Yesterday, John Doe called and said he was ready to discuss options. Great.
This morning, Daniel from Zero Energy Associates and I sat down at their dining room. John had examined how much the Sonoma County Energy Independence Program (SCEIP) would finance. SCEIP has a couple of limitations – not over x% of Loan to Value, or . The limit SCEIP would finance on his property, less the cost of his proposed solar electric system, was $20,000. Since I'd already modeled the proposed improvements we were considering to his home in EnergyPro and found a possible 50% improvement, I knew the Energy Upgrade California (EUC) program would send him a rebate of at least $3500 so his real total that he could spend on energy improvements was more like $23,500. OK. That was my target. Now how much could I fit in that amount? That's basically the question he asked me to answer.
Let's see, the definite items are:
Air sealing walls and ceiling, doors and weatherstripping: $1600
Replacing the 9 recessed fixtures in the kitchen w/ ICAT CFLs: $900
Tidy up the R19 attic insulation and blow more to end up with R38: $3000
Replace FAU with 95% direct vent unit with all new ductwork: $9900
Replace AC heat pump with SEER 15 unit: $3700
Test in, test out, SCEIP paperwork, EUC application: $1400
Weatherstripping and properly venting the DHW closet: $450
Repairing the floor where existing floor registers are removed: $1200
Total: $22000
OK, there's $1500 left. Here's the options:
Air seal the subfloor from the crawlspace: $400
Insulate the floor with batts to R19 (joists 48”OC): $4000
Insulate the floor with closed cell foam to R10 (less $400 because I don't have to air seal the subfloor: $6900
Replace the water heater with a 95% direct vent: $4200
Move the washer/dryer into the garage: $1500-2000
Ditch, drain, sump pump, and vapor seal the crawlspace & monitor: $TBA
If he chooses to insulate the floor with batts, I will have to air seal the subfloor; the upcharge to use spray foam under the subfloor is 6900 less 4000 or $2900. If he chooses to replace the DHW, I don’t have to do as much work on the closet so the DHW is 4200 less 200 or $4000.
If John is willing to go a bit over his $23,500 limit, which do YOU think is the best choice, considering both energy savings and indoor comfort?
Posts
