Larry and Nancy Ferrell of Hopewell won the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas 2011 Energy Efficiency Makeover Contest on their fourth attempt. They will experience many years of newfound comfort and energy savings as their home is now a model of energy efficiency.
During a six-week makeover process, the First Electric members’ 31-year-old home received the following energy efficiency applications:
- Water Furnace geothermal heat pump was installed by Rood Heating & Air of Russellville;
- A Marathon water heater was installed;
- Energy-efficient Weatherbarr windows were installed by Harry G. Barr of Fort Smith;
- ENERGYSTAR®-rated appliances were supplied by General Electric;
- Foam insulation was installed by Tommy Gracy/BPSI Foam Insulators;
- Foam-backed vinyl siding was supplied by Lakeside Siding of Heber Springs, and Wilco Siding & Gutters of Hopewell provided the installation;
- F.L. Davis Building Supply of Heber Springs supplied shingles and materials. Straight Line Roofing of Heber Springs installed the product.
- Incandescent lights were replaced with compact fluorescent lights;
- An ESSNRG attic hatch cover was installed; and
- Many tubes of caulk and expandable foam were applied.
According to Bret Curry, manager of energy marketing for the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas, the purpose of the makeover contest is to educate electric cooperative members on the applications for achieving higher levels of energy efficiency.
“While everyone can’t afford to invest $50,000 in an energy efficiency makeover, we hope that our members will apply some or all of the processes we use during the makeover for their homes,” Curry said. “An investment in energy efficiency pays great dividends over time and greatly increases the comfort of a home.”
As an example of the projected savings, Curry reported that the HVAC system averaged only 13 to 14 kilowatts ($1.30 – $1.40) daily to cool the home.
“The geothermal system also provides hot water as a byproduct of the air conditioning process,” he said. “That water is routed and stored in the new Marathon water heater. The Marathon water heater is insulated with a similar foam insulation that was applied to the attic and crawlspace. The heavy layer of insulation significantly reduces standby heat loss.”
The couple was selected in August from more than 2,500 applicants for the 2011 Energy Efficiency Makeover Contest sponsored by the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas.
The measures incorporated into the makeover project are available at www.SmartEnergyTips.org. The site includes a weekly project update, videos and other energy efficiency tips.
The Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas comprise 17 electric distribution cooperatives; Arkansas Electric Cooperatives, Inc. (AECI), a Little Rock-based cooperative that provides various services to the distribution cooperatives; and Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corp. (AECC), a generation and transmission cooperative. The distribution cooperatives provide electricity to approximately 500,000 members, or customers, in Arkansas and surrounding states.
