Climate positive can be achieved

by CARL MCDANIEL

Guest Columnist

A little over a month ago, Oberlin city manager Eric Norenberg, and Oberlin College president Marvin Krislov signed a memorandum of agreement with the Clinton Foundation Climate Positive Development Program agreeing to become climate positive. This is a transformative challenge and an unsurpassed opportunity.

At the small ceremony, Bob Berkebile, a Kansas City architect speaking for the US Green Building Council, put it this way, "When my granddaughter graduates from Oberlin -- she is four months old -- she and the community will look back on what we have begun as more important than all the profoundly consequential transformations that have occurred here in Oberlin."

The task before us is to have all our activities in Oberlin result in a net release of no carbon dioxide. Transportation, food, heating and cooling our homes and buildings, recreation, and other consumption must cause no net release. At first glance, this is unattainable. Perhaps it is within our reach, however, if we take one step at a time.

This week two colleagues of mine and I will present a paper on three homes that are climate positive for operating energy at the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Conference on Energy Sustainability. They are my new home in Oberlin, and in Troy, N.Y. the Borton 1982 passive solar home and the Stoner 1954 conventional home.

The 1,200-square-foot Stoner home before 2005 used annually 127 million BTU. After improvements -- in 2005 -- of compact florescent bulbs, night setback thermostat, electric outlet strips, and caulking and more insulation in the attic, walls, and basement walls reduced annual energy consumption to 57 million BTU, a 55-percent reduction. The cost was $5,000, giving an annual savings of $1,400. Pay back time is four years. If tax savings from not having to earn the money are considered, pay back is three years.

The 2,300-square foot Borton home before 1995 was all electric and used 78 million BTU annually. After 1995, improvements including replacing all appliances with energy-efficient ones and changing from electric to gas hot water reduced annual energy consumption to 58 million BTU, a 26 percent reduction, and an annual savings of $400. The cost was $4,000 giving a pay back time of 10 years, or, considering income tax savings, seven years.

Both the Bortons and Stoners, wanting to become climate positive, made more expensive improvements. Both added small 3- to 4-kilowatt photovoltaic systems to produce more electricity than they use. The Stoners added an air-tight wood stove for heat and an efficient gas boiler for hot water and backup heat. The payback for dollars is between two to three decades. For carbon dioxide the payback is perhaps a decade.

Oberlin people are familiar with Trail Magic, our 1,300-square foot home. It establishes that off-the-shelf design and technologies can make new homes climate positive for operating energy.

Like most homes in Oberlin, the Stoner home was an energy hog unnecessarily wasting the owner's money and releasing tons of carbon dioxide without benefit. Think for a moment about the economics, even if you don't care about climate change. The Stoners made an investment with an annual return of $1,400 or 28 percent for as long as they live in their house. Who will give you a guaranteed return of 28 percent on an investment? Nobody! But you can give it to yourself.

Many people can afford the upfront costs to weatherize their home, change out light bulbs, put in a night setback thermostat, and turn off appliances drawing power when not being used. Consider doing one thing at a time over a few years and begin saving.

If you are not able to afford any upfront expenses, POWER (Providing Oberlin With Efficiency Responsibly) has provided funds to weatherize and increase energy efficiency in almost two dozen homes over the past two years. Contact Zion CDC POWER Fund, 81 Locust St., Oberlin, if you need help or to donate to help others.

Yes, doing these simple things will not make us climate positive overall. Even making every home in Oberlin climate positive for operating energy won't do it. These steps are, however, a start on a grand adventure.