Cooperative Living March/April 2015 - 12

PURCHASED
ENERGY - WIND &
LANDFILL GAS*
5.8%
2014 POWER
SUPPLY MIX
The following Virginia
electric cooperatives -
A&N, BARC, Community,
Mecklenburg, Northern
Neck, Prince George,
Rappahannock,
Shen andoah Valley and
Southside - purchased their
electricity from Old Dominion Electric Cooperative (ODEC) in 2014. In addition, all of these
cooperatives except A&N purchased a small amount of hydro power from the Southeastern
Power Administration (SEPA). ODEC also provided power to Choptank Electric Cooperative
in Maryland and Delaware Electric Cooperative. In 2014, ODEC generated or purchased
approximately 13.4 million megawatt hours of electricity for resale to its member distribution
cooperatives and to non-members. Emissions from all of ODEC's owned generating facilities
averaged approximately 0.000826 tons per megawatt hour for nitrogen oxide, and
approximately 0.000196 tons per megawatt hour for sulfur dioxide. SEPA supplied
approximately 187,022 megawatt hours of electricity to the eight Virginia cooperatives
indicated above. The chart displays the percentages of total energy supplied by ODEC and
SEPA to all ODEC members in 2014. For questions related to the graphic, please call Lynn
Maloney at (804) 968-4065.
PURCHASED
ENERGY - OTHER
53.2%
*ODEC sells renewable energy credits related to these purchases
to its member distribution cooperatives and non-members.
COMBUSTION
TURBINES 5.1%
SEPA
1.4%
NUCLEAR
13.6%
CURRENTS
by Tom Tate, Contributing Writer
COAL
20.9%
Energy
Efficiency and
Home Health
I
s there such a thing as having a home that is
too well sealed and insulated? In other
words, one that is " too tight? "
Many moons ago, I had a customer who
worked for a precast concrete company. He
was in the process of building an all-concrete,
earth-sheltered home built into a cliff overlooking
the Crow River, a tributary to the Mississippi, in
Minnesota. He was elated to tell me about the
air-lock entrance to the home (a vestibule with
two doors, only one of which could be opened
at a time) and the fact that they would not be
able to burn a single candle inside as it would
use too much oxygen. It certainly sounded
impressive to me at the time. Yet, even before
becoming attuned to healthy construction techniques,
it also sounded dangerous.
Fast forward to today with many miles behind
me in my energy career, and I can unequivocally
say, you can make your home too tight.
For many folks, the next question is, " Why is this
Insulation Choices, Types and Costs
ENERGY BANG FOR YOUR BUCK by Tom Tate, Contributing Writer
W
hat an enticing topic, " Insulation
Choices. " It certainly portends
a page-turning thriller, doesn't it?
Curl up in bed and prepare to be mesmerized!
Okay, so it is a dry and rather bland
topic. However, when it comes to improving
the energy efficiency of your home, there
is little that provides a bigger impact than
insulation.
Today, we have three basic insulation
choices: loose (or blown-in), blanket (roll or
batt) and foam (sheet or spray-on). Each has
its own set of benefits and its related costs.
Perhaps the most familiar is the blanket
(roll or batt) style of insulation made from
fiberglass. It is found in a variety of thicknesses
and is suitable for installation between
studs and joists. In new construction and renovation
of previously unfinished spaces, it is
one of the easier types to install. And, when
used in floor joists, it is also easy to remove if
you need to access wires or plumbing behind
it for maintenance. On the negative side, it has
a fairly low insulation value (R) per inch, ranging
between 2.9 and 3.8, and it is easily compressed,
which further reduces its R-value.
10
An older form of insulation is loose or
blown-in. This insulation can be cellulose
(best R-value of the three at 3.2 - 3.8 per
inch), glass fiber or mineral fiber (wool). The
most common application is in outside walls
and in attics over open floor joists. Offering
an excellent R-value, it is a good choice in
new construction and in situations where you
want to add insulation to an attic. Its drawbacks
include settling over time in walls and
the fact that when used in attics, no other use
of that space is realistic. When insulating
walls in retrofits, holes are drilled into each
cavity to be filled, and sealed after the insulation
is blown in.
The newest player in the insulation game
is foam, whether in sheet or spray form. Foam
sheeting is typically used on the exterior of
the home and EPA recommends it under all
residing projects. It can also be used just
about anywhere it can be easily attached,
like between wall studs or in ceilings. Sheet
foam offers great R-values (4 per inch) and
can be removed to access utilities behind it.
On the renovation front, it can be expensive
to install from a labor perspective.
Spray foam insulation comes in both
open- and closed-cell forms. Personally, I do
not see the reason for the open-cell version. It
allows for infiltration of water, dust and mold,
while closed-cell does not. Spray foam is the
most expensive insulation you can buy at the
moment, but it is also one of the best. It has
very high R-values (6.0 per inch for closed
cell), can be applied in any area of the home
and fills gaps and cracks perfectly. Anyone
who has ever dabbled with Crazy Foam
around the house knows what it can do. On
the downside, it makes it very difficult to access
any wires or pipes under the foam, so
it's best reserved for new construction or finishing
spaces. And, while the chemistry is
much improved today, some people may be
sensitive to the chemicals used in the foam.
Your particular situation will determine the
best insulation for your home. And, when it's
all done, your energy bill will thank you. 
Tom Tate writes on cooperative issues for the
National Rural Electric Cooperative Association,
the Arlington, Va.-based service arm of the
nation's 900-plus consumer-owned, not-for-profit
electric cooperatives.
Cooperative Living/March-April 2015

Cooperative Living March/April 2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Cooperative Living March/April 2015