Undergraduate Abstract

Denie Rasmussen
May 1998

An Energy Directory, A Guide to Energy-Efficient Products and Services in Las Vegas, Nevada

A Thesis submitted in partial satisfaction
of the requirement for the degree of

BACHELOR OF ARTS

In

Environmental Studies Program
University of Nevada Las Vegas

by

Denie Rasmussen

Spring 1998

Environmental Studies Program
University of Nevada Las Vegas

ABSTRACT

American houses use about $40 billion worth of fuel and $75 billion worth of electricity every year; our national energy bill for all uses totals $473 billion annually. The actions millions of consumers and businesses took in the 1970s and '80s to reduce energy bills are now saving the U.S. $275 billion per year. Yet we can do better. If the U.S. were as efficient as Western Europe and Japan, we would save an additional $200 billion a year. That's enough to wipe out the federal budget deficit, or to put an extra $800 a year in the pocket of every woman, man, and child in the United States.

Plugging energy waste is not just a matter of personal finances. Each dollar saved by Las Vegas' residents, businesses, governments, and school districts means more dollars circulating in the local economy rather than paying for fuels and electricity imported into Las Vegas. It also means reducing the environmental impacts (which by and large happen elsewhere) of resource extraction, transportation, conversion, use, and disposal. The average home in the U.S. emits 25,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide annually through energy consumption. We can put our homes on a carbon dioxide diet while improving our comfort and saving money.

Using widely available energy-saving materials and equipment, most homeowners and building managers can reduce their energy bills by 25-40% through basic weatherization, hot water savings, and a few other simple and cost-effective measures. Greater savings are readily achievable with a little more effort and investment. For example, a typical home owner with an electric water heater can easily save $90 per year with two simple and cheap retrofits: wrapping the heater with an insulating blanket, and replacing a standard showerhead with an efficient model that reduces hot water use. These measures cost $40. On average, the energy savings they achieve will reduce carbon dioxide emissions (which lead to global warming) by 2,200 lbs. and sulfur dioxide emissions (which cause acid rain) by 17 lbs.

This is already happening in Las Vegas. New homes have been built that use a fraction of the energy of conventional construction. Many homes and businesses have been weatherized. New appliances on the market are two to several times more efficient. High-performance windows, superinsulation techniques, and optimum use of solar heating and lighting are being increasingly used. Typical homes in Las Vegas use around 55¢ ( ) worth of energy per year per square foot of space; the best new homes use between a nickel and a dime.