Energy Saving Tips

Everyone’s looking for a good deal. There’s no exception when it comes to home improvements, especially if you own an older home. If you find yourself in that category and are planning a major renovation, consider that adding insulation during your project often pays for the additional cost with energy savings in two to five years. According to Energy Star®, homeowners can save an average of 15% on heating and cooling costs by adding insulation in attics, floors over crawl spaces, and accessible basement rim joists. Adding insulation can also […]

Is this the winter you finally have had enough of shoveling now? Data analyzed by the Center for Injury Research and Policy found that annually, snow shoveling leads to about 100 deaths and 11,500 emergency room visits in the U.S. Of those treated for injuries, about 15% resulted from the shovel itself. Maybe it’s time to consider an electric snowblower? Cordless, battery-electric blowers can clear paths up to 24 inches wide through as much as 20 inches of snow. Unlike their gas-powered counterparts, they require very little maintenance, run relatively […]

In 2001, the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory published the results of the National Human Activity Pattern Survey. It revealed that, on average, Americans spend 87% of their time indoors and an additional 6% in enclosed vehicles. In 1800, 90% of Americans worked outside. 200 years later, less than 20% did. As more of our daily lives have been spent inside, the number of people with respiratory diseases, heart disease, certain types of cancer and/or other health problems has dramatically increased. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines Indoor Air Quality […]

As cold weather begins to set in, many people retreat to their garage to escape the chill. As do vehicles, so drivers hope to avoid scraping off ice and snow in the morning. If there’s any space remaining, ongoing projects are moved in with hopes of finishing them soon or carrying them over until spring. Closing up the doors and windows, many start using supplemental heat to make their garage, shop or shed even more hospitable. Propane tanks are filled. Pilot lights are ignited. Space heaters are plugged in. Then, […]

Have you ever reminisced about how hot a summer or how cold a particular winter was? It seems to be human nature to compare current outdoor temperatures to weather we experienced in the past. One of the late Johnny Carson’s favorite ways to set up a weather joke was to start by saying, “It was so hot today…” Having seen the routine many times, his audience would boisterously reply in unison, “How hot was it?!” Obviously, his reply was the punchline to which everybody laughed. But what if there was […]

Any long-time grain producer in Nebraska will tell you the key to a successful season depends on their crops getting the correct amount of moisture, in the correct manner and at the correct time without any other major devastations. During some wet years, yields from dryland acres will rival those from irrigated ground. However, during most years, irrigation provides a significant advantage. It comes down to water. Farming both dryland and irrigated acres, my grandfather appreciated a wet summer since both types of fields produced well. While unloading grain trucks […]

These days, instead of hearing a local dairy farmer hollering “Bessie,” you’re more likely to hear one of Nebraska’s public power utilities refer to “BESS” when discussing reliability. Rather than a seasoned Holstein cow, however, they are talking about a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS). This is one of the recent technologies Nebraska’s public power utilities consider for efficiently meeting the ever-growing electricity demand in our state. The Nebraska Power Association forecasts that our state’s average annual peak demand for electricity will continue to compound by 1.5% each year through […]

As summer heats up, it’s great to know your home’s air conditioning system can provide relief. It’s also good to know you can find a cold beverage in your refrigerator to cool down with. That wouldn’t be possible without the refrigeration process pioneered in 1834 by Jacob Perkins, who introduced the first commercially successful vapor-compression refrigeration system using ether. For air conditioning systems, a refrigerant evaporates inside a coil and changes from a liquid to a gas. As it does, the refrigerant absorbs heat from inside your home and the […]

Have you stopped at or driven by a convenience store in the middle of the day and noticed the canopy lights over the gas pumps are on? Or have you noticed a streetlight in your area that never shuts off? What about a glaring yard light that irradiates over much more than the owner’s yard? Finally, when is the last time you entered a room and found the lights were left on after the last person left? These are all examples of improper or needless use of electricity through illumination. […]

You know it’s springtime when you hear certain sounds in the fresh morning air: the gentle rumble of an approaching thunderstorm, the soft buzzing of bees pollinating flowers, the singing of songbirds announcing their return . . . and that overzealous neighbor who always starts mowing before 7 a.m. on Sundays! You know what that neighbor needs? A robotic mower. Most operate within the range of 55 to 60 decibels (dB). That’s the average level of a conversation between two people speaking in a soft to normal voice. Your neighbor’s […]

Could your home have an Intelligence Quotient (IQ)? While IQ tests are designed to assess human intelligence and not inanimate objects, people are seeking ways for their home to make autonomous, logical decisions and take independent actions to improve security and efficiency. That’s a “Smart Home!” What makes it smart? By connecting appliances and devices that can be controlled automatically or remotely through an internet connection and using a mobile or other networked device, a smart home can save energy with little to no effort on your behalf. Through one […]

If you are a Nebraska field crop producer who irrigates, you probably have a preferred method of determining when to turn the pumps on. For most with an occupation not related to farming, their guess as to when to water a crop would be pure speculation. Both groups appreciate two of the resources it takes to accomplish the task: water and energy. But the latter may not recognize how large the value of each is and how irrigation moisture sensors help producers optimize that value. According to the University of […]

As a Cornhusker, we love being top-ranked in the nation. However, there’s top ranking we need to be very concerned about: As per the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) 2023 report, Nebraska ranks third in the country for radon prevalence, with about 59% of the more than 8,500 radon tests in the state exceeding the EPA's action level of 4.0 picocuries per liter (pCi/L). Nebraska’s average radon level was 6.0 pCi/L. After smoking, radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States and is responsible for an […]

If you’ve ever lived through a few Nebraska winters in an old house with single-pane windows, you’ve likely observed the exquisite and ornate artwork by “Jack Frost”. Painted overnight, this left-behind artistry of frosty, fern-like patterns seemed to magically appear on the interior side of windows on the coldest of winter mornings. Window frost has become far less prevalent in current times due to the advancement of double-glazing. These designs may be pretty, but they’re not something you should be happy to see! Rather, it’s a warning that your home […]

For something as ubiquitous as electric lighting, it may be hard to imagine a time when our homes were without it. However, using electricity for residential illumination only became common in the U.S. during the 1940s. Since then, we’ve been extending our days into our nights, often with a flick of a switch. Consider that almost everyone has a light or a number of lights they rely on to nurse their night owl tendencies. Why wouldn’t you want efficiency, quality and the most overall value from those essential fixtures? Here […]

While demand for tankless water heaters continues to increase, more than 95% of homes have conventional storage tank heaters installed. About half use electric resistance or heat pump technology to produce hot water, while the other half uses natural gas or propane. If you’re like most, the only time you think about your water heater is when water fails to come out of the faucet or the tank starts to leak. Most homeowners overlook the importance of regular maintenance, which can lead to decreased efficiency, higher energy bills and premature […]

During this time of the year, many are switching their thermostats from “cooling” to “heating” mode.  This is also a good time to check and change filters in heating and cooling (HVAC) systems. Some may have not been replaced since the start of the cooling season or longer. But how important could a filter be if your HVAC system still seems to provide adequate heating and cooling? Consider the following potential impacts: Inefficient heating and cooling The whole reason you have an HVAC system is to keep comfortable inside. Dirty […]

Air compressors have been a versatile tool over the years and compressed air has been one of the driving forces of modern-day life. From simply airing up a tire to a plethora of applications in heavy industrial processes, compressed air has a wide range of uses. However, compressed air as an energy source is inherently inefficient. As much as 80% of the electric energy going into compressors is lost as heat during the compression process. According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), a typical compressed air system requires approximately […]

The U.S. Energy Information Administration’s 2020 Residential Energy Consumption Survey indicates that homes in our part of the Midwest consume nearly 9% of their electricity completing laundry. In addition to providing energy savings, all-in-one washer/dryers might provide solutions to other modern life challenges, such as appliance space or electrical circuit limitations. They may even help those who don’t enjoy transferring wet, heavy clothes from the washer to the dryer! All-in-ones are hardly new.  Bendix Home Appliances introduced the first combination washer/dryer in 1953. These single front-loading machines wash and dry […]

As the heat of summer cranks up, so do the central air conditioners and heat pumps across Nebraska. In fact, approximately 90% of homes in our state have one of these central cooling systems. The vast majority have a compressor unit that buzzes outside as the system removes heat from inside. But what if that buzzing stopped on the hottest of days? The Air Conditioning Contractors of America states that about 85% - 90% of residential heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) replacements are performed on an emergency basis. This […]

Of the more than one million food service businesses in the United States, the National Restaurant Association estimates more than 260,000 are full-service restaurants. Considering the average restaurant serves about 100 customers per day, that means a lot of dirty dishes! Not surprisingly, pre-rinsing, washing and sanitizing consumes the largest amount of hot water in commercial kitchens. Unlike most residential kitchens, commercial kitchens tend to use pre-rinse spray valves (PRSVs) to remove food waste from dishes prior to dishwashing. Their concentrated jet of hot water reduces the scraping and scouring […]

In June of 1752, Benjamin Franklin and his son, William, conducted the famous kite-in-a-thunderstorm experiment to demonstrate the relationship between lightning and electricity. By attaching the kite to a Leyden jar, which was an early type of battery invented seven years earlier, they attempted to collect “electric fire” to be discharged at a later time. Fifteen years prior, while writing under the heading, “Necessary Hints to Those That Would Be Rich,” in “Poor Richard's Almanack,” Franklin wrote, “A penny saved is twopence dear,” which as we know translates to, “A […]

First introduced in the 1950s, recessed lighting or “can lighting” is still a popular choice for residential and commercial lighting. Traditionally, these fixtures consist of a cylindrical or square-shaped metal housing that extends above the ceiling so only the trim or baffle is visible on the ceiling surface. A lamp or bulb is screwed into a socket mounted inside the top of the housing. When switched on, the fixture provides a streamlined and unobtrusive appearance that complements various interior design styles. Despite these benefits, recessed can lights have a reputation […]

Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) is committed to working in partnership with local utility customers to maximize the value of their energy purchases in a cost-effective manner. To understand its importance in our future, we need to examine where energy efficiency began. As intelligence evolved, energy efficiency included finding easier ways to get work done. For example, the invention of the wheel was an early advance in energy efficiency. Fire is the oldest major source of energy controlled by humans. Its earliest uses began with and grew from cooking to […]

Can you think back to your childhood and remember the “magic” of icicles? While growing up in a century-old farm house, I remember wintry “No School” days when my mom would bundle me up in so many layers of sweatshirts, coats and overalls that I could barely move. Then, I’d waddle outside and start my polar expedition around the farm to discover the winter wonderland and search for the perfect icicle. Inevitably, I would find the most beautiful ones hanging from the gutters on the south side of the house. […]

Many Nebraska homes use an air-source heat pump (ASHP) to provide indoor comfort during the winter season. Considering 40% of average annual residential energy is used to keep homes warm, ASHPs provide higher energy efficiency than any furnace. As a result, owners reduce the impact of increased energy needs during the three coldest months of December through February. But much like any appliance, how ASHPs are used and maintained will affect how much energy they save. If your home or business is heated by an ASHP, consider the following recommendations […]

If you’re one of the more than 4,600 Nebraskans with an electric vehicle (EV) registered in Nebraska this year, congratulations! According to www.fueleconomy.gov, your vehicle converts more than 77% of the electrical energy from the grid to power at the wheels. Conventional vehicles only convert about 12% to 30% of the energy stored in gasoline and diesel-fueled vehicles only fare a little better, falling short of 40%. When you’re driving an EV, you’re driving the “top-of-class” for energy efficiency! To garner even more efficiency, consider these practices for EV charging: Do […]