MLGW helps its customers become more energy-efficient through programs such as EcoBUILD and Green Power Switch.

Tennessee utility Memphis Light, Gas & Water (MLGW) takes its commitment to the environment seriously. It is focusing on two programs that urge customers to use energy in the greenest ways possible, says Manager of Energy Resources Bill Bullock.

The company’s flagship green initiative is EcoBUILD. The program was introduced three years ago as an incentive to homebuilders to improve the energy efficiency and environmental footprint of new homes.

Setting a Standard    
The program has a prescriptive set of standards, mainly geared to energy efficiency and indoor air quality, that participants must follow to receive certification, Bullock explains. This includes construction materials and methods such as making sure the house is sealed tightly and well-insulated, and using high-efficiency thermal windows, ceilings and attic floors.

“Homes need an adequate – extraordinary, actually – amount of insulation and to be sealed tightly to be as impervious to heat and cold as possible,” he notes.

Air conditioning and heating systems are also a key part of an efficient home, Bullock adds. In addition to using a an AC system with a high seasonal energy efficiency ratio, proper installation is key, he says. “The duct system has to be designed properly,” he says. “The HVAC must be sized properly, not too small or too large.

“The duct has to be well-sealed. One issue in Memphis and other areas of the country is that for decades, HVAC systems were installed in a certain way and energy was lost to the attic. When energy was inexpensive, it was a relatively small cost increase. “Now, losing 20 or 30 percent to the attic can add up to a lot of energy and a lot of money.”

MLGW tests the duct systems of participant’s homes to ensure they meet the program’s standards of 10 percent or less.

EcoBUILD also requires the use of ceiling fans, fluorescent lighting, recycled material, drought-tolerant landscapes and radiant barriers on roofs to yield a home that uses approximately 30 percent less energy than the typical Memphis home.
    
Major Reductions
Results have been better than forecasted thus far, Bullock notes, with the average homeowner experiencing a 34 percent reduction in electricity use and a 56 percent reduction in natural gas use.         

For an average 1,500-square-foot home, these energy savings translate into a 4.3-ton drop in carbon dioxide emissions every year.

Green Power Switch
As an energy distributor, MLGW’s customers use electricity generated by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). MLGW offers its customers the opportunity to participate in TVA’s Green Power Switch program.

Through the program, customers can pay an additional $4 per 150 kilowatts of electricity per month to ensure TVA puts that amount of green power online in its generation mix.

Bullock says MLGW is not unique among utilities by offering programs like these. “I think it’s unusual in this day and age for a municipality to not be involved in this sort of thing,” he says.

“We’ll be certifying our 400th home by the end of the year in the EcoBUILD program, and many of these homes are being owned and occupied by folks in the community who can ill afford to waste money on energy.

“We’re doing a service to the community by getting folks in homes where they can truly afford their utility bills.” He says there is a misconception that all new homes being built are energy-efficient, and buyers need to pay closer attention to these issues.

Getting more individuals and companies involved in programs like EcoBUILD and Green Power Switch makes it easier to convince people that an efficient home is a more affordable home in the long run, he says.