids

jasond — Thu, 12 May 2011 17:27:48 +0000

Teach Your Kids How to Go Green

Everyone in the family can help save energy – and not just by sitting on the couch! Your children can pitch in to save kilowatts and dollars by turning off TVs, stereos and lights when they leave a room; unplugging their cell-phone chargers when not in use; and not leaving the refrigerator open too long when they’re hunting for food.

Parents! — Get more power-saving ideas and green links below. Show your kids these great online game sites, and get your whole family involved in eco-friendly practices and activities. Check the Green Kids Posts for the most up-to-date information!

Teachers! — Check out the links below to find lesson plans and activities to get your classes involved today! Everyone can do their part!

Saving Electricity

EnergyStar Kids: Be an Energy Star!

This is a great interactive site for kids, with fun animation, where they can find out what they can do to help keep our planet healthy. Energy Star Kids gives energy saving suggestions that children can do in there very own bedrooms! Parents & Teachers have their own section that discusses lesson plans and home participation.

Green Tips: Save Power (from Nat Geo Kids)

A comprehensive list of tips that National Geographic has put together to save power in your home. Everyone in the house can follow these general rules, and everyone is encouraged to share these tips with family & friends! Explore to find more games, videos, activities, and other green stories, tips, and discussions.

Online Games

These Web sites feature green-themed games that combine fun and learning:

Nat Geo Kids: Plan It Green

An interactive Sim game where kids can build the city of Greenville into the greenest city ever! Explore the world of eco-construction while learning the basics of resource and money management in a fun environment. Work your way up to build an entire city that is all planned and managed by you — houses, shops, industries…entire districts!

Earth Day Games (from Kaboose)

This is a great site that centers around activities geared towards Earth Day — April 22 — to get kids excited about green living. Kids can both have fun, and learn about eco-friendly activities through games, puzzles, coloring pages, crafts and recipes

Tips for Parents

These Web sites contain pointers to help you raise your child in a safe, non-toxic environment.

Find Non-Toxic Toys (from Planet Green)

A compilation of 8 short blog posts about green toys for kids and what you can do to preserve the environment and keep your kids safe. Further reading includes articles on green products, buying guides, home tips, travel, technology and health.

Green Guide for Everyday Living – Kids

Informational site that can arm you with information to protect and educate every member in your family — from the unborn baby, to your college grad. Various guides and articles highlight how to reduce environmental risks, safe toys, green shopping, and everything else green in today’s world.

Activities and Lesson Plans

Great for teachers and parents looking to get their kids involved!

Green Hour: Nature, Play and Learning

Site for parents to discover what they can do with their kids to explore the world, reconnect with nature, and live a green lifestyle. Featured here are pages of activity suggestions, parenting tips, discussions, green articles, and an active community blog.

GreenKids Lesson Plans and Activities from Audubon

A local site for Educators and Parents alike that features a number of outlined lesson plans and activities to educate and get kids excited about green practices. Get the latest on green news articles and campaigns, and see how you can join your community to support a green future!

Home Energy Audit Example

jasond — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 13:14:40 +0000

Thank you for requesting to see a sample energy audit report from EDGE Energy, you will be receiving the report in your email.

Home and Energy Basics

jasond — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 16:36:38 +0000

This section of the leaning center is designed to help you learn how to make your home as energy efficient as possible so it’s comfortable year-round. Discover what you can do yourself: how to identify common problems, ways to monitor indoor air quality and more.

Energy Use

Your home’s energy consumption will vary from month to month depending on the outdoor conditions during a particular billing period. Usually, about 40-50% of your total energy bill is used for heating and cooling and is called seasonal consumption. The remainder, or baseload consumption, can be roughly estimated by averaging 3 months when there was little to no heating or cooling (Late spring, early fall). This baseline measurement makes the cost of heating and cooling during peak months very obvious.

IRS Tax Credits

jasond — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 16:33:41 +0000

There are a number of federal tax credits for consumer energy efficiency. If you purchase an energy-efficient product or renewable energy system for your home, you may be eligible for a federal tax credit. Below you will find an overview of the federal tax credits for energy efficiency. For complete information, visit the EnergyStar Federal Tax Credits web page.

Tax Credits Available Through December 31, 2011

Tax credits are available at 10% of the cost, up to $500, in 2011 (for existing homes only, principal residences) for:

Windows and doors
Insulation
HVAC (Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning)
Water Heaters (non-solar)
Biomass Stoves
Roofs (Metal & Asphalt)

Tax Credits Available Through 2016

Tax credits are available at 30% of the cost, with no upper limit through 2016 (for existing homes, new construction, principal and secondary residences) for:

Geothermal Heat Pumps
Solar Panels
Solar Water Heaters
Small Wind Energy Systems

Residential Fuel Cell and Microturbine Systems

Tax credits are available at 30% of the cost, up to $500 per .5 kW of power capacity for existing homes and new construction. for residential fuel cell and microturbine systems. Homes must be your principal residence.

For complete information, visit the EnergyStar Federal Tax Credits web page.

Learning Center

jasond — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 16:54:10 +0000

State, Federal and Local Utility Programs

Home Energy Basics

Home Weatherization

Window Replacing – Can Old Windows Be Saved?

Home Improvement: Energy Efficiency

Water

Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning

Green Kids

Green Kids

Passive Cooling

jasond — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 20:27:28 +0000

Passive cooling is a building design technique that helps keep a house cool in summer by reducing the amount of direct sunlight that hits indoor spaces. The result: You don’t have to run your air conditioning as often.

In general, a passive cooling strategy attempts to:

Block heat from entering
Minimize heat generated
Ventilate to remove heat and equalize temperatures throughout the structure
Air condition only when needed

The most effective ways to can block heat from entering your home are to weatherizie the outer shell, install exterior shades (such as awnings) and/or plan landscaping to block sun during the summer months, and install radiant barrier in the attic.

You can minimize heat generation by running your appliances only at night, when it is cooler.

Ventilation can be as simple as a fan (portable or ceiling versions) or an open window. Whole-house fans can be extremely cost-effective in the mid-Atlantic climate, provided the attic is properly vented.

For more information see NC State publication, “Passive Cooling for Your North Carolina Home”