Everyone knows that by decreasing the amount of energy you use in the home, the better it is for your light bill, as well as for the environment. Although you can save a lot of energy by shutting off lights when you’re not using them, choosing the right kind of light bulbs is also a major way to reduce energy consumption. If you replace as few as 15 of the energy-hogging incandescent light bulbs in your home with the newer, more efficient light bulbs, you can save $50 or more every year! There are going to be new lighting standards going into effect n 2012, which can be served by using Energy Star CFL, LED and incandescent light bulbs. But what is the difference between the lighting options, and what are your options?
Old vs. New Light Bulbs
Traditional light bulbs, which are also called incandescent (because they emit light by heating a special wire filament, causing it to emit an incandescent light), use a lot of energy. They use up to 90% of the energy used to power them through heat—ever notice how hot your light bulbs get, and how fast? That is an inefficient use of energy, meaning that around 90% of the money you spend on lighting your home or business with these light bulbs is just tossed out the window! The newer energy-efficient bulbs come in all the colors and light intensities you have become accustomed to, but by using newer technology, they are much cheaper to use in the long run.
Lighting Options
There are three main types of energy-efficient light: incandescent bulbs, CFLs (fluorescents), and LED (Light Emitting Diode). All three options can be found in any hardware or home improvement shop, and all three are much more energy-efficient than their more traditional counterparts. Here is a brief overview of each kind:
- Energy-Efficient Incandescent Bulbs. These look just like to light bulbs you’re used to at home, but they end up saving around 25% over the older models. They work better because the heat energy is contained around the filament by a capsule, instead of allowing it to radiate out and be wasted. They not only use a quarter less energy than the other bulbs, they also last around three times as long, so you save doubly! They come in the wattage and color choices you want and need, and can be used with dimmer switches.
- CFL Bulbs. CFL, or compact fluorescent bulbs, are the spiral-shaped light bulbs you’ve been seeing more and more of lately. They use the same basic technology as you have always known from industrial lighting, but new developments in materials and conductivity have allowed these bulbs to be made appropriate for use in lamps and home light fixtures. They offer a whopping 75% savings over traditional incandescent bulbs, and last ten times as long as a normal old bulb. They are more expensive up-front, but they begin paying for themselves within the first month. They do come in a wide selection of lighting colors, such as warm (white grading into yellow) tones, which were previously not available in fluorescents. Some even have a cover to diffuse the light even more, and giving them a similar shape to the bulbs you’re used to seeing at home, if you don’t like the “curly” bulb’s aesthetics. Not all can be used in dimmer switches, so check the labelling before buying these bulbs for use in a fan or room with a dimmer. Another fact about CFL bulbs: they do have a tiny amount of the toxic liquid metal, mercury, in them, so they must be recycled properly. Check www.epa.gov/cfl for more data about recycling CFL bulbs.
- LED Bulbs. An LED, or Light Emitting Diode, is the same technology as that used on the indicator lights you see on your computers, cell phones, TVs, etc. This isn’t the only way they can be used, though: there are now LED home lighting choices, meaning you can use them in lamps and normal light fixtures! This type of tech is developing rapidly and is one of the most energy-efficient choices around. Energy Star LED bulbs only use about 20-25% of the electricity of normal incandescent bulbs, and they last an amazing 25 times longer! LED bulbs can be used in a lot of items that use 40 or 60-watt bulbs, reflectors in recessed light fixtures, and smaller track lighting systems. Although they are more expensive, you can expect the prices to go down as technology gets more advanced and commonplace. You can really see the difference these light bulbs make on your energy bill at the end of the month, and even at the more expensive price currently, they would more than pay for themselves within a month or less!
When you are planning on making your home greener and cheaper, don’t forget the light bulbs!
If you are watching your water bill spiral out of control or want to make sure that your
impact on the environment is not as great, you may want to consider recycling the
grey water that your home generates. This is water that has been used for purposes
such as washing or in the kitchen rather than water that has been used in a toilet or
septic system.
In a standard system, both grey water and black water (water from the toilet) enter
the sewage system. A home with a traditional set up will use municipally treated
water or well water in every area of the home from cooking to washing clothes to
showering or bathing. This totals about 40 gallons of water per day.
Alternative water usage can save money
There is no reason why you need to utilize treated water for every task in your home.
If, for example, you plan to water your yard there is no reason why you should use clean,
fresh water to do so. There are many areas of the home where recycled grey water can be
used on a daily basis. This will reduce the amount of treated water that homeowners will
be billed for. Not only will this reduce a homeowner’s impact on the environment,
it will also substantially reduce water bills as well.
Avid gardeners will tell you that using grey water to water gardens and for other outdoor purposes
can be very helpful. They have been doing so for years. They enjoy benefits such as septic systems
that are no longer overburdened and water and sewer bills that are much lower than if the grey
water was simply allowed to escape unused.
Grey water systems can be simple or complex
There are a range of different solutions that allow you to take advantage of your home’s grey water.
Systems can be as simple as collecting dish water after it is no longer needed and taking it outside to
water gardens or lawns. More complex systems collect water from shower drains, sinks and laundry
facilities and store it until it is needed for other purposes.
You may want to consider a system that is landscape-direct. This will divert grey water from a
washing machine and will then allow it to travel to mulch basins that are located around trees,
bushes or garden beds.
A qualified expert will make it easier for you to choose the system that meets your needs the best.’
Summers seem to be getting warmer every year. Many people have installed central air conditioning systems into their home and use them as an attempt to beat the heat. While they can work well they do cause a jump in a home’s hydro usage. If you are looking for a way to keep your home comfortable without a corresponding spike in hydro usage here are some alternatives that you may want to consider.
Tried and true designs may make for cooler homes
Some traditional design methods can actually help keep a home cool naturally. They were used for many years although they have become much less popular in the last century or so. If you are building a new home or are renovating an existing structure you may want to work them into your design.
Ventilation can be the key to a cooler home
Do not underestimate the impact that ventilation can have on your home. In the past, homes were designed and positioned so that they took advantage of the natural airflow around them. These worked for several reasons. The first is that they helped evaporate moisture (in this case, sweat) off of the skin. This makes people feel much cooler. In order to take advantage of this in your own home you should position the building or the windows in such a fashion that there is a decent amount of air flow in a home.
In older homes, there were often large windows that were positioned across from one another. Copying this design can help ensure your home is cooled down naturally. Placing windows on adjacent walls can also help to increase air flow although it will not be to the same extent.
The stack effect can cool your home
You may also want to consider using something known as the “stack effect” to cool your home naturally. Heat rises and taking advantage of this tendency can help keep a home much cooler. In order to take advantage of the stack effect it is important that you place openings at the top and bottom of an area. This allows air to move in lower down and push hot air up and out of a room.
Energy efficient windows can also help you keep your home cooler
You can also help to reduce your home’s energy use and increase the cooling effect by installing energy efficient windows. These will help trap more cool air inside a home and may reduce how hard your air conditioning system needs to work in order to keep a home at a comfortable temperature.
It can take a lot of energy to heat water. Usually, the majority of the hot water goes down the drain and all of the energy that was used to heat it can go to waste. If you want to make sure that you get as much impact for your heating bills as possible, you may want to consider a drain water heat recovery system. This takes water that has already been heated and repurposes it. The heat from the water is used to warm the air inside of a home.
We actually use about twenty percent of a home’s energy to heat water. As much as seventy percent of that hot water is used to bathe. When a bath or shower is done, the heated water simply trickles away down the drain and is of no benefit to homeowners. That is, it is not of use unless a homeowner has a drain water heat recovery system installed.
How a drain water heat recovery system works
Although some systems may be configured differently, all drain water heat recovery systems work in much the same way. A series of coils are positioned around a home’s drain stack. When hot water passes through the drain stack, the heat is absorbed by the coils. The heat from the coils is then used to heat water that is waiting to be used.
The hot water that has been heated by the drain water recovery system can be used in a number of different ways. It can travel into a radiant heating system and provide heat throughout a home or it can be used to wash or cook with. The water does not actually come into contact with the drain water and therefore there is no chance that the fresh supply of water would become contaminated in any way.
A home does need to have a centralized drain stack in order for this type of system to work. This will ensure that all of the hot water that is leaving a home will travel past the heat coils. Users of these systems have reported that their energy use has decreased by as much as ten percent simply by reusing the heat that was originally utilized to warm water.
There are a number of advantages to this kind of system. One is the reduction in energy usage in a home. Because heating systems are not running as much the greenhouse gasses that are produced will also be reduced. They will also pay for themselves in as little as five years.
You may have heard a lot of people talking about radiant heating systems. They have been around for many years but advances in the design and materials make them a much more reliable heat source than they were in the past. As a result, these types of heating systems are being used in an increasing number of homes because of the advantages that they offer. Here is a look at whether or not a radiant heating system is right for your home.
Radiant vs. forced air heating systems
Radiant systems are very different than forced air systems. A forced air system uses a central heat source (usually a furnace) that heats air which is then forced through a series of ducts. This allows the heated air to reach different areas in a home. A radiant system, on the other hand, uses heated water that travels through tubes from a central heating unit. The heat can be let into a room via a wall mounted radiator or it can travel through a series of tubes that are placed underneath a floor.
Air quality considerations
One thing to consider is the air quality in a home. If you are someone who is dealing with severe allergies you may want to consider a radiant heating system. Duct work can be the perfect place for allergens such as mold and dust to accumulate. The air moving through the ducts pushes it out into a room where it can cause allergies to act up.
Radiant heating is also much less drying than forced air systems. Radiant systems use heated water and some of the moisture will end up in the air. This can help keep skin and hair from drying out the way they may with a forced air system.
Equal heating throughout a room
Another problem with a forced air system is that there can be hot or cold zones in any room. The air around a vent can be quite a bit warmer than the rest of the room. This can be a problem as it can make a home much less comfortable when extreme weather hits. A radiant system that uses in-floor tubing will provide evenly distributed heat throughout any room. It can also be precisely controlled on a room-by-room basis, allowing individuals to reduce the amount of energy they use to heat their home.
Only you will know whether or not a radiant heating system is right for you. A qualified heating and air conditioning specialist can go over the options and help you choose the system that is right for your home.
If you are renovating your home there are many decisions that need to be made. You may be wondering which contractor to use or which areas to renovate first. What many people should think about (but don’t) is how to make sure that the renovation process is as environmentally friendly as possible. Here are a few things that you need to consider.
Your home’s energy supply
You may want to consider how your home will be powered. A home renovation can be the perfect time to add a solar panel or to convert from burning fossil fuels such as oil or natural gas to using biomass boilers or a heat pump system. You may even want to use a combination of several different heating methods. For example, you may want to use a heat pump system in combination with a biomass system.
Environmentally friendly heating systems are those that are as close to carbon neutral as possible. A biomass system only releases as much carbon as was absorbed by the plants or trees during their lifespan.
Upgrade windows to energy efficient models
If you are renovating your home you should consider replacing your windows with ones that are more energy efficient. Good choices are double paned models that have a layer of gas in between the glass. This will help reduce or eliminate heat transfer in or out of your home. Different windows will have different R-ratings as some gasses are much better at preventing heat transference than others.
You may want to consider replacing any windows at ground level as well. A significant amount of treated air can be lost through basement windows and yet some individuals do not see the importance of changing windows that are not immediately visible to the outside world.
Use recycled materials whenever and wherever possible
It is important for you to use renovation materials that are made from recycled materials. They have several advantages. The first is that they have already released any toxic gasses when they were in use before and will not contaminate the air in your home. The second is that you are not compounding the problem when some materials are harvested from their natural environment.
Barn board flooring, for example, is a beautiful choice to use in a home or cottage. It can provide a rustic touch to your home or cottage and is good because it prevents landfills from being filled with materials that can easily be reused.
If you live in areas where the weather gets cold you need to have a method of keeping your house warm. Keeping a house’s interior at a comfortable temperature does not mean that you have to harm the environment. It is possible to keep your home warm in a reliable and affordable manner and not have a negative impact on the world around you. Here are several heating methods that you may want to consider when it is time to replace your current heating system.
Biomass stoves and boilers
Biomass stoves and boilers can be used to keep a home at a comfortable temperature. Biomass boilers and stoves use fuel such as wood pellets in order to power them. Wood pellet stoves and boilers are carbon neutral. The wood comes from trees that absorb carbon during their lifespan. Wood pellet stoves release only as much carbon as a tree absorbed when it was alive. Stoves provide direct heat to a home whereas boilers heat water that is then used in radiators or in radiant heating systems.
Wood pellets are extremely easy to store, can be produced locally and can even be fed into the stove or boiler by an automated system. This is an affordable and extremely environmentally friendly way to heat a home.
Solar hot water heating systems
Energy from the sun can be used to heat a home. Water travels through tubes set into solar panels. The heat from the sun warms the water and it travels back into the home through the same tubes. The water can be stored in a boiler which is insulated and which keeps it warm until it is needed. It can then be used in radiators or in a radiant heating system exactly like hot water from biomass systems would be.
Heat pump systems
There is a lot of ambient heat being stored in the ground and the water that surrounds our homes. A heat pump transfers heat from the ground or water via tubes filled with coolant. If you dig deep enough, there is a point where the ground contains a substantial amount of heat available on a continuing basis. That heat can be used to warm a home in an environmentally friendly manner.
Only you can tell which system is the most appealing to you. Working with a company that is experienced in installing these systems will ensure that your home stays warm without damaging the world around you.
It may surprise many people to learn that their home is drawing energy on a continuing basis. Appliances and electronic devices are all drawing energy even when they are not turned on. Heating systems and air conditioning systems may be conditioning your home but that heated or cooled air may be trickling away through windows, doors and under insulated areas of your home. Here are some tips that you can use to stop energy drain and lower your bills as a result.
Power bars draw energy on a continuing basis
People are often surprised to learn that their power bars are drawing energy. If all of the appliances or devices connected to that power bar are turned off that should mean that the bar is not drawing power right? Wrong. If you look at the glowing light on your power bar you will notice that it doesn’t go out when all of the devices connected to it do. This is because the power bar itself is drawing energy on a continuous basis. It is true that the amount of energy drawn is quite small but over time it can add up especially if a number of power bars are in use throughout your home.
One way you can combat this is to get a power bar that is on a timer. This will automatically shut the power bar off at times of the day when the devices plugged into it are not in use. If you have enough of them throughout your home you may notice that your energy usage decreases over time.
Hot water tanks lose heat through their walls
If you touch the sides of your hot water tank chances are that it will feel warm. This means that heat is being lost through the sides of the tank. If the water inside gets too cold the heater will need to use energy in order to bring the water back up to the proper temperature. Over time this can lead to a significant amount of energy being lost.
If you want to combat this energy loss you have two options. The first is to insulate a hot water tank. There are different kits that you can use that will allow you to put a piece of insulation around the tank. This will prevent heat from being lost. You can also switch to a heating system that does not have a water tank.
It can also be a good idea to look around your home at areas that may need updating. You should check that your home has a sufficient amount of insulation and that your windows and doors are made of glass that will prevent the loss of heated or cooled air. Then you can sit back and enjoy lower energy bills and a home that feel s more comfortable as well.
Unless you are building a new home, incorporating green technology will often mean making significant changes to the infrastructure of your home. This is something which may seem intimidating to some people. It doesn’t have to be. Here are some suggestions that will make it easier for you to do so.
Choose systems requiring the least change
Picking systems and technologies that require the least amount of change or reconfiguration can make it much less painful for you to switch over to green technologies in your home. For example, changing from a traditional hot water tank system to a tankless version will usually not require as much change as it would if you were installing in-floor heating would be. Replacing a floor made with materials that are more friendly to the environment can be less disruptive than bringing in a number of green materials to use in your home’s construction. By minimizing the amount of disruption and change, you can make the transition a much less painful one.
Replace existing technologies as needed
By making changes on an ongoing basis, you can minimize the disruption and impact on your home as much as possible. While it is great to replace everything in your home as quickly as possible, you will find the process to be a much simpler one if you do it on a more gradual and as needed basis. Some green technologies can be quite expensive. If you have to change a furnace, for example, you may find the price of an environmentally friendly alternative much more acceptable if all you replace is the furnace. If you opt to change your windows, insulation and heating system at the same time, the bill might be so large that it would seem like it would never pay for itself. If you only replace an item or two at a time and do not make every change to your home at once, you can end up feeling like you are much less overwhelmed financially.
Replace the least efficient systems first
Replacing the least efficient systems first is a good idea. Unless you need to replace something in your home (such as windows or a heating system) because it is broken, you would be better off identifying the least efficient systems first. Replacements for systems that are the least efficient will allow you to recoup the money you have spent as rapidly as possible.
How to start the process
There are several ways of starting the process of changing to green technology. The first is to have an energy audit performed on your home or office space. A trained expert will go over the various areas in your home and focus on the systems and areas that utilize the most energy. They will be able to tell you which areas to address first. The drawback is that an energy audit may often be expensive and it may not be available in all areas.
A second method is to look at which of your household bills are the highest or most unmanageable. If you choose the bills that are the most expensive and find green methods of reducing them you may find that you will welcome the changes instead of being nervous about them.
Tankless hot water systems are becoming increasingly popular with homeowners. They are not only being installed in many of the new homes that are being built but also as part of environmentally friendly retrofits in older homes as well. If you are curious about what these systems are as well as how to choose the right system, here is what you need to know.
Traditional hot water heaters
Traditional hot water systems are centered on a large tank. This holds a specific volume of water that will be used throughout a house or apartment. The temperature of the water is monitored by means of a sensor system. Water travels throughout the house or apartment as it is needed. If the temperature of the water drops below a specific point, a heating system will kick in and the water will be raised to the desired temperature once again.
Some traditional systems are quite efficient but many more are quite inefficient. A tank that tends to lose heat can end up driving up the cost of your energy bills as it takes a lot more fuel or energy to keep the water hot. Lack of proper insulation or malfunctioning heat sensors are two other reasons why a traditional tank-based system may become inefficient.
Tankless hot water systems
Tankless hot water systems are different. Instead of a tank which stores water, a tankless system will sense a hot water tap being turned on. When this happens, the water temperature will be raised and there will be no lack of hot water. Tankless systems can be used to supply a single room in a home but there are models which can work to supply hot water for an entire home. Because there are so many options to choose from it is important that you consider a few factors before you have one installed. Because there are so many choices to pick from, it is important to narrow down your choices based on a few factors. Here is what you may need to consider.
What to consider
The main factor that you need to consider is the flow rating of each system that you are looking at. The flow rate is basically how much water can flow through a unit and be heated to a desired temperature. This is important. If you are going to be using one tankless system to heat water at more than one tap at a time, you need to make sure that the unit you choose has a high flow rate.
Although installing a tankless hot water system is a great way to reduce your energy usage many people still prefer to use a more traditional system.
How to make traditional hot water systems more efficient
If you choose to stay with a traditional hot water system there are ways that you can make your system as efficient as possible. The main thing to remember is that newer systems are more efficient to begin with. Older tanks may also function more efficiently if you insulate them against heat loss. Wrapping an insulating blanket around them may be just what you need in order to make an existing system more efficient.
