With Natural Gas
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natFall/Winter 2018 uralyourL home.iv youri nworld.g Welcome home … with natural gas presented to you by INSIDE 06 FEATURE 06 Lighting the way Natural gas provides reliable and elegant outdoor lighting. 10 IN EVERY ISSUE naturalNews 03 Peace of mind Natural gas generators keep the heat on … and the lights and refrigerator, too. naturallyBetter 09 Cleaning up Natural gas makes laundry day more cost effective and energy efficient. naturalChoices 10 Warm and cozy Natural gas adds convenience and efficiency to fireplace installations. NaturalLiving is a free publication brought to you by Energy Solutions Center, published in cooperation with PRISM Media Group. naturalFit 13 No limits NaturalLiving is published twice annually by PRISM Media Group, 8951 Cypress Waters Blvd., Ste. 160, Coppell, TX 75019. Visit PRISM Media Group on the web Tankless water heaters provide multifunction at www.prismmediagroup.com. No part of this publication may be reprinted versatility. without permission. Copyright 2018 Energy Solutions Center. naturallyGood PRISM Media Group President: Ray Larson 16 Chimichurri grilled steak with fire roasted corn Editorial Director: Stephanie Anderson Forest and mango lime salsa Production Manager: Rachael Larson Grilled chicken wings Graphic Designer: Nancy Kekich For advertising information contact Barbara Stinson: [email protected] Please recycle this magazine after you read it. 02 naturalLiving ❙ Fall - Winter 2018 naturalNews Peace of mind Natural gas generators keep the heat on … and the lights and refrigerator, too. By Drew Robb t would be great if homeowners could rely on the electric grid to VanWormer also mentioned a managed power option. This applies to keep the power on. However, outages are on the rise across the those that want to back up their entire home without having to invest in nation. That’s why so many homeowners are buying natural gas a larger, costlier generator. With a power management system, the gen- generators to ensure that when the grid goes down, the lights, erator can work smarter, protecting all of a home’s circuits by turning off Ithe heat and refrigerator always stay on. the most power-hungry appliances, such as air conditioning, if the power “When it comes to power outages, natural gas is an excellent fuel is needed elsewhere. Later, when generator capacity becomes available, choice by virtue of its availability,” said Jacob VanWormer, associate prod- those other appliances will operate automatically. This approach maxi- uct manager, Generac Power Systems. “As natural gas is utility-supplied, mizes the use of the natural gas generator while containing costs. and because severe storms that knock out power rarely have a similar “When choosing a home standby generator, it is important to under- such impact on the natural gas infrastructure, a home standby natural stand there are many options available that can be tailored to meet any gas generator can keep the lights on for as long as necessary.” installation,” VanWormer said. Time after time, those with diesel or propane generators are left sit- Fire and building codes typically require home standby generators to ting in the dark when they run out of fuel. They are either unable to leave be installed 5 feet away from a structure. Some regions, however, allow the house due to weather conditions, local gas stations are closed or certain types of generators to be positioned 18 inches away. propane suppliers are out of product. In the vast majority of cases, how- “A standby generator is one of the best investments a homeowner can ever, the natural gas infrastructure will stand tall. Anyone wise enough (continued on page 04) to have a natural gas backup generator avail- able can keep their home powered up until the electric utility has a chance to restore power. POWER OPTIONS Homeowners have different preferences YSTEMS. when it comes to exactly how much power S they require during an outage. Generator rep- resentatives can provide advice on the various options. Some want only basic services and are happy to sacrifice certain appliances and devices. In that case, selected circuit backup provides essential coverage that protects only the most important circuits, such as lights, the heater, water heater, refrigerators/freezers and sump pumps. PHOTO COURTESY OF GENERAC POWER Alternatively, whole-home backup power means the entire home is backed up all the time. Whenever there is an outage, the power stays on automatically. All devices, appliances and ser- vices are immediately available. However, that Natural gas-powered, standby generators, like Generac Power System’s 22kW Guardian Series entails the purchase of a larger backup generator (above), restore power immediately to homeowners during an outage, allowing them to keep on than one used for selected circuit backup. everything from the heat to lights to appliances. Please recycle this magazine after you read it. Fall - Winter 2018 ❙ naturalLiving 03 naturalNews (continued from page 03) “The generator will sense the loss of electricity outage. It can also be used to make. They protect the home protect sensitive electron- and keep the power on no mat- and start supplying backup power in about ics, including smartphones, ter what the weather is doing,” computers and entertainment said Ed Del Grande, home im- 10 seconds, providing peace of mind and systems, as it includes volt- provement expert and TV host. age and frequency regulation. “A transfer switch will auto- a seamless experience for the homeowner. “As people continue to build matically start the unit so it can When electric power returns, the generator larger homes, we’ve seen an in- power up your home in seconds creased demand for a residen- whether you are home or away.” will return to standby mode, ready to back tial generator of this size,” said Melanie Tydrich, strategic mark- ALWAYS AVAIlablE up the home when the next outage occurs.” ing lead, Kohler Generators. A standby generator’s aver- Generac’s air-cooled 22kW age cost is typically between — Jacob VanWormer, associate product Guardian Series natural gas $3,500 to $4,500, according to manager, Generac Power Systems backup generator includes VanWormer. There is an ad- Wi-Fi remote monitoring. This ditional cost for installation, enables homeowners to moni- which varies by location and particular situation. There is a wide range tor their generators at all times from anywhere in the world from a of units and manufacturers to choose from. web-enabled mobile device or computer. This helps them to ensure The Kohler Generators 30 RCL is a 30 kW standby generator that can their generators are ready to provide backup power even when they power the entire home during an outage. It features a liquid-cooled are not at home. The Guardian Series generator is wired directly into engine and noise-reduction technology to keep sound levels to a mini- the home’s electrical system. There are no extension cords to be run mum. The generator keeps heating, air-conditioning, lights, refrigera- during an outage, and the units turn on and off automatically, triggered tors, sump pumps and security systems running in the event of a power by a failure in the electric grid. WHY SO ManY POWER OUTagES? The United States has led the world in electrification able power. That’s why the number of outages is on the for decades. However, its aging power infrastructure rise, according to the U.S. Energy Information Adminis- now requires serious investment in order to provide reli- tration (EIA). It is up to an average of 1.3 interruptions per customer per year with each household Cause of major electricity disturbances in the U.S. 2012-2016 going without power for at least four hours Share of total customer-hours disrupted during the year. Other Severe Weather 64.5% As might be expected, those in less densely populated regions have the highest outage statistics. But EIA numbers show that even Hurricane Sandy 31.7% those living in large municipalities still averag- ing one outage and slightly less than two Generation Inadequacy 0.00858% hours of interrupted electric service per year. The U.S. now endures more blackouts Fuel Supply Emergencies 0.00007% than any other developed nation. The EIA and the North American Electric Reliability Other 3.8% Corp. (NERC) noted that the number of U.S. power outages lasting more than an hour SOURCE: EIA AND RHODIUM GROUP ANALYSIS has increased steadily over the past decade. 04 naturalLiving ❙ Fall - Winter 2018 “The generator will sense the loss of electricity and start supplying natural gas is cost effective and does not require any refilling, making backup power in about 10 seconds, providing peace of mind and a seam- backup power seamless and hassle free. n less experience for the homeowner,” VanWormer said. “When electric power returns, the generator will go back to standby mode, ready to backup the YSTEMS. home when the next outage occurs.” S CLEan-BURNIng GENERATORS Some owners try to get by with diesel or gasoline generators. Both, however, are costlier, dirtier and may not do the job at the moment of most press- ing need. “Natural gas is a cleaner-burning fuel when com- pared to alternatives like diesel and gasoline,” said PHOTO COURTESY OF GENERAC POWER VanWormer. “Furthermore, its availability during an outage makes it superior to diesel or gasoline.” How? When the grid is down, there is a very good chance that gas stations in the area will also be without power. During a serious weather event, the local transportation infrastructure is likely to be affected by downed trees and power lines. This makes a trip to the gas station or home store for refueling difficult or impossible. Generac Power System’s air-cooled 22kW Guardian Series natural gas backup generator includes Wi-Fi remote monitoring.