Q;  Is it cheaper to heat your water with an oil-fired boiler or an electric water heater?

A:  In Fairbanks it is cheaper to heat your hot water with your oil-fired furnace than an electric water heater.  With heating oil at $4.60/g. it is cheaper to run your boiler for hot water even during the summer months.  Even the most modern on-demand electic water heater with 95% efficiency will cost more than a 60% efficient oil-fired boiler when electric rates are more than 17 cents/kWh.  To make your own comparison try this Energy Cost Calculator for Water Heaters.  (Conversions for calculator: #2 fuel oil at $4.60/g. is $3.49 per therm, EF factor for oil-fired indirect boilers are typically .5-.6, EF factor for electic heaters are typically .85-.95.)

Q:  How much money can I save by installing fluorescent light bulbs?

A:  $20-30 per month, starting tomorrow. Compact-fluorescent bulbs use up to 75% less energy and last up to 10 times longer. The savings are immediate and the new bulbs turn on faster and do not flicker like the old ones. Find out how much you can save with this CFL Saving Calculator just input how many light bulbs you want to change out and GVEA's electric rate of 16 cents/kWh.

Q:  How do various energy sources compare to each other on price?

A:  

Source		Unit	Unit Cost	$/MBtu
GVEA Electricity		kWh	0.203	59.89
Chugach Electricity		kWh	0.117	34.31
Fairbanks Natural Gas		CCF	2.335	22.67
Fairbanks Heating Oil		Gallon	2.33	17.13
US Average Natural Gas		CCF	1.67	16.24
Wood Pellets Spruce Firewood		40 lbs. cord	4.97 200	15.53 13.79
Birch Firewood		cord	250	12.32
Anchorage Natural Gas		CCF	1.05	10.22
Coal		ton	110	4.40

Q:  What is the most cost effective improvement to lower my energy use?

A:  Once you have completed the quick and easy fixes it is time to look at energy renovations. Major reductions in energy use can be very cost effective on older houses with poor insulation and many air leaks. A home energy audit can help you identify where to make improvements. For those who want to do it themselves you can download AKWARM, a free energy alalysis program that energy raters use. Simply input your homes dimensions and select the construction elements from a drop down list and the program computes your energy loss and identifies where to make improvements. Visit the Fairbanks Energy Wise blog for more energy saving ideas and links to local energy raters.

Q:  Are there any practical alternatives to oil heat?

A:  Yes, there are several practical alternatives for heating your home in Fairbanks. Most alternatives have a higher initial cost and/or sacrifice convenience for overall cost savings. The most widely used alternative heat is a traditional wood stove. Modern high-efficiency woodstoves are up to 65% efficient and can provide a cost effective heat alternative to oil. Within the last few years several high-efficiency wood boilers have hit the market. These boilers use gasification of the wood smoke to increase efficiency up to 90% while decrease emmissions. These boilers are plumbed into your existing oil fired system and can heat your entire house including hot water. Prices range from $5,000 - $10,000. Some manufacturers to look at are Greenwood, Tarm USA, EKO, Garn . 

Geothermal heat sources are now becoming a practical solution as heating oil prices are now over $3.00 a gallon. These systems extract the heat from the ground by pumping glycol through a system of buried PEX tubing. Geothermal is widely used throughout the United States in more moderate climates. These systems are initially more expensive than traditional systems and the realized benefit could be reduced as electric rates go up. A good starting point to find out more is www.groundloop.com.

Wood pellets are another lower cost alternative to heating oil. The box stores sell them in 40 lb. bags at a cost of roughly 1/2 that of heating oil. There are tons of pellet buring appliances from tradional stoves to boilers that can heat your entire home. Currently there are two companies that are trying to start a local wood pellet manufacturing industry. If we get local manufacturing we could cut the price of wood pellets in half making them an extremely attractive alternative. For more info check out http://www.pelletheat.com/core/aboutPellets/,   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood_pellets

Coal is another inexpensive option with the lowest BTU cost of any other heat source. There are a variety of coal buring appliances available from cast iron stoves to automatic coal fired boilers. Local delievery of coal is available in the Fairbanks, North Pole area from North Pole Coal for $110/ton. Contact North Pole Coal at 488-8550 or northpolecoal.net  for more information and current prices.

Q:  How expensive is electricity from solar panels?

A;  Electricity from solar panels is currently more expensive than traditional generation methods. In Fairbanks a 1,000 watt grid-tie system could expect to average 1,035 killowatt hours per year and cost around $10,000 to install. Over 25 years the per killowatt-hour cost would be 38 cents. Alternative enegy systems may qualify for federal tax credits and power company rebates. Through the GVEA SNAP program producers of renewable electricity can get a credit of up to $1.50 per kWh that they produce. Visit www.gvea.com or ABS Alaska for more details.

Submit your question

Here are some BTU comparisons:
1 cubic foot of natural gas = 1,015 BTU*
1 gallon of #2 fuel oil = 132,000 BTU**
1 gallon of propane = 91,700 BTU
1 kW of electricity = 3,413 BTU
1 cord white birch (1 yr seasoned) = 20.3 million BTU