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Fair Fuels AlternativesBY LINUS GELBERPark Slope's Energy Expo '79w o n ' t h e in %u00ab %u00bb a f l a s h - i n - t h e - n a nJ kdeal: rather, plans are for it to be more along the lines of a huge spark to touch of a neighborly concern over the wanton wastes of energy in the Slope, the borough, the state and, indeed, throughout the world.Organized under the aegis of the Park Slope Clergy Association, a consortium of churches and synagogues, the October Energy Expo picked up its spark from the blunders and mismanagements earlier this year at the Three Mile Island nuclear plant in Pennsylvania. The energy-alternatives issue mushroomed into an energy conference in June in the Greenwood Baptist Church, exploring alternatives to oil and gas. and has grown now into a larger fair to open communication on the matter in the area.Planned for October 20 in John Jav High School, at Seventh Ave. between Fourth and Fifth Sts., the Expo will include exhibits on solar energy, electric cars and energy co-ops and the other technical aspects of the energy-saving problem, with all due representation granted to conservation, often rt!csssd ever in t*ic furor ^cr alternative tuei sources. New York area businesses will be on hand to demonstrate weatherizing, insulating and caulking techniques for closing up buildings and cutting down on heat consumption; likewise, plugs will be made for the most rudimentary savings methods, such as keeping heaters and air conditioners set sparingly, closing lights and easing off on the use of electricity-guzzling appliances.Essentially, the viewpoint espoused at the fair will be one of seeking viable circumventions to gas, oil, coal and other rapidlyfading energy supplies. The expo organizers believe that the current power mess can be beaten through conservation, solar energy alternatives and new means of transportation in urban areas to replace gas-slurping and unsanitary automobiles.The Energy Expo planners need organizing and advising volunteers to assist energy consultant Richard Harmon, who is donating his time to the project. People interested involunteering, or simply in more information about plans, times and exhibits, should call Harmon at 768-0459, or Rev. Finley Schaef of th e Park Slope Methodist Church at 768-3093.Curbing Energy Use('ontimioddifferent purposes. The blankets are designed to go on the underside of floors and on unfinished attic floors.While most brownstones do not have attics, they usually do have what contractor Bill Sikes calls %u201ccocklofts%u201d . A cockloft is a space between the roof and the ceiling, in some cases it is big enough to crawl around in. Sikes reports that they got their name from the fact that %u2018 %u2018in the early days people actually kept their chickens there.%u201d Now these spaces often allow heat to escape. This problem can be alleviated by filling the cockspaces with loose or blanket type insulation.For most insulation jobs you will want to hire a regular contractor, though some jobs are small enough to tackle by yourself. In either case you need to know something about how the effectiveness of insulation is measured. You should talk in terms of R-values, not thickness, when you talk about insulation. TheR stands for resistance. Different spaces require different R-values. In general the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs recommends R-values of 33 for ceilings and of 19 for walls. Higher R-values mean more insulation power.Always take certain safety precautions when dealing with insulation. Don%u2019t handle it directly since it can cause local skin irritation. Also, be sure that the insulation you install is relatively fire resistant. Never use ordinary newspaper as insulation.Rigid insulation boards can be used on basement walls, and foam or loose fill can be used to insulate finished walls. Crawl spaces and the delivery shafts discussed earlier can also be fitted with insulation blankets.Installation can cost hundreds of dollars, but you will usually be paid back for this outlay in just a few years, as your energy bill decreases dramatically.When dealing with a contractor for installation of insulation or anything else, there are a few simple rules that should be followed. First, shop around. Get estimates from a few different contractors and then go with the one that seems the most reliable. Second, call up the Department ofConsumer Affairs and make sure your contractor is properly licensed. Third, make sure your contract contains a 3-day cancellation clause so that if you find there is something wrong with the contract you can get out of it. Taking the trouble to find a reliable contractor will always be worth your while.TIPS FROM BOOKSIf you have questions about a particular type of energy saving device, try calling the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs. A number of informative publications are also available from the office, as well as from local utility companies, and the federal government. Among the best of these publications are %u201c Tips for Energy Savers%u201d , put out by the Federal Energy Administration and available free by writing to Tips for Energy Savers, Energy Conservation Now, Pueblo, Colorado 81009, and %u201c In The Bank . . . Or Up The Chimney%u201d , a publication of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. To obtain a copy of this booklet write to the Office of Policy Development and Research, Division of Product Dissemination and Transfer, HUD, 451 7th St. S.W. Room 8126, Washington,D.C. 20410. Ask for publication HUDFlPDR-89(4).Would YouLet OPEC Raise Vbur Electric BillIf You Knew HowToStop It?OPECs recent large increase in the price of oil will mean higher bills for Con Edison customersEvery time OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) boosts prices, the same thing will happen. It's time something was done about itSomething can be done Con Edison can burn less oilOil prices have gone up 10-fold in 10 years Yet. because of government regulations 60 percent of the electricity distributed in our service area is produced from oilYet these savings are a drop in the bucket compared to the hundreds of millions that could be saved if steps we've already proposed are taken:%u25a0 Con Edison should be permitted to burn coal at the Ravenswood 3 and Arthur Kill plants. The technology exists to do this and still meet federal air quality standards.%u25a0 Taxes on electric energy and steam should be reduced. The taxes that Con Edison customers now pay on fueloil are more than the total cost of fuel oil plus taxes 10 years agoHOME INSPECTION, INC.INSPECTIONS BEFORE PURCHASE by Professional EngineersBROWNSTONES & TOWNHOUSESOUR SPECIALTYEnergy Survey included In All ReportsCALL OR WRITE FOR FREE BROCHURE ANDREPRINTS OF OUR PUBLISHED TECHNICALARTICLES ON BROWNSTONE REPAIR5906 AVENUE T BROOKLYN, NEW YORK 11234-763-5589We don't think it should be that way.Times have changed, and it s time for fuel policies to change tooCon Edison is already doing what it can do on its own We've negotiated a contract for less expensive Canadian hydro-electric power that will save our customers $15 million this summerAnd we ve won permission to burn natural gas instead of oil in some of our generating stations That could save our customers up to $60 million a year%u25a0 Energy conservation should be further encouragedAs an initial move, we have proposed a one-year fuel test at our Ravenswood 3 and Arthur Kill plants to demonstrate that burning coal would not violate federal air quality standards. During the test, we would use 1.5 percent sulfur oil. the sulfur equivalent of the 1 percent sulfur coal that would be used in the converted plants once the test proves successful.These steps, taken together, could save our customers more than $1.5 billion through 1990.THE WAY TO REMOVE OPEC FROM YOUR ELECTRIC BILL IS FOR CON EDISON TO USE LESS OIL.jEdS8R c o n s e r v e j e n e r g yFor a copy of Cop Edison's Energy Strategy for reducing dependence on OPEC, please complete and mail this coupon to Warren B. CobumVice President Brooklyn Division Con Edison30 Flatbush Avenue-Room 6?0 Brooklyn. NY 11217P-8/30%u2122!iiSS1i a %u2022 )\iI Sdrln* ii M it.- /.i%u00bb gutiiiuiiiTiiiiitniitimitiitiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHniimiiiiiigREPIKCEMEKT= BOTH SASH TILTINSIDEa: THERMAL INSULATED=%u00a7 GLASSNO DAMAGE TO WALLS?0RW00DW0RKIN WHITE OR BRONZE jSPECIALIZING IN. BROWNSTONES %u2022 WAREHOUSE & LOFT CO OP CONVERSIONS3Save Energy%u2014Qualifies* =: For up to 15% Tax Credit =3%u2014 Call Now For No^ O b lig a tio n Estimate| 2 1 2NU-SASM HPiACfifci?-------- * ,?44 04 JAMAICA AVE O U ( A OR \\ 2 < 0 %u00b0 IBHUHO SE NY H4?6 \\ * H ( A Z O / c ^ |%u25a1 f RE * BROCHURE ANO ESTIMATE * I59 f <4>ls.%u00ab r* !is IPage 14. The PHOENIX, Aug. 30. 1979