AT THE LAST COMMUNITY SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION MEETING, representatives of WattzOn, Benicia’s partner in energy and water savings, talked about their new book, “The WattzOn Guide to Energy Savings,” that will be available soon both in print and as an e-book. In 2010 or 2011, mine was one of 200 Benicia homes that took part in the free home energy and water audit program sponsored by the City and run by WattzOn. I was already fairly efficient back then, but the audit allowed my to change out my incandescent bulbs for compact fluorescents as to add smart energy strips that when my computer was shut down, it automatically shut down my other attached peripherals, like the printer and audio speakers. What was really helpful to me, was the data WattzOn (and the Benicia High School Student Interns) provided on energy and water use. They attached devices that indicated which of my appliances used the most electricity and the Benicia Student Interns ran simple, yet effective, water flow measuring tests that pinpointed where low flow faucet devices could be used. WattzOn also provided information that indicated where a replacement appliance or an Energy Upgrade would provide major savings.

WattzOn CEO Martha Amram, Ph.D, is one of the brightest and most innovative U.S. energy entrepreneurs I know. She spoke here in Benicia during our recent Energy Symposia.

One of the many things I’ve taken from Martha, who is an economist, is the common-sense application of life cycle costing, which I have tried to apply whenever possible. It is important for consumers to consider all the economic factors that go into the purchase, maintenance and cost of a product. For example, it’s possible to buy a high-efficiency toilet that uses 1.28 gallons per flush or less for $100 or even less. But if a toilet takes two flushes (or more) to eliminate the waste, it’s no longer highly efficient and in the “life cycle” of the toilet it may cost you far more than a better quality, higher priced and effective toilet. The same holds true for dish and clothes washers, hot water tanks, cars, clothing, lighting, solar panels and many other things: Twenty percent in savings can be achieved just by changing habits. If you have a $200 monthly energy bill, a 20-percent savings would result in a $40 monthly savings, or $480 per year, just from turning off lights and appliances when not needed, adjusting the thermostat (turning it lower or off when no one is home), using a power strip, and using low-flow shower heads, among other energy- and water-saving habits.

I think I’m done tinkering with the inside of my house. Among the last touches was the installation of LED lighting canisters in my hallway and the replacement of old fluorescent tube lighting in the kitchen with LED canisters. I am sure my mother, may she rest in peace, is saying, “Finally, some bright lights in your house!” I must, however, acknowledge the longevity of those kitchen fluorescents. The house was built in 1983 and I don’t think the fluorescents were ever replaced; they were in working condition as of my renovation 30 years later! I have switched out all my light to LEDs, with the exception of a couple of CFL bulbs. I love the light and I know the LEDs will pay for themselves quickly with a great return on my investment.

I’ll let you know when the WattzOn book is available. It is filled with case studies, clear information and tips that will save you money!

And speaking of publications, through the power of the Internet and explosion of applications I have compiled the last year or so of Crewmember articles into Volume II of the Crewmember Report: Benicia, California, Spaceship Earth. Using iBook Author and iTunes/iBooks, I have uploaded the book to the Internet. I have absolved The Herald of responsibility for my grammatical and semantic errors, and I’ve noticed one article in Volume II that features my Scottie Rory that has, somehow, been transformed, with the type very tiny in one part and overlapping on another page. But I will work with the iBooks folks to see if that can be corrected.

Volume II, along with the first compilation, is free to download, and it’s been fun to see the slick enhancements from 2012 to 2014! And, no, I don’t think I’ll be on the book tour circuit anytime soon. It’s just good to know that anything that may be useful to others in thinking about the issues of sustainability can be found online — and that in Benicia, a beautiful community along the Carquinez Strait, we are working toward meeting the needs of today while insuring the needs of others will be met in the future.

Please, if you bicycle in Benicia, take the bikeability survey at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BPKMWZP … And thank you!

Learn more

• Volume II, Crewmember report: Benicia, California, Spaceship Earth by Constance M. Beutel, available via iTunes or the iBooks app

• beniciahomeefficiency.org — our free city of Benicia home audit program

• Martha Amram’s presentation at the Benicia Energy Symposium: youtube.com/watchv=J7G7woT1sWQ&feature=share&list=PL4CEB0F984F43D37D&index=37

• WattzOn.com

Constance Beutel is a the chair of Benicia’s Community Sustainability Commission. She is a university professor and videographer and holds a doctorate from the University of San Francisco.

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