Energy Star

[Michel Kohanim]

Dear ISYers,

 

We are applying for Energy Star (Service and Product Provider) and we need your help:

1. Have you been able to save energy by the integration of ISY?

2. If so, do you have evidence in numbers (either KWH reduction or dollar amount)?

3. If not, what would you consider a missing feature which would enable you to save more energy?

 

Energy Star is our first step towards the goal of helping the environment by saving energy.

 

Thanks so very much for your help and support,

With kind regards,

Michel

[MikeB]

Absolutely! I think the ISY brings me not only the ability to add additional functionality to my home, but also the ability to conserve energy with both my existing and added functionality.

 

I don't have any hard $ or KWh data, but here are some examples:

 

- To both conserve energy and increase the life of my incandescent bulbs, pretty much every light in my home is set to a 90% on-level and .5 second ramp rate (every little bit counts). The ISY makes it super-easy to set these on-levels and ramp rates.

 

- I have several low-level "night-light" scenes for my kids rooms, but my ISY is smart enough to turn them off at sunrise.

 

- My front door lights come on at a bit after sunset, but my ISY turns them off automatically at 10pm.

 

- My ISY will turn off any closet and bathroom lights/fans that are accidentally left on for an extended period of time.

 

- I have KeypadLincs at my front door, garage entrance door, and master bedroom. My ISY keeps track of my lights and illuminates KPL buttons to notify me that a light was left on. When I'm leaving my home or going to bed, I see this lit button, and pressing it turns them off for me easily.

 

- I use my ISY to automate my office thermostat. If it's outside of business hours, and no lights are on in my office, my ISY will set the thermostat to save energy while I'm out.

 

- With the kids always going in and out of the garage, it was not uncommon for us to accidentally leave a garage door open overnight. During cold weather season, this can waste heat here in Massachusetts. A KPL button now illuminates in my master bedroom if either garage door is open, and simply pressing it will close it.

[JasonWPB]

I have many of the same as Mike:

 

1. Using the ISY, all my dimmers have on-levels set to 80%.

2. ISY turns of bathroom fans automatically after 30 minutes or 10 minutes after the light in the bathroom is turned off.

3.ISY turns off closet, garage, and laundry lights 5 minutes after they come on (overrides are possible, too).

4. ISY opens drapes and turns off lights after sunrise in the living room, making use of natural light instead of using kWh.

5. (watering doesn't count for Energy Star, but in keeping with the green theme) ISY controls sprinklers so that we don't waste water when lawn/landscape doesn't need watering.

6. Here's a big one for me: Before the ISY, I would leave my computer on 24/7 to run events (not even energy-saving events). With ISY, my computer is on only when I am using it. I estimate this to save significant amounts of energy by running my computer approximately 25% (this is even conservative) less than it used to. For example, when I am out of town for a week, the computer isn't on at all. Prior to the ISY, it would have been on. If I assume the computer draws 300 W (again, this is conservative), the 25% assumption is a savings of nearly 2,000 kWh per year (assuming I've calculated correctly). Note that the PLM would have had to be connected anyway, but I don't know about the ISY's power draw -- though I would guess it is insignificant in my calculation.

[G W]

I do the following:

 

1. Turn off bathroom fans after a set time and trigger.

2. Turn off closet, laundry and utility lights after a set time.

3. Turn on and off ceiling fans depending on temprature.

 

I'm looking at other ways to also use the ISY to control the use of electric.

 

I'm very interested in the exacty hardware and method MikeB uses: "A KPL button now illuminates in my master bedroom if either garage door is open, and simply pressing it will close it."

 

Gary

 

Thanks MikeB. I don't want to take over this thread so I edited this post.

 

Gary

[MikeB]

I'm very interested in the exacty hardware and method MikeB uses: "A KPL button now illuminates in my master bedroom if either garage door is open, and simply pressing it will close it."

 

 

Hey Gary -

 

Check out the following thread:

http://forum.universal-devices.com/viewtopic.php?t=1403

[Zellarman]

The energy saving was what triggered my ISY purchase, while I had wanted one for a while I had to somehow justify it's purchase as practical and not just getting another toy. After repeatedly coming home to outdoor lights on during daylight hours I finally picked one up.

 

My ISY now shuts off all exterior lights during the day. I also use it to dim any lights above 90%. It also fades up low on-level lights during the day. While lower on-levels at a switch do save energy, technically it's not the ISY that does this, BUT through use of programs that fade up during the day, it DOES allow the use of even lower on levels that remain unchanged during nighttime hours.

[Michel Kohanim]

Thank you so very much for all your input. Would it be possible to quantify the savings in numbers? i.e. if you look at your utility bill before and after utilizing ISY, is there a change?

 

Also, I am very interested to know if there any missing features that you think might help save even more energy.

 

Thanks so very much,

With kind regards,

Michel

[G W]

I just added the ISY about two weeks ago, so I don't have any numbers. But I can tell you that fans don't run for hours like they used to and lights don't stay on all day.

[Brignolo]

I'm coming up on one year after installing my ISY. Although my actual electricity bill are relatively on the high side, I have been able to realize a $50-75 on my electric bill per month.

 

I can quantify this savings by logging on to my account with Duke Energy.

 

I will do so and repost when I have this data available.

 

But like everyone else, the lights don't go on full and don't stay on long.

 

I think the real savings has been with the ability to control my heating/cooling from anywhere in the house.

 

Did ya ever wake up in the middle of the night and were too cold in the summer or too hot in the winter and were just too darn lazy to go downstairs and change the temperature? - - C'mon we all have...

 

Well not anymore, my friend....

 

Joe

[Scott Bruns]

I have implemented many of the same solutions as the others have posted, fans and lights turning themselves off. Here is something I did not see yet.

 

I installed a water recirculator to get hot water to my kitchen. It is really nice not having to run the water for 3 minutes every time I want hot water. The pump shuts itself off when the hot water gets to the sink, which is supposed to save me money. With the ISY I made this even better. I only allow the pump to run when a light is on in the kitchen or the master bathroom. When we get up in the morning by the time we get to the kitchen the water is already warm at the sink. At night when we come home and turn on the kitchen lights the water warms right up.

 

For me, the most important thing is that the pump does not run at all when we are out late or go on vacation. The ISY "Knows" when we are sleeping, and it knows when we're away.

 

The same functionality is going to be implemented with my bathroom underfloor heating and A/C. As soon as Michel releases the DSC (alarm system) to ISY link my ISY will know when we are away from home. It will automatically know to keep things turned off.

 

My ISY-26 uses so little energy. I'm sure I'm easily saving more then it uses. Which is a plus, as I would use it even if it did not save me energy.

 

Scott

[dougspence]

Michel

 

In addition to nearly all of the energy savings applications previously listed, the ISY allows me to take significant advantage of my electric supplier's optional "time of use" variable electric rate schedule. Peak rate hours, which are 4am-9am and 6pm-9pm weekdays from my supplier, are billed at about $0.126/kwh. All other time periods are $0.046/KWH. My ranch is nearly 'all electric', so carefully programming irrigation pump times, and following sunset and sunrise changes for lighting need makes a big difference. Additionally, we heat the entire contents of the 200 gallon electric hot water heater 90 minutes before peak rate time and then, in the unlikely event we consume all of the stored hot water during peak hours, the ISY allows for just a touch up of the top 40 gallons during peak rate time. The walk-in refrigerator, shop air compressor, laundry facilities, and hot tub are all 'time controlled' (with override capability) as well. These are easy applications when the ISY controls the heavy 'definite purpose contactors' which power up these items.

The ISY also assists in switching between 'primary' electric heat and 'backup' propane heat at the appropriate times of day during the heating months. Since implementing this program, the typical ranch monthly electric bill has decreased from $300-380 to $150-190.

 

The ability to program seasonal variables into the ISY would significantly enhance and simplify our use of these energy savings programs. Simple Insteon motion sensor equipment, which appears to be on the way, should also allow additional energy savings applications.

[dougos2]

I think if the ISY had the ability to monitor energy usage for the house it would make it a lot easier to prove your energy star case. Interfacing with a Brultech monitor would really help.

[kcshipley]

Michel -

 

Does using a lamp dimmer REALLY save energy? My sister asked me this some time back, and I wasn't sure that it does.

 

As I understand, the old-style rheostat dimmers merely dissipated the "extra" power through heat in a variable resistive load, in order to provide less "go juice" to a lamp. Perhaps this is different for the modern digital "choppers"? Is this done via Pulse Width Modulation?

[Michel Kohanim]

Hello Kevin,

 

Excellent question and I am sure the answer is yes (reduces energy consumption). Just to be sure, I have one of those Brultech meters and I am going to check it out. If I don't find any energy savings, then I will report back.

 

With kind regards,

Michel

 

Michel -

 

Does using a lamp dimmer REALLY save energy? My sister asked me this some time back, and I wasn't sure that it does.

 

As I understand, the old-style rheostat dimmers merely dissipated the "extra" power through heat in a variable resistive load, in order to provide less "go juice" to a lamp. Perhaps this is different for the modern digital "choppers"? Is this done via Pulse Width Modulation?

[upstatemike]

Actually the answer is no. As you dim a light the electricity used goes down but not as fast as the light output so you get less and less efficiency (less lumens per watt).

 

In other words, a 100 watt light bulb dimmed to 60% light output will use more power than a 60 watt bulb that is not dimmed.

 

Where dimmers do save energy is in areas where a bright light is sometimes required but not always. For example, you could keep the front hall light dimmed to a "pass through" level in the evening and only use it at full brightness when you have guests or some other activity where people would dwell in the area. Even this scenario is a bit of a rationalization because keeping the light off and using a motion detector to turn it full on when someone passes through would be a much more energy efficient strategy.

[MikeB]

As I understand, the old-style rheostat dimmers merely dissipated the "extra" power through heat in a variable resistive load, in order to provide less "go juice" to a lamp. Perhaps this is different for the modern digital "choppers"? Is this done via Pulse Width Modulation?

 

My understanding is that modern dimmers do indeed reduce electricity when dimmed, but as Mike said above the savings is not equal to the dim percentage. So, dimming your light to 50% will not cut its electricity use by 50%, but it does help.

[Sub-Routine]

You made me curious so I plugged a LampLinc into a Kill-O-Watt and connected it to a 60 watt lamp. I took readings at approximately 10% intervals.

 

There is an overhead of about 1W used by the LL. Other than that the draw is fairly linear. What the LampLinc does is reduce the power to the indicated factor. So when set to 50% the lamp does consume approximately 50% as much power as it does at 100%.

 

This doesn't mean that the lamp is producing 1/2 the light as it does at 100%. I don't have any way of measuring the light output.

 

Rand

[upstatemike]

This doesn't mean that the lamp is producing 1/2 the light as it does at 100%. I don't have any way of measuring the light output.

 

Rand

 

Without the light measurement you really have not confirmed anything. Remember the dimming levels for Insteon represent power and not light output so all you have done is use a meter to show that when you set a module to 60% of full power then it uses 60% of full power. (I guess you showed the Insteon settings were fairly accurate)

 

To save money you have to get more light for less power. Any test that does not include a measurement of the light produced is not going to tell you anything. Also you can't use your eyes to guestimate because of the interplay of eye sensitivity and iris dilation.

[G W]

To save money you have to get more light for less power.

Hang about. That's a misleading statement. Any saving in power is going to save money. Turing off the light will save money.

 

I do agree we should all know at what point do we get the best value. At what percent to we get the most light for the least power. I doubt it is linier.

[upstatemike]

To save money you have to get more light for less power.

Hang about. That's a misleading statement. Any saving in power is going to save money. Turing off the light will save money.

 

I do agree we should all know at what point do we get the best value. At what percent to we get the most light for the least power. I doubt it is linier.

 

Well OK you have me there. Dimming a light (or just turning it off) does save energy over burning it at full power.... but then you are either using more energy then you need to for the light produced, or your sitting in the dark.

[khearn]

Here's an example. Let's say I have a desk with a ceiling lamp over it. In order to do stuff that requires reading small text, like doing taxes, paying bills, or reading a book, I need a 100 watt light. But for just using the computer, I don't need as bright of a light. So I have the light on a dimmer and find I can turn it down to 70% and still be able to see my keyboard and read the notes I take (I write bigger than the fine print on the bills/book). Assuming a linear dimmer, which seems to be reasonable, I'm just using 70watts and saving 30 watts.

 

Now if I replace the 100w bulb at 70% with a 60w bulb at 100%, I may get the same amount of light for 10 watts less power. But there's no way I'm going to change light bulbs when I change tasks. And I need a 100w bulb some of the time. So the dimmer does save me power.

 

A couple of other alternatives come to mind. I could have 2 lamps, one 100W and one 60W and just use the one I need, but then I have to have 2 lamps. I could have a lamp that can use a 3-way bulb and use a 40W-60W-100W bulb and select my light level. But most lamps can't use those bulbs, and it would be a pain to control a 3-way bulb with Insteon. I've also never seen a ceiling light that uses 3-way bulbs. I could also use a 60W ceiling lamp and a smaller task lamp to just give extra light to the area where I work with small text. But that's still an extra lamp to buy and have taking up space on my desk.

 

So if you only ever need the amount of light you can get out of a smaller bulb, you should use the smaller bulb at 100% instead of a bigger bulb that is always dimmed. But if you sometimes need a lot of light and sometimes need less, and you don't want to mess with multiple lights to give different light levels, a dimmer will save you money compared to always having the bright light on at 100%.

 

Keith

[Sub-Routine]

Keith, thank you for saving me all that typing

 

Rand

[MikeB]

I agree with all of the above.

 

I set pretty much all my lights at a 90% on-level and .5 second ramp rate. In most cases there's no noticeable difference to me, so I never think twice about it - and it's nice to know I'm saving that 10%.

 

The 90% on-level and .5 second ramp rate also help improve bulb life - I rarely ever have a bulb go bad.

[krafty]

I think the use of rules allows for a lot of power savings. Especially with children in the house and with the new motion sensors. We have a lot of lighting rules that are triggered by our ELK for exterior lights that are rarely used, but when someone enters the gate, they are tripped. This provides the same security and safety as having those lights on at night, but saves a ton of power by only turning them on when someone is actually there.

[Bernhard]

I have the first Green results from using my ISY.

 

Here is what I did: I use the ISY to control what I call "Away Mode" for my home. The goal is to keep energy usage to a minimum while nobody is at home. I have a 3,800 sqf house and I live here with my youngest daugher (highschool senior). I use the ISY to program the thermostat to cool the house down while I am at work and my daughter is in school, I also have a KPL button to manually set the house to "Away Mode". A motion detector in the garage senses one of us coming home and switches off the Away mode and heats up the house. I also control my modes over the internet connection to my ISY. In addition I have a "Bedtime" mode that colls the house down a little when I retire to my bedroom and watch TV there.

 

Now, the first numbers are in!

 

Compared to last year (same month, same avg. outside temp), I reduced my average THRM use per day from 4.1 to 3.3, which is more than 20%! Costwise the difference is approx. $35 for that month. I attribute that to the flexibility of programming the ISY over a simple 7 day programmable thermostat.