Our Blog

Archive for August, 2010

Hurricane Season is Here!

Sunday, August 29th, 2010

According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), hurricanes are violent storms which can bring intense winds, heavy rain, a storm surge, floods, coastal erosion, landslides, and tornadoes.  The season for hurricanes runs from June through November, with most hurricanes occurring mid-August to late October. Each season, on average, six hurricanes form in the Atlantic Ocean of which two become major hurricanes. 

If you’ve been a resident of Charleston, SC for any amount of time, you would probably agree with us that the major discussion on the news during hurricane season is the weather.  It seems like every year we find ourselves tracking storms out in the Atlantic and speculating whether or not we are in danger.  With most hurricanes occurring in mid August to late October, we are in the eye of the storm of hurricane season, so to speak….clever, we know.  

While it is difficult to predict the exact time, place, and force of hurricanes, it is important that residents of Charleston be prepared for anything Mother Nature throws at us.  At Sustainable Energy Solutions, we thought we would relay some information to help you prepare for a hurricane.  According to the National Hurricane Center, a disaster supply kit should include the following: 

  • Water – at least 1 gallon daily per person for 3 to 7 days 
  • Food – at least enough for 3 to 7 days 
  • Blankets / Pillows, etc. 
  • Clothing – seasonal / rain gear/ sturdy shoes 
  • First Aid Kit / Medicines / Prescription Drugs 
  • Special Items – for babies and the elderly 
  • Toiletries / Hygiene items / Moisture wipes 
  • Flashlight / Batteries 
  • Radio – Battery operated and NOAA weather radio 
  • Telephones – Fully charged cell phone with extra battery and a traditional (not cordless) telephone set 
  • Cash (with some small bills) and Credit Cards – Banks and ATMs may not be available for extended period 
  • Important documents – in a waterproof container or watertight resealable plastic bag – insurance, medical records, bank account numbers, Social Security card, etc. 
  • Tools – keep a set with you during the storm 
  • Vehicle fuel tanks filled
  • Pet care items

 

Of course, the best thing to do will be to evacuate if a large hurricane threatens Charleston.  Just in case that isn’t an option, these are some of the things you’ll want to have on hand.  We aren’t the experts on this, but wanted to let our readers know it’s something we should all be thinking about.  Let’s all hope we never have to use a disaster supply kit this hurricane season!

St. Christopher Project Updates

Monday, August 23rd, 2010

We introduced a large project we’re working on with Camp St. Christopher in a previous blog.  Camp St. Christopher is a non-profit complete conference center on the Atlantic Coast just south of Charleston.  It offers over 300 acres of beach, marsh and maritime forest and multiple facilities including meeting and conference centers, lodging, and worship centers.  We’re excited about keeping you up-to-date on our progress and informing you about how this project was made possible. 

The process began last August when the State Energy Office put out information that there were going to be $2.9 million available in grants for alternative energy projects for non-profits.  As soon as we found out, we immediately started getting in touch with local Charleston non-profit organizations to inform them about the opportunity.  When St. Christopher responded about being interested, we setup a meeting for late September 2009 and went out to view the grounds and start planning.

The RFP from the State was issued in early September.  The government was looking at multiple factors before approving a non-profit like St. Christopher for the grant.  These included visibility of project, potential job creation, overall benefit in terms of investment and payback of the project (they needed a minimum return of $2.50 dollars to $1 spent). 

The grant writing process was long and hard, but St. Christopher didn’t have to worry about that.  Sustainable Energy Solutions took care of making sure the grant was completed correctly and on time.  Anything we were able to do to make the process easier for them, we did!

After submitting the grant, we found out in March that St. Christopher was awarded the money!  After that, it was really time for us to get moving.  It took till June to actually get the contracts squared away with the state.  We then went through the permitting process.  We put together architectural drawings done by the camp director, roof mounting drawings, basically everything that needed to be done to the camp to get it ready for installation.  The buildings needed some retrofits to make the project possible.  For example, the roofing mounts had to be able to withstand 130mph winds with 150 mph gusts…..just one of many details to iron out.  We were permitted by the 2nd week of July and started work the next week.   

Needless to say, the past year has been full of paperwork and phone calls, red tape and patience.  One of our main goals when working with a non-profit to obtain funding or a grant is to shoulder as much of the work as possible.  So far, it’s been a very successful project with St. Christopher. 

Stay tuned in weeks to come for pictures and videos on the construction, retrofits, and installation.  We want you to follow along with this project with us.  Also, if you’re involved in a non-profit, there are still government moneys available for your organization.  Even if you aren’t sure if you qualify, get in touch with us and we’ll help you get moving forward on an alternative energy project.

Advantages of Net Metering

Friday, August 20th, 2010

The Green Power Network (GPN) provides news and information on green power markets and related activities. They provide up-to-date information on green power providers, product offerings, consumer protection issues, and policies affecting green power markets as well as relevant papers, articles and reports. The Green Power Network is operated and maintained by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy.

The reason for green power marketing is to provide consumers with options to purchase their electricity from environmentally preferred sources. The term “green power” is used to define power generated from renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power, geothermal, hydropower and various forms of biomass.  According to the GPN, in many survey’s, customers have expressed a preference and willingness to pay more, if necessary, for cleaner energy sources.

If being environmentally friendly isn’t enough incentive for you to begin researching Sustainable Energy’s solar energy products, maybe Net Metering will push you over the edge.  Net metering is a low-cost, easily administered method of encouraging customer investment in renewable energy technologies.

Net metering enables customers to use their own power generation to offset their consumption over a billing period by allowing their electric meters to turn backwards when they generate electricity in excess of the their demand.  Every utility company in SC runs its net metering program a different way, but essentially you can bank the extra power your Solar Photovoltaic System produces during day and use it when the system isn’t producing at night or on a rainy day.

If you have questions about Net Metering, let us know.  We’d be happy to answer any questions you have.  If you can see the pure benefits of solar energy and Net Metering, give us a call or visit www.sccleanenergy.com for a free solar site inspection.

Home Energy Rating System

Wednesday, August 4th, 2010

Do you know your Home Energy Rating?  Have you ever heard of a system that rates a home’s energy efficiency?  The Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) established the Home Energy Rating System (HERS) to measure the energy efficiency of your home.

Essentially, a home energy rating involves an analysis of a home’s construction plans and onsite inspections. Based on the home’s plans, the Home Energy Rater uses an energy efficiency software package to perform an energy analysis of the home’s design. This analysis yields a projected, pre-construction HERS Index.  Some tests conducted to determine efficiency include a blower door test (to test the leakiness of the house) and a duct test (to test the leakiness of the ducts). Results of these tests, along with inputs derived from the plan review, are used to generate the HERS Index score for the home.

The HERS Index is a scoring system compares the home being tested to a HERS Reference Home that was built based upton the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code.  This reference home has a Index of 100, and represents the minimum energy rating acceptable to be considered Energy Star Certified.  The lower a home’s HERS Index, the more energy efficient it is in comparison to the HERS Reference Home.

Each 1-point decrease in the HERS Index corresponds to a 1% reduction in energy consumption compared to the HERS Reference Home. So for example, if your home scores a HERS index of 85, then it would be 15% more energy efficient than the HERS Reference Home, and thereby considered to be quite energy efficient.

So why do we even need a Home Energy Rating System?  It is actually used for multiple reasons.  The obvious reason is so people know whether or not they are wasting money on their energy costs.  This index provides a way for homeowners to determine where they are losing money every month, and what they can do to cut back on energy costs.

Another reason is for financing renewable energy projects.  Do you remember our post about financing options for solar energy units?  Lenders will examine and home’s HERS Index when considering them for a loan.

So do you know your home’s rating?  You may be surprised to find that you’re paying quite a bit extra every month on your energy bill because of an inefficient home.  Sustainable Energy Solutions is currently offering free site inspections to determine the efficiency of your home.  Give us a call or respond to this blog to have us out to the house.  As we said, it’s completely free.  If your home is inefficient, we can talk about options then.  If not, the worst that can happen is you learn your home is doing its job with regard to energy consumption!  We look forward to seeing you soon.