1/2

 
 
Why? Overall Progress The Energy Saving Projects Planning Your 1/2 Program Things We Learned
   

The Half Plan -- Cut Energy Use, Energy Cost, and CO2 Emissions in Half

Our Total Energy use is down from 93,000 KWH per year
to 38,000 KWH/year

The chart shows total energy use before and after the cumulative effect of doing conservation, solar, and efficient transport projects.
$4,500 per year saving in energy costs.

The chart shows the cumulative savings in energy bills for the same set of conservation, solar, and transport projects.
17 tons per year CO2 emissions reduction.

The chart shows the cumulative savings in CO2 emissions for the same set of conservation, solar, and transport projects.

 

 

 

The Half Plan

The Half Plan is our family's program to cut our total energy consumption and Green House Gas emissions by half.

We want to see:
          - If we can do it
                   - How hard it is
                         - What it will cost
                                - How much money we save

The links above 1) show how we are doing, 2) provide details on the energy saving projects we are doing, and 3) give some ideas on starting your own 1/2 program.

 

EarthToys article on the Half Plan

provides a good summary of what the plan is all about, and progress to date.
 

  

Download the "Half" talk given at the Livingston Sustainability Fair

The Half Plan Talk (4 mb Power Point file)
 

Hand out for the Half Talk (small pdf)

 

The Half Plan In Home Power Magazine

Home Power magazine is carrying a series of articles on the Half Plan

You can download the first two articles for free from the links below
Thanks to Home Power from making these downloads available!
Have a look at the full Home Power website

Half Plan: Part 1 (pdf)
 		 Thermal Gain
What the Half Plan is about, and several projects that reduce heat loss. 
Full how-to instructions and all of the energy savings, greenhouse gas savings, cost savings, and cost to build.
Part I projects:
Energy Saving        7900 KWH/year
GHG Reduction      3500 lbs CO2
Cost                         $1880
Cost Saving            $662 per year
Half Plan: Part 2 (pdf) Saving Electricity
More about the Half Plan, and the full how-to and details on several projects that result in large electricity savings.
The the greenhouse gas threat of coal fired power plants.
Part II projects:
Energy Saving        5035 KWH/year
GHG Reduction      10050 lbs CO2
Cost                         $1340
Cost Saving            $503 per year
Half Plan: Part 3 (pdf) Defeating Drafts and Improving Insulation
More about the Half Plan, and full how-to on these projects:
Details on infiltration sealing, attic insulation, crawl space insulation and sealing, sealing duct systems, and cheap window insulation.
 

 

Green Option Interview about the "Half" plan

 

The Top 7 Half Projects -- Cost $193 total, Save $670 and 4 tons of CO2 per year!

 

Do you have any ideas for additional energy saving projects --  please send them in.

 

Some other great energy conservation stories

 

 

 

 

The Carbon Buster's Home Energy Handbook

 

A good new book describing a program very similar to our "Half" program.

 

The Carbon Buster's Home Energy Handbook,
Godo Stoyke, 2007

 

 This is a brand new and good book on how to start your own energy saving program that will cut your energy use and green house gas emissions by as much as 70% -- and save you $17,000 over 5 years.
The author lists many potential projects in all areas of energy use, and provides cost, rate of return, energy saving and carbon saving for each.  It is done very much like my Half program listed above -- highly recommended.
Available at the usual book places $13.

 

08/01/06, 03/28/07, 4/27/07   Gary