How a Natural Gas Furnace Works
Natural gas forced-air furnaces are by far the most popular method of heating in North America, mainly because they can distribute heated air from a central furnace to every room of the house and they can also be used in conjunction with a central AC unit.
The basic components of a forced-air system include:
- An air handler, which may be either a stand-alone blower cabinet used with a heat pump or a forced-air furnace that includes a blower
- A means of heating air, such as natural gas-fueled burners
- Ductwork for delivering cold air to the heater via a return
- Ductwork for sending heated air back to rooms via some vents
- A thermostat for turning the system on and off
A natural gas furnace reacts to changes in a room’s temperature. When the air temperature in the room drops below the thermostat’s set temperature, it alerts the furnace. Cold air is then drawn from the room’s return through ductwork into the cold air return and through an air filter. The burner ignites to heat the air as it moves through the furnace. The circulating fan helps the warmed air circulate through the ductwork and back into the room via vents. The cycle continues until the set comfort level is reached at which point the thermostat turns the system off until the next time the temperature drops.
Sources:
Wikipedia, “Furnace”
Buzzl, “How does a Gas Furnace Work“
In Response to “Local Communities on a Continent of Cheap Natural Gas”
Written by Michael Vrtis, President of Realgy Energy Services in response to the Forbes article “Local Communities on a Continent of Cheap Natural Gas”
So what does having an abundant source of fuel (in our case, natural gas) within our own country mean?
In a word, business! The article points out some of the industries that could directly benefit from having large natural gas reserves. These industries will take notice and manufacturer planning will develop. But the impact is well beyond just a few industries.
Consider the following benefits;
- In the competitive business world, a $0.10 edge is huge. However consider a $2.00 edge. That is the equivalent advantage that local natural gas production provides.
- Local natural gas prices are not tied to the price of oil. That is, oil prices can vary without ANY impact on local natural gas costs/prices.
- Natural gas had been previously piped thousands of miles (albeit efficiently, as pipe line operations are very efficient) but that cost would then cease.
- Planning for long-term commitments; the natural gas field has a 100-year production life with current technology (let alone what will be developed).
- Its emissions are much cleaner than oil.
Responsible development of our natural resources is imperative. The benefit will have a more reaching effect.
Check out the Forbes article: “Local Communities on a Continent of Cheap Natural Gas”
No buyer’s remorse with Realgy Energy Services, We are and remain below ComEd’s pricing
According to the Illinois Commerce Commission, ComEd’s energy price is projected to drop to around 5.55 cents per kilowatt-hour, from the current 8.3 cents per kilowatt-hour, that is a 2.75 cent decrease. The ComEd energy price includes the costs of transmitting electricity from power plants over high-voltage lines to the local distribution system.
Contracts municipal politicians and officials in 15 towns negotiated with power suppliers more than a year ago, to lower residents’ electricity bills, will soon exceed the costs ComEd customers pay starting in June.
The price being paid by most residents in Oak Park, which has an energy-supply contract with Integrys Energy Services Inc. until December 2013, is 5.79 cents per kilowatt-hour, 4 percent higher than the projected ComEd charge.
However this is not the case with Realgy Energy Services, they have been and remain below ComEd’s Pricing.
In northern Illinois, all customers pay ComEd to deliver their electricity but are free to choose a supplier to provide the electricity itself. The cost of electricity typically accounts for about two-thirds of an electric bill while delivery charges make up the rest.
Read the whole story Some suburban electricity deals to be costlier than ComEd
Realgy Energy Services Facebook promotion leads to donation to the Food Bank of Northern Indiana
PRESS RELEASE 18 MARCH 2013 | By: Realgy, LLC
Realgy Energy Services Facebook fans chose to donate to the Food Bank of Northern Indiana
In October 2012, Realgy Energy Services ran a promotion on its Facebook page for fans to decide which charity to donate $1 for every Facebook “Like” during November and December 2012. Among the selected charities was the Food Bank of Northern Indiana, which won by a landslide. “Thanks to our Facebook fans, Realgy will be donating $116 to the Food Bank of Northern Indian, a very deserving charity in our service territory,” says Michael Vrtis, President, “This promotion has not only increased our fan base by 116 likes but will also be making a difference in the lives of those that rely on the Food Bank.”
Picture courtesy of The Food Bank of Northern Indiana
The Food Bank of Northern Indiana has been feeding the hungry since 1993 and working with the community to increase awareness of the effects of hunger. “We appreciate innovative ways businesses and organizations like Realgy Energy Services help us feed the hungry in Northern Indiana,” says Marijo Martinec, Food Bank of Northern Indiana, Director of Community Impact. She added, “Thanks to all the individuals who “Liked” Realgy Energy Services on behalf of the Food Bank!” A donation of just one dollar can provide up to eight meals for those in need.
A group of people who worked for many years with large utilities, energy service companies and energy marketers came together to found Realgy Energy Services in 1999. Within these organizations they saw the limitations of the systems and software and decided they could provide a more efficient service. Today Realgy Energy Services is a retail energy marketer and wholesale energy provider in three deregulated states Michigan, Indiana and Illinois with plans to expand. Realgy has had a perfect record (certified A+) with the Better Business Bureau; http://ct.bbb.org since 2003 and has been recognized as an Inc 500 | 5000 company in 2011 and 2012. http://www.inc.com/inc5000/profile/realgy
A Big thank you to all of our Facebook Fans for helping Realgy Energy Services make this generous donation!
5 energy-saving tips that cost $10 or less
There are plenty of very expensive ways to save energy and reduce your utility bills, but if you’re on a budget or don’t want to spend unnecessary money on home improvements, Realgy Energy Services has a list of 5 energy-saving ideas that will cost $10 or less.
1. Turning off your lights when you’re not in the room will cost $0 but will save you money!
Lighting accounts for about 10 percent of a typical household’s electricity bill, so turning off your lights when you’re not in the room is a great way to save some money off lighting costs, whether or not you upgrade to CFL light bulbs.
To find out how much money you can save simply by turning off lights when you’re not using them, head over to energy.gov
2. Installing low-flow shower heads and faucet aerators for under $10 each can help reduce the amount of hot water you use in your home.
This improvement can be a significant source of energy savings since about 73 percent of the water used in a typical shower is hot water. Using low-flow shower heads and faucet aerators can reduce your home’s water heating costs by as much as 50 percent.
3. Replacing an old incandescent light bulb with a CFL will cost less than $10.
Incandescent light bulbs may be cheaper than compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) but they also waste a lot of energy, Ninety percent of the energy used by a traditional incandescent bulb is given off as heat. In addition, incandescent bulbs burn out much faster than CFLs which last at least 6 times longer and use about 75 percent less energy. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, upgrading 15 inefficient incandescent light bulbs to CFL or LED bulbs could save about $50 per year.
Still confused about the difference between watts and lumens? Check out this Realgy Energy Services blog post: Watt vs Lumens: How bright is that light?
4. Use a $10 power strip to slay energy vampires.
Just plug your devices into it and flip the strip’s power switch on when you want to use your devices and off when you don’t. Make sure not to use power strips with devices that have to run in standby mode to operate, like DVRs
Standby or vampire power as it is most commonly referred to, wastes $10 billion of electricity annually in the United States alone. The average US household has about 40 electronic devices that constantly draw small amounts of power.
5. Depending on how much you need, most homeowners can weather strip their windows and doors for under $10.
More than 20 percent of all the heated and cooled air that escapes your home sneaks out through gaps around windows and doors. When installing weather stripping, it is a good idea to measure the perimeters of the doors and windows needing weather stripping, total them up, and add about 10 percent to that number to make sure you have enough weather stripping.
Learn how to select and apply weather stripping at energy.gov
If you are still looking for ways to reduce your energy bills, enroll with a registered energy supplier like Realgy Energy Services. Check out Realgy Energy Services rates and see how much you could be saving www.realgyenergyservices.com
Sources:
ENERGY STAR, “Light Bulbs”
Energy.Gov, “Lighting Choices to Save You Money”
Energy.Gov, “Reduce Hot Water Use for Energy Savings”
ENERGY STAR, “Standby Power and Energy Vampires”
Energy.Gov, “Weather Stripping”
Energy.Gov, “When to Turn Off Your Lights”
Shedd Aquarium in Chicago is planning to create an energy saving road map that other cultural institutes can follow
However this task won’t be easy. Keeping 32,500 animals healthy, happy and well-lit takes a lot of energy. Part zoo, part art space, the building is a life-support system for 1,500 species operating under the parameters of just about every time zone on the planet.
John G. Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, Illinois
“What we’re talking about is bigger than the Shedd,” said Mark Harris, president and CEO of the Illinois Science and Technology Coalition, which led the consortium that developed Shedd’s energy saving plan.
Following a plan developed pro bono by a public-private consortium, Shedd plans to swap out light bulbs, buy solar panels and sell “negawatts” (getting paid to power down). The aquarium plans to participate in a program that pays big energy users to power down on days when the electric grid is strained by demand from air conditioners. But first that means finding out what in the aquarium can be safely powered down.
“The Shedd’s in a unique position. It’s been there for 100 years and it’s going to be there for another 100 more; so, when you look at a 15-year return on investment, that’s not too bad,” Hulsebosch said.
Read the whole story: Citizens Utility Board, “Shedd Aquarium looks to slice energy bill”