Training Guide to Energy Efficiency

[Insert Think Energy email address]

Table of Content1. Introduction2. Suggested Training Schedule3. Energy Saving Tips for Households

Space heatingDomestic Hot WaterAppliancesLightingCookingTransport

4. Energy Saving Tips for Hotels and Public BuildingsSpace heatingDomestic Hot WaterAppliancesLightingCookingTransport

1. IntroductionThis document was prepared as a training guide to energy efficiency. It provides a suggested training schedule for Think Energy Ambassadors and gives useful tips on how to save energy in a building by looking at space heating, domestic hot water, appliances, lighting, cooking transport and energy monitoring & rating.

While this Training Guide to Energy Efficiency provides energy tips which can be applied at home and at work, more specific advice is given to hotels and public buildings in the last section of the document.

This guide can also be used as a checklist for actions and may be adapted by BuildSmart partners depending on the building type of their demonstration site. They may also wish to prioritise different energy saving tips to match their climate zone.

2. Suggested Training ScheduleTopic Action Website Resources

Sept

embe

r

Space Heating

Use Temperature Card; encourage feedback from employees/ residents; thermal comfort survey

Energy saving tips for autumn; event/ seminar with heating experts

Energy Saving tips on space heating

Hot Water Competition for a waterbutt; use of water saving devices (hippo bag)

Water saving tips; link in with other sustainability issues

Water conservation stand at Energy Awareness Day

Oct

ober

Appliances Highlight standby/vampire energy

Highlight how much different appliances use when on standby

Think Energy Email, intranet and newsletter content

Lighting Lux Meter Readings in the Office; Adopt a light competition; Poster campaign

Halloween website content to support switch off poster campaign

Halloween Posters; infographic on lighting

Nov

embe

r

Cooking Involve kitchen staff in campaign/ start adapting new habits at home

Energy saving tips in kitchen with photos/images

Energy saving tips on cooking

Transport and Efficient Driving

Start car-pooling; inform staff of different transport options and bicycle racks

Information on sustainable transport modes – also use in Spring

Electric Car display and DublinBike display at Energy Awareness Day

Energy monitoring and Rating

Conduct a walkabout in the office or a an energy audit at home

Highlight Live Energy Screen on website

Live Energy Screen; energy monitors at Energy Awareness Day

3. Energy Saving Tips for HouseholdsSpace heatingLearn how to meet your comfort levels with the minimum amount of energy required by optimising your heating systems and controls, regulating your radiators and reducing heat loss:

Heat Loss Reduce heat loss by sealing your windows and doors Keep doors between rooms closed to keep the heat in each room Use heavy curtains in your house to reduce heat loss through the

windows Use draught blockers for windows and doors – the room will feel much

cooler than it actually is if you sit in a draught the whole time If radiators are located under a window, avoid heat loss by fitting a

window sill

Timers Experiment with the heating settings. Switch the heating off earlier in the

evening (i.e. try to turn the central heating off 1hour before bedtime and see whether the room stays at a comfortable temperature.

Thermostats, input/output settings Turn on the heating a little later in the morning and see if the house

warms up sufficiently for the period of time you spend in the house. Manually adjust internal thermostats to moderate heat output in response

to weather conditions and internal temperature Set the temperature of your thermostat to low at night or when you are

out of the house. This can reduce your heating bill by 7-15%.

Did you know? A typical window left open overnight wastes enough energy through heat loss to drive a small car 35 miles (SEAI).

Did you know? By reducing the temperature by just 1 degree, you can cut your family’s energy bill and avoid up to 300kg of CO2 emissions per household per year (SEAI).

Radiator Valves1

Turn off your radiators in rooms where you don’t require heat (i.e. if you are only in the kitchen for cooking, the room will heat up through the oven/cooker anyway; your bathroom does not need any heat either!)

Use a Thermostatic Radiator Valves (TRV’s) to adjust heat output from your radiators when in rooms in response to thermal comfort needs.

Fit aluminium foil behind your radiators.

Heating systems To keep boilers work most efficient and reduce fuel consumption, ensure

that your boiler is maintained on a regular basis – specifically the boiler casing and burner, check for corrosion and airlocks in the radiators.

Look at more sufficient and cheaper fuel sources if your boiler is old and needs replacing – how about a woodchip boiler, which reduces your CO2 emissions and costs less than heating oil in the winter

Ventilation During sunny winter days, use a conservatory to heat the house by

opening the doors into the house while it is sunny, but close them when it is overcast.

Insulation Install good home insulation! Start by insulating your attic. Insulate wall cavities – you can insulate your house externally or internally

to reduce your heating needs

1 Radiator valves are not advised with condensing boilers as they require specific flow and return temperatures

Did you know? A typical comfortable living room would be 20 degrees. You will require less heat in other rooms such as hallways and bedrooms, where between 15 to 18 degrees are sufficient. Why not use a temperature card to find out how warm/cold it actually is in your room.

Did you know? Heat loss through walls, roof and floor commonly accounts for over 50% of overall space heat loss. Insulation is one of the most effective ways to reduce CO2 emissions and save energy in the long term.

Windows Replace your old single-glazed windows with double-glazing. This will

halve the energy lost through windows. If you go for wooden-framed double-glazed units with low-emission glass and filled with argon gas, you can even save more than 70% of the energy lost.

Air-conditioning Use a fan instead of expensive air conditioning, as they are real energy

gobblers and should be used sparingly. Draw the blinds to avoid direct sun and keep the room cool. Test whether opening or closing the windows are more beneficial in letting

cool air in or maintaining a cool temperature in the room.

Domestic Hot WaterLearn how you can minimise unnecessary heating of your hot water and reduce your water requirements at the same time to reduce heat demand.

Evaluate your routine of hot water demand by testing the duration you need to heat your immersion heater in order to have sufficient hot water in the morning and in the evening i.e. 1 hour in the morning and 2 hours in the evening. Reduce where you can.

Boil less water – only use as much as needed for your cup of tea or consider an eco-kettle which will help you adopt this new habit.

Check if your water is too hot. Your thermostat doesn’t need to be set higher than 60-65 degrees.

Take a shower rather than a bath. A typical shower uses only one fifth of the energy of a full bath.

Use a shower timer to reduce your shower time to approx. 5min Use a hippo bag, an old milk carton or a brick stone in your toilet cistern to

reduce the toilet flushes Use an aerated shower head to reduce your water consumption by up to

60% and help maintain sufficient water pressure. Turn off the tab! Never let your hot tap run unnecessarily i.e. while

brushing your teeth. It doesn’t only waste energy but also water! Ensure your hot water cylinder is properly insulated or fit a lagging jacket

to keep the water hot for longer. Solar water heating can meet up to 60% of your hot water demands Why not use a water butt in your garden for watering plants?

Did you know? A regular shower will use about 35 litres of water in 5 min whereas a power shower will use over 125 litres in the same time (Taptips.ie).

AppliancesFind out how you can save energy by reducing the standby energy of your appliances, improving efficiency settings and upgrading to A-rated.

Washing machine, dishwashers and dryers Use the lowest water temperature required for items you wash2

Ensure that you fill up the washing machine or dishwasher fully to run them more efficiently

Use an economy button where applicable Don’t use your dryer – simply get rid off it and dry your clothes on the line

instead When purchasing a washing machine, dishwasher or dryer look for A rated

appliances where possible Also consider ironing your clothes in one batch rather than one at a time.

You will save the energy required to heat up the iron each time you want to use it.

Fridge and Freezers Evaluate and adjust fridge temperature settings, keep the fridge

temperature between 2-3 degrees and the freezer at -15 degrees3

Place a thermometer in the refrigerator and the freezer to check the temperature!

Defrost your fridge and freezer at least every 6 months, as frost build up can increase the energy consumption of your freezer. Alternatively, you can also replace them with a newer model, which all have automatic defrost cycles and are generally up to two times more energy-efficient.

Position the fridge and freezer in a cool place away from cookers, boilers and direct sunlight

Let your food cool down first before putting your warm or hot food straight into the fridge or freezer

Fill up your freezer, as it requires less energy to cool a full freezer than an empty one. If it’s not full, why not add some plastic bottles filled with water until you need the space!

Clean the dusty coils behind your refrigerator. This helps disperse the heat to increase the energy efficiency of the refrigerator.

2 You may have to rise your dishes before putting them into the dishwasher3 Advice on temperature settings provided by SEAI

Did you know? Dusty coils can waste as much as 30% extra electricity!

Computers and monitors, Standby settings Hibernation mode, switch off computer screens Switch to a more energy-efficient screen.

Printers and photocopiers

TV and DVD players Plug the electronics in your living room into a single multi-socket power

strip. This will make it easier to switch them all of at once and save as much as 10% on electricity consumption. You can also use remote on/off controls for your power strip, which makes it easier if it is located begin your TV unit.

Turn off all electronics fully when not in use rather than leaving them on standby. Also consider this for your mobile charger, stereo system, iPod dock, game console etc.

Before going on holidays, walk around your building and turn off all lights and appliances at source. There is no need to have anything plugged in when you are away and it reduces the fire risk.

Did you know? Switching a PC monitor off overnight saves enough energy to microwave 6 meals!

Did you know? A photocopier left switched on overnight wastes enough energy to copy 1500 sheets of A4 paper!

Did you know? A TV set that’s switched on for 3 hours a day and left on standby for the remaining 21 hours uses about 40% of its energy in standby mode.

LightingMaximisie your awareness of where and when lights are being used and control your lighting demand.

Energy-efficient lights Replace your old light bulbs with CFL or LED lights. They are more

expensive to buy but cheaper over their life span. Remove light bulbs where not essential. Check if lux4 levels compare to

industry standards for the room as you may be Replace flickering or dim lights as they use up more energy Ensure to recycle your light bulbs properly. They don’t belong into the

regular waste. Recycle them at a local recycling centre. Some shops also have recycling facilities for light bulbs.

Natural daylight Maximise use of daylight, open your curtains to let in the daylight Think about fitting a skylight to keep your room bright during the day;

ensure that your skylight is clean Paint the surfaces of rooms, including ceilings, with colours of high

reflectance to maximise the day lighting opportunities. Light colours reflecting light while dark colours reflect less than 10%.

Energy conservation Turn of the lights in unused rooms Check whether it might be more efficient to simply turn on one lamp in the

kitchen rather than all over counter lights – you can check the watt on them to understand how much they use

CookingBuild good habits in cooking planning/organisation, such as cooking meals together, making optimum use of appliances and hardware. 4 Lux is the measure of light reaching a floor area. One lux equals one lumen per square meter.

Did you know? It is NOT cheaper to leave fluorescent lights on, it’s ALWAYS more economical to turn them off.

Did you know? Lighting an empty office wastes enough energy to make 1000 cups of tea!

Cooking Planning Aim for one main cooking time for everyone’s meal Check whether you can cook enough for more than one meal in one go

and storing the meal to reheat it the next day

Oven Bake dinner and dessert together – while your Sheppard’s pie is baking in

the oven, why not add your apple crumble too and cook at the same time. This will halve your gas or electricity consumption!

Turn off the stove or oven a few minutes before your food is ready and make use of the residual heat to finish cooking.

Don’t open the oven all the time to check your food as the oven cools down and requires extra energy to heat up again

Hob/Cooker Use pots and pans that fit the cooking ring Cover your pots while cooking as this reduces the amount of energy

needed Turn off the cooking ring at the last stages of your dinner and take

advantage of the residual heat

Did you know? You can save energy by simply cutting your vegetables into smaller pieces as they will require less time on the cooker. Why not boil the kettle with water first rather than on the hob and only use as much water as necessary.

TransportSave money on your fuel costs by using more sustainable transport modes or adapting more efficient driving habits.

Travel Planning Car-pooling is a fantastic way to save on petrol and cut down your carbon

emissions Why not walk, cycle or use public transport for shorter journeys

Efficient Driving Accelerate gently and shift into higher gear as soon as possible When approaching traffic lights, begin slowing down well in advance if it is

clear you will have to stop Try not to use air-conditioning in your car as this increases your fuel

consumption significantly Keep tyres inflates to correct pressure, as low tyre pressure not only

increases fuel consumption but also shortens the life of the tyre and can be dangerous

Did you know? Harsh acceleration and heavy braking can use up to 30% more fuel and can cause increased wear and tear on your car.

Energy Monitoring and RatingYou don’t know how much energy you can save unless you know what you are using. Start assessing your energy bills to get a better picture.

Energy Bills Calculate your annual energy bill What energy tariff are you currently using? (i.e. standard tariff, no

standing charge tariff, winter saver tariff) Can your utility company help you become more energy efficient Take advantage of night time rates were available or try a pay as you go

scheme, which makes you more aware of your energy use

House Energy Ratings Get a Building Energy Rating (BER) to see how well your building is

performing

Energy Surveys Consider a plug-in monitor or wireless energy monitor to get a better idea

of how much energy some of your appliance require A thermal imaging survey can be useful to highlight areas of energy loss

from a building Survey the number of lights that you have in your house and find out what

watt each uses. This will help you find out where light bulbs should be changed to more energy-efficient ones. You might be saving energy by turning on the central kitchen light instead of the lights above your kitchen counter!

Did you know? Space heating accounts to 60% of energy in your home! This is an area you should target first – look at areas of heat loss and start using a temperature card to keep on track of your progress (SEAI).

4. Energy Saving Tips for Hotels and Public Buildings

Space heating

Assess your Building Management System (BMS) and test different settings

Explore the option of introducing individual hotel room cards, which activate the heating/cooling systems in the rooms and ensure they are not left on unnecessarily

Explain heating/cooling systems to hotel guests on arrival

Remind housekeeping staff to turn off heating in rooms where left on

Keep a record of any guests complaints in relation to temperature in the rooms

Ensure that all air handling units are working correctly; check the settings of your BMS and test different settings

Consider running a thermal comfort survey with employees to identify areas that need improvement

Record complaints from employees Remove/reduce use of individual

electric heaters under desks Ensure heating/cooling systems are

turned off in unoccupied rooms e.g. conference rooms

Check radiator & heating time clocks to ensure the building is not heated during times or seasons when it is unnecessary

Domestic Hot Water

If your hotel has a swimming pool, check water temperature and air temperature and reduce where possible

Talk to the head chef about water use in the kitchen and see whether it can be used more efficiently

Ensure that your water use is sub-metered

Consider upgrading your dishwasher as newer models may use less water & energy

Reduce the temperature of your bathroom sinks as it is the technique rather than the hot water that kills the germs when washing your hands

Consider automated taps in public spaces

Install dual flush systems on toilets

Check water use in staff showers and create awareness of shorter shower times

Talk to canteen staff about water use and see whether it can be used more efficiently

Ensure that your water use is sub-metered

Consider upgrading the dishwashers in the canteen as newer models may use less water and energy

Reduce the temperature of your bathroom sinks as it is the technique rather than the hot water that kills the germs when washing your hands

Consider automated taps in public spaces

Install dual flush systems on toilets

Appliances

Consider using timers for your vending machines or upgrade them to more energy efficient models

Replace old washing machines with both water and energy conserving models.

Print on both sides of the paper when printing documents or other items

Consider using timers for your vending machines or upgrade them to more energy efficient models

Use flat-panel LCD computer monitors which consume up to 90% less energy than traditional monitors.

Print on both sides of the paper when printing documents or other items

Lighting

Automated controls in corridors Train your night porter and cleaning

staff to turn off lights in rooms which are unoccupied

Use daylight exclusively in your lobby, bar, and restaurant for as much of the day as possible. Consider installing skylights if needed.

Replace exit signs with Light Emitting Diode (LED) exit signs.

For new construction, strategically place windows in guestrooms to take advantage of natural lighting.

Automated controls in corridors Consider daytime cleaning to

reduce the need for lighting the whole building after working hours

Replace exit signs with Light Emitting Diode (LED) exit signs.

Conduct routine maintenance: clean and replace lamps on a fixed schedule to avoid dirt and dust build-up and to insure full-light output.

Consider a lux survey in your building. The lux meter will help you identify where areas are over-lit and light bulbs or fittings may be removed

Cooking

Try green dining. If your hotel has a restaurant, consider transitioning it into a Certified Green Restaurant. Buy organic, locally-grown food and/or plant an organic garden to provide fresh produce for your guests.

Buy in bulk. Whenever possible, buy food and guest amenities in bulk (i.e., use refillable hair and skin care dispensers). This saves extra journeys and packaging.

Talk to your canteen staff about using local suppliers to reduce the distance your food travels and help support local businesses

Make canteen staff aware of energy saving practices in the kitchen. This will not only help reduce energy consumption but create a more comfortable working environment as kitchens are often overheated and get very little natural ventilation

Transport

Offer the most sustainable transport options to your guests, e.g. airport transfer via electric bus

Ensure that you have sufficient and safe bicycle racks for your employees

Consider carbon offsetting when going on a business trip

Get the guests motivated to use green transportation options. Provide your guests with bicycles, walking maps, and information on public transportation.

Change your street fleet to electric cars

Offer your employees the cycle-to-work scheme

Ensure that you have sufficient and safe bicycle racks for your employees

Run a pedometer campaign to encourage employees to take the stairs instead of the lift

Consider carbon offsetting when going on a business trip

Start car pooling with your colleagues

Energy Monitoring & Rating

Monitor, record and post rates of energy and water use. Make repairs or replace equipment when rate changes indicate problems. Include filter changes, coil cleaning, thermostat calibration, and damper adjustments in your ongoing maintenance plan.

Consider sub-metering departments, specifically your leisure centre and kitchen; this will help set departmental targets and run league tables

Consider sub-metering different offices or departments; this will allow you to set individual targets and run league tables to encourage competition

Contact your local energy agency to get an up-to-date Display Energy Certificate (DEC) – they will also be able to give advice on how to improve this

Sources: SEAI – Power of One SEAI Master Class on Energy Awareness Taptips EnergyXchange Energiaware Cooking