Plan before you build
By planning ahead, Capital Electric members can take a proactive
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Josh Schaffner, member services assistant for Capital Electric, uses software to calculate a home's heat loss. He advises members to contact the co-op before they build, to reduce heat loss and maximize savings. |
approach to reducing their future electric bills. In the past two issues of North Dakota LIVING, your co-op center pages have featured information on geothermal systems and plenum heaters. We promote these products because they work efficiently and help reduce our members’ electric bills. In this issue, we’ll talk about floor-plan software and how it can calculate heat loss before a new home or office is ever constructed.
While our co-op has used this software, called Right-Suite™ Residential, for a long time now, we recently upgraded the program. The upgrade provides more details, options, and ultimately gives a more accurate reading for heat loss.
Here’s how it works: A person comes to our office with a floor plan, ideally before construction has started. Josh Schaffner, member services assistant, will take the floor plan and input the dimensions electronically. The software, made by Wrightsoft™, considers the geographic location, climate and direction the home faces. It then takes into consideration the number and types of windows, walls and doors. After all the specifications have been entered, the software automatically calculates the amount of heat loss for that new home or business.
By using this software to determine heat loss, the member services department at Capital Electric can determine the necessary type and size of equipment needed to efficiently heat that new floor plan.
“This is important for several reasons,” says Schaffner. “We don’t want our members to end up paying for equipment they don’t need. We also don’t want an undersized unit installed. By visiting with us and sharing their floor plan before they build, we can save our members a lot of money.”
For more information on how Capital Electric can analyze your future floor plan, contact Josh at (701) 223-1513. This is a FREE service we are proud to offer to our current and future members.