Nov
29
Below are some terms you may encounter while researching energy related products, heating and efficiency:
AFUE (annual fuel utilization efficiency): an efficiency rating that measures the efficiency with which gas and other fossil-fuel-burning appliance use their primary fuel source over an entire heating season. It does not take into account the efficiency with which any component of the system, such as a furnace fan motor, uses electricity. AFUE is expressed as a percentage that indicates the average number of Btu worth of heating comfort provided by each Btu worth of fuel consumed by the system. For instance, a gas furnace with an AFUE of 80% would provide 0.8 Btu of heat for every Btu of natural gas it burned.
Air infiltration: the introduction, usually unintentional, of unconditioned outdoor air into a mechanically heated and/or cooled building. Air infiltration can occur through any opening in the home’s structure, including seams where walls meet other walls, window or door frames, or chimneys; holes where wires or pipes penetrate walls, floors or ceilings/roofs; and between the loose-fitting meeting rails of double-hung windows or a door bottom and door threshold. It is one of the major causes of unwanted heat gain and loss, and personal discomfort in buildings.
Alternating Current (AC) - An electric current that reverses its direction at regular intervals or cycles; In the U.S. the standard is 120 reversals or 60 cycles per second; typically abbreviated as AC
Amp - short for “ampere” - this measures the amount of electricity moving through a wire. Most household appliances use 15 or 20 amps of power. Amps are what give electricity its “shock.”
Biomass Fuel: Any organic (plant or animal) material which is available on a renewable basis, including agricultural crops and agricultural wastes and residues, wood and wood wastes and residues, animal wastes, municipal wastes, and aquatic plants
BTU (British thermal unit): a measurement of the energy in heat. It takes one Btu of heat to warm one pound of water by 1? Fahrenheit. Btu can be used either to define an air conditioner’s cooling capacity (i.e., the number of Btu of heat that can be removed by the system) or a furnace’s heating capacity (i.e., the number of Btu of heat that can be supplied by the system).
Chemical Energy - Energy stored in a substance and released during a chemical reaction such as burning wood, coal, or oil.
Combustion - Chemical oxidation accompanied by the generation of light and heat.
Conduction is the transfer of heat through solid objects such as glass, dry wall, brick and other building materials. The greater the difference between the outdoor and indoor temperatures, the faster conduction can occur, increasing a building’s energy gain or loss.
Convection is the transfer of heat to or from a solid surface via a gas or liquid current. Where home heat loss and gain are concerned, heat convection is caused by air (gas) currents that carry heat from your body, furniture, interior walls and other warm objects to windows, floors, ceilings, exterior walls and other cool surfaces.
Conversion- A number that translates units of one measurement system into corresponding values of another measurement system.
Cord of Firewood: a tightly stacked pile of wood logs measuring 4′ x 4′ x 8′ (128 cubic feet).
Daylighting is the technique of using natural light from windows, skylights and other openings to supplement or replace a building’s artificial lighting system. When applied properly, daylighting can reduce lighting costs. When applied improperly, however, it can not only lead to inappropriate light levels but can also raise the building’s cooling costs by introducing high levels of solar heat into the interior of the building. Also see SOLAR GAIN to see how sunlight can affect heating costs.
Direct Current - An electric current that flows in only one direction through a circuit, as from a battery.
Efficiency is the degree to which a certain action or level of work can be effectively produced for the least expenditure of effort or fuel. BTU of energy consumed (input) x efficiency = BTU output.
Energy: The ability to do work or the ability to move an object. Electrical energy is usually measured in kilowatthours (kWh), while heat energy is usually measured in British thermal units (Btu).
Energy Efficiency - Refers to activities that are aimed at reducing the energy used by substituting technically more advanced equipment, typically without affecting the services provided. Examples include high-efficiency appliances, efficient lighting programs, high-efficiency heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems or control modifications, efficient building design, advanced electric motor drives, and heat recovery systems.
Emission- A discharge or something that is given off; generally used in regard to discharges into the air. Or, releases of gases to the atmosphere from some type of human activity (cooking, driving a car, etc). In the context of global climate change, they consist of greenhouse gases (e.g., the release of carbon dioxide during fuel combustion).
Heat Content - The gross heat content is the number of British thermal units (Btu) produced by the combustion, of a volume of gas under certain with air of the same temperature and pressure as the gas, when the products of combustion are cooled to the initial temperature of gas and air and when the water formed by combustion is condensed to the liquid state.
Kilowatt-hour (kWh): 1000 watts used for one hour - or any combination of energy multiplied by time that is equivalent to that rate of electrical consumption, such as one watt used for 1000 hours, 10 watts used for 100 hours, or 50 watts used for 20 hours. For example, a 100-watt light bulb left on for five hours each day would consume one kWh every two days. Kilowatt-hour is the primary measure on which U.S. electric companies base most customer billing.
Load Estimate is series of studies performed to determine the heating or cooling requirements of your home. An energy load analysis uses information such as the square footage of your home, window and door areas, insulation quality and local climate to determine the heating and cooling capacity needed by your furnace, heat pump or air conditioner.
Mercaptan - An organic chemical compound that has a sulfur like odor that is added to natural gas before distribution to the consumer, to give it a distinct, unpleasant odor (smells like rotten eggs). This serves as a safety device by allowing it to be detected in the atmosphere, in cases where leaks occur.
Methane -A colorless, flammable, odorless hydrocarbon gas (CH4) which is the major component of natural gas. It is also an important source of hydrogen in various industrial processes. Methane is a greenhouse gas.
Operating Cost is the day-to-day cost of operating an appliance, based on energy use.
Payback period is the amount of time it takes to achieve a full return on an investment. For instance, if a high-efficiency direct vent gas fireplace costs $1000 more than a purely decorative fireplace but would save $500 a year in gas usage, the payback period is 2 years.
Propane (C3H8) - A normally gaseous straight-chain hydrocarbon. It is a colorless paraffinic gas that boils at a temperature of -43.67 degrees Fahrenheit. It is extracted from natural gas or refinery gas streams.
Radiation is a method of heat transfer in which heat is transmitted from surface to surface via infrared waves. Radiant heat warms the surfaces it touches without increasing the temperature of the air through which it travels. All warm bodies radiate infrared energy.
R-value is a measurement of a material’s ability to resist heat transfer. Insulation products are rated according to the R-value. The higher its R-value, the greater the product’s ability to resist heat flow will be.
Solar Gain is the heat that builds up inside a structure as a result of sunlight that enters through transparent or translucent surfaces, such as windows, and is converted to heat after striking other surfaces inside the building.
Space Heating - The use of energy to generate heat for warmth in housing units using space-heating equipment. The equipment could be either the primary or secondary source of heating.
Thermal Energy - The total potential and kinetic energy associated with the random motions of the molecules of a material.
Thermostat - A device that adjusts the amount of heating and cooling produced and/or distributed by automatically responding to the temperature in the environment.
Watt: a unit of electric power. The amount of power required by electric appliances is expressed in watts. Watt-hour is a unit of electric energy, equal to one watt used over a period of one hour.
Volt (V) - The volt is the International System of Units (SI) measure of electric potential or electromotive force. A potential of one volt appears across a resistance of one ohm when a current of one ampere flows through that resistance. Reduced to SI base units, 1 V = 1 kg times m2 times s-3 times A-1 (kilogram meter squared per second cubed per ampere).
Voltage - The difference in electrical potential between any two conductors or between a conductor and ground. It is a measure of the electric energy per electron that electrons can acquire and/or give up as they move between the two conductors. This is how electricity gets from the power plant to your house: high-voltage transmission lines carry the electricity under greater pressure to carry it long distances, while lower-voltage power lines serve individual homes and businesses.
*Article contributed by Karen Duke, Victorian Fireplace Shop
Karen Duke is a fireplace, chimney and hearth industry expert of over 25 years in both the retail and service sectors. She is a CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep and has numerous hearth industry certifications. She is the founder and webmaster of www.TheFireplaceChannel.com and she is the co-founder and webmaster of www.TheVictorianFireplace.com , which is one of the largest online fireplace retailers in the world. She makes her home in Mechanicsville
Tags: reduce energy, solar power, powersaver, save gas, plug and save, cheap fuel, cheap energy, save energy, save money, energy saver
Nov
28
Energy Saving Tips: - Gas Powered Scooters: Taking Back The Road
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Gas powered Scooters have been around forever.
By definition a gas powered scooters are also known as mopeds are a two-wheeled (normally) low powered vehicle. In most states its small size and low power output allow it to escape many of the licensing, insurance, and driver restrictions placed on motorcycles.
Gas scooters were first introduced to the world in the middle of the 1950?s. The first design was little more then a bicycle with an engine mounted on it, it was called a cyclemotor. The cylcemotor can still be seen on the road these days in the form of electric bikes.
Gas powered scooters have been popular for years in several European countries. With the rising cost of gas in America they have seen an increase in popularity in the United States.
One of the reasons some people have a gas powered scooter is to circumvent loosing a driver?s license. Many states don?t require a driver to have an operator?s license if they are over eighteen years of age, sixteen in some states. They also don?t require that the operator have proof of insurance and a current registration.
If you would like to become a member of a scooter club and go on scooter rallies you are probably going to want to invest in a gas powered scooter.
While the advantages of an electric scooter might be the ability to fold it into a small compact bundle of aluminum and carry with you on the bus and store it in the linen closet gas powered scooters have their own array of advantages.
a. Gas powered scooters are faster than the average electric scooter. They can travel at speeds up to thirty-one miles an hour.
b. Gas scooters have very cool body styles; some gas powered scooters look more like miniature motorcycles then scooters.
c. Gas scooters save tons of money - While the cost of gassing up gas powered scooters might seem expensive compared to the low cost of running an electric scooter, the mileage they get quickly make up for the gallon of gas they require.
d. Gas powered scooters can maneuver rather well ? A gas scooter is a great way to move through traffic. They dart in and out between cars, especially gridlocked traffic. Imagine how good you look arriving at the office ahead of the car driving staff.
e. No parking spots? No problem! Mopeds can be squeezed into any available space, even right in front of the front of the buildings door or on the sidewalk.
f. Maintenance, no problem ? A Gas powered scooter is easy to maintain. With a basic grasp of tools and a decent book about mechanics most people are able to maintain their gas powered scooter in their own garage. How many people can claim that about their cars these days?
The best thing about gas scooters is the freedom. While you drive your scooter down the road you can smell the scent of the leaves changing in the fall, the warm summer breeze can brush along you cheeks as you hear the call of the Red Wing Blackbird. What more could you ask for?
Tags: cheap fuel, energy saver, reduce energy, cheap energy, conserving energy, save power, save fuel, energy survey, wind power, save money
Nov
27
Energy Saving Tips: - How to Use Alternative Energy at Home
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About solar power.
Solar power is becoming much more widely available for the home consumer and as a consequence solar powered lights and solar powered features can be seen in many gardens and even in houses but often they have their limitations. Nevertheless solar power is still a viable energy source for your home and personal needs. There are grants available to have PV tiles fitted to your house as well as the grid tie systems that are associated with them. If you havent already looked into solar power as an alternative to buying all your power from the grid then do a little research. Not only will you be doing your bit for the environment but will it might just save you money on your energy bills.
About PV tiles.
Photovoltaic tiles are solar tiles used to transform the heat from the sun into electrical power and are becoming much more popular all around the world to power homes as well as heat water, heat your house or to heat your pool. Governments are beginning to offer grants to interested households and they are doing this as part of their commitment to producing more energy from renewable sources.
Photovoltaic tiles are available that look almost identical to normal roof tiles and with the grants they arent much dearer, if theyre any dearer at all. Having PV tiles fitted means you can either use the heat collected to warm your house, warm your pool or even to create electricity to power your house.
Grid tie systems.
If you have PV tiles fitted you should also get a grid tie system. This means that you can actually sell your unused solar power back to the grid, meaning that in summer months you might not just save money but you could also be making a small profit. You only need a small amount of machinery attached to your tiles and virtually any loft has more than enough room to store the transformers and other equipment required.
Other renewable energy uses around your home.
As well as using PV tiles there are other factors. If you are really eco friendly there are small wind turbines available that will produce energy for your home but the present level of technology means that much of the initial energy created is wasted before it can be turned into a useful power source.
You can collect rainwater using rain butts and use it for watering your garden or for cleaning your house. While this doesnt create energy to power your house it will mean that little bit less stress on your local reservoir.
About the author:
For more more information about alternative energy please visit http://www.alternative-energy-tips.com
Tags: save energy, wind power, reduce energy, energy survey, how to save energy, energy saver, plug and save, conserving energy, cut electric bill, cheap energy
Nov
26
Energy Saving Tips: - Energy Efficiency 101: Getting Started At Home
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With gas and oil prices on the rise, many people are talking about energy efficiency and using renewable energy sources in the home. Some people automatically assume that making their home more energy efficient is going to cost a lot of money up front, but in reality that’s not the case. The first step in making your home more energy efficient is merely to improve your internal appliances and systems with a bit more thought. We’ll give you some simple rules that will make your home more comfortable, your fuel bills lower and your conscience lighter as you use less fossil fuels.
Rule # 1: Let There Be Light. We all need electricity but did you know that by using energy efficient LED lights and compact fluorescent bulbs in all of your home fixtures you could cut your energy use exponentially? For instance, one study found that merely by using LED lighting rather than traditional incandescent bulbs you could save 90% of home lighting energy consumption. In many cases, not only do fluorescent, LED and other energy efficient lighting options use less energy, they also last longer and are more durable. Yes, they may cost a little more up front, but you’ll see the value when they pay for themselves after a year or so of use and you can scratch light bulbs off your weekly list at the market or hardware store.
Rule # 2: Look at Your Appliances. As you review your electric load (or how much electricity you use to run your home) you should cast a glance at all of your appliances. Any that are very old and out of date, especially washers, dryers and refrigerators could all be costing you far more money than you think and taxing the environment to boot. When you look for appliances, try to find ones that are specifically designed to use less power and be more efficient. Not only will you probably be able to get some spiffy rebates, you’ll also be offsetting the cost of your new energy efficient appliance with the savings you’ll immediately see on your utility bills. Check out Energy Star’s website to find the most efficient models available for the appliance you’re looking to upgrade. Their website is www.EnergyStar.gov.
Rule # 3: Consider Your Climate. This relates not only to where you live and what your environment is like but also to how you regulate the temperatures in your home. First, is your home well insulated? If not, you are allowing in and letting out a lot of energy, heat and cold .Improving your insulation is one of the best and easiest ways to make your home more efficient. How are your windows? What can you do to retain heat in the winter and repel it in the summer? Also, if you have an attic, are you keeping it properly ventilated during the summer months? If it gets too hot up at the top of your house, your whole cooling system will have to work that much harder so you should consider installing a solar powered attic fan that will keep your attic well ventilated and moderate the overall temperature. A dry and ventilated attic is a happy one. Finally, how are you cooling your home in the summer? If you live in an arid climate and you are still using traditional air conditioning, you do have other options. Environmentally friendly evaporative coolers (or ?swamp coolers?) are often just as effective and require a third of the power or less.
Rule # 4: Think Green. Whenever you make decisions about your major home systems in the future, think about installing systems that are more efficient and that could potentially be powered by an alternative energy source. If you have to sink a chunk of change into a new hot water heater, boiler or home heating system don’t just walk down the path of least resistance. It is possible that for a similar investment you could install a tank-less hot water heater or for a bit more money, install an energy efficient solar heating system in your home. It may seem far fetched, but when you see the monthly savings and you factor in the potential tax rebates and the money you would have spent either way, you’ll see how smart it can be. The key when looking at installing a solar power system or wind turbine system is that this is a long term investment, but you’ll actually see a return on it within as little as 2 to 6 years. By investing up front and ultimately off-setting your fossil fuel consumption your energy efficient hot water heater will actually pay for itself, unlike traditional fossil fuel dependent ones.
Rule # 5: If You Think You Are Ready, Review Rules 1-4. Even if you think you are ready today, right now to install solar panels or a wind turbine to power your home you need to make your home as energy efficient as possible FIRST. Why? Because, in general, for every $1 you spend on making your home more energy efficient you reduce the cost of your alternative energy system down by $3 to $5. Once you have reduced down your energy usage, you can accurately determine how much energy you will need to produce with renewable energy. Having this accurate information will tell you how many solar air heating collectors you need, solar water heating collectors your need, solar electric panels you need, or if you need a solar wind hybrid power system; if you can operate independently or if you need a grid-tie in system; and perhaps most importantly, how much you are going to spend to convert to renewable power.
So, start simple, invest wisely and think green and eventually you will be the self-powered, money saving, energy efficient one on the block.
About the Author:
Blair Stephens is a prolific copywriter and proud member of the http://altenenergystore.com team. The alternative energy store specializes in providing solar power systems, wind turbine systems and other alternative energy sources for home and commercial use at http://home.altenergystore.com/. They are truly Making Renewable Do-Able!
Tags: cheap energy, energy saver, conserving energy, save fuel, plug and save, energy survey, plugandsave, reduce power, how to save energy, save gas
Nov
25
It is unlikely that you can have missed the news stories, which are cropping up with frightening regularity, about the huge increases in household gas and electricity bills. With similar price hikes predicted in the near future it is certain that if the previous price rises aren?t already hitting you hard then your utility bills could certainly be a source of great stress in the foreseeable future. It is never too early to look at ways of saving energy and bringing the cost of those bills down.
Using the simple measures above will not only lessen the impact of energy price hikes, you will be contributing to the conservation of the environment.
Tags: save power, reduce power, save fuel, save energy, plugandsave, conserving energy, energy survey, wind power, save gas, cheap energy
Nov
24
Energy Saving Tips: - Light Your Home Without Spending a Fortune
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Properly lighting your vacation home can make a room seem larger, provide functional reading light, and enhance the aesthetic appeal. However, neither splendor nor illumination comes cheap.
The quickest and easiest way to save money is to replace incandescent light bulbs in your home with compact fluorescent bulbs. Compared to incandescent bulbs, fluorescent bulbs use 75% less electricity, last 10 times longer, and generate 70% less heat.
On a similar note, swap energy-wasting light trees for single three-way bulb lamps. One fluorescent bulb can do the work of an entire tree of incandescent bulbs.
Throw out (or donate) halogen floor lamps/ torchi?res. They are a fire hazard, generate enormous amounts of heat, and require oodles of electricity to power.
Also, it’s amazing what a difference a little dusting can do: Regularly clean lampshades, light bulbs, and light fixtures for improved efficiency.
When computing total energy costs, many owners forget to include the cost of outdoor lighting. Natural gas outdoor lamps have risen in popularity in recent years for good reason?they can transform an ordinary backyard into an idyllic respite. What many owners don’t realize is that the cost to power these lamps is on par with heating their homes. Consider instead installing outdoor lights with a photocell unit or a motion sensor lights. With motion sensitive lights, you can keep the picturesque setting and save money when your guests aren’t outside.
And lastly, encourage your guests to take advantage of natural (and free) lighting during the day. Install easy-to-open or honeycomb blinds.
? Copyright 2006 HomeAway, Inc.
Tags: reduce power, cheap electricity, save gas, wind power, cheap fuel, save fuel, how to save energy, save energy, save power, cut electric bill
Nov
23
Choosing the right battery for your electronics can be a complicated process. Make sure you get the right battery to get the most for your money.
If you are like most consumers, you are becoming more dependent on portable electronic devices. Even your kids are using more electronic toys today than 10 years ago. And if youre like most consumers, you go through so many batteries in a year that youve asked yourself why you dont have stock in Energizer or Duracell.
We cant tell you how to make money buying Energizer, or Duracell stock, but we can tell you how to save money by choosing the right battery and properly caring for it.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT BATTERY When shopping for batteries, consumers are faced with so many confusing options. Whats better, Titanium, Ultra, Coppertop, Maximum, alkaline, lithium, heavy duty, etc., etc.?
Determine the type of application The two main types of devices are high drain and low drain. Some applications fall about in the middle, like most CD players. Other applications, like MP3 players, or boom boxes are high drain, while clocks and desk alarms are low drain.
Determine the right battery Lithium batteries are designed for higher drain devices, and devices that need a quick recovery like a camera flash. Some alkaline batteries, including the Duracell Ultra and Energizer e2 Titanium are also designed for high drain applications and will last up to 50% longer than standard alkaline batteries. Heavy duty batteries are designed for low drain devices like wall clocks.
Determine the use by date Some stores may stock batteries for a long time before they are sold. Make sure to check the use by date on the package before buying. The freshest alkaline batteries have a date no less than 5 years away. Expired batteries have about 85% of their fresh capacity.
Choosing a brand Duracell, Energizer, Rayovac, and hundreds of smaller brands flood the market with advertising. Energizer claims their batteries will keep going, and going and goingoutlasting the other brands. Duracell claims their power packed batteries will last longer than other brands. Rayovac claims their alkaline batteries last 2x longer than ANY other alkaline battery in digital cameras. But whos right?
Independent tests by companies such as Zbattery.com and TechTv have shown some batteries to be better adapted than others to different devices, but the tests are not conclusive. The best way to find a battery that works for you is to try different brands and keep track of the amount of life you get from each brand.
RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES Rechargeable batteries are growing in popularity, especially with the boom in portable electronic devices. So how do you know when you should make the investment in a charger and batteries?
Knowing the types There are two main types of rechargeable batteries in the standard form factors: NiMH (nickel metal hydride) NiCad (nickel cadmium)
NiCad is used widely in cordless phones and electric razors. These tend to be charged before being completely discharged. This is the best chemistry for this type of operation.
NiMH battery has grown in popularity and is widely used in digital cameras and other electronic devices. With power lasting almost as long as an alkaline battery and the ability to recharge more than 500 times, you end up saving a lot of money over time.
If you use a lot of AA or AAA batteries your best bet is to buy a couple of sets of rechargeable batteries and a good chargeryoull be better off in the long run.
About the Author
Bryan is the Operations and Marketing Manager for Zbattery.com. He has helped to bring this Internet business from obscurity to one of the top battery businesses online. He also operates his own independant web development and marketing company, AdvantageSolutions.net
Tags: energy saver, plug and save, wind power, reduce energy, conserving energy, plugandsave, solar power, save energy, save power, cheap electricity
Nov
21
Energy Saving Tips: - Battery Chargers; What To Look For, What To Avoid.
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Batteries, or dry cells are manufactured to supply steady and uninterrupted D.C power to different modern day gadgets that run with electrical energy. Batteries are generally lead-acid cells. Over 15 billion are produced every year and are sold worldwide. Many of these are alkaline-batteries which are discarded after being used for a single time. But there are also some which can be charged again and again after every use and are known as “rechargeable batteries”. These should be kept at fully charged condition so as to meet the D.C. power demand whenever needed. Therefore suitable battery chargers are required to charge those types.
The different types of battery chargers are:
1) Medical 2) Automotive 3) Commercial 4) Industrial
These may be stationary or portable.
These rechargeable batteries are of high capacities. Rechargeable batteries, like Nickel-Metal Hydride (NiMH) or Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries can be charged several hundreds of times and last far longer period in high drain devices.
By using these repeatable charging batteries people can save tons of money. When the charge goes down below a certain level it stops supplying D.C power to electrical instruments, then the battery needs to be charged to regain its capacity of supplying D.C power. Low quality chargers can even damage batteries and shorten their lifetime. The charger takes current directly from electric lines and induces the electric charge into the batteries.
The charging of these depends on different factors such as its capacity, its age, its initial charges, etc. Different chargers vary widely in this matter. There is a tendency of generating heat during the charging of rechargeable batteries which is one of the most commonly cited factors for the damage of these battery. The heat mainly generates due to the internal resistance and chemical reaction of the rechargeable batteries. Excessive current can also damage the battery after it is fully charged.
There are some automatic chargers which initially charge at a very high rate and continuously monitor the cell voltage to reduce or shut off the charging when the battery tends to charge fully. The battery chargers can take 1 hour to 8 hour of time for charging depending upon the design and ratings of these chargers. There are also different visual indications like LED on the battery chargers. These indicators indicate that the rechargeable type batteries should not get overcharged and help them preventing them from overheating.
Nowadays there are wide applications of rechargeable styled batteries. These types are even used in power generating stations as a substitute of D.C current and emergency Lighting System. They are also used in vehicles like cars, trolleys, bus, etc. There are also some battery driven cars which run on streets completely based on battery-power and not on fuel.
The use of rechargeable batteries can also be found in laptops, IPods, cellular phones, electric wheelchairs, etc. Therefore suitable chargers are essential for the charging of these re-chargeable batteries.
Tyson J Stevenson creates useful articles & reviews on a wide variety of everyday subjects. Expect to see his name often. View further samples of his work at HubbuH or at Chargers
Tags: save money, energy saver, save gas, cheap electricity, save fuel, energy survey, solar panels, save power, cut electric bill, wind power
Nov
20
Energy Saving Tips: - Light Your Home Without Spending a Fortune
Filed Under Save Energy | Leave a Comment
Properly lighting your vacation home can make a room seem larger, provide functional reading light, and enhance the aesthetic appeal. However, neither splendor nor illumination comes cheap.
The quickest and easiest way to save money is to replace incandescent light bulbs in your home with compact fluorescent bulbs. Compared to incandescent bulbs, fluorescent bulbs use 75% less electricity, last 10 times longer, and generate 70% less heat.
On a similar note, swap energy-wasting light trees for single three-way bulb lamps. One fluorescent bulb can do the work of an entire tree of incandescent bulbs.
Throw out (or donate) halogen floor lamps/ torchi?res. They are a fire hazard, generate enormous amounts of heat, and require oodles of electricity to power.
Also, it’s amazing what a difference a little dusting can do: Regularly clean lampshades, light bulbs, and light fixtures for improved efficiency.
When computing total energy costs, many owners forget to include the cost of outdoor lighting. Natural gas outdoor lamps have risen in popularity in recent years for good reason?they can transform an ordinary backyard into an idyllic respite. What many owners don’t realize is that the cost to power these lamps is on par with heating their homes. Consider instead installing outdoor lights with a photocell unit or a motion sensor lights. With motion sensitive lights, you can keep the picturesque setting and save money when your guests aren’t outside.
And lastly, encourage your guests to take advantage of natural (and free) lighting during the day. Install easy-to-open or honeycomb blinds.
? Copyright 2006 HomeAway, Inc.
Tags: save money, plugandsave, cheap fuel, save gas, how to save energy, save fuel, energy saver, cut electric bill, solar panels, plug and save
Nov
19
It has been estimated that in an average household, lights use about 20% of the total electricity. So, if you are able to use something that will reduce that power consumption, you will automatically lower your energy bill. On a large scale, this also goes a long way in reducing pollution. It is easy to save energy on lighting by simply installing energy-saving light bulbs wherever possible.
A small filament inside a regular incandescent light bulb gets heated and produces light. This heat production consumes a lot of energy; in fact almost 90% of the energy consumed by the bulb. Energy-saving light bulbs are florescent, and turn out to be much more efficient because they don’t need heat to produce light.
Fluorescent light bulbs come in both a tube shape and coiled shape for varied uses. They are used widely in businesses, office space, and a traditional socket for light bulbs. They are available in many colors and can even mimic sunlight.
Halogen light bulbs are considered to be one of the most effective energy-saving types of lighting for homes. They are efficient and very powerful. Halogen lighting produces 50% more light than that of an incandescent bulb, while using the same amount of energy. Halogen lights also last as three times longer when compared to incandescent bulbs. Some care needs to be exercised while using halogen lamps because they reach high temperatures.
Energy-saving bulbs consume just one third of the energy that an incandescent light bulb does, and they also last longer. In the long run, energy-saving light bulbs turn out to be very cost effective. According to estimates, energy-saving bulbs last ten times longer than regular incandescent bulbs. As per an estimate, you save abut $5 a year from the use of a single energy-saving light bulb.
Electricity is produced by burning fossil fuels; this factor leads to concerns about greenhouse emissions. Every household produces a lot of greenhouse gases because of electricity consumption. The use of energy-saving light bulbs is a sure way to cut down on such harmful emissions.
Incorporating energy-saving light bulbs into your home will lighten the load on your pocket and also on the environment.
Tags: save gas, plugandsave, save money, reduce power, cheap fuel, save fuel, solar panels, conserving energy, energy survey, energy saver