Energy Savings with OmniPro II

[abernut]

We have been our new house for about 6 months now.
I've got my security and irrigation going through my OP II right now.
 
It's a little messy but this was my first install and I am always messing around with it.
The cables on the right are speaker wires to each room and two CAT5 to each room.  One day when I win the lotto I would like to install the Hi-Fi 2.
 

 
Our electric bill was slightly over $350 last month so I told the old lady I would try and figure out ways to use the system to save on the electric bill.
 
What I am trying to figure out is a priority list, or biggest bang for the buck to save on energy.
All the lights in the house and outside are LED's and we're pretty good about turning off lights.
We have a normal Hot water heater, not sure on the tank size.
I ran CAT5 to each thermostat location but am using what ever thermostats the builder installed.
 
I've read reports about the hot water heater being the biggest energy hog in a home. Then I've read where adjusting the temp of the home when no one is home is a huge energy saver as well.  There are two thermostats in the house and the ones for the OP don't look cheap.
 
Any advice on where to start?
 
Thanks,
Mike
 

 

[Desert_AIP]

HVAC is the largest consumer of energy in a home with water heating second.
After that dishwashing and clothes washing.
 
How old is the HVAC system?
What type (electric, gas, heatpump, etc)?
Is it zoned?
 
How old is the water heater?
What type (gas or electric)?
 
How old are the dishwasher and washer and dryer?
Is the dryer gas or electric?
 
What temperatures do you have the thermostats set at?
Living at Jax Beach I assume you have mild winters and hot, humid summers.
 
What is your electricity rate per KWh?
How many KWh per month do you typically use?

 

[abernut]

The house is brand new so all systems are less than a year old.
 
The HVAC is electric.
I have one unit outside and two thermostats.  One upstairs and one down stairs.
 
The water heater is electric
 
Dryer is also electric
 
Thermostats are set to 78 (I wish it was a cooler but then the old lady starts screaming about the electric bill)
 
I'll have to look at our last electric bill at post back with the rates. 

 

[RAL]

The OmniPro won't help with this, but one of the best ways to save on electricity costs for hot water is to get a heat pump water heater like the GE Geospring or AO Smith Voltex series.  It will cut your costs for hot water in half, and perhaps more.  Florida is a great place for this type of water heater because of the warm air temperatures.  The ideal location for the water heater is in the garage, rather than in a utility closet.   Typically, it will pay for itself in a few years, depending on your electric rates and any rebates that your utility company may offer.

 

[ano]

Mine saves 1/3 off the electric bill in the summer, but this works in AZ and may not in FL. First, we are on a demand rate that is very high noon to 7pm weekdays, and very cheap otherwise. Not only do rates go up but we pay a peak charge for the highest demand during ANY hour in the month during the noon to 7pm.
 
We built our home with lots of stone, tiles and granite. In the summer, at about 3am the temps are turned down to 70, and it stays that way until noon. Then it turns off.  Evn when its 115 out, it won't be over 81 usually by 7pm.  Then at 7pm it sets to about 78.  AZ is pretty dry, and this works great by cutting our electric bill by $100/month in the summer. Works in AZ but don't know if it will in FL where humidity is worse. I have two HVAC units with three zones on one, and the Omni controls it all.  Its is far too hard to do that manually without automation.
 
Also, DON'T turn on and off the water heater. The tank will crack over time from expansion and savings are almost nothing.

 

[RAL]

Also, DON'T turn on and off the water heater. The tank will crack over time from expansion and savings are almost nothing.

 
I guess it depends on the particular water heater.  I had an AO Smith electric water heater that lasted for over 28 years being turned on and off twice every day to match the off-peak utility rates.  Doing so saved a couple of hundred dollars per year in electricity costs.
 
No cracks.  Never leaked.  Finally replaced it with a heat pump water heater just to save even more on utility costs.

 

[Desert_AIP]

If you have peak and non-peak electric rates, you can save some dollars by using a timer (or UPB relay - HAI makes one for 30A 240V) to turn off the water heater during peak times.
If you have a single rate then it is more efficient to leave it running and to maintain the tank temperature.
Make sure the tank is insulated.
 
I assume by electric HVAC you mean a heat pump, which also provides cooling.
 
This pdf has some interesting points regarding setback efficiencies.
http://www.vs.inf.ethz.ch/edu/FS2011/DS/slides_talks/2011-05-24_daniel-pauli_smart-thermostat.pdf
 
I use the Omni Pro II with 3 Omnistats and an outdoor temperature sensor in the Occupancy mode.
I have a single heat pump system and a zone controller.
The HVAC logic uses a combination of the setpoints, the outside temperature and the current occupancy mode.
If the outside temperature is within a certain band, the HVAC won't come on, regardless of mode, encouraging me to open the windows.
I also have fail safe logic, i.e. if any window is opened for more than 5 minutes the HVAC system is shut down.
When all windows are closed, the HVAC system reverts to the standard logic.
The zone controller manages the heating/cooling calls from the Tstats.
I use the RC-2000 Tstats only because I wanted teh Humidity monitors, I don't have a humidifier. 
The heat pump does have second stage/emergency heat strips.
I'd have to check the specs for the RC-1000, it may work with your system if you don't need humidity display or control. 
The RC-1000 is less expensive.
 
I use a single RC-1000 to run a bathroom wall heater on schedule with the Omni, also have some logic related to it's use so it doesn't run on the weekends, when we shut off the bath lights, when the house is armed away, etc.
Warming just the Master bath for an hour in the morning helps because we are not running the main HAVC and we can maintain the night setback longer.
 
I run the main HVAC fan periodically to redistribute air and even out the temperature.
I also have remote temperature sensors connected to the Tstats so I can monitor the critical rooms (Family room, Master Bedroom, etc) even though the Tstat is installed elsewhere.
 
I have been air sealing every crack and crevice in the attic/wall intersections and wire and plumbing penetrations, insulating the top plates, and ensurng the ductwork is insulated and sealed.
I will blow in 20" of cellulose in the attic (R60) when this work is done.
 
Make sure you only wash and dry full loads of dishes and clothes.
If you have a hot water recirculator system for "instant hot water", that will suck a lot of energy by recirculating hot water day and night.
You can reduce this by setting the pump on a timer to match your morning/evening schedule or use the Omni with a relay or UPB outlet to control the pump.

 

 

[ano]

I guess it depends on the particular water heater.  I had an AO Smith electric water heater that lasted for over 28 years being turned on and off twice every day to match the off-peak utility rates.  Doing so saved a couple of hundred dollars per year in electricity costs.
 
No cracks.  Never leaked.  Finally replaced it with a heat pump water heater just to save even more on utility costs.

I'm not surprised. They built things much better 28 years ago than they do today. Those were the days. Today things are not quite built as well.  They are designed to last 2 days longer than the warranty.  If you add an expansion tank you add a better chance that it will survive, and if the time you shut it off is short, you have a better chance of it surviving.
 
I'm not sure of your rates, or climate, but I have a gas water heater, and also use gas for my cooktop. I never change the temp of mine, and my total yearly gas bill (including service) charges amounts to maybe $250 a year.

 

[JimS]

A lot depends on your rate structure - if you have peak hour rates and/or peak demand charges. If you do then you can do some timing of water heater and AC. Cool a bit more when rates are low. Don't turn on the water heater or dryer at the same time as the HVAC during times when peak demand matters. For example, it isn't likely you need a lot of hot water from noon to 7 PM (if that's the peak demand period). So don't let the heater run at that time and be sparing in your use. The tank won't cool off that much in 7 hours if you don't use hot water. Or let it run when the HVAC isn't.

The water heaters that use the HVAC system are very efficient and actually improve the cooling efficiency of the HVAC system. But the major gain is during the cooling season. Solar hot water panels might be something to look at.

Air sealing is a huge deal. Most builders don't care much about that. Lots of leakage around all those wire and plumbing pipes. There are companies that will do "blower door" testing or IR camera work to find leaks but you can do a lot without the high tech gear.

Does the attic have good venting? That can help with cooling load. Best is large passive venting at eves and ridge.

 

[RAL]

I'm not sure of your rates, or climate, but I have a gas water heater, and also use gas for my cooktop. I never change the temp of mine, and my total yearly gas bill (including service) charges amounts to maybe $250 a year.

 
I live in upstate NY, and we have some of the highest electric rates in the country.  Over the last year, the average rate was around $0.16 per kWh.   The spread between peak and off-peak rates is usually about $0.06.   Last winter, the peak rate hit $0.23.
 
My old water heater used about 16 kWh per day, so my annual cost for hot water was about $750, running only off peak.
 
Unfortunately, we don't have natural gas service in the area where I live.

 

[ano]

I live in upstate NY, and we have some of the highest electric rates in the country.  Over the last year, the average rate was around $0.16 per kWh.   The spread between peak and off-peak rates is usually about $0.06.   Last winter, the peak rate hit $0.23.
 
My old water heater used about 16 kWh per day, so my annual cost for hot water was about $750, running only off peak.
 
Unfortunately, we don't have natural gas service in the area where I live.

Its probably not a fair comparison because I'm in Phoenix and the water heater is in the garage.  I don't think my water heater even runs in the summer, because the air temp is hotter than the setting. Natural gas is usually much cheaper. (I used to live in upstate NY as well, so i know how high the costs can be.)