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Our cheapest form of keeping cool in the summer starts with Sweating. Sweating cools the body down and maintains its operating temperature. Sweating prevents us from overheating and heatstroke. Basic Physics of Water Cooling (Seating): When a liquid changes state by evaporating into gas, the process has the effect of cooling down the surface that it came from. Evaporation needs a triggering event and that would be our body getting hotter (exercising/ working hard) plus the movement of air across the water’s surface (our skin). Our body is similar to turning on the stove burner and placing a pot of water on top. The pot of water is actually trying to cool down the hot burner as the water evaporates into the air, but more energy coming out of the burner (I.E. our body) keeps the water hot triggering more evaporation to continue. When we stop exercising / working hard, we stop the source of high temperature and the skin evaporation goes way down. CHEAP: FIX - CLOTHING: WHITE Clothing surfaces reflect light while BLACK-surfaces collect light. Therefore, it is best to: · Wear white clothes when hot outside to reflect the heat away. · White umbrellas will reflect the most heat, while black umbrellas will collect and radiate amplified heat down to you. · Wear wet collars around your neck which evaporate water to cool the warm blood entering your brain. (Sold at hardware stores.) MEDIUM: FIX - HOUSE EXTERIOR: White roofs and white walls will greatly reduce your air conditioning bills while Black roofs and dark colored walls will suck in heat which travels through the walls into the house. A LOT of insulation (R70 – 100 per www.phius.org ) is required to prevent that extra heat from penetrating into the house. (Note: a standard 2x4 wall is only ~ R9 - 13) · FUTURE: Lets have Seasonal Color changing roofs and walls on our house for Summer and Winter STEEP: FIX - HOUSE AIR CONDITIONING: · If Humid outside, run a “De-Humidifier” inside the house to attract moisture out of the air and allow your skin to evaporate easily. · When purchasing an Air Conditioner insist on the highest SEER value (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating). Mini-Splits are twice (or more) as efficient than a “central” air conditioner. The Carrier MiniSplit rated at 9000 BTU (3/4 Ton) has a record SEER = 42. Model: 38MPRAQ09AA301. The best central air conditioners average around SEER 16 but you should insist on better. Plus by having multiple 90 00 BTU mini splits around various rooms, you can have individual room control. · In dry climate, Use an "Evaporative Cooler" (Swamp cooler) instead of a central air conditioner. These use only the watts of the fan to blow across water-panels and no high powered compressor is required outside. Be sure a window is open on the opposite end of the house to let the cool humid air escape, else the house will become nearly 100% humid. The temperature of the output is usually around 58 to 62 on a low-humid day such as S.W. USA. · WARNING: Sold to many unsuspecting consumers are floor standing interior air conditions that have no insulation divider wall between the cool side blowing on you and the warm side where air is entering the machine. Since the machine is using watts to run, It can only add heat to the room despite blowing on you. There must be a pipe or some equipment going out the window or wall to remove heat to outside. FIX: - CARS: Car roofs don’t have much insulation if any. If your car is any color other than white, then the air conditioner load is increased to keep the interior cool. A paint shop can paint the car’s roof white. Most Toyota FJ Cruisers come with whit tops no matter what color the car is. ENJOY MOTHER NATURE'S “EVER INCREASING’ HOT SUMMER!

As utilities move to Time of Use rates that charge more in the weekday afternoons and evenings, you will have more control over your electric bills. Below are some ways you can change your lifestyle to take advantage of these rates. CHEAP COST : The cheapest energy is using NO energy. You can avoid using energy by: 1) Hang your clothes on the drying rack 2) Eat foods that don't require long oven and stove times 3) Use cold water for your laundry which will avoid re-heating the water in your hot water tank 4) Keep the refrigerator door closed 5) Keep lights off (however LED lights use very little electricity) 6) Use a laptop computer (17 watts) instead of a Desktop computer (200 watts) 7) A dd insulative foam panels to the back sides of your refrigerator “freezer” (not over the refrigerator portion where heating escapes) 8) Place warning signs around the kitchen for reminders of new habits 9) Ensure front and back doors and all windows are closed 10) Open shades on the south side of the house in the winter and close the shades on the shaded side 11) Don't use any resistive heating if possible, You can turn on your oven with the door slightly open but set a timer for safety 12) Inspect and add weather stripping around front door 13) Caulk leaks around windows, 14) Add “outside” thermometers on four sides of the house to become aware when to close windows and save heat in the house 15) Use motion sensors on wall switches and a time on the bathroom fan 16) Provide t raining to all household occupants for new habits 17) Use light wall colors to reflect light rather than dark colors which absorb light, 18) Purchase a Kill-a-Watt meter for $25 and measure the watts used by your refrigerator (about 100 watts), TV (70 watts), computer, toaster, lamps, etc. It is fun to educate yourself. 19) Use a TV antenna and do not use an always-on Cable TV box 20) Close doors and heater ducts to rooms that are not used 21) Replace the furnace air-filters for better flow 22) Free Education = Attend You Tube webinars from CRES, attend CRES meetings. www.cres-energy.org LIST OF DELAYED ACTIONS UNTIL CHEAP RATES start : 1) Delay EV charging, 2) Delay dishwasher, 3) Delay laundry and drying, 4) Delay Hybrid hot water, 5) Delay cooking, 6) Vacuum the carpet only during cheap times (vacuums pull a lot of power) 7) Delay using a Hair-dryer (1300 – 1500 watts) MEDIUM COST : 1) Join a Community Solar Project to buy electricity from a shared solar array 2) Purchase energy monitors to learn which circuits are using the most power 3) Install Sun tunnels for natural lighting 4) Install storm windows as a second layer to your windows https://thinkalpen.com/products/winsert-introduction/ 5) Add a glass screen door to protect your main door from low temperatures 6) Replace LED lights that are 5 years old with brand new LEDs because today’s LEDs are more efficient than 5 year old LEDs due to technology advancements 7) Replace any refrigerator older than 2004 with an E-Star rated refrigerator (1/4 the watts) 8) Get an energy audit, https://hvacree.net/xcel-co/public_search.cfm 9) Have Xcel Energy service your home with new LEDs https://xehomeenergysquadco.as.me/schedule.php STEEP COST: 1) Get a Rheem Hybrid hot water tank $1200 and do NOT use the instant On-Demand hot water 2) Add roof top solar energy - both electric and hot water 3) Add PV Battery back up 4) Replace widows but insist on a LOW U value Example= U0.12 to U0.16 windows 5 ) Add thick insulation and dense-pack Insulation in your walls above ground and basement 6) Add heating with Hot Air panels 7) Add Automatic shades inside and outside 8) Add Heat-Pump Mini splits of high SEER >40, high HSPF =15 and a high COP Coefficient of Performance >4 to 1 energy multiplier TEST QUESTION: All of the above savings and inconveniences are not necessary if your PV system generates surplus electricity? FALSE! The rates of TOU will charge high rates during the early evening hours even when there is no sun. If you install energy storage through a battery backup system, you can draw power during the high electricity rate period.

FROM CHEAP TO STEEP by: John Avenson Date: May 2021 TOU = "Time Of Use" = Electricity rates from any power supply company will vary between cheap and expensive, usually during the afternoon and evening. Your life style can have a big impact on TOU and it can be your advantage, or disadvantage. It will soon be VERY important to totally avoid afternoon hours of high rate charge due to high rates. Below are some life style changes to consider: CHEAP: The cheapest energy is using NO energy at all. This can be accomplished by: 1) Hang your clothes on the drying rack, 2) Eat foods that don't require long oven and stove times, 3) Use cold water for your laundry which will avoid re-heating the water in your hot water tank, 4) Keep the refrigerator door closed, 5) Keep lights off however LED lights draw very very little, 6) Use a laptop computer (17 watts) instead of a Desktop computer (200 watts), 7) add insulative foam panels to the back sides of your refrigerator “freezer” (not over the refrigerator portion where heating escapes), 8) Place warning signs around the kitchen for reminders of new habits, 9) Ensure front and back doors and all windows are closed , 10) Open shades on the south side of the house in the winter and close the shades on the shaded side. 11) Don't use any resistive heating if possible, You can turn on your oven with the door slightly open but set a timer for safety) 12) Inspect and add Weather striping around front door, 13) Caulk leaks around windows, 14) Add “outside” thermometers on 4 sides of the house to become aware when to close windows and save heat in the house, 15) Use motion sensors on wall switches and a Timer on bathroom fan, 16) Give Training to all household occupants for new habits, 17) use light whitish wall colors to reflect light rather than dark colors which absorb light, 18) Purchase a Kill-a-Watt meter $25 and measure the watts used by your refrig (s/b about 100 watts), TV (70 watts), computer, toaster, lamps, etc. It is fun to educate yourself. 19) Use a TV antenna and do not use an always-on Cable TV box. 20) Close doors and heater ducts to rooms that are not used. 21) Replace the furnace air-filters for better flow, 22) Free Education = Attend Youtube wibnars from CRES, attend CRES meetings. www.cres-energy.org LIST OF DELAYED ACTIONS UNTIL CHEAP RATES start : 1) Delay EV charging, 2) Delay dishwasher, 3) Delay laundry and drying, 4) Delay Hybrid hot water, 5) Delay cooking, 6) Vacuum the carpet only during cheap times (vacuums pull a lot of power) 7) Delay using a Hair-dryer (1300 – 1500 watts) MEDIUM COST : 1) Join a Solar garden, 2) Purchase energy Monitors to learn which circuits the power is being used. 3) Install Sun tunnels for natural lighting, 4) Install storm windows as a second layer to your windows https://thinkalpen.com/products/winsert-introduction/ 5) Add a glass screen door to protect your main door from low temperatures. 6) Replace LED lights that are 5 years old with brand new LEDs because today’s LEDs are more efficient than 5 year old LEDs due to technology advancements, 7) Replace any refrigerator older than 2004 with an E-Star rated refrigerator (1/4 the watts), 8) Get an energy audit, https://hvacree.net/xcel-co/public_search.cfm 9) Have Xcel Energy service your home with new LEDs https://xehomeenergysquadco.as.me/schedule.php STEEP COST: 1) Get a Rheem Hybrid hot water tank $1200 (HomeDepot) and do NOT use the instant On-Demand hot water 2) Add Roof top solar 3) Add PV Battery back up, 4) Replace widows but insist on a LOW U value Example= U0.12 to U0.16 windows, 5 ) Add Thick insulation and Dense-Pack Insulation in your walls above ground and basement, 6) Add heating with Hot Air panels, 7) Add Automictic shades inside and outside (Homedepot and Lowes) 8) Add Heat-Pump Mini splits of high SEER >40, high HSPF =15 and a high COP Coefficient of Performance >4 to 1 energy multiplier.. TEST QUESTION: All of the above savings and inconveniences are not necessary if your PV system generates surplus electricity more than you use? FALSE! The rates of TOU will charge high rates during the evening hours when there is no sun. By using just one minute over the minimum rate will trigger the whole “high” rate period to engage.. The only fix is to install Battery Backup which you can draw power from during the high electricity rate period.