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Home Energy Magazine Online November/December 1993
EDITORIAL
The Floods and the Feds
The Mississippi and its tributaries have receded, but the flood's damage is
still being calculated. One of the unknowns is the impact of the flood on
energy efficiency. The initial reports are grim.
Wet insulation may be the most expensive and frustrating sort of damage to
repair. Most insulation acts as a wick, drawing moisture up to heights that
escaped flooding. Fiberglass, cellulose, and rock wool insulation provide
almost no insulation value when wet and retain moisture long after flood waters
have subsided. Even after it dries, the material is often clumped, settled, and
rearranged so as to permanently reduce its insulation value. Unfortunately,
moisture damage is not confined to the insulation. By retaining moisture long
after the flood has receded, wet insulation can exacerbate damage to walls and
other building components. The only solution--removal, drying, careful
inspection for other damaged materials, and re-insulation--may be more
expensive than starting over.
Major appliances must also be replaced because extended immersion in dirty
water destroys key components of furnaces, water heaters, and refrigerators.
Again, the cost of these replacements is enormous. There is some benefit here,
however, because the replacement appliances are likely to be much more
efficient than the originals. Homeowners may be staggering from the costs of
repairing their homes, but at least their utility bills will be lower.
Major natural disasters occur regularly in the United States, yet we were
surprised to find that there is no central source of information on how to
restore energy efficiency in damaged buildings. If energy-efficiency measures
are not incorporated into reconstruction, they won't happen except at a much
higher cost later on. This is where the federal government can play a role. We
expected (somewhat naively) that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
would have this responsibility.
Natural disasters--including floods--happen several times a year in various
places across the country. It is easy to imagine training videos, and perhaps
even diagnostic techniques and equipment, which could be used by local builders
and FEMA offices. Similar packages could be prepared for communities hit by
earthquakes, hurricanes or fires. This information would assist in
energy-efficient reconstruction. Unfortunately, FEMA has its hands full just
feeding and clothing the disaster victims, so other institutions will have to
take on this responsibility. These include the affected utilities, state energy
offices, and the Department of Energy.
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