175 TIPS TO SAVE
ENERGY
LIGHTING
- Use one large
light bulb instead of several small ones in areas where bright light is
needed. In general, the efficiency of incandescent light bulbs, as well as
most light sources, increases as wattage increases. Thus, one 100-watt
incandescent bulb provides approximately the same amount of light as two
60-watt bulbs or four 40-watt bulbs, but consumes less electricity.
- Use compact
fluorescent lights instead of incandescent bulbs whenever you can. Compact
fluorescents are 3-4 times more efficient than incandescent and last 10 times
as long.
- Long-life
incandescent light bulbs (which last from 1,500 to 3,500 hours) are less
efficient than regular life incandescent because the filament is operated at a
lower temperature to extend its life. Energy-conscious consumers should use
long-life bulbs only where replacement is difficult, or should consider
replacing or converting incandescent lights to fluorescent lights which have a
life of over 10,000 hours.
- Replace light
switches with motion or occupancy sensors. Good locations include the garage
and exterior or security lighting areas.
- Consider
installing solid state dimmer switches and dimming the lights when less light
is needed. Dimming reduces energy consumption. But don't use them with most
compact fluorescents, which are not compatible.
- Select your lamp
shades with energy efficiency in mind because they can make a big difference.
A lamp with a light-colored shade, especially one that's lined in white or
highly transparent, will give the best light. Tall, narrow shades or short,
dark-colored shades let through less light, which may force you to turn on
another light for sufficient illumination.
- When you
decorate, think light colors. Dark colors absorb light, encouraging you to
use more (or higher wattage) lights to light the room.
- If you go away
on vacation and leave your lights on for security reasons, use timers and set
them to turn the lights off during the day. They'll give your house a more
lived-in appearance, and you'll save energy.
- Get into the
habit of turning off lights when you leave a room.
- When you use
night lights, select energy-conserving 4-watt bulbs. Or better yet, purchase
the new green or blue-green light night lights with back light technology.
These night lights consume a mere 0.03 watts and cost only a few pennies a
year to operate.
- Use task
lighting when you need lighting in one small area and then reduce background
or ambient light levels.
- Use natural
daylighting when possible and reduce or eliminate artificial lighting.
Daylighting has been proven to have many benefits.
- Use solar
walkway and patio lights for outdoor accent lights. These are widely
available and easy to install. You can install them yourself in a few
minutes, since they don't require any wiring.
- Select
cold-start compact fluorescent, high-pressure sodium, or metal halide lights
for outdoor lighting. If you leave lights on all night, use light-sensor
controls that automatically turn the lights on at dusk and off at dawn.
HEATING
- Clean or replace
filters regularly on furnaces and heat pumps; keep the outside units free from
leaves or debris that may clog vents.
- Program a clock
thermostat for automatic energy savings.
- Seal heating and
cooling ducts in unconditioned spaces.
- Close your
blinds and drapes at night in the winter to keep the cold out.
- When having an
old furnace or boiler replaced, insist on having a heat loss analysis of your
house performed to size the heating system properly. Don't have the same size
as the old unit installed; units used to be considerably oversized. The size
of a new heating system should not exceed the peak heating demand by more than
25 percent.
- When purchasing
a new gas or oil heating system, specify sealed combustion. Sealed
combustion units bring in outside air to feed the combustion process, and
exhaust flue gases directly to the outside without the need for a draft hood
or damper. They generally burn more efficiently, and they do not pose the
risk of backdrafting -- the flow of dangerous combustion gases into the
house.
- Bleed the air
from hot water radiators once or twice each heating system. Trapped air keeps
systems from performing properly.
- If your oil
heating system is pre-1975 but is in good shape, consider a flame retention
head burner retrofit. A flame retention head burner burns fuel in a cleaner
and more controlled manner, increasing efficiency and reducing pollution. It
often pays for itself in one to two years through lower heating costs.
- In the winter
remove and store window air conditioners, or cover them to reduce cold air
from entering the house through the air conditioner.
- If you heat your
house with a heat pump and have a conventional thermostat, do not set back the
temperature setting when the house is unoccupied during the day or when the
occupants are asleep at night. Setting back a conventional thermostat can
cause the heat pump to operate inefficiently, canceling any savings achieved
by lowering the temperature setting. Do set back the thermostat if you
have a setback heat pump thermostat. This problem does not arise when the
heat pump operates in the cooling mode. Turning up the setting of both
conventional and setback thermostats in the summer will save you energy
and money.
- If you have a
hot water or steam heating system, put a reflector behind your radiator to
reflect heat into the room that would normally be lost through the wall.
- If you have
reversible ceiling fans, set them in the winter to circulate the heated air
collecting at the ceiling down towards the floor.
- If you plan to
buy a new furnace, select an energy-efficient unit. Your contractor has
energy fact sheets for each model; ask for them and compare energy usage.
- Keep your
heating system well tuned with periodic maintenance by a professional service
person. Oil-fired systems should be tuned up and cleaned every year,
gas-fired every two years, and heat pumps every two to three years. Ask the
service person how the energy efficiency of the system could be increased.
- If you plan a
new gas heating system, ask your gas utility or public services commission
about the savings potential of electronic ignition. Ask also about
possibilities for retrofitting the system you may already own.
- Consider buying
a properly sized gas furnace that incorporates an automatic stack damper (if
permitted by your local jurisdiction code) or an induced draft fan, or
choosing an oil furnace with a flame retention burner. These devices reduce
the loss of heat when the furnace is off. (Contact your gas utility or oil
supplier for guidance.)
- Keep your
fireplace damper closed unless you have a fire going. An open damper in a
48-inch square fireplace can allow a heat loss of up to 8 percent through the
chimney.
- When your
heating system is on, keep windows near your thermostat tightly closed.
Unnecessary drafts will keep your furnace working after the rest of the room
has reached a comfortable temperature.
- Have your oil
furnace serviced at least once a year, preferably each summer to take
advantage of off-season rates. This simple precaution could save you up to 10
percent in fuel consumption.
- If you have oil
heat, have your service person check to see if the firing rate is correct.
One survey found that many of the furnaces checked were over-fired.
- Keep warm air
registers clean and free of obstructions, such as furniture, carpets, and
drapes.
- When purchasing
an air source heat pump, select a unit with a Heating Seasonal Performance
Factor above 8.0.
- Ask a heating
professional if the efficiency of your heating system can be improved by
reducing the system size; reducing draft (oil only); or installing a
modulating aquastat (hot-water boilers only), a new oil burner, a pilotless
ignition (gas only), an automatic flue damper, a flue economizer, or
adjustable radiator vents and valves. Some of these measures are not
recommended or may not be suitable for your system. Be sure these measures
are performed only by a heating professional.
COOLING
- Don't set your
thermostat at a colder setting than normal when you turn on your air
conditioner. It will NOT cool faster. It WILL cool to a lower temperature
than you need and use more energy.
- To operate your
air conditioner unit more efficiently, turn on your ceiling fans. These fans
create air movement across the skin, lowering skin temperature through
evaporation. The homeowner can thus raise the A/C thermostat setting up to 4
degrees F without any decrease in comfort. Each degree you raise the
thermostat above 78 degrees F you save about 7-8 percent on your electric
cooling costs.
- Use landscaping,
awnings, and overhangs to shade the outside of your house in summer. A shaded
house costs less to cool than one in direct sunlight.
- When possible,
use fans to keep cool instead of an air conditioner. Fans consume only a
small fraction of the energy of an air conditioner.
- If you plan to
leave for a few minutes or more, turn the fan off. Letting it run wastes
energy and does nothing to cool the room--in fact, the heat from the motor
actually warms the room a little.
- Clean the
outside condenser coils of your heat pump or central air conditioner.
- If you live in a
warm or hot climate, consider adding a radiant barrier to your attic. A
radiant barrier is a shiny surfaced material, such as an aluminum-coated
plastic sheeting, installed in the attic such that the shiny surface faces an
air space (the attic space or air space between the barrier and the roof
sheathing). Radiant barriers reduce summer heat gain by reflecting much of
the heat radiated from the roof back to the roof.
- When it's time
to shop for a new air conditioner, select a unit with a high Seasonal Energy
Efficiency Ratio (central air units) or energy efficiency Ratio (window
units). For humid climates, select a unit that also does a good job of
dehumidifying. And don't buy a unit larger than you need.
- Set the fan
speed of your central air conditioner on high except in very humid weather.
When it's humid, set the speed on low; you will get less cooling but more
moisture will be removed from the air which will make it feel cooler.
- Do not position
heat-producing appliances, such as televisions or lamps, near the thermostat
that controls your air conditioner. The heat they produce "fools" the
thermostat and causes the air conditioner to run longer than necessary.
- Take advantage
of natural ventilation during the times of the year when this is feasible to
reduce air conditioning usage. By opening and closing windows, different parts
of a building can be ventilated.
- If your ceiling
fans are reversible, be sure to adjust the setting at the onset of the cooling
season so that the blades turn to create a downdraft.
- When purchasing
ceiling fans, remember that a 36- or 42-inch fan works best for rooms 12 feet
by 12 feet or smaller. A 48- or 52-inch fan works best for rooms up to 12
feet by 18 feet. Two medium-sized fans work best in a room longer than 18
feet.
- Consider using a
whole-house fan as part of your cooling strategy. A whole-house fan is
installed horizontally in the ceiling below the attic. Whole-house fans
consume considerably less energy than air conditioners.
- Under
appropriate weather conditions in the cooling season, use window fans mounted
in windows to exhaust hot air that accumulates indoors during the day and,
reversed at night, to pull in cooler outdoor air.
- Clean or replace
filters regularly on air conditioners; keep outside units free from leaves or
debris that may clog vents.
- Close doors and
vents of unused rooms to avoid cooling these areas.
- Turn off
unnecessary lights and use energy-efficient lights, especially when you have
the air conditioner running, because lights generate a significant amount of
heat.
- Set the
thermostat for your central air conditioning system at the highest comfortable
setting (78-80 degrees F is recommended). If you normally set it at 72
degrees F, raising it to 78 degrees F should save between 12 and 47 percent in
cooling costs, depending on the climate where you live.
- Plant trees or
shrubs or use other shading devices to shade the air-conditioning unit from
direct sunlight. You can increase efficiency by up to 10 percent. But do not
block air flow.
- Turn off your
window air conditioners when you leave a room for several hours.
- Keep your
cooling system well tuned with periodic maintenance by a professional service
person. Ask the service person how the energy efficiency of the system could
be increased.
- In the cooling
season, draw draperies, blinds, and shades indoors to keep out direct
sunlight.
- Consider turning
off the furnace pilot light in the summer, but be sure it's reignited before
you turn the furnace back on.
RECYCLING TO CONSERVE ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES
- If you change
your own motor oil, recycle the old oil. One gallon of used motor oil when
recycled yields the same amount of refined lubricating oil--2.5 quarts--as 42
gallons of crude oil.
- Don't dispose of
your dead car battery. Recycle it. The typical car battery contains 18-20
pounds of lead-acid, a toxic substance that can cause serious adverse health
effects if not disposed of properly. Contact your local government for
recycling sites.
- Organize a
recycling program in your office or community if one isn't already in place.
- Buy recycled
products.
- Use a mug for
coffee at work and home rather than a disposable cup.
- Purchase
long-lasting, durable items rather than disposable ones.
- Use rechargeable
batteries instead of disposable batteries.
- Start a compost
pile.
- Buy the economy
size of products when feasible. You will probably save money, and it will
reduce the number of containers being thrown away.
- Buy products
that have the smallest amount of packaging materials.
- Request that
your name not be sold to mailing list companies. The average American
receives an amount of junk mail each year that is equivalent to 1.5 trees.
- Recycle your old
newspapers. If everyone in the United States recycled one-tenth of their
newspapers, we would save about 25 million trees every year.
- Recycle your old
glass bottles. The energy saved from recycling one glass bottle will light a
100-watt bulb for four hours.
- Choose
returnable bottles instead of throwaway bottles when you have the option.
Disposable (throwaway) bottles consume three times as much energy as reusable,
returnable bottles.
- Recycle your old
tin cans when you can. Recycling and reusing the material in tin cans reduces
related energy use by 74 percent; air pollution by 85 percent; solid waste by
95 percent; and water pollution by 76 percent.
- Recycle your old
aluminum cans when you can. When you toss out one aluminum can you waste as
much energy as if you'd filled the same can half full of gasoline and poured
it onto the ground.
- Recycle your old
plastic soda bottles, milk bottles, detergent bottles, and whatever other
plastic your community accepts for recycling. These can be used to produce a
variety of items, including other detergent bottles, plastic lumber, fiberfill
sleeping bag insulation, and clothing. Twenty-six recycled plastic soda
bottles can make one polyester suit.
- Use a mulching
mower to mow your lawn. You'll do your lawn good by putting the lawn cuttings
back into the soil and you'll eliminate the need to dispose of these cuttings.
The cuttings will serve as a mulch, retaining moisture in the soil, and are a
natural fertilizer.
TRANSPORTATION
- Use public
transportation whenever possible. One person commuting to work by mass
transit instead of driving can save 200 gallons of gasoline in a year.
- Share your
ride. Join a carpool or a vanpool. About one-third of all private automobile
mileage is for commuting to work. If occupancy increased by just one person
per car, more than 40 million gallons of gasoline would be saved each day.
- Don't speed.
For every mile-per-hour over 55 mph, the average car or truck loses almost two
percent in gas mileage.
- When driving on
the highway, use your cruise control to maintain a steady speed.
- Keep your car or
truck well tuned. A well-tuned car uses up to 9 percent less fuel than a
poorly tuned car and releases less pollution.
- Keep the tires
of your car or truck properly inflated. Under-inflation shortens the life of
a tire and decreases gas mileage. For every pound per square inch (psi) below
the proper level, there is an average increase in fuel consumption of 0.4
percent.
- Remove
unnecessary heavy items from your car. Every extra 100 pounds costs you about
half-a-mile-per-gallon.
- Reduce drag when
possible when you drive. Drag increases fuel consumption. If you drive with
the windows open more drag is created. Roof-mounted racks can increase drag
by more than 40 percent if you stack luggage, bicycles, or skis on the roof
and back of the car.
- Ride a bike or
walk to work, the local neighborhood store, or nearby friends. Total vehicle
emissions is reduced to zero.
- Use energy
conserving oils the next time you change your car's oil. Labeled with "EC"
lettering on the container, these oils can improve your gas mileage by one to
two percent.
- If your car is
equipped with overdrive, be sure to use the overdrive gear when your speed
dictates. Your owner's manual will give you further information.
- Don't start your
car until you're ready to move, and avoid long idles. Idling engines waste
gas. Limit car warm-ups in winter.
- Drive smoothly.
Accelerating slowly from a full stop can save you as much as two miles per
gallon.
- Drive a friend
or neighbor to work. If every commuter car carried just one more passenger,
we'd save 600,000 gallons of gasoline and keep 12 million pounds of greenhouse
gases out of the atmosphere every day.
APPLIANCES
- If you need to
purchase a gas oven or range, look for one with an automatic (electronic)
ignition system instead of pilot lights. You'll save an average of up to a
third of your gas use -- 41 percent in the oven and 53 percent on the top
burners.
- If you have a
stove with pilot light, make sure the pilot light is burning efficiently--with
a blue flame. A yellowish flame indicates an adjustment is needed.
- Keep range-top
burners and reflectors clean. They will reflect the heat better, and you will
save energy.
- Use a kettle or
cover the pan when boiling water; water will come to a boil faster and use
less energy than if brought to a boil in an uncovered pan.
- Regularly
defrost manual-defrost refrigerators and freezers. Frost buildup increases
the amount of energy needed to operate the appliance. Never allow frost to
build up more than one-quarter of an inch.
- When cooking on
the stove top, match the size of the pan to the heating element. More heat
will get to the pan; less will be lost to the surrounding air.
- When operating a
clothes dryer, keep the lint screen clean. Remove lint after each load. Lint
impedes the flow of air in the dryer, which makes your clothes take longer to
dry and requires the machine to use more energy.
- If your clothes
dryer has an automatic dry cycle, use it. Overdrying merely wastes energy.
- Try to use
energy-intensive appliances such as dishwashers, clothes washers and dryers,
and electric ovens in the early morning or late evening hours to help reduce
peakload energy use.
- Don't keep your
refrigerator or freezer too cold. Recommended temperatures: 38 to 40 degrees
F for fresh food compartment of the refrigerator; 5 degrees F for the freezer
section. (If you have a separate freezer for long-term storage, it should be
kept at 0 degrees F, however.)
- If an existing
motor fails and the repair cost is more than 60 percent of the price of a new
energy-efficient motor, buy the new motor instead.
- When you run
your dishwasher, only wash full loads. The dishwasher will use around 17
gallons of hot water each time, whether you wash one dish or a full load of
dishes.
- When you run
your dishwasher, use the energy-saver setting, which eliminates the dry cycle,
saving you energy and money.
- Don't keep your
ancient refrigerator plugged in down in the basement or garage to cool your
six pack of beer or soda. Old models consume considerably more energy than
new models; you may be paying dearly just to keep a few drinks cold.
- Check the
condenser coils on your refrigerator at least twice a year, and keep them
clean. Refrigerators, refrigerator/freezers, and freezers with dirty
condenser coils (found on the back or bottom of the appliance) consume more
energy.
- Check the door
seals of your refrigerator, refrigerator/freezer, and freezer. If the seal is
cracked, or cold air is escaping, the seal (or perhaps the appliance, if it is
very old) should be replaced.
- Before you store
leftovers in the refrigerator or freezer, let them cool down. That way, your
appliance doesn't have to work as hard.
- To be sure your
refrigerator operates most efficiently, keep it full, but not overloaded.
(Overloading will prevent cold air from circulating properly.)
- When washing
clothes, wash in cold water whenever possible. Save warm/hot water cycles for
whites and hard-to-clean items. Always rinse in cold water.
- Don't pre-heat
your oven, unless the foods, such as breads and cakes, require it. For most
foods, pre-heating isn't necessary and represents a waste of energy and money.
- Thaw your foods
completely before cooking. That way, your stove or oven won't have to work as
hard.
- Use the sun's
energy to dry your clothes when weather permits. The energy's free, and your
clothes smell fresher.
- Turn computers
and computer monitors off during the day when they aren't being used for
extended periods of time.
- When you buy a
computer monitor, buy only as large a monitor as you need. Power consumption
increases proportionately with the size of the monitor. For example, a
17-inch color monitor consumes approximately 35 percent more energy than a
14-inch color monitor.
- When purchasing
a computer monitor, if you don't need color consider a monochrome monitor. A
monochrome cathode ray tube (CRT) display consumes only 50 to 65 percent as
much energy as a color CRT display.
- If you cook with
electricity, get in the habit of turning off the burners several minutes
before the allotted cooking time is over. The heating element will stay hot
long enough to finish the cooking and you will save electricity. The same
principle applies to oven cooking.
- When cooking in
your oven, watch the clock or use a timer; don't continually open the oven
door to check food. Every time you open the door, heat escapes and your
cooking uses more energy.
- Use small
electric pans or ovens for cooking small meals rather than the kitchen range
or oven. They use less energy.
- Use pressure
cookers and microwave ovens to do your cooking if you have them. They can
save energy by reducing cooking time.
- Don't use too
much detergent when doing the laundry; follow the instructions on the box or
bottle. Oversudsing makes your machine work harder and use more energy.
- According to
various studies, electric blankets consume an average of 150 kWh per year. If
you use one regularly and frequently forget to turn it off, plug it into a
simple timer to be sure it is turned off when not in use.
- If you have an
older model color television with instant-on features, your TV set is drawing
electricity even when it is not on. Consider installing a switch on the cord
to turn off when not in use, or unplug when not in use for any length of time.
Newer solid-state TVs do not have this problem.
- If you have a
waterbed that is electrically heated, take measures to reduce this energy
consumption. Regularly making the bed with a comforter can save more than 30
percent, and insulating the sides of the bed can save over 10 percent.
- Before drying
clothes, sort them by fabric types. Lightweight synthetics, which dry
quickly, should not be dried with bath towels and natural fiber clothes, which
take longer to dry.
- When drying
clothes, don't add wet items to a load of partially dry clothes.
- Dry loads of
clothes consecutively in the dryer to take advantage of the heat still in the
dryer from the previous load.
- If you have a
clothes dryer, make sure you have a dryer vent hood outside that seals tightly
when the dryer blower is not operating. Although they may cost $15 to $20
more than standard flapper vents, they are more effective and well worth the
extra money.
- Reduce ironing
time by buying clothes that are "no iron" or permanent press.
- Reduce ironing
time by taking clothes out of the dryer slightly damp and hanging them up;
this may eliminate the need for ironing. Set the dryer to buzz when the
clothes are slightly damp, if your dryer has this feature.
- Remove permanent
press clothes immediately after the clothes dryer has stopped. Otherwise, you
may find that the clothes are wrinkled and decide to iron them. Use the
cool-down cycle if your dryer has this feature.
- When purchasing
a washing machine, consider a horizontal-axis washer. These washing machines
use as little as one-third the water that a common vertical-axis washer uses,
thereby reducing energy consumption by nearly two-thirds.
- When cooking in
pans, consider copper-bottom pans, which heat up quicker than regular pans.
- Use a crockpot
to cook stews and soups that require a long time to cook.
- Use
flat-bottomed cookware (or ideally with a slightly concave bottom that
flattens out when heated) that make complete contact with the burner surface
when cooking on electric burners, solid disk elements, and radiant elements
under ceramic glass.
- Cover foods,
especially liquids, before storing them in the refrigerator; otherwise
moisture that enters the refrigerator compartment causes the refrigerator to
work harder and use more energy.
- Turn computers
and computer monitors off at night and on weekends.
BUILDING ENVELOPE
- Caulk and
weatherstrip doors and windows that leak air.
- Look for air
leaks through openings where plumbing, electrical wiring, or cables go through
walls, floors, and ceilings. Check for drafts from electrical outlets, around
ceiling fixtures, and at openings to the attic. Seal cracks and holes that
you find.
- Seal air leaks
in your attic and walls.
- Insulate your
home properly. Adequate insulation will keep your home warmer in the winter
and cooler in the summer.
- If you're
replacing windows in your house, select windows that have low U-values and
that seal tightly. Compare U-values (U-factors) carefully, and select
high-performance units with low-E (low-emissivity) coatings and gas filling.
Also insist on windows with air tightness values of .05 or lower.
- Don't let cold
air seep into your home through the attic access door. Check the door to make
sure it is well insulated and weatherstripped, otherwise you'll be wasting
fuel to heat that cool air.
- When shopping
for windows, use the energy performance labels developed by the National
Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) -- many windows on the market carry them --
as your guide to selecting energy-efficient units.
- When shopping
for windows, insist on windows that carry long warranties against seal
failures. When seals fail, moisture forms between the panes and the windows
need to be professionally repaired or replaced. Moreover, there is the loss
of low-conductivity gas if this window is gas filled.
WATER
HEATING AND WATER CONSERVATION
- Repair leaky
faucets promptly.
- Install low-flow
shower heads.
- Insulate your
hot water piping and storage tank (especially if your tank is old and has
little built-in insulation). Savings up to 9 percent have been reported by
adding an insulated blanket over the tank, and three percent of the energy
used to heat water can be saved by insulating the first 25 feet of
distribution pipe.
- If your hot
water heater is set at 140 degrees F, set it back to 120 degrees F-- unless
you have an old dishwasher that does not have an internal heating element that
can raise the temperature to 140 degrees F (the temperature needed for
detergents to clean effectively).
- Install a solar
water heater (especially if you have an electric water heater and pay high
electricity prices).
- Install low-flow
aerators on kitchen and bathroom sink faucets to save water (and the energy
used to produce hot water). They will cut water usage by as much as 280
gallons a month for a typical family of four.
- Fill a basin
when you wash the dishes by hand instead of letting the water run. You could
save up to 25 gallons of water each time you wash dishes.
- Don't leave the
water running when brushing your teeth. You could save as much as 9 gallons
each time you brush.
- Fill the basin
when you shave instead of keeping the water running. You'll use only one
gallon of water instead of up to 15 gallons.
- Use cold water
rather than hot to operate your food disposer. This saves the energy needed
to heat the water, is recommended for the appliances, and aids in getting rid
of grease. Grease solidifies in cold water and can be ground up and washed
away.
- If you need to
rinse dishes before putting them in the dishwasher, use cold water.
- Don't use the
"rinse hold" on your dishwasher for just a few soiled dishes. It uses 3 to 7
gallons of hot water each time you use it.
- If you get hot
water from a tankless coil water heater, examine alternatives to save energy
in the summer. Currently your boiler must work constantly all summer long to
provide you with hot water. In cold climates, installing an indirect water
heater is generally the most cost-effective option. This system draws heat
from the boiler and stores hot water, eliminating the need for your boiler to
operate constantly.
SWIMMING POOLS, SPAS, AND HOT TUBS
- If you heat an
outdoor swimming pool, consider lowering the thermostat on your pool's
heater. Every 1 degree F reduction can cut your energy usage by 5 to 10
percent.
- If you heat an
outdoor swimming pool, try to keep the heat from escaping by using a swimming
pool cover when not in use. Almost all of a pool's heat loss--about 95
percent--occurs at the surface through evaporation, convection, conduction,
and radiation to the sky. A pool cover substantially reduces this loss of
heat. A cover also helps keep the pool clean and extends the life of the
chemicals in your pool. And with a transparent plastic cover, you may
actually gain heat as the sun's rays pass through the cover and heat the
water.
- If you have an
outdoor swimming pool, consider reducing the amount of time you run the
circulation pump. In a Florida study, most people who reduced pumping time to
less than 3 hours per day were still happy with the water's quality. On
average, this saved up to 60 percent of the electricity used for pumping.
- Swimming pool
owners can save energy by using smaller or higher efficiency pumps. When a
pump wears out or can't be repaired, install a high efficiency unit that is
not oversized for its needs. A Florida study found that a 0.75 horsepower or
smaller pump is generally sufficient for residential pools. Smaller pumps,
which cost less, can be used if you decrease the pool circulation system's
hydraulic resistance. This can be done by one or more of the following:
substituting a large filter (rated at least 50 percent higher than the pool's
design flow rate), increasing the diameter or decreasing the length of the
pipes, or replacing abrupt 90-degree elbows with 45-degree elbows or flexible
pipe. These types of changes can slash up to 40 percent of the pump's use of
electricity.
- Spas and hot
tubs can consume a tremendous amount of energy. If you have one, keep it
covered with a tight-fitting insulated cover when not in use. If installing a
spa or hot tub, insulate it well around the sides and bottom.
WOOD-BURNING
APPLIANCES
- When burning
wood in a fireplace or woodstove, select only good quality, dry wood.
- Regularly
inspect your flue for creosote buildup when operating a fireplace or woodstove
and have a chimney sweep clean the chimney when needed. You can perform
routine maintenance between professional cleanings by using a wire chimney
brush made specifically for this purpose. Never intentionally create a small
chimney fire in order to burn off creosote; this may crack the flue liner,
making the hazard from a subsequent chimney fire greater.
- If you are
buying a wood-burning appliance, make sure it is properly sized. An oversized
stove is a potential fire hazard because it is often operated in an
air-starved or extremely slow-fire condition, which leads to excessive
creosote buildup. Too much creosote buildup inside the chimney increases the
risk of chimney fires. Oversized stoves also burn fuel inefficiently.
Conversely, an undersized stove is usually over-fired. Although an undersized
stove usually burns wood efficiently and poses less of a risk for chimney
fires, over-firing can severely damage the stove.
- If you have a
simple open masonry fireplace that you use in the winter, consider installing
a glass screen, a convective grate, a combination convective grate with glass
screen, a radiant grate, or a fireplace insert. Some of these devices will
cut down on the loss of warm air through the fireplace chimney. These
accessories may improve heat recovery from the fire.
HOME
ENERGY AUDITS
- Have a
professional energy audit performed on your home to determine whether your
home wastes energy, and to pinpoint where energy is being lost. Contact your
local utility to see if they do audits, or ask them who performs them in your
area.
- Conduct a simple
do-it-yourself energy audit of your home or office to pinpoint where energy is
being lost.
- Have a house
doctor conduct a building pressurization test, commonly called a blower-door
test, to determine the air tightness of your house and to pinpoint air leaks.
- Have a house
doctor conduct a thermographic inspection of your house or business to
identify areas of inadequate insulation or inefficient machinery.
MISCELLANEOUS
- Take advantage
of time-of-day or time-of-use rates if your utility offers these by shifting
usage of appliances to off-peak hours when rates are lower. Though this
doesn't save energy, it will lower your energy bills. (Since it may allow
your utility company to avoid calling its older, back-up generator into
service, which is typically less efficient, the utility company may save
energy.)
- Check with your
local utility company for literature on ways to conserve energy.
- Plant a tree and
take care of it. If every American family planted just one tree, all of these
trees would remove more than a billion pounds of greenhouse gases from the
atmosphere every year.
Credit: United States Navy-Department of the Navy's
Energy Program
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