My year as a green-living beta tester

Photos: Getting your green on for Earth Day

View the full gallery

With a competition called the Energy Smackdown, you might expect to walk away bruised and battered. But after a year of trying to "smack down" energy use in my home, I actually feel pretty good.

Almost a year ago, I signed my household up for the Energy Smackdown, a combination of a community-outreach program, contest, and cable TV show.

Teams from three neighboring Boston-area cities were formed and competed to lower their energy use. About 60 households measured their energy use every month, along with how many miles they drove, flew, and how much trash they generated.

There were one-day competitions between teams for low-carbon travel, lighting, and home energy efficiency. Events were filmed along the way, including home energy audits and a "locavore banquet" made from locally procured food. Teams win by lowering the group's overall carbon footprint after one year and on team event scores.

So how'd I do? Not too bad, considering I had already done quite a bit to lower my home's energy consumption before signing on. The numbers aren't complete, but it looks like we've cut our footprint in the range of 10 percent or 15 percent and that we're on the low end of the scale in terms of total footprint.

At first, I was reluctant to sign on since I thought I couldn't cut much more. But then I acquired a secret weapon: solar electric panels, which were installed last spring. Amazingly, our house has produced a bit more electricity than we consumed over the past year. That's right. Last month, for instance, I had a $3.35 electric bill--and that's after the $6.43 grid interconnection fee.

Working against our carbon count was air travel: two family flights to Europe and the Midwest threw our monthly numbers way out of whack.

Strip away those high-profile factors and I think our score improved because of a few simple, even boring, things--sealing the cracks around the attic staircase, connecting electronics to power strips and turning them off at night, and using our bicycles for short trips. In general, sealing drafts in your home--rattling windows and such--makes a huge difference.

Look, Ma, no kilowatt-hours!

(Credit: Martin LaMonica/CNET)

Being something of an energy tech geek, my green-living beta test also involved some toys and science experiments. Before heading for work most days, I put a foldable solar panel connected to a backup battery on my deck. The juice I collect off-grid charges my cell phone, game machines, and rechargeable batteries.

Ready, set, go!
More impressive were the accomplishments of the different teams. Even eco-conscious families significantly cut their carbon footprint--some more than 60 percent. As of the halfway point in the contest, families on average reduced energy use by about 30 percent, according to Donald Kelley, the executive director of the BrainShift Foundation, which conceived of the Energy Smackdown.

The various team events were a lot of fun because, I suspect, they tap into that American competitive spirit. And the activities really did connect neighbors and build community.

Click on this image for a photo gallery, compiled last year, of assorted green home retrofits.

(Credit: Martin LaMonica/CNET)

One Saturday morning, I joined in a sort of weatherization barn-raising at one team member's home. After measuring the air leakage with a blow-door test, about 10 of us ran around with caulk guns and insulating foam to try to make the building more airtight. The blow door--essentially just a removable door with a large fan--exaggerates the air leaks to help locate them.

During the lightbulb challenge, just a few small groups of people managed to replace 888 incandescent bulbs with more efficient compact fluorescents. That's saving the equivalent of electricity to power 87 homes each year, or 650 homes over the life of the bulbs.

There's no financial incentive, but bragging rights clearly go a long way to motivating teams to strategize and compete.

In a transportation event, we biked over 20 miles, rather than carpool, to cover a course with the lowest pollution per person. Another time we consulted with a local chef on how to create a good-tasting banquet menu built around locally procured ingredients. (My wife's sorbet dessert, made from locally picked raspberries, got top prize.)

Big and small changes
So we had a lot of fun, but you might ask, are these green efforts just feel-good puffery that have no real impact? I'd argue that this sort of activity, as playful as it was at times, hits on something important.

For starters, I found that getting a reasonably accurate measure of energy usage is not as trivial as you might expect. You have to go to the trouble, more than once, of gathering and entering data--how many kilowatt-hours, miles driven, therms consumed, etc. There are many companies developing home energy-monitoring tools, which should give people a better grip on where their money is going and how they compare to others.

But right now, most of us have only a general idea of energy use. And yet, better awareness is a vital step to creating a more energy efficient society, say experts. When people realize that their second refrigerator is sucking up $50 a month in electricity to keep a few beers cool, they may decide to pull the plug and come up with an alternative. The same concept holds true in industry, where there is a lot of wasted energy.

Getting better energy data underpins a lot of green-tech business strategies. A trial of a smart-grid program, for example, in the Seattle-area last year found that people reduced their energy consumption by 10 percent when they knew how much appliances consumed and the cost of energy.

A blower door test, part of a home energy audit, measures how airtight a home with a fan and computer to measure air flow.

(Credit: Martin LaMonica/CNET)

The second insight I've gained is, in my experience, greening your lifestyle just isn't all that hard. Besides, who doesn't want to lower their utility bills?

Using a power strip to completely shut off your electronics isn't exactly a supreme sacrifice but it can shave real money from your electricity bill every year. In the U.S., "vampire energy" from plugged-in appliances is about 5 percent of the energy consumed and costs consumers $3 billion each year, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Choosing energy-efficient appliances, which don't necessarily cost more, isn't dramatic behavioral change either yet helps spur demand for these goods. A programmable thermostat and low-flow shower heads are other no-brainers.

It's a bit more challenging to know how to improve your overall living space to be more energy efficient. But again, the resources are there--if you make the effort.

To participate in the Energy Smackdown, we were required to get a home energy audit. There are many technologies you could invest in--solar energy, "geothermal" ground-source heat pumps, wind turbines. But the first step is sealing your home's "envelope" from drafts and insulating. In other words, a caulk gun will pay off quicker than solar panels.

Perhaps the bigger point is that "green living" is really about the choices you make every day. Are you going to recycle that old cell phone or send it to an incinerator or landfill?

The grand finale for this year-long journey ends next month and, of course, I'm hoping for a victory for the hometown team. But if another city nudges us out for the win, my energy bills and I can say it's still been a worthwhile trip.

Note: This piece is part of a package for Earth Day 2009. On deck for Tuesday is "Technologies to watch."

[JackimoT]

Wow energy smack down sounds really awesome, I haven't had a chance to watch much of it. I'm kind of wondering if anyone on the show tried a solar attic fan, I know a lot about using solar electricity was mentioned, but I figure with a solar attic fan cooling your attic and then cooling your house, you don't really need to use the AC as much which would give you more electricity back. Maybe even enough for the electrical company to owe YOU money, lol. You've seen them right solar attic fans? These things: http://www.solar-attic-fan-info.com/

[ducttape36]

3.35? man, I pay about 24 bucks a month in electricity bills for my one bedroom apartment. (i unplug everything when i'm out of the house or just reading.) but 16 dollars of that bill is energy fees and taxes alone.

[William Crow]

Always remember...your taxes are well spent and you should NEVER question that. For if you do you will be labeled as an extremist.

Personally, I have used energy efficient bulbs, etc., to save the money in my wallet, not to save the earth from a trumped up end-of-the-world scenario.

Interesting how just as the ability to utilize new technologies to save your own money and get the "grid" off your back becomes available to the individual, as has been predicted for decades, its co-opted for political purposes by environmentally religious socialist kooks.
They reduce the influence of one boss, as they see it, and chose to be influenced by a much bigger boss.

Act in your own interest to save your own money. You are an individual.

[Been_there_Saw_it_before]

Wow, an electric bill you can read and understand. I am serviced by Pacific Gas and Electric, and their bill is both sides of three sheet. I asked one of the California Public Utilities Commission if he could explain his mother's bill to her, and he acknowledged that he did not even understand his own bill. That is rather eye opening, no wonder California is considered the land of fruits and nuts, and that is not the kind that grow on trees.

[bestunderblue]

Its a shame that from an environmental perspective it is totally pointless. Certainly do it to save money, but then to walk around in a green glow of self-satisfaction is delusional. With the current state of emmission programs and mass-generational technology, everything YOU save is either going up the stack of a factory who bought your carbon savings OR just gets generated and dumped if not used (due to wind-up times for turbines and peak-loading levels etc).

[markb1967]

As much as I enjoy saving energy, it seems that the power companies keep raising rates equal to my savings, so in the end I pay the same after all the efforts. Once the majority of people get on board, the energy companies will have to raise prices greatly to keep their profits the same. And suppose if everyone could get off the grid and use solar power for our homes, cars, etc... What would our government do to reclaim all those lost fees, taxes, for electricity and gasoline?

[William Crow]

They will recapture those lost taxes with a "carbon tax" and other newer "more progressive taxes." ...and as we know our taxes are spent wisely.

As citizens, if we question spending we are extremists.

Big Brother knows best.

[photog_7]

Fascinating article, Martin! I think many of us would love to install solar panels or geothermal air conditioning, but we're living paycheck to paycheck. As individuals, too many are already living beyond their means, and as a nation, I believe we are headed toward economic bankruptcy. It's very easy for me to cut out all my airfare to Europe, because my idea of a vacation is a three day weekend at home. Nevertheless, I disagree with those who think this is a waste of time. In fact, I think it's in our interest personally (from the money we can save and the sustainability values we teach our kids) and as a nation, to set an example for others. Is it as important as teaching everyone to try to stop after having two kids? Maybe not. My next door neighbors, who are unmarried renters on public assistance, already had trouble feeding six kids they had from previous marriages, and now have a new baby. Their kids are literally deprived, as Dad is working all the time and the mother practically ignores her seven kids. I pray for them. I don't think that unplugging my iPhone charger and sealing my windows can possibly undo the damage that overpopulation is doing to this country and this planet, but I do it anyway. As citizens of planet Earth, I can't understand why people don't see the damage that overpopulation is causing and show a little restraint. "Planned parenthood" should be a value we teach our kids, not a chain of abortion clinics. We seem to be losing the battle to teach our nation's kids any values at all. I watched in disbelief as two pre-teenage girls from the neighborhood threw plastic bottles and food trash on my lawn as they walked by last week. That really hit home, as I always assumed our kids were at least getting the anti-littering message. But we cannot give up. We need to do our part. I've gotten my summer electric bills down to about $70 by using less A/C, installing the new light bulbs, and turning off the hot water heater while I sleep and when I'm at work. I think I can get it down to $50 with a little more work. I sold my big SUVs and bought two small hatchbacks, one of which is four-wheel drive, and two bicycles. (I realize not everyone can drive a small car, but many who could do not.) My wife is a teacher, and she is putting out the anti-littering message in her classroom. And I pray that our nation and our planet will someday realize that God gave us a paradise and we're destroying it. We need to realize that the only way to change the planet is to change our ways. Our politicians in both parties are self-centered, corrupt thieves, as should be apparent to everyone by now. Real change will have to come from us, not from government, not someone else. Don't give up. Make a difference! If you don't do it, no one will. Talk to your kid's principal and teachers. Talk to your friends at church. Talk to your co-workers. Let's get started.

[Buick107]

You now have a six dollar electric bill, great! How much did you spend on the solar panels and installation? How many years is the payback, if any? You still spent the same money just upfront instead of monthly payments! Now don't misunderstand, if I had 20 grand laying around I would love to get a full solor array but get real! The average joe can't afford to do this. The tech has to come way down in price before it can realy make an impact. And, as someone commented earlier, the government and the utility companys taxes and fees will far out pace any savings. Drill here, Drill NOW!
and don't elect someone because they can read from a teleprompter well. or it's your chance to "be a part of history"! You wanted the rest of the world to respect us, well know they think we are weak and meak. Just ask Sarkozy!

[Rick Cavaretti]

Very true about the caulk gun and small leaks. These things are everywhere in older homes, especially ones where the foundation is going through some settling. Take a small, thin strip of paper and move it around the door frame perimeter while the heater or air conditioner are pressurizing the house. The paper will shake back and forth like you're hitting it with a hair dryer from the leakage.

[Buick107]

No cracking on my typos! I'm in a hurry because I'm at work paying for deadbeat idiots mortgages!

[William Crow]

Deadbeat idiots? No! They're victims of the system. "The MAN is keeping them down!"

[falhiem]

Don's have any children and you can contribute more to the "green movement" then anyone who drives a hybrid and replaces all of their lightbulbs with CFLs. The average child costs $250,000-$400,000 to raise. Beat that with your solar panels.

[jcombalicer]

http://ashinomori.blogspot.com/2009/04/cold-fusion-ever-so-hot-science.html

Please read this...

Okay dismiss this, dismiss everything...
We completely understand this. It ok to argue.

Its healthy to pour out sentiment, by doing this we know that their are little scientist in every one of us.

And we will always give the benefit og the doubt...

but maybe someday, we will also be able to learn and accept the .........

[dmm]

You chose to save energy by doing lots of little things, some of which were annoying but which you decided were "worth it." But then you blew all of that energy savings -- and then some -- with those two family airline trips. That's fine by me; it's your life and your money. My problem is this: well-meaning but ultimately hypocritical people who INSIST that EVERYONE save energy by making the same annoying changes that they are making because they have decided (for everyone) that it is "worth it," even while they are WASTING energy in other areas because it's "worth it." For example, the East Coast intellectual who pats himself on the back for having no children, but then uses his large disposable income to fund all sorts of carbon-emitting activities. (And then of course, when he gets old, he gets taken care of by those children he despised.) Another example: the snotty Prius driver who has a 100-mile round trip to work every day sneering at the SUV-driving mom taking her kids a few miles to a ball game.

My point is this: don't act all high and mighty, and dare to tell the rest of us how to live, unless your own conduct is unimpeachable. People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones, even if the glass is double-paned and weather-stripped.

[Green_Living123]

Have a look:
http://www.commonfloor.com/green-living?f=sp70
Computer or your PC consumes more electricity than a laptop computer. Encourage employees use laptops in office and save up to 90% of energy.